1.5m society: Amsterdam restaurant to offer four course meal in individual glasshouses

An Amsterdam restaurant has come up with an innovative way to adapt to the 1.5 metre society: dinner inside an individual greenhouse.

The restaurant is called Mediamatic ETEN, and is part of the larger Mediamatic organisation, which focuses on the arts and entrepreneurship, with a strong environmental connection. The restaurant serves vegan food, and will be offering diners a four course meal when it reopens in this unique way.

The set up is currently being tested

The restaurant cannot, of course, reopen until the government gives permission to do so. However, at the moment, it is testing its new set up, which is comprised of four small greenhouses. Guests can sit in twos or threes inside the greenhouses and have their dinner there. This way, they won’t endanger other guests or staff.

Beautiful dining experience

Of course, the fact that these greenhouses offer protection for staff and diners is the most important thing: but we also need to take a moment to appreciate the aesthetic here. Picture an incredible plant-based dinner, cozy and non-corona’d inside a greenhouse by the Dijksgracht in Amsterdam. What more could you want?

Anne Lakeman for Mediamatic Amsterdam.

Larger greenhouses may be used in future

The restaurant is taking prebookings for the last week of May and June so far, which will be fully refunded if the government decides to keep the horeca shut after that date. Mediamatic ETEN is also considering using larger greenhouses for larger (family) groups later on, but wants to try out this option first.

Would you be up for dining in a greenhouse? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: Willem Velthoven for Mediamatic Amsterdam.

Ailish Lalor
Ailish Lalor
Ailish was born in Sydney, Australia, but grew up by a forest in south-east Ireland, which she has attempted to replace with a living room filled with plants in The Hague. Besides catering to her army of pannenkoekenplantjes, Ailish spends her days convincing her friends that all food is better slightly burnt, plotting ways to hang out with dogs and cats, and of course, writing for DutchReview.

12 COMMENTS

  1. Sure! Brilliant idea, even outwith a pandemic, and I hope the idea is approved and that it catches on. Definitely up for a meal there on my next Amsterdam visit.

  2. Hey, I think it’s a brilliant idea. And if they decorate the greenhouses with some of their magnificent Dutch flowers, well, think they have a recipe for success!

  3. Yes the idea appeals to me. The tiny greenhouses placed near the water at night would be atmospheric. Add to that fresh flowers and voila—an enchanting dining experience!

  4. Where does the exhaled air of diners vent to? How are servers, and others who open the glass-house doors, protected from the virus? It’s pretty, but not effective at blocking airborne virus.

  5. Just putting up glass boxes will not do the trick. Remember global warming? You need to provide for a breeze, shade, cooling or heating depending on the season. If it is totally tight, it will be unpleasant, no sounds either, if not we don’t need it. 2m distance will also do. If I want to be isolated from everything I rather stay home. But I appreciate the creativity! And it looks stylish. It is not what I look for when I go out dining. I want to mingle. Let’s hope that will be possible again soon without too much risk. Good luck!

  6. Wow! A genius idea. It may take a little fine tuning but nothing Dutch folks can’t figure out. Ventilation and shade are adjustable and it should be possible to dine outside comfortably on days when the breeze is bitter or the air damp.

  7. If fresh vegetables could be grown inside each greenhouse and be harvested fresh I would definitely be up for a meal

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