Familial places
Café Caron is a place where guests experience a sense of home. A warm ambiance where you feel welcome. Born from the family tradition of cooking and being together, the restaurant is an extension of our own home. Over the years, many have found their way to our restaurant, often returning and becoming regulars. We pride ourselves on always serving French cuisine the Caron way: with quality products, authenticity, accessibility and timelessness.
Café Caron
In 2016, we started our first restaurant on Frans Halsstraat, in the heart of Amsterdam's bustling De Pijp neighborhood. Café Caron was born out of inspiration from Alain and Roeltje at home. Tom and David wanted to start a restaurant that felt like you were sitting at their own dining table, serving top dishes without fuss in a homely setting. That's why they named it Café Caron, so that expectations wouldn't get too high and it would be clear that it was a laid-back atmosphere. They started the business with Alain's guidance in the kitchen, not as Chef but as culinary advisor and critic, a role he still fulfills today.
YOU CAN EAT SO WELL AND DRINK SO WELL, IN THE END AN EVENING ONLY BECOMES A FOND MEMORY WHEN YOU SHARE IT WITH GOOD COMPANY.
After a vibrant first year, Petit Caron soon followed. We dreamed of opening a second small business opposite Café Caron. A wine bar where you could get a quick bite to eat and especially enjoy a nice drink, without reservations. Although the other side didn't go ahead, the idea stuck, and we ended up at the Gerard Douplein with Martijn Wolff. Together we worked out the plans and in April 2018, Petit welcomed its first guest to the bustling terrace. Wine, oysters, small dishes with traditional meats and cheeses, and a finely prepared menu(s) of classic bistro dishes like in Paris.
In May 2024, Petit Caron will have a new home, at home on Frans Halstraat as a neighbor and little brother of Café Caron. As we once dreamed it, so now it has come true.
Tannay
In 2019, we had the unique opportunity to take over a restaurant on calm Reaelen Island, a historic islet just west of Amsterdam's Central Station. It was the Gouden Reael, the restaurant where Alain got his first job in the kitchen when he moved to Amsterdam in 1982 and started working for advertising man Ernst Gottlieb. Needless to say, we couldn't let this opportunity pass us by. As Alain has always said: the circle is complete.
COVID-19 threw a spanner in the works, however, as we had to close the doors after only three months. Julian Louw, now grown from maître at Café Caron to partner in the Caron Group in 2019, managed to find the peace of mind in 2023 to keep things running the way we envisioned. With the unexpected outcome that we completely changed course again in early 2024....
In April 2024, a new era dawned for the Golden Reel, which transformed into Tannay. This became the home of our young and talented chef Thomas Demuth. Tannay, named after the appellation Coteaux Tannay where Thomas grew up in Burgundy and his father still makes wine.
Cantine de Caron
When faced with the challenges of COVID-19 in 2020, an opportunity came along for us to open a temporary restaurant on the Westergasfabriek grounds. This one was born out of necessity: Petit Caron on Gerard Douplein was too small for the 1.5-meter rule, so our smallest restaurant could not open to guests. The Machine Building on the Westergasterrein offered a temporary solution and was transformed into Grand Caron for the summer months.
Our Westergasterrein turned out to be a hit, and after many enthusiastic comments from our guests and the cultural managers of the park, we decided to stay. Cantine de Caron opened its doors in May 2021, a restaurant where we can also welcome our guests in larger parties.
