Pont 13: the Converted Ferry Restaurant Moored in the Houthavens

Pont 13 is a converted ferry, a working vessel from 1927 that once carried passengers across the IJ, moored in the Houthavens, the former timber harbour on the western waterfront. Rather than a terrace beside the water, the whole restaurant sits on the ship itself, so eating here means being on the water rather than looking at it. The riveted hull, the old decks and the harbour setting give it a character quite unlike a quayside cafe.

Worth knowing before a visit: the venue has changed hands. The same historic ferry now operates under new owners and a new name, Ferry Amsterdam, so a search for "Pont 13" leads to the vessel in its current form. The ship and the waterside-dining idea are the constant; the operator has changed. In recent form the restaurant on board has opened to the public mainly across the warmer months, hosting private events at other times, so its public season is shorter than a year-round cafe's.

Where it is, in the Houthavens

The Houthavens is the old wood-import harbour on the western edge of the waterfront, a set of docks that has been redeveloped with new housing and moorings around the water. The ferry lies at the harbour's edge here, west of the centre and the busier eastern spots. It is the most westerly of the places gathered in the waterside cafes and bars roundup, and the only one where the venue is a vessel rather than a building or a terrace.

Getting there, on foot or by boat

On foot or by tram and bus it is a trip out west from the centre to the Houthavens. By boat it sits on open harbour water off the IJ, which is working water with larger traffic and its own rules, so it is not a beginner's approach, and mooring at the vessel is not something to count on. The guide to getting around Amsterdam by boat covers the western harbour, and the boating rules and etiquette cover the open water of the IJ.

What to expect on board

Expect to dine on a genuine old ferry: decks and cabins turned over to tables, the water on every side, and the feel of the harbour around you. It is more of a destination meal than a casual drink, and because the on-board restaurant has run mainly as a warm-season and events venue rather than a year-round cafe, it is essential to check what is open, and to book, before making the trip out. This is the one spot on the list where turning up on spec is least likely to work.

A ship with a second life

The pleasure of the place is the vessel itself. A ferry that spent decades crossing the IJ under its own power has been given a second life at rest in the Houthavens, and dining on its decks is a direct link to the working water traffic that shaped the city's harbours. Amsterdam has a long habit of putting old boats to new use, as homes, offices and bars, and this is one of the more complete examples: a whole restaurant on a preserved hull. For anyone interested in the harbour's history as much as the food, the ship is the reason to come, and the change of operator does not alter that; the vessel and its setting are what make it worth the trip west.

Being aboard also sets the tone of a visit. The slight give of the water underfoot and the harbour shifting around you make for a different experience from any fixed terrace, and it rewards taking your time rather than dropping in. The Houthavens has changed fast, from a working timber dock into a quarter of new homes and moorings, so the old ferry now sits among the new waterfront rather than the industrial one it was built for, a small reminder in itself of how quickly this western edge of the city has turned over.

Pont 13 and the canal events

Out in the western Houthavens, the ferry sits well away from the central canal events, so it is a quiet, out-of-the-way choice rather than a vantage point on the action. It suits a visitor who wants a meal on the water at a remove from the crowds, then a trip back east to wherever the canal calendar is playing out. The events map and calendar shows what is on across the city, and the rent-a-boat guide covers being on the water yourself.