Are you coming to Amsterdam and looking for some restaurant recommendations ? You’ve landed on the right page !
There are tons of great places to dine or have a snack in Amsterdam, I’ve tried a few and listed for you the best ones below !
So whether it is a bakery to try the best stroopwafels, typical friteries, or world cuisine to change the flavours, I’ll list here some restaurants recommendation for you.
One of the most famous savoury specialty is the Dutch fries, which are thick-cut and served with many different sauces or parmesan.
The best places to try them in Amsterdam are either Fabel Friet (see first picture below), Manneken Pis (second picture) or Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx.
My personal favorite was Manneken Pis at Nieuwendijk (almost no queue compared to the one in Damrak), because they were less salty than Fabel Fries.
Another specialty is of course Bitterballen, which are fried bite-size beef and gravy croquettes. You can find some of those at FEBO, a popular Dutch fast food chain known for its “automatiek” system, where you can grab hot snacks like the kroketten from vending machines open 24/7 (can you spot the cook behind the lockers in the picture below ?).
Other Dutch specialties include :
- Gouda & Edam Cheese : Amsterdam is famous for its Dutch cheeses, Gouda and Edam are the most typical and tasty ones.
- Haring : Raw herring, eaten with onions and pickles.
- Kibbeling : Dutch snack consisting of battered and deep-fried fish, usually served with garlic or tartar sauce.
- Broodje Kroket : A croquette sandwich, literally.
- Hutspot : A traditional Dutch dish made of mashed potatoes, carrots, and onions.
- Ossenworst : A raw beef sausage, often served on bread.
Lastly, for a good Dutch Steakhouse, you can book a table at De Nachtwacht, their meat is really tasty and prices are reasonable.
First off, you can’t leave Amsterdam or The Netherlands without having tried their famous Stroopwafels (which could be translated as “syrup waffles”).
There’s a bakery called Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels at Albert Cuyp Markt that makes INCREDIBLY delicious, freshly made hot waffles! (see picture 1).
Also reasonably priced, as they costs 2,5€.
I would NOT personally recommend the Van Wonderen Stroopwafels, as they are not extraordinary and cost more than 10€ ! Another downside, you have to queue for a while in their tiny shop (waffles in the 2nd picture).
Other Dutch specialties include :
- Poffertjes : Small, fluffy pancakes dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with butter.
- Speculaas : Crunchy cookies with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
- Appeltaart (Dutch Apple Pie) : A deep-dish apple pie with a thick flaky crust.
- Bossche Bol : A large profiterole (cream puff) filled with whipped cream and coated with dark chocolate.
- Jan Hagel Cookies : Buttery, spiced cookies with almonds.
- Oliebollen : Similar doughnuts balls.
If you are in the mood for sweets, here are some places I tried in Amsterdam and would recommend :
- De Laatste Kruimel : A delicious bakery in the heart or Amsterdam, make sure to try their almond croissant and blueberry muffins ! Also nice, they open at 8am, which is earlier than most bakeries in the area, perfect for a sweet early breakfast ! (displayed on picture 3).
- SAINT-JEAN Bakery : A great vegan bakery in Jordaan district.
- Polaberry : This cute boutique is selling strawberries covered in Belgian chocolate. The price for one is 2€ which I think it’s fair considering they are absolutely delicious (see picture 4 below).
- Banketbakkerij Het Koekemannetje : Delicious cookies in Amsterdam, costing only 2,7€.
- Van Stapele Koekmakerij : Another great cookie shop, making only dark chocolate cookies with white chocolate filling for 3€.
- Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore : A local chocolate store aiming to make 100% slave-free chocolate the norm. The brand was founded 20 years ago by a Dutch journalist who wanted to raise awareness about child labor and exploitation in the chocolate industry.
We absolutely loved the food scene in Amsterdam ! There are so many different kind of cuisine you can get to try.
For an amazing Japanese restaurant, head to OTEMBA- ramen in Amsterdam Oud-West. I tried the takoyaki (ball-shaped dumpling made of batter and filled with diced octopus), fried chicken, and their green tea soft serve (see picture 1 & 2). The whole lunch costed 24€, but their ramen are 19€ and also looked delicious.
For another great ramen, you can head to RAMEN-ISM & IMPOSSIBLE, located close to the train station. Their ramen are around 20€ and their broth are very flavourful (see picture 3).
Next destination : Secret Garden. This is more of a high-end restaurant, with a beautiful decor and dim lighting. I would say it is a great location for a special occasion or bigger budgets (two small plates and desserts cost around 40€).
I absolutely recommend those restaurants if you don’t feel like Dutch cuisine every evening !
We went many times to Foodhallen located in Amsterdam Oud-West. This food court has more than 20 different stands with cuisine from Mexico, Indonesia, Spain, Italy… You can look at this page to discover all the different stands.
The sitting area is quite big and they are open non stop from 12am to 12pm. So, it’s a great option when you fancy a late lunch in this city !
Plus, dishes are around 10-15€ so it’s also really affordable for Amsterdam.
I cannot recommend enough trying out this food court, you can even try many Dutch food for great prices and in a nice setting.
That’s it for my restaurant recommendations in Amsterdam !
We had a wonderful time trying all the best food there and I’m sure you will too !
If you want to spend a few days visiting Amsterdam, check out my article here to know what to see and do.
For some Amsterdam days trips ideas, head to this post, I listed the best day trips from the capital.
For Netherlands travel tips, head to this article detailing everything you need to know before you visit Amsterdam.
If you need a custom itinerary, you can fill this form and I’ll make your own personalised itinerary.
