30 Best Restaurants in Amsterdam, Netherlands
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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!
Gebr. Niemeijer
SLA
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Thúskomme
Vlaams Friethuis Vleminckx
1e Klas
This Grand Café is a storied place to wait for your train. Architect Pierre Cuypers' original 1889 Fin-de-Siècle interior, no longer restricted to first-class passengers, is the perfect backdrop against which to linger over coffee, a snack, or a full-blown meal accompanied by fine wine. There's a pub with the same name and the same atmosphere next door.
48/50
Albina
While you're in Amsterdam, do try Surinamese food, a unique fusion of Amerindian, Caribbean, Chinese, Jewish, Dutch, and Indonesian cuisines that arose from this South American country's history as a Dutch colony. Albina is a local fave that serves up one of the best rotis (the Surinamese take on Indian flatbread) in the city. It comes with a choice of fillings and is real-deal comfort food. Nieuw Albina, at No. 49, has the same owner and the same kitchen, if you find the original too crowded.
Babel
Bakkerswinkel
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, plus a takeout-only counter at Warmoesstraat 133 (all serving breakfast and lunch only).
Bar Kantoor
Blitskikker
Craving coffee with tiny travelers in tow? Head to this colorful café on trendy Javastraat, where there's a play area for the little ones, plus a children's concept store and in-house hairdresser. A small menu offers sandwiches, cakes, juices, and healthy kids' snacks.
Box Sociaal
Burgermeester
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 Plantage.
Cafe 't Gasthuys
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.
Café Georgette
Café Luxembourg
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 terrific soups and salads and excellent Holtkamp kroketten (croquettes, here with a cheese, shrimp, 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.
Checkpoint Charlie
Cobra Café
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, sandwiches, and Dutch beef croquettes with 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.
Coffee & Coconuts
De Amsterdamsche Vishandel
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!
De Pizzabakkers
Crisp-crusted "Roman artisan pizza " is baked in "Italian-style wood 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 Wednesdays, with a pizza and film at the nearby Kriterion movie theater for €14.50
FEBO
Frietboutique
Maoz
Rotisserie East
Soup en Zo
"Soup Etc" bucks Amsterdam's slow-service trend by being particularly speedy as well as health-conscious. At least eight soups are available daily, of which more than half are vegetarian. The steaming bowls come with chunky slices of whole-grain bread. The menu also offers tempting salads. There are other locations at Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 54 and Van Baerlestraat 81.
Warung Spang Makandra
The Indonesian-inspired Surinamese food at this often-cramped local favorite includes many simple but well-prepared variations of chicken, fish, lamb, or beef with vegetables and nasi (rice), bami (noodles), or roti. You can also try Javanese rames, a mini-rijsttafel-style smattering of everything on a plate. The restaurant is very casual, but the staff are friendly, the food is tasty, and the price is right—no wonder it's always busy. There are two other Amsterdam locations, but this one is the most central.
Winkel 43
Tasty sandwiches, salads, and pastas are available at this popular café, but the crowds come for the appeltaart. Locals, students, and tourists in the know gather here for slices of the thick, cakelike Dutch specialty, studded with fresh apples and cinnamon. Order it with homemade whipped cream, if you'd like, accompanied by mint tea or coffee. The best place to eat is on Winkel's large patio—but Saturday can get crazy before 5 pm, when crowds spill over from the adjacent busy outdoor organic market, Noordermarkt.
Winkel 43
The appeltaart (Dutch apple pie) served here is said to be the best in Amsterdam, and the lines out front on busy market days attest to Winkel's popularity. If you don't want to wait, though, the Papeneiland around the corner at Prinsengracht 2, also serves an excellent version in a traditional brown café run by the same family for 400 years.