Wibautstraat has undergone quite a transformation in recent years - from busy thoroughfare to a street where you can also just eat well. BAUT Oost has become a fixture on that street. The restaurant is owned by Michiel van der Eerde, chef-owner who built the BAUT concept from years of eclectic pop-ups throughout the city. Eventually it became three permanent locations, each with its own atmosphere but the same approach: good food without fuss.
You may know Michiel van der Eerde as a former judge on MasterChef Netherlands, but BAUT Oost is not about television allure. He is the man behind both BAUT Oost and Bar BAUT in Zuid. The latter grew into a permanent spot after seven years of pop-ups - which says something about how Van der Eerde works: build slowly, see what works, then fix it. And recently Van der Eerde opened restaurant Bouillon d'Amsterdam, a tribute to Parisian bouillons. A place where everyone sits down for good and affordable French food, good company and a good story.
At BAUT Oost you can go for a drink, a few bites or an extended evening. The menu combines classic dishes with dishes to share and small bites. Steak tartare and fresh oysters are on the menu, as well as a Vietnamese Bánh Mì sandwich and a risotto with pistachio and burrata. Corn fed chicken with truffle and hazelnut is one of the bigger dishes. It runs from ceviche to comfort food - eclectic, but that fits exactly with how the concept is structured. BAUT is listed in the Gault-Millau guide, but that doesn't translate into a stiff atmosphere or formal service.
BAUT is in the Gault-Millau guide, but that doesn't translate into a stiff atmosphere or formal service.
That Wibautstraat attracts these kinds of restaurants is no coincidence. The neighborhood in Oost has gained enough new buildings and residents in recent years to allow the restaurant business to grow along with it. BAUT Oost is not a trendy newcomer but an established spot that has already proven its place on the strip. With three locations in the city and a background beyond one successful opening, Van der Eerde is building something sustainable rather than a quick launch.