174 Best Restaurants in Netherlands

Smack in the middle of the Red Light District, this Thai establishment juxtaposes the original wood beams and wall panels of the 17th-century warehouse with a rich color scheme, modern furniture, and traditional Thai wall decorations, which give the space a warm atmosphere. The menu balances spicy dishes like stir-fried beef with onion and chile peppers with milder options to please a variety of palates, though ordering a main is compulsory.

Stepping into "The Laughing Javanese," off an old Haarlem street that hasn't changed in centuries, you are hit with a flash of color and pungent smells. You can sit upstairs at one of the window tables and look out over the sober gabled houses while eating kambing saté (skewers of lamb in soy sauce) and kipkarbonade met sambal djeroek (grilled chicken with a fiery Indonesian sauce), or cobble together a meal of 12 or more small dishes if you want.

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.

The split-level interior of the "Friendship" successfully blends dark-brown girders with soft orange lighting and such organic elements as bamboo screens and lobster pots, while out on the terrace in summer you dine with a grand view of the soaring 15th-century Stadhuis. The plump, local mussels are particularly good in season.

In this former marketplace, Nijmegen's main square showpiece and the most Gothic monument in town, weights, pulleys, and scales are suspended from the vaulted ceiling, and there is a bustling outdoor café on the square in front. If your stomach's growling, the spare ribs in a sticky sweet-and-sour sauce are great.

This Delft staple has loyal regulars, drawn by a mean Indonesian satay, served at one of the many terrace tables on a small square overlooking a narrow canal. There's a smart restaurant on the first floor, but the bar and mezzanine have plenty to offer, with lunch snacks, a reasonable menu for dinner with the latest tracks on the speakers, and great fries and salads.

The interior of this brewpub is spectacular enough with its exposed stone walls and foundations, but it is the setting for its beer garden---on Heilige Geestkerkhof beside the Oude Kerk---that makes it truly worth stopping here for a scenic snack or lunch. Toasties, rolls, and burgers dominate the lunchtime menu, while if you drop by later the dinner menu expands to more substantial fare, such as pork stewed in a house beer. 

This great-value café-brasserie is housed in a former bank building, while the terrace is in the shadow of the imposing Eusebiuskerk. Both serve up a wide range of affordable and tasty rolls, pasta dishes, salads, or simple patisserie, with a more substantial menu of mains available in the evening.

Dudok—with its vast granite-and-metal interior that looks like a cross between a 1930s railway station and an ultra-contemporary factory—is a great place for people-of-every-stripe-watching: politicians debating over a beer, fashionistas toying with their carpaccio salads, and pensioners tucking into an afternoon tea of cream cakes and salmon sandwiches. The menu combines international dishes with traditional Dutch fare such, but be warned it closes at 7 or 8 each evening, so don't leave it late if you're looking for a dinner option.

The interior at this Asian dining spot is fanciful, with original historical details blurring into a frenzy of rice-paper umbrellas suspended from the ceiling, with colorful art, intricate Oriental furniture, and a gaggle of golden Buddhas. The menu also runs the gamut, with Cantonese, Szechuan, and Thai culinary classics. In the summer, ask for a table on the terrace majestically set in a Golden Age courtyard.

This place is on Ledig Erf, one of Utrecht's small squares, which becomes a hive of energy and is filled with huge shade umbrellas when the sun comes out. The café's tables spill over the bridge, so you can sit overlooking canalside gardens as you tuck into basic rolls and salads at lunch or steaks and burgers in the evening.

The ancient brick-and-stone walls of this cavernous former weigh house are adorned with hulking 17th-century balance scales—happily, dishes such as Flemish asparagus with ham and egg, or parelhoen (guinea fowl) in a rich dark broth, are equal to the fabulous setting. Tables on the terrace in front nestle under the town's magnificent, looming clock tower, while a more intimate restaurant area upstairs, open evenings only (closed Sunday), offers a more upmarket menu.

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.

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.

A short walk from the Frans Hals Museum - HOF, the city's favorite ice-cream parlor has been making Italian-style gelato since 1949, in around 50 mouthwatering flavors.

The spacious and high-ceilinged Grand Café Brinkmann offers baguettes, pancakes, and other light snacks. Windows edged with stained glass overlook the Grote Markt and Sint Bavo's church across the square.

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.

This bright, minimalist and slightly retro restaurant is on one of the city's broadest canals has a long-standing reputation for serving vegetarian dishes (even 40 years ago). Today, you can choose from a three- to five-course seasonal menu with vegan options or a thematic chef's menu, which could be "an ode to the Dutch seas."

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).

One of Haarlem's best eetlokaals (dining spots), which attracts locals with its long bar, cozy tables, and lovely sun trap of a garden, is also extremely popular—get here early or book ahead to snag a table. The menu offers standards but with a twist: try the Popeye Blues Salad—a wild spinach, blue cheese, and bacon number, with creamy mustard dressing.

The decor of this stylish Pulitzer Hotel restaurant is an updated take on old-world elegance, featuring green velvet banquettes, white marble tables, beamed ceilings, and Dutch Masters–style portraits. It echoes the contemporary classics on offer, like rack of lamb, steak frites, and fish of the day; while not overly imaginative, the food is prepared with a sure hand and a light touch. Ask for a table with windows overlooking the pretty Keizersgracht canal or the Reestraat shopping street for prime people-watching while you dine.

Tasting menus are an enduring trend in Amsterdam, and this intimate 15-table eatery in a historic canal house with a minimalist decor—wood-beam ceilings and white walls spruced up with black-and-white portraits—ups the ante by keeping the monthly menu a surprise (à la carte plates are also available). You can be assured, however, of beautifully presented dishes that blend a light French cooking style with international ingredients and flavors. The only decision you'll need to make is whether to pair your four-, five-, six, or seven-course menu with their delicious selection of wines.