Food as a bridge between cultures | Kafé Kontrast launches The Kontrast Experience

11-12-2025

Swedish chef Ellinor Strinnholm, together with restaurateur Bunmi Okolosi, introduces a renewed evening concept at Kafé Kontrast in De Pijp: The Kontrast Experience. Two years after opening, the beloved brunch spot transforms into an intimate bistro featuring a refined Swedish-Indonesian menu.

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The Kontrast Experience

Kafé Kontrast has grown from a neighborhood favorite into a mature culinary destination. Two years after opening, the beloved brunch spot in De Pijp neighborhood transforms into The Kontrast Experience, an intimate evening bistro where Chef Ellinor Strinnholm combines her culinary expertise with an inventive mix of flavors, techniques, and preparations. The concept redefines the brand and turns food into a bridge between cultures and stories.

From Michelin to Indonesian home cooking

The menu reflects Ellinor’s background and travels. She trained at a prestigious culinary school in Paris, worked in leading Michelin restaurants in Sweden, including Vollmers, and spent several years in Indonesia, immersing herself in a local family’s kitchen. Ellinor explains: “Kontrast is about contrasts, characters, cultures, and flavors coming together. Ultimately, it’s a Swede cooking Indonesian cuisine, and at Kafé Kontrast, those worlds come together.”

Dishes such as beef tartare with fermented lingonberries and smoked ginger aioli, family-style Nasi Kebuli with oxtail terrine or jackfruit gulai, and pandan bread pudding brûlée illustrate this fusion. The wine selection complements both European flavors and Southeast Asian spices.

Kafé Kontrast refuses to be boxed in. It is neither strictly a brunch nor a dinner concept, but a place where contrasts and cultural encounters take center stage. The Kontrast Experience replaces counter service with personalized table service, while refined weekend brunches remain available.

In addition to dinner, Kafé Kontrast hosts cultural evenings, including Midsommar, kräftskiva, and Indonesian breakfast initiatives. Ellinor adds: “Our dream is not just to create a place to eat, but a place to share culture and feel at home. Kafé Kontrast offers a genuine, intimate experience and adds something authentic to Amsterdam’s food culture.”

Kafé Kontrast on the Ceintuurbaan 71 is open Wednesday to Friday for dinner (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.), Saturday for brunch and dinner (10 a.m. to 11 p.m.) and Sunday for brunch (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

 

Website: Kafé Kontrast

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