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The 23 Best Restaurants in Amsterdam
David Stenega A local Amsterdam food expert’s must-visit spots around the Dutch capital The Dutch capital gets more than its fair share of tourists, but they’re rarely in it for the food. The local cuisine has a reputation for being bland and Dutch restaurants for serving the same iterations on hamburgers, fish, steak, and pasta. Given the city is full of spicy Surinamese and Indonesian flavors (legacies of the Netherlands’ colonial past), I’ve always thought that was an unfair characterization. But a new wave of restaurants and bakeries — serving boiled eggs with North Sea shrimp mayo, seasonal chanterelle eggs Benedicts, and West African tasting menus — has made the quality of Amsterdam’s food indisputable. These openings fit into a scene that’s generally laid-back, environmentally conscious, and accessible to folks with dietary restrictions. Amsterdam is largely below sea level, so concerns about climate change — and local, sustainable ingredients — are ever present. The relative lack of cars makes al fresco dining in the city center noticeably pleasant, and you can bike between every restaurant on this list (though getting to the Bijlmer market would be a workout). Dining culture is largely casual, and it’s not unusual to see someone walk into a trendy wine bar with a grandchild and massive dog in tow. It’s easy to eat all plant-based and even easier to go pescatarian. This diverse and thriving city has a fun, modern food scene to match, and it’s time visitors took notice. In this latest refresh, we’ve revamped our write-ups to include even more relevant info for diners, including a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in euros), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30. Pro-tip: If you’re coming from abroad, bring cash. While Amsterdam is better than most of the country, it’s surprisingly common to find places that only take Maestro cards. Katharine Khamhaengwong is a Netherlands-based writer, editor, and researcher with a fondness for the cuisine of her adopted home country and of Georgia, where she lived and worked for several years.
A local Amsterdam food expert’s must-visit spots around the Dutch capital
The Dutch capital gets more than its fair share of tourists, but they’re rarely in it for the food. The local cuisine has a reputation for being bland and Dutch restaurants for serving the same iterations on hamburgers, fish, steak, and pasta. Given the city is full of spicy Surinamese and Indonesian flavors (legacies of the Netherlands’ colonial past), I’ve always thought that was an unfair characterization. But a new wave of restaurants and bakeries — serving boiled eggs with North Sea shrimp mayo, seasonal chanterelle eggs Benedicts, and West African tasting menus — has made the quality of Amsterdam’s food indisputable.
These openings fit into a scene that’s generally laid-back, environmentally conscious, and accessible to folks with dietary restrictions. Amsterdam is largely below sea level, so concerns about climate change — and local, sustainable ingredients — are ever present. The relative lack of cars makes al fresco dining in the city center noticeably pleasant, and you can bike between every restaurant on this list (though getting to the Bijlmer market would be a workout). Dining culture is largely casual, and it’s not unusual to see someone walk into a trendy wine bar with a grandchild and massive dog in tow. It’s easy to eat all plant-based and even easier to go pescatarian. This diverse and thriving city has a fun, modern food scene to match, and it’s time visitors took notice.
In this latest refresh, we’ve revamped our write-ups to include even more relevant info for diners, including a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in euros), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.
Pro-tip: If you’re coming from abroad, bring cash. While Amsterdam is better than most of the country, it’s surprisingly common to find places that only take Maestro cards.
Katharine Khamhaengwong is a Netherlands-based writer, editor, and researcher with a fondness for the cuisine of her adopted home country and of Georgia, where she lived and worked for several years.
