Van Dobben is celebrating its birthday and handing out free croquettes

Croquette sandwich, glass of milk and a festive atmosphere in the heart of Amsterdam: Eetsalon Van Dobben is turning 80. And when it’s your birthday, you treat others. Everyone who, like Van Dobben, was born in 1945 will receive a free croquette on Monday, June 30. With milk, of course, as it should be.

Amsterdam celebrates 750 years, Van Dobben celebrates 80

While Amsterdam celebrates its 750th anniversary, Eetsalon Van Dobben is blowing out a candle of its own: 80 years of croquettes – or as they spell it themselves: croquetten -, roast beef rolls and ladies in white. On Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat, right behind Tuschinski cinema, Van Dobben is still very much alive. No TikTok food hype here, but old-fashioned delicious croquettes. And it has been that way since 1945. Speaking of celebrations, there is another special day: National Croquette Day!

How it all began

The story of Van Dobben begins with Aat van Dobben and Eugenie Laaper. They worked in and around a sandwich shop and seized their opportunity when a small premises became available on Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat. The rest is history: Eetsalon Van Dobben opened its doors on June 28, 1945. The croquette was already on the menu at the time.

The power of tradition

What makes Van Dobben so special? Simple: nothing has changed. And that is exactly the point. “I didn’t like the peanut sauce and changed the recipe. I learned my lesson,” current owner Alexander Wijsenbeek told Het Parool. The old peanut sauce returned at the fans’ insistence. Van Dobben is what it is. And it will stay that way.

Not polished, not hip, just good

According to food historian Lenno Munnikes, everything revolves around steadfastness. Van Dobben is a sandwich shop like they used to be. Not polished, not hip, just good. The ladies, the counter, the recipes: everything is right. And the fact that TikTokers aren’t queuing up here is precisely a compliment. Van Dobben is not a hype. It simply is.

Ladies behind the counter

The ladies in white behind the counter are at least as iconic as the croquette itself. Straightforward, typically Amsterdam. “You either love it or find it terrible, but you know what you’re getting,” says Arnold van Dobben, the founder’s son. No slick, hip boys, but women who know how to fill a bread roll.

A sandwich full of history

Van Dobben survived everything: fast-food chains, crises and food trends. While other sandwich shops went under – from Sal Meijer to Broodje van Kootje – Van Dobben held its ground. Thanks to butter, fresh roast beef and croquettes with a crispy crust. Even the tomatoes are still peeled by hand here.

Food as heritage

At the same time as Van Dobben’s anniversary, an exhibition about cooking in Amsterdam is running at the Allard Pierson museum. Herring, oliebol, steak, pickles and… of course, the croquette. From food to popular culture: Van Dobben is heritage in a bread roll. And how do you eat it? One croquette, cut lengthwise into two halves. Then: on a white bread roll, with butter. A rich, satisfying story, exactly as intended.

With a glass of milk

What do you drink with such an old-fashioned sandwich? Exactly: a glass of milk. And that is what you get with your free birthday croquette, provided you were born in 1945. It doesn’t get more Amsterdam than this. Sit down for a moment, have a newspaper with you, and you’ll feel refreshed.

Also read:

• How many croquettes do we eat per year?
• Snacking according to your zodiac sign
• Make it yourself: shrimp croquettes

Image: van Dobben, sources: Het Parool, van Dobben