The name is written in elegant letters on the glass door: Amour Amer, bitter love. Step inside and you find yourself in a high-ceilinged, rosemary-green space with shelves of wine, olive oil, tapenade, and Marseille soap lining the walls.
Owner Mathieu Mauduech (36) was born and raised in Marseille and almost always runs the counter and kitchen by himself. Two years ago, he left his life in the South of France behind. “I was in love with Amsterdam,” he says. “I kept coming back, and at a certain point I thought: I want to live here and build something.”
Settling In First
Mauduech first spent two years working in bike rentals and hostels to get to know the Dutch culture and work ethic. “Because it’s very different from France.” By last summer, he felt it was time to take the plunge and began a serious search for a commercial space. He found one on Rozengracht, but just before he was set to sign the contract, the space was rented to someone else.
Ultimately, he found a building on Marnixstraat, a two-minute walk from his home. The name Amour Amer refers to saying goodbye to Marseille. “Leaving means freedom and a new beginning, but also bitterness. You leave behind everything you know.” Bitterness is also the flavor that defines the cuisine of the French Provence region.
Pissaladières and Charcuterie
The selection in the shop is just as personal as the name. All the wines are natural wines, produced by makers Mauduech knows personally. The honey, syrups, and spreads come from small farmers set among lavender fields. He imports the charcuterie from a producer he already worked with when he ran a craft beer bar in Marseille for seven years.
The plates Mauduech uses to serve lunch were made by his girlfriend, whom he took to Provence for inspiration. The tableware is for sale, so after your lunch, nothing has to stay behind on the round French table.
That lunch might consist of fresh pissaladières – Niçoise tarts made of caramelized onions, anchovies, and olives – a platter with tapenade, aioli, and anchoïade, or a custom creation using ingredients found on the shelves. “If you see a cheese you want to try, I’ll just set it out for you.” The sandwiches – Pagnol, Mistral, Giono, Daudet, Izzo – are named after famous writers from Provence.
Reasonable Prices
Mauduech tries to keep prices low. Bottles of wine range from €15 to €25, and all sandwiches cost €7.50. He has a firm opinion on prices in Amsterdam: “They are much too high for what you get. I refuse to go along with that spiral. I could charge much higher prices for this quality of products, and people here would probably pay them, but then I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror.”
The same applies to his wine tastings, where for €35 you are served five wines, each accompanied by a snack. “Wine was traditionally made by poor people; it’s for everyone. I hope the people who walk in here know nothing about it, so I can really let them discover something.”
Mauduech wants to offer people ‘an open window into Provence’. A place in Amsterdam where you know you’ll find great products from that region, prepared by someone who was born and raised there.
Wine Events
The building at Marnixstraat 196H previously housed Life of Pie, known for its striking, handmade cakes and pies. That bakery has moved to Jacob van Lennepkade 147H. Amour Amer is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. In the evenings, there are regular wine events. Keep an eye on the Instagram page for dates and registration.
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Dining and Cooking