About

In the heart of Amsterdam’s lively De Pijp, Ceintuur Theater is a hidden gem where history and hospitality meet. Once a stage for film and theater, today it has found new life as a neighbourhood restaurant — warm, vibrant, and full of flavor.

At the heart of our kitchen is David Vano, who brings Mediterranean flavors to life with generous dishes, fresh seasonal ingredients, and honest cooking. Out front, Ricardo da Cruz Paulino and his team welcome you with personal care, selected wines, and crafted cocktails — making every guest feel right at home.

Ceintuur Theater is still what it has always been: a place to connect, celebrate, and create memories, only now around the table.

The location

Ceintuur Theater is housed in a former neighborhood cinema built in 1921–1922, showing clear influences of the Amsterdam School and early Art Deco: concrete facades, stained glass, and the characteristic wrought-iron light fixtures above the entrance.

In those days, the new cinema quickly earned the local nickname ’t Stinkerdje (the “little stinker”), a typically Amsterdam reference to the warm, poorly ventilated auditorium that was common in popular neighborhood theaters of the era. Like many local cinemas in the 1960s and 70s, it faced changing times -the rise of television, new forms of entertainment, shifting film distribution – and eventually closed its doors in 1976.

After serving for years as a kitchen shop and a coffee bar, we brought the building back to its original purpose. A careful renovation has prepared it for the decades ahead, with full respect for its history. Our aim is simple: to once again be a warm, welcoming place where Amsterdammers love to gather.