On Ringdijk in Watergraafsmeer stands a building that most Amsterdam residents have never seen from the inside, even though it existed before their distant ancestors were born. Dating from 1702, Vergulden Eenhoorn is one of the last historic city farms still in use within the city limits. Not a museum, not a setting, but a place where you just order an egg and have a glass of wine, surrounded by greenery.
The grounds are larger than you would guess from the outside. Next to the restaurant sits the Haystack, a converted hay barn used as a separate dining space and event venue. Wooden beams in sight, high ceiling, the light falling differently than in a typical restaurant space. Outside you have the terrace, partly covered, partly open, and a large picnic garden where you can also just sit down if the weather cooperates. The grounds are completely surrounded by greenery. That's not figurative language: you're literally on the edge of town, but you can just get there by bike in 15 minutes from downtown.
The kitchen works seasonally with local produce, a choice reflected in the à-la-carte menu that changes with what's available. Lunch and brunch start daily from ten o'clock, and it continues into the evening. The concept is broad: from a quiet cup of coffee in the morning to dinner in the Haystack, it can all be done on the same premises.
It takes you away from the city without actually leaving the city.
Gilded Unicorn does not fit into a rigid category. Too green for downtown, too urban for outdoors. The building stands on the Ringdijk, right on the border between Watergraafsmeer and the water, and that sense of in-betweenness is also in the place itself. You're away from the city for a while, without actually leaving the city. For Amsterdammers who think they already know everything: this farm has been there for more than three centuries and is just waiting for you.