Cafe Restaurant De Gouden Reael is situated in a former warehouse on the Zandhoek, in an old harbor quarter of Amsterdam. It was built in 1648 as a herring storage location. The restaurant is named after its gable stone: a golden Spanish coin from the time of Charles V. The stone was placed by the Reael family, who were mayors and members of the local council in Amsterdam's Golden Age.

In the 17th century De Zandhoek was on the waterfront. It was the center of several crowded markets where merchants were trading sand, fish, etc. The products arrived by ship directly from the Zuiderzee, an inner sea which during the 20th century became completely enclosed by a dike. Other industries were abundant on the so called western islands of which the Zandhoek is part.

About 150 years ago De Gouden Reael became a 'tapperij': a place where the harbour and factory workers could drink a beer or a "jenever", the famous Dutch gin. De Gouden Reael is the central location in the book by the popular Dutch writer Jan Mens. He introduced the character of Griet Manshande. The book became a bestseller and brought a considerable amount of fame to the café.

In 1978 the building was restored by Amsterdam's regeneration company. Ever since, it has gained international fame as a high quality restaurant. The current owners (since May 2004) are Rob Staphorst, Janneke Veldt, Martine Staphorst, Olav Ulrich and Maarten Wijsmuller. They created a café-restaurant with an international atmosphere and entourage in Paris or Brussels brasserie-style.

What they have to offer is:
- High quality food and fine drinks for moderate prices.
- Hospitality for everybody: neighbours, business (wo)men, tourists.
- Excellent service.
- No hype, no trends.