We are going to Amsterdam early April (following a trip to Paris that will no doubt be laden with wonderful, rich, decadnent French cuisine). Does anyone have any suggestions or opinions on Italian, Mexican, Greek, Indian or any Asian restaurants in Amsterdam? Last time we did this trip many of our choices were unsatisfactory.

Thanks in advance!!

WE just returned from three days in Amsterdam after a week in Paris. I have three Amsterdam restaurant recommendations for you. For Italian I would recommend Casa Di David on the Singel 426, for seafood I would recommend Luicius, Spuistraat 247 and the best dinner of our entire trip including restaurants that cost double in Paris was a relatively new place called UYT on Runstraat 17 020-6270618 you will need a reservation. The food was superb, the wine list a little weak but adequate, and the service was very good and refreshing after stiff Parisan waiters.
If the weather is good I have another suggestion for either lunch or dinner. when our kids were young and we spent time in Amsterdam one of our favorite activities was to go to Le Marche and get picnic fixings then rent a electric big row boat (we rented it from a place near the Dam maybe you could find it on the internet) and eat while we cruised around the canals. It would require a nice sunny day but it was great fun. Another beverage tip- if you love Belgium beers I highly recommend a stop at the Golum a great pub with more Belguim beers than you can imagine.

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

I am curious. If you were going to Italy, Mexico, Greece, India, or China would you be asking for the best Dutch restaurants in those places?

Since you found them unsatisfactory the last time why should they be any better the next time.

Have you thought about going to Italy, Mexico, Greece, India, or China to eat their food if that is what you want?

Maybe you should try some local Dutch cooking. It's pretty darn good.

Dear Copscotch,
As you no doubt know, Holland is one of the most diverse countries in Europe. Is it therefore reasonable to expect to find cuisines other than Dutch in Holland. We too, enjoy Dutch food, but embrace the cosmopolitan nature of Dutch society. If you are willing to pay for us to go on a dining tour in Italy, Greece, Mexico and China, we will be glad to send you our bank account number for you to transfer the cash. So, any suggestions?

Be sure to try a Indonesian-Chinese restaurant - these feature the ubiquitous Rijstaffel - Rice Table brought in from Indonesia during Dutch colonial days - a gargantuan feast of rice served with a mind-blowing variety of concoctions - i don't know enough to recommend exact chinese-indonesia restaurants as they're called but they are all over the Amsterdam area and perhaps one in an outer area would be more authentic. Very popular throughout Holland.

My dear mijols3,

I am H not C. You bank account number is only of interest to Nigerians.

If you are looking for those ethnic foods then I suggest that you go to London and beg off the local stuff over there.

In Holland the major ethnic food is Indonesian /slash/ Chinese. I cannot stand the smell in those fry joints but most Fodorites seem to love them. The only Indonesian restaurant I could ever tolerate is in the Hague but I don't have the name of it handy. It's probably "lucky," "golden," "happy," or one of those other words they put on their signs.

For good ethnic food in Holland I recommend the Dubrovnik in either Haarlem or Zandvoort. Both of them have been my favorites for decades. Based on your ethnic preferences I think you will be pleased. Neither is especially easy to find. Ask a local or a taxi.

To eat local in Amsterdam I recommend the Luden on Spuistraat. Have lunch at the Cafe Luxembourg just down the street. Home country Dutch pea soup is a classic and might still be available in April. It is only served in the winter and the Luxembourg has a very good one. It is OK to eat the raw bacon. I am still alive. Then have a jonge borrel at the Hoppe, two doors from the Luxembourg to warm up for dinner.

This is certainly more than you deserve to know about eating in beautiful Amsterdam after your scruf, but enjoy it anyway. Remember, it's an H and not a C if you want to know more.

We found great contemporary cuisine in Amsterdam. Wonderful restaurants there that we liked include these from my trip report:

By the Hotel de l’Europe, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?), are two cafes that were wonderful: Café Katoen for sandwiches and such in a university atmosphere; and Café de Jaren, more upscale, with great table seating on the canal.

Amazing dinners at two restaurants in particular:
“Stout!”, at Haarlemmerstraat 73 (www.restaurantstout.nl). Fabulous ‘foamy asparagus’ soup with shrimp, chateaubriande, fresh fish, dessert course, wine list. Very trendy lighting. Great service. We’d gone to the neighborhood in search of a restaurant called “Lof” which we’d seen written up. We didn’t like its atmosphere, but were lucky that Stout! was just across the street.

Also at “Restaurant Dining Eleven” we had a great dinner. It’s at Reestraat 11. Also trendy and contempory, well-presented and beautifully-served meal.

Another nice dinner at “frenzi”, at Swanenburgwal 232. Very simple and contemporary. We arrived shortly after 10:00p.m., when most restaurants close in Amsterdam, and persuaded the owner to sell us any left-overs they had in the kitchen! They put together a nice Caesar salad with cooked-in-the-shell shrimp and mango. Very nice.

Also a good brunch at a place across the street from frenzi—called “Puccini”. Creative salads and sandwiches. Very nice also.

Not to offend the Dutch, but Dutch cuisine is an acquired taste, just as English food was some years ago. The best meals I had in Amsterdam, a truly gorgeous city, were Italian and Persian, plus an innovative Indonesian restuarant. I'm afraid all the Dutch food I ate in recommended restaurants didn't appeal to me.