Hotspot: No Rules, the pizzeria by three-star chef Jacob Jan Boerma
We finally made it to the much-talked-about restaurant No Rules in Amsterdam, the new pizzeria by three-star chef Jacob Jan Boerma. And it lived up to all our expectations. What a wonderful place!
Excuse me, a Michelin-starred chef is starting a pizza joint?
Yes, an unusual move that immediately sparked enormous curiosity, right? We couldn’t wait to eat there, but it wasn’t quite that simple… We previously wrote about No Rules, which was originally supposed to open its doors in March, but that was before anyone had factored in coronavirus. Just before the official opening, No Rules on Marie Heinekenplein in Amsterdam unofficially closed again. What a shame! Especially since so many people were eagerly looking forward to this new pizza restaurant.
Striking name, by the way
Star chef Jacob Jan Boerma wanted to distance himself a little from all the rules that come with running a Michelin-starred restaurant (his De Leest in Vaassen even had three stars). No, at No Rules everything would be different. The name says it all: all rules were thrown overboard at this new-style pizzeria that Jacob Jan started together with Benjamin van Roekel and hospitality friends Michel Pais and Bram van Es. The concept had to be surprising, the pizza base special, the toppings original, high-quality and appealing to a broad audience.
So, what does it look like?
Great! Don’t expect Chianti bottles on the wall at this #nopizzeriapizza, because not only the food and drinks were meant to surprise, but the interior too. And it does! That’s thanks to the different seating areas that have been created; there are 150 seats inside and another 130 on the terrace. It’s frustrating (and pretty ridiculous, if you ask me) that in such a large venue only thirty guests are currently allowed inside (per shift). Nevertheless, it’s pleasantly lively indoors.
Special pizza bases—what does that mean?
They were meant to be airy and very crisp, with a light, easily digestible base. That turned out to be quite a puzzle, but ultimately they succeeded more than admirably. In short, four types of low-gluten flour are combined in a certain ratio with a fermentation batter for a specific flavour. The pizza is then baked in a special electric Moretti Forni oven. The constant temperature makes the bases wonderfully crisp. And that subtle yet incredibly tasty No Rules tomato sauce? It contains eleven ingredients. Well, when you ask a three-star chef to bake a pizza, you can hardly expect anything other than a slice of paradise .
So, are these Michelin-star prices too?
We’d be lying if we said it was cheap. But you naturally pay a little more for quality—and that also applies to the location, decor and service. Prices range from €9.90 for a Margherita to €25.50—but for that you do get a pizza with the wonderful Spanish ibérico ham. And it’s an absolute recommendation, which you can also order as a mini pizza; for €12.50 you get four small mini bites with the superb ham, tomato and avocado.
For smaller appetites and during lunch, they also serve ‘Pizzete’ (from €7.50). Like the regular (round) pizza, the oblong version has an insanely delicious crust and base.
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- De kleine Pizzete
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- En de reguliere pizza
A little more about those mini pizzas…
We order via tablets, although paper menus are also available. Besides pizzas and pizzete, the menu also features plenty of bites to enjoy with drinks, including those delicious mini pizzas, various oysters, shrimp croquettes and bitterballen—because hey, no rules here, anything goes. We start with deliciously crisp rolls filled with raw tuna.
The cocktails come highly recommended
Yes, understandably, because cocktail shaker Felipe is happily shaking away. The ‘Pornstarish’ (€13.50) is delicious, made with 42 Below (vodka from New Zealand), passion fruit, lime and vanilla, and we drink it with crispy chicken glazed with honey, soy, sake and crispy onions (a top dish, by the way, listed at €12.50). The other cocktail with 42 Below, called ‘Cucumber Fields’, with lime and cucumber, is also a winner. It goes down dangerously easily, like lemonade (€13)…
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- ‘Pornstarish’ met krokante kip
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- ‘Cucumber Fields’
The latter also goes perfectly with the ceviche, Peru’s national dish of fresh fish briefly cooked in a citrus-based marinade (tiger’s milk) and served immediately.
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- Ceviche
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- Burrata met gerookte amandel, gepofte paprika en basilicumolie
Get up and dance!
During dessert, the atmosphere becomes increasingly sultry and exuberant, thanks both to the music, which pleasantly evolves with the evening from lounge to upbeat disco, and to the excellent service. The staff are very service-oriented, cheerful and relaxed. We hope No Rules becomes the place it deserves to be: somewhere you can eat wonderfully in a great atmosphere, and where, even after ten in the evening, more than thirty people can come for delicious cocktails and perhaps a dance. Amsterdam has gained a real gem!
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- Duindoornbes flan
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- Chocolade coulant met cacao crumble
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