El Pibe

El Pibe was my first stop after a while. You know how holiday season goes, either I’m away, either this or that…something’s always up. After a week of food heaven in Portugal, I needed something good, fresh and light to cure my holiday blues. Ah, and Hayden and I needed a date night.

El Pibe is “inspired by history, flavours and cultures of South America”. Literally translating to “the kid”, the restaurant is a new addition to a well known food family in Amsterdam, SAL. In case you’re living under a rock, that would be Salmuera and ROSES by SAL.

The concept is simple: shareable dishes from all over South America. They advise that you order a couple of them and have them served as soon as they’re ready, so everyone can try everything. Now, I know some are not sharers and that’s fine – just ask for all food to be served at the same time.

We started the night with a jag of Sangria which I was happy with. It’s not too sweet, so feel confident to combine it with your meals.

I, as usual, spent hours trying to figure out what I want to eat. I’m a big fan of South American food, so this was almost giving me anxiety. Eventually, I decided on the Classic Ceviche and the Plantain covered with avocado cream and herbs.

The Classic (seabass) Ceviche was tasty and very fresh, appropriate for the heat wave happening around here. Very citrusy, just a bit too much juice left on the plate for my liking. The aromas were strong and combined beautifully.

The first time I had the fried plantains at El Pibe (about a month before), I went for the chips. This time the cut was different and the avocado cream had extra herbs and chili flakes on top. I probably preferred the latter, although the 2 dishes are of course very similar.

Hayden picked three dishes – more for me to talk about! He went for the deep fried Yuca fries, the deep fried Calamares and a great piece of steak (appetizer size) which is not on their online menu so…no idea what was called. Can you tell he’s American by his choices? Me too.

The calamari were tasty but nothing special, although I don’t think there’s more flavour to be found in this dish. They’re cooked “Nikkei/y style” – a combination between the Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. The pieces are very small, thus after deep frying them, there’s more batter than seafood.

The steak was truly superb, and it was then when I realized “yeah, this is definitely the SAL family”. Choose one of the meats, appetizer or main – they know what they’re doing.

The Yuca fries were new to me, while Hayden had them before. If you aren’t familiar to them either, they’re very close to the real deal. Yuca is a nutty-flavored starch tuber native to South America, and it can be cooked in many ways. Fried, as usual, is preferred by many. Take it as the healthier version of everyone’s favorite side dish.

The night ended after we both ate literally everything on our plates – oops. Therefore, 5 dishes to share (not mains) are enough for two people, especially if some are deep fried.

El Pibe is also famous for its cocktails, although I cannot personally attest for these. Their beer menu is also pretty good and uncommon, but pricey.

El Pibe will not break your wallet but it’s not “cheap eats” either. After all, quality ain’t for free. While I remain a bigger fan of ROSES by Sal, El Pibe lives up to its family name and you won’t be disappointed by the quality. Service is also nicer than your usual Amsterdam restaurant, so that’s a plus.

One thing to mention – not very friendly to vegans.

I’d recommend El Pibe if you’re generally into the South American cuisine. Ceviche, empanadas, steaks, pulgitas…all in one place. Great atmosphere and good food. I’m a fan!

Value for money: 8

Food Quality: 8

Location: Westerstraat 86

Service: 9

Website: https://www.elpibe-amsterdam.nl/

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