Eating and traveling is a wonderful concept. Exotic, aspirational, liberating, yet, all too often, disappointing and unsatisfying. Either you stick too closely to the guide book (treading the path well-traveled) or your pursuit of the quintessential local spot ends with mixed results. That's why discovering an authentic, earnest spot like Rainarai makes the whole process worthwhile...North African cuisine, I guess, but they don't bend over backwards explaining anything. In fact, in a friendly city that unilaterally speaks English, it was actually refreshing to have to decode some Dutch. And there's no menu. Just a showcase and a chalkboard with whatever was cooked that day. And it changes daily - we know because we kept going back...
Occupying an odd-shaped corner spot, bordering the Jordaan, Rainarai looks like a too-small bodega. It's at once friendly and aloof. Nondescript and unique. There's not even a sign (I had to swipe a business card to even know the name), only a couple of crates of fresh fruits and vegetables to signal its existence. And on a sunny day, they'll toss the rugs on the sidewalk and let you dine on the Lauriergracht canal. Don't expect fussy service or over-attentive waiters. Or even waiters, really...
I can't recount all the food we had over our three trips (truth is, I don't remember). What stood out was the couscous with apricots and a hollowed out Butternut Squash roasted with figs, goat cheese, spinach and lots of other great stuff. But what made it work was the complete absence of pretense. Like I envision a quick-service restaurant in Marrakesh. Maybe Rainarai is better, maybe worse, but it doesn't seem to care. You can't help but admire anyplace that is so disinterested in making it into Frommers they don't even both to hoist a sign over head. Oh yeah, and the food was great...
Rating: 7.5 / 10.0
Cost: $
Rainarai
Prinsengracht 252
Amsterdam
020-624 97 91
