The Netherlands, Amsterdam NorthApril 16, 2025, by Michel + Renske

FC Hyena in Amsterdam North; for much more than just film lovers

Eat & Drink
The Netherlands, Amsterdam North, April 16, 2025, by Michel + Renske

FC Hyena in Amsterdam North; for much more than just film lovers

Aambeeldstraat was once a place you didn't stumble upon by accident. A deserted part of Amsterdam North where creative entrepreneurs found cheap square meters and turned them into something. That was quite a while ago now, as the street has been buzzing for years. FC Hyena has been located there since 2016, started as a temporary project, and is simply carrying on. Just like the enormous warehouse itself, by the way; it remains standing, even as the Hamerkwartier slowly takes shape around it. That's good, because alongside FC Hyena, there are also businesses like Goudfazant, Baracuda, MONK, and TonTon Noord.

Anyway, FC Hyena it is. Arthouse, yes. But actually mostly: a small restaurant, as they call it themselves.

The space strikes you immediately. Colorful, a bit rough around the edges in a good way, full of people who just want to be there, not because they have a movie coming up. That last part is actually one of the nicest things about FC Hyena: you aren't sitting in a dining hall getting ready for the next shift. You're just sitting in a nice, lively restaurant.

It starts well at the table. Bread with butter, a bowl of dry sausage, canned sardines. Simple, but the kind of simple you don't want to change. Accompanying that, a glass of natural orange wine—they have plenty for those who want that, but also just traditional wines if you prefer to go down that path.

The menu is small and seasonal, the kind of menu where you actually want to try everything but still have to make choices. We went for the roasted carrots with peas, feta, and almond, earthy and fresh at the same time. The stracciatella with grilled eggplant and tomato was the kind of dish that looks simple on paper but is just right on the plate. And the cod with potato and cauliflower gratin and cheese was the dish that no one wants to share once it is placed in front of you.

FC Hyena calls itself a petite restaurant. That is true, but it feels bigger than that. Bigger in atmosphere, in coziness, in the reason why you go there and stay longer than you had planned.

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