Amsterdam, the charming Dutch city, with historic museums, flowing canals and colourful tulips. There is a never-ending variety of activities to keep you occupied, entertained and educated: From visiting Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, Ann Frank House or simply taking a stroll along the Amstel.

Though you might not be an intrepid traveller like myself, it wouldn’t be difficult to find great food throughout the city of Amsterdam, as the Dutch culinary landscape is diverse and the city’s streets are lined with restaurants serving a myriad international cuisine.

There is a strong Caribbean influence here, so there was no surprise when I came across an authentic Jamaican restaurant.

Reggae Rita’s, a very popular Jamaican spot in the middle of Amsterdam, is located in proximity to the iconic Magae Brug (Skinny Bridge).

While scrolling on social media, I stumbled upon an advertisement for “satdeh soup”. Coincidentally, the advert also popped up on Uber Eats. Being an avid soup lover, this propelled my decision to sample the fare advertised to see if the taste was authentic and to see if it was all that it was advertised to be. On tasting the soup I was spellbound by the taste, which led me to make a reservation to dine in to savour the full experience.

One sunny Thursday afternoon, I made a call to Reggae Rita’s, to secure a 6:00 pm dinner reservation. The streets were abuzz with people soaking up what was left of the summer sun, which is a luxury in this part of the world. As we sauntered in, we were greeted with the radiant smile of Rita, owner and operator. As we were about to be seated, I could not contain my excitement when I heard the melodious sound of our very own reggae artiste, Maxi Priest. This jarred my memory and had me reminiscing about my childhood days when my uncle Desmond would sing those songs verbatim.

While perusing the savoury menu Rita served us some home-made ginger beer. Our unforgettable dining experience saw us devouring first our appetisers, which were wings, done three ways: French-fried, barbi-fried and jerked. Next, we relished some salt fish fritters dipped in piquant sauce.

Now for the moment of truth, as no visit to Reggae Rita’s is complete unless you try their signature oxtail with rice and peas and of course no authentic Jamaican dish is complete without the traditional fried plantain. The reputation of Reggae Rita’s and the taste of the food lived up to the hype and expectations, as the oxtail was quite succulent with the meat melting off the bones.

Being a lover of curry, I just had to sample the curried goat served with white rice which also tasted authentically Jamaican. After devouring such delectable, scrumptious, delicious and mouthwatering dishes, “mi couldn’t tek a message more”. I was too full for dessert but upon interacting with some patrons, almost all reiterated that I shouldn’t leave without sampling her cakes as they are to die for.

So, if you ever find yourself in the city of Amsterdam and you are yearning for a taste of authentic Jamaican cuisine or want to have catering done for an event/function, look no further than Reggae Rita’s.