Plato Loco

June has been a beautiful month for Hayden and I. After years of living life on pause, we’ve traveled pretty much throughout the whole month. Between a trip for a beautiful wedding in the South of France, Provence, and our first trip to New York…we’ve squeezed in a get together with our friends at Plato Loco.

Located in Amsterdam West, this is one of those spots that we’ve walked past about a thousand times…and now we’ve made it in!

Plato Loco is a Caribbean cuisine spot, that puts their own twist on the food. Their menu changes monthly, so you may not find the same dishes I describe here…but I’m sure the classics stay the same.

We found beautiful cocktails here to kickstart our Friday evening. They had a pretty nice list, but I can’t find it online, so I can only leave you with this picture of our Mai Tai.

We also shared a starter that one of my friends called “probably the best plantains” she’s had. I don’t know about that, but they were definitely tasty, crispy and sweet.

On to the mains! The boys went with the classic: The Jerk Chicken. Even thought their menu changes constantly, I’m confident you can always find this at Plato Loco. Everyone was pretty happy with the dish, and I liked the presentation of it. Alas, I don’t think it blew anyone’s socks off.

I went for the oxtail stew, because it’s definitely not something I have every day. And I never make it. Sounds complicated. Our waitress asked me if I’m sure about my order and if I know what it is. I’m guessing she had some experiences that inspired this dialogue. Indeed, it’s not for everyone. Fatty meat, heavy dish – but as a Romanian, I’m good with this stuff. And it’s full of flavour!

My vegan chick went with…well, the only choice she had: the veggie lasagna. It tasted good, and she was overall satisfied. Impressed beyond belief? Not really.

Overall, our visit at Plato Loco was a nice experience. You can tell they put love and care in their food, the ingredients are good, and the flavour is there. We weren’t blown away, we were definitely not disappointed. I know prices are going crazy everywhere, and we’re seeing it in Amsterdam, but this wasn’t a super high value for money.

While I see why an oxtail stew would cost a certain amount, not sure a veggie lasagna should be around €20 unless it’s gonna be mind-blowing. Same with chicken. That’s just my 2 cents.

Value for money: 7

Food Quality: 8

Location: 8 (Rombout Hogerbeetsstraat 29)

Service: 8

Website: https://platoloco.nl/