14 Best Restaurants in Amsterdam, Netherlands

For innovative "New Amsterdam" cuisine, head to this Michelin-starred restaurant in sleek Zuidas. The design is Scandinavian-inspired lacquered wood and angular chairs, but the set six-course menu is hyperlocal, and everything is beautifully presented; many of their vegetables and herbs come from the on-site kitchen garden, one of the largest in Amsterdam. Expect creative vegetable-led dishes like "risotto" of cauliflower and ricotta, topped with herring roe, or 30-day dry-aged beef with parsnip and apple. There is also a fully plant-based menu.

Amsterdam's famed Rijksmuseum displays a dazzling collection of Dutch masterpieces, and the adjacent restaurant, with an understated Japandi-style decor, shares a similar lofty goal: to create edible art using as many Dutch-produced or -influenced products as possible. This means the vegetable-heavy menu of mainly small plates may feature such delights as red cabbage gazpacho, celeriac with hazelnut miso, and the signature mille-feuille of beetroot with soy-infused beurre blanc and parsley oil. Order à la carte or go for one of the Chef's Menus (the latter is compulsory on busy Friday and Saturday night) but well worth it.

What started as Librije's Zusje, the elegantly understated sister restaurant to the three-Michelin star Librije in Zwolle, northeast of Amsterdam, has since become a renowned two Michelin starred restaurant in its own right. The colorful and subtly Dutch-inflected dishes using local ingredients are beautifully presented and often include imaginative flavors. The 10-course tasting menus are the way to go, though you can also order à la carte. Save room for the cheese course—it's always spectacular here. Service can be on the stiff side, though it befits the Waldorf Astoria locale.

When in Amsterdam, do as the Amsterdammers do: enjoy some cured herring, the ultimate Dutch snack. Despite popular belief, the herring is not actually raw; it's partially gutted when caught (leaving in the pancreas to develop its flavor) and then salted and frozen for at least two days to prevent parasites. At this landmark shop (est. 1938), you can snack in local fashion; make your purchases inside and then just take the fish by the tail, tilt your head backward, and let the slippery, salty sea creature find its way down. Don't ask for chopped onions here because, according to third-generation owner Gerrie Palmer, you would lose out on the taste. In fact, some herring sellers use pickles and onions as a way to disguise less-than-fresh fish—you've been warned!

With a dizzying array of recently opened restaurants offering so-called New Dutch Cuisine, it's looking like Dutch food has finally been given the makeover it long deserved. This Centraal Station-adjacent establishment gives brasserie classics a Lowlands twist, using seasonal ingredients fresh from a local organic farm.

The "Five Flies" is a rambling dining institution that takes up five adjoining Golden Age houses filled with densely evocative decor—complete with bona fide Rembrandt etchings, jenever barrels, crystal and armor collections, and an endless array of old-school bric-a-brac. The menu of Dutch-international cuisine emphasizes fresh (and often organic) ingredients in dishes from herring tartare to slow-cooked pork cheeks; there are also four-, five-, or six-course menus, which change quarterly based on what's in season. The wine list and the selection of flavored jenevers are—like the decor—epic in proportion.

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.

Amsterdam isn't generally a city where food comes quickly, but FEBO is an exception. This Dutch chain of restaurants functions like an old-school automat, with walls of prepared dishes displayed behind glass. Simply press a button and insert your money, vending machine–style, and you'll get your meal, be it french fries, burgers, or Indonesian croquettes. The food is far from gourmet, but it's a Dutch experience to be sampled at least once—and one of a few options if hunger strikes past midnight.

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.

Traditional Dutch home cooking is just what to expect at a place called Mothers. Outside there's a sunny terrace, and the kitsch interior feels like a living room, full of antiques and photos of mothers (to which you can contribute your own snapshot). Guests are treated to simple dishes prepared with a refined gusto, including erwtensoep (split pea soup) and stamppot (mashed potatoes with sausage). Vegetarians be warned: pickings are slim but they do offer two main courses.

It's hard to go wrong when going out for Dutch pancakes in Amsterdam, but the ones at this 50-year-old stalwart are among the best in town. The 17th-century warehouse has a petite canalside patio near the Anne Frank House, and the mammoth menu has more than 75 choices of sweet and savory toppings, from traditional (with syrup and powdered sugar) to over-the-top globally inspired creations, including an Indonesian pancake with chicken satay and crispy prawn crackers. You can also order omelets, or a convincing take on the folk dish of erwtensoep (a superthick, smoked sausage–imbued pea soup; October–April only). Be prepared to wait: it's popular, and reservations are taken only for groups of six or more.  Bring the kids. Pancakes are seen as children's food in the Netherlands anyway, so the vibe is always very family-friendly.

Named after a market town in the south of the Netherlands where its chef-owners were born, BREDA offers frequently changing Franco-Dutch chef's menus and novel preparations in a simple brasserie-like setting. Dishes are heavy on meat, fish, and seafood—Dutch staples like smoked mackerel and cod often make appearances, with subtle twists—and vegetarians beware: the restaurant offers no meat-free variations. Although there's no written menu, diners can select from three-, four-, or five-course tasting menus at lunch and more extensive options at dinner.