6 Best Restaurants in Red Light District, Amsterdam

Opened in 2022, inside the regal Hotel de l'Europe, this "conscious fine dining" restaurant is elegant without being stuffy. Of course, the ingredients are local, seasonal and top-notch, but what really sets the Michelin-starred sustainability-led cooking apart are the inventive preparations. To avoid breaking the bank, opt for one of their lunch tasting menus. For a view to match the meal, ask for a table overlooking the Amstel River—there are only 11 tables so make sure to book in advance.

This unpretentious bakery and tearoom evokes an English country kitchen—one that lovingly prepares and serves breakfasts, high tea, hearty sandwiches, soups, and divine slices of quiche. The closely clustered wooden tables don't give much privacy, but the lively atmosphere is welcoming and warm. There are two other locations: one complete with a garden patio inside Westerpark and the original location in Oud-Zuid (all serving breakfast and lunch only).

The large menu of Thai standards—including some very good vegetarian options—doesn't hold many surprises, but everything's fresh and tasty; diners often rate Bird as the best Thai in town, and there are lines most nights. The space is filled with chunky teak furnishings and paintings imported from Thailand, while the takeaway snack bar across the street (at #77 Zeedijk) is more utilitarian. The best tables for savoring such dishes as coconut-chicken soup with lemongrass followed by fruity curry with mixed seafood are at the back of the restaurant overlooking the canal.

When you enter this classy restaurant inside the Hotel Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, you'll pass a Karel Appel wall mural, before getting distracted by the peaceful hidden garden (where you can dine, if you'd like) and the pretty plant-covered bar of adjacent Oriole Garden Bistro. If you love French food, Bridges is the perfect destination for a wonderful meal. The creative kitchen produces an array of nicely presented dishes that are "classically French with some international influences and a local twist"; each menu item has a suggested pairing from their thoughtful wine list. For the best sampling of their seasonal cuisine, try one of their three-, four-, or five-course chef's menus for lunch or up to seven courses for dinner (there's also a vegetarian option).

Bustling and student-filled, this cozy restaurant near the university serves large portions of traditional Dutch home cooking—chicken satay or slabs of steak with rich sauces, french fries, and piles of mixed salad—along with highly rated burgers. You can sit at the wood bar, at the tables downstairs, or higher up in the rafters at the back; in summer you can watch the passing boats from the enchanting canalside terrace.

There's almost always a line out the door at this modern-looking Chinese eatery, where the only concession to tradition is the roast ducks hanging in the window. The food is fast, fresh, and inexpensive, and the menu doesn't offer many surprises, but the crowds of locals and tourists keep coming back for sweet-and-sour chicken, noodle soup with shrimp dumplings and beef balls, and spareribs in black bean sauce.