Great places to eat on a budget...
 

Can you recommend a great place to eat on a budget in Amsterdam?

Eat Indonesian food. There are lots to choose from there, and, it's good food.

I had a bowl of soup and chicken caesar wrap at an Irish pub where we got to sit on the sidewalk for about 7 EUR in Amsterdam.

Be careful about where you inhale while walking down the streets. If you inhale while walking down smoking Amsterdam steets, you tend to build up a bigger appetite from the cannibus filled streets.

We're not big sweets eaters, but purchased some dutch chocolates to take back home to the states for friends and found after a walk through the city, we were digging into some of the chocolate pieces.

Check out $40 a Day Amsterdam episode: http://www.foodtv.com/food/show_ad/e..._21013,00.html

Somewhere (maybe here) I read about Cafe de Jaren next to Hotel L'Europe, and so my husband and I ate there when we were in Amsterdam for one night a few weeks ago. It was really fun and cheap! It's at the confluence of the river and a canal, and its huge windows provide a wonderful view of the water and architecture across the bridge.

We had read that this place was full of locals of all types, and sure enough we encountered a couple and their black lab puppy, people carrying on an intense political-philosophical discussion, two older men holding hands across the room, and a group of middle-aged women knitting and chatting at a large table near ours. It really felt like a local gathering place.

We ordered beer and wine, soup, lasagna, and a lamb stew, unaware that the entrees came with the expansive salad bar upstairs as well. We were stuffed, I think for about 20 Euro a piece . . .

Amsterdam cafés offer a variety of delicious sandwiches on yummy soft rolls--two are perfect for a meal.

In future, I suggest you put "in Amsterdam" in your title.

That way, people who've been there can reply. I have not.

Oh--you can get pea soup from street vendors in some locations.

It is rare to see pot smoking out on the streets, it's not legal... what Chocolate2346 says is more than a little bit silly.

There are areas of Amsterdam that reek with pot smoke, but I doubt you will get so high as to get the munchies just from walking along.

i must have been hanging out in the wrong neighborhood then!

What time of year did you go? I was there in late August, and I think it might make a difference (lots of college-aged kids were having one last stand before school starts again). Reeky areas included around the Spui and Rembrandtplein.

August in the canal rings, Leidseplein and Vondelpark areas.

Yep, late August. In fact, it was on 8/24/05 to be exact. It was really, really reeky! There was some sort of outdoor festival going on in part of the city and then just certain shops where there was smoke billowing out of.

I'm being serious and not silly. I hadn't felt that way since I lived in a college dorm, many moons ago. It wasn't a major attack of munchies, but munchies none the less.

Oops, Back to the original question... I ate several times at an EXcellent Italian shop/restaurant. They had a few tables and also food to-go they sold by weight. It was an unexpected find and fairly spectacular food.

Chocolate, I was there the same day as you (well, that was the day we left).

Suze, do you know the name and location of that restaurant?

Oh sure, then that makes sense if it was an outdoor festival. I just hadn't ever experienced walking down normal business streets in Amsterdam that were filled with pot smoke.

Thank you all for your comments. I will definately check out the $40 a day episode.
Abbeydog, Cafe de Jaren reminds me of a place in Vienna. I think this place is a must.

Suze, where is the italian restaraunt. It sounds interesting.

ttt

Inside the big store of Vroom & Dreesman near Muntplein, go to their restaurant (during shopping hours).
Big choice in meals, sandwiches, soups etc, fresh and very affordable.

If you really want to eat inexpensively, an even cheaper store restaurant is at HEMA. It's kind of a cross between Woolworth's and IKEA. They sell gobs and gobs of unusual items you never thought you'd need piled up in big bins or on large tables. Stuff like ergonomic can openers, neoprene winter gloves, wine bottle openers, plastic clogs, fondue forks, etc. In the HEMA on Nieuwendijk just off Damrak Square and headed in the direction of the Central Train Station, there is a nice cafeteria upstairs. Last summer I got a nice big ham and cheese on flatbread with chips and a Sprite for 4 Euro. They had soups and sausages plus beer and wine. They also have a take-out window downstairs with even cheaper stuff. I would eat one of these cheapo lunches then pig out at dinner.

Another idea might be to just buy bread and cheese (the Dutch know a wee bit about making some decent cheeses) at a supermarket then having a picnic in one of the many squares or parks.

In looking for a HEMA link I ran into this website which might help you in your culinary odyssey:

http://homepages.cwi.nl/~steven/amsterdam.html

Try the food from the street stands. It is usually very good and cheap. Falafel could be a good bet as well as herring stands if you like those things.

During our stay in Amsterdam last month, we ate at DE SALOON twice. It's a small pub near the Leidesplein (Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 102). The crouquettes were excellent.

The supermarket saved us a ton of cash, too! We shopped at the Albert Heijn (the one below the Museumplein) a few times. There are plenty of other supermarkets around town.

Next time we're in Amsterdam, we will AVOID the Satellite Cafe / Pancake Corner (also on the Leidseplein). The only negative experience we had during our two weeks in Europe was at this joint. Basically we were there for over an hour and never got our food. The servers were extremely rude.

hi Donnae_b,

Sorry I have no idea (where the Italian cafe is)... somewhere near to Hotel Kap and next to an internet cafe -lol!

I wish I'd taken a business card, like I often do from places because it really was a sweet deal. Excellent food and perfect for me traveling solo.

Another place I put together a nice picnic dinner was simply from a health food store. They had wonderful bread, cheese, tomatoes, etc.