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Not so long ago, Dutch cuisine consisted mostly of fried food—french fries, bitterballen, and frikandel (deep-fried sausages)—along with thick pea soup and hearty meat and potato dishes. These days, however, Amsterdam restaurants serve much higher-quality and more varied food than ever before.
Many forward-thinking Amsterdam restaurants have embraced a "New Dutch cuisine," using organic and locally sourced meat, fish, and seafood, and expertly cooked vegetables served with interesting sauces and side dishes. Some chefs are taking it a step further and growing produce and herbs on land or rooftops attached to their restaurants—garden to table cooking, if you will. Multicourse tasting menus or small plates that you can mix and match are popular at upscale eateries, making use of what's freshest at the moment, perhaps farm-fresh asparagus or North Sea mussels. The classic standbys are still widely available, too—it's hard to resist those delicious bitterballen—but they're often prepared in updated, modern interpretations.
Amsterdam has a wealth of international cuisines. The city has long been known for its Moroccan, Turkish, and Indonesian food, and there are excellent Vietnamese eateries, where you can finally get a decent bánh mì, as well as pretty much every type of cuisine you might be craving. Another thing that's big on the Amsterdam food scene these days is brunch. Traditionally, the Dutch opt for relatively simple breakfasts of buttered toast with chocolate sprinkles (called hagelslag), but places for more American-style brunch—eggs Benedict or oatmeal with fresh fruit—have popped up throughout the city, attracting the city's trend-followers. Although steak restaurants have existed for years (and continue to open on a regular basis), hamburgers are also trendy, with tiny spots elbowing their way in to become the most popular in town.
Pockets of interesting dining are emerging away from the city center, too, but Amsterdam is a small city, so don't be daunted by distance. Everything's still easy to reach by cab, tram, or bus—or make like a local and burn off some calories by renting a bike.
Despite all these changes, one thing's stayed relatively the same: the pace of service. Expect a wait to get menus, to order, and then to receive your food. You just have to go with it: it's the Dutch way!
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.
In the shadow of the golden lyre that tops the Concertgebouw (Concert Building), this culinary institution has been serving musicians and concertgoers for over a century. The classical, dimly lighted Old Dutch interior has dark-wood paneling and giant bouquets of fresh flowers. The menu leans toward tradition, with classic escargot and bisque, and asparagus flamande, when in season. Regulars appreciate the friendly and efficient service.
During the week, the sleek, modern furnishings and professional yet personal service attract a lunchtime business crowd, who enjoy the set three-course Bib Gourmand menu, as well as late-night diners, who come here after attending a performance at the nearby Concertgebouw. The French-influenced menu includes oysters, spinach soufflé, steak frites, and crème brûlée. There's outdoor dining on the street terrace or garden patio when the weather cooperates.
Crafting wild-fermented sourdough bagels began as the founder's at-home hobby before it grew to a brick-and-mortar microbakery offering NYC-style bagels and loaves for true carb-lovers. Known to sell out quickly, their daily rotation of flavors ranges from classic everything seasoning to spicy jalapeño and cheddar. Delicious on their own or topped with cream cheese, many fans opt for the sandwich version, such as a BLT, smoked salmon with capers, pastrami, and other seasonal specials.
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).
This Amsterdam-based brewery churns out everything from craft beers to spirits and sodas at multiple locations throughout the city, and each has its own brewpub. Visitors to this location next to Westerpark can enjoy a beer or two with burgers and other tasty pub foods outside on the large terrace or in their expansive indoor dining area.
The "burger masters" first opened their doors near the Albert Cuyp market in 2007 serving fresh, homemade burgers made from sustainable ingredients. Aside from the traditional beef patty option, Burgermeester’s tasty range includes falafel and spinach burgers for plant-based eaters, along with monthly rotations including lamb, salmon, and more. There are a number of side dishes like fries, corn on the cob, and salad. Other locations include De Pijp and Centrum.
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.
Although thousands of buildings in Amsterdam are designated historic monuments, few have interiors as stunning as the facade. This classic grand café is an Art Deco extravaganza with stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and stylish leaded-glass lamps with a warm glow. While the brasserie-style food can't match the exalted surroundings, it earns good marks for a scenic high tea or afternoon bite.
Join the ladies who lunch at this chic little café on Amsterdam's poshest shopping street, PC Hooftstraat, where white marble tables act as a canvas for picture-perfect plates of avocado toast and the bored blondes who pretend to nibble at them.
A wide variety of locals love this bustling bistro-like Dutch institution, where the prime attraction is the beef fillet or a spicier "Bali" version for an extra €2 (extra-large versions cost a little bit more). All steaks are served rare—you can't get them any other way. If you're not in the mood, you can order the hamburger, the veal liver, or, for the non–meat eater, several types of fish and vegetarian dishes—there's even a convincing plant-based "steak" created on a 3D printer (yes, really!). The best dessert on the menu is the sticky toffee cake. There are five more locations in Amsterdam (check the website for details).
One of the city's best-known grand cafés, Luxembourg has a stately interior and a view of a bustling square, both of which are excellent for people-watching. Lunch, when the restaurant fills with locals and tourists, is the best time to come. The classic café menu includes soups, salads, "Luxemburgers" and excellent croquettes (oblong-shape meatballs), here with a cheese, shrimp, lobster, or veal filling. Those with less interest in urban sociology can entertain themselves at the communal table, which is democratically packed with an assortment of Dutch and international newspapers and magazines.
This airy spot west of the Jordaan is an industrial monument: for a century, it housed a plant that pumped water from coastal dunes. Now, under a sky-high ceiling, it's a popular destination for international cuisine, from rib-eye béarnaise and steak tartare to crowd-pleasing seafood platters piled high with oysters, clams, mussels, and optional crab or lobster. The restaurant usually bustles with families and larger groups. If it's too noisy for you, ask for a table on the peaceful terrace. The sticky toffee cake is an after-dinner winner.
The menu at this popular, well-established spot highlights typical café items, from pasta to fish to grilled steak, with a local and organic slant, but the loyal crowd of regulars who frequent it know to check the daily specials (perhaps herb-crusted salmon) before they order. Inside, the space is casually inviting, with dark wood-panel walls and blue velvet upholstery. The main dining room can get boisterous, so if you're looking for a quieter meal, ask for a table in the more secluded and intimate mezzanine or, in the summer, on the terrace.
You’ll be entranced by the smell of freshly baked sourdough wafting from sister bakery Bakkerji Wolf next door even before you see this charming and airy breakfast and lunch café. Dishes make good use of the baked goods on offer, from delicious croissants to rich croque monsieurs, combined with international crowd-pleasers such as shakshuka (poached eggs in a bell pepper-and-tomato sauce and Greek salad.
The stunning decor in this expansive space on Artisplein at the ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo is reason enough to visit, but the Mediterranean-influenced food is good, too. Exposed brick walls, birdcage-like chandeliers, and windows overlooking a volière (aviary) are a lovely setting to enjoy dishes such as Basque fish soup, marinated lamb served with rice and mint yogurt, or fava bean-and-ricotta ravioli. A selection of tartines (open-faced sandwiches) is available at lunch. The reasonably priced wine list, which helpfully categorizes wines as light, medium, or full, complements the food perfectly.
Try to nab a spot on the terrace of THT—the theater café of the Tolhuistuin music venue—as its spectacular setting by the Amsterdam-Noord waterfront is a great place to chill out with a snack or a light meal. The rolls and pasta choices on the menu will satisfy traditionalists, while those wanting to venture "off piste" will also find much to like, especially in the form of the many plant-based offerings, such as vegan noodles or dahl (split peas cooked with spices) with naan bread.
If you need a rejuvenating break from art viewing, head to this café across from the Rijksmuseum for coffee and cake, or for lunch on one of the terraces, if the weather is accommodating. An adjacent playground makes this café a good choice for families. Menu highlights include homemade apple pie, traditional pea soup, sandwiches, and Dutch beef croquettes (oblong-shape meatballs) with hand-cut fries. Or try the Dutch poffertjes: small buckwheat pancakes served with powdered sugar and butter. And make sure to check out the bizarre bathrooms in the basement.
The Dutch-French recipes at this cozy, moodily lit spot are far from nouvelle cuisine; rather, they lean heavily on butter and meat, with dishes such as tête de porc (pork head) baked in brioche and roasted veal kidney with sea lavender, paired with equally traditional wines, with an emphasis on Burgundy. To see the young chefs in action in the open kitchen, ask for a seat at the counter or on the second floor with a counter view.
Crisp-crusted Roman-style artisanal pizza is baked in wood-fired ovens at this neighborhood favorite, where you'll find everything from classic Margherita to chocolate calzone. There are also antipasti, salads, and more. Apparently, Italians prefer drinking beer or prosecco with their pizza, and there are ample to choose from here, along with wine, cocktails, and other Italian staples such as grappa, limoncello, and Amaretto.
There are Film e Pizza nights on Wednesday, with a pizza and film at the nearby Kriterion movie theater for €16.
Since its 2019 renovation, this Dutch brasserie has become a beacon on an otherwise uninspiring road; it's one of the few non–fast-food restaurants around packed Dam Square. The Dutch-international fare includes dishes like Zeeland mussels with fries and Dutch beef stew. It gets busy with passing tourists, but this restaurant is worth a stop if you're shopping at the nearby de Bijenkorf department store and need a pick-me-up.
Despite appearances, this precariously crooked building near the solid Round Lutheran Church is here to stay: it's managed to remain standing since 1614, and it should certainly last through your dinner of contemporary Dutch cuisine prepared by talented young chef Yves van der Hoff, whose father owns the place. Inside "The Silver Mirror," wood beams, Delft tiles, and candlelit tables create a romantic mood in which to enjoy local ingredients like Zeeland mussels and Dutch trout, and expertly prepared meat plates like dry-aged Dutch rib-eye steak with potato foam, shallot marmalade, and "grandma's gravy." To sample a little of everything, opt for one of the four- to eight-course tasting menus.
It doesn't get more deeply Dutch than at this white-tiled shrine to Dutch sandwich culture, where the broodje kroket (a crispy veal croquette on a fluffy white bread roll, served with mustard and pickles) reigns supreme. Amsterdam locals also flock here for Van Dobben's other famous fillings, from meatballs to salt beef, liver, and tartare.
The Kwok family's award-winning Cantonese restaurant is known for its steamy open dim sum kitchen, but the crispy scallion pancakes, beef stir-fry, and siu long bao (soup dumplings) are also really good. The extensive menu also features clay pot specialties and roast meats. Grab a seat by the window for some very satisfying secret people-watching on the street below.
In a 1520 monument groaning with pewter tankards, stained glass, rich gold leather paneling, original Delftware and other curiosa, this restaurant's "Old Holland" vibe and matching menu attract lots of tourists. Expect simple, hearty old-fashioned Dutch fare such as pea soup and a selection of stamppotten (potatoes mashed with veggies and often meat). On cold winter nights, opt for the hutspot, a stamppot of mashed potato and carrot supplemented with steamed beef, sausage, and bacon.
Craving coffee with tiny travelers in tow? Head to this stylish coffee house in the Watergraafsmeer area, where there's a play area for the little ones. A small menu offers sandwiches, soups, pancakes, coffee, patisserie, and juices.
Come rain or shine, this kiosk serves coffee, tea, smoothies, baked goods, and gourmet health food inspired by the Greek islands. Whether you're craving sweet or savory, there are perfect on-the-go options like their signature orange, olive oil, rosemary cake, banana bread, or spanakopita (flaky pastry with spinach). Try the traditional Greek-style coffee if you’re in need of a caffeine kick. A few blocks away on Bilderdijkpark, their restaurant, Ikaria Park, offers flavorful, modern Greek food for dinner and delightful cocktails with a twist.
This self-titled “Italian concept store” is a good place to stop off for authentic Italian espresso with cannoli, before stocking up on Italian essentials such as pasta, own-brand olive oil, and cantuccini (biscotti).
