Location

We are located at the Lagedijk 7 - 9 in Zaandijk, in a monumental Golden Century building from 1684 with a rich history.

A document from 1733 shows that this was originally a slaughterhouse. In the early years slaughtering mainly took place outside, after which the animals were hung inside and deboned. In 1772 the ceiling was raised, creating more interior space.

The current cloakroom used to be a bedroom, the wine cellar used to be the room where the meat was cured. The original green-yellow tiles and the brine bath are still present. The hatch in the ceiling served to lift the meat upwards. This space was completely blackened by the continuous smoking of the meat.

In the 19th century the slaughterhouse was transformed into a butcher shop, mostly to meet the needs of the villagers. From 1918 the building served as an electrical installation company for the surrounding farms. When the demand for the installation of electricity decreased, a combination of bicycle dealer and sales of electronic devices arose. Eventually, Rijwielhandel Molenaar was the last user, before the building was restored by the Elout Wytema Foundation and it was given a restaurant function. The restaurant was given the name 'De Smuiger', named after the original tiled fireplaces.

‘With the choice of the name ‘Café de Slager’ (literally translated: ‘Café the Butcher’) we make the connection between its historical role and its current purpose.