Amsterdam Travel Guide
What to Eat in Amsterdam
A food lover's guide to Amsterdam — the street snacks to try, the Dutch classics, the Indonesian and Surinamese dishes that are part of the city's identity, brown cafés and jenever, markets, and how to eat well without overspending.
Amsterdam's food reputation used to be modest, but the city has become one of the most enjoyable places in Europe to eat — not because of grand traditional cuisine, but because of its street snacks, its colonial-era culinary inheritance, its cosy cafés and a new generation of chefs. The secret is knowing what to look for. Here is how to eat like an Amsterdammer.
Street snacks first. Raw herring, or haring, is the great Dutch street food: mild, silky, cured fish eaten with chopped onions and pickles, either held by the tail and lowered into your mouth or, more easily, in a soft bun. The season's first catch, Hollandse Nieuwe, arrives in early summer and is celebrated, but herring stands sell it year-round. Kibbeling, battered and fried chunks of white fish with a garlic sauce, is a good alternative for the hesitant. Stroopwafels, thin waffles sandwiched with caramel syrup, are best eaten warm and freshly made at a market stall. Poffertjes, tiny puffed pancakes with butter and powdered sugar, are a treat for all ages. And patat, thick-cut fries in a paper cone, come with a dollop of mayonnaise or, for the adventurous, the patatje oorlog, with mayonnaise, peanut sauce and onions.
Bar food and brown cafés. The bruin café, or brown café, named for its dark wood and nicotine-stained walls from earlier eras, is Amsterdam's great social institution: a small, cosy bar with candles on the tables, newspapers, regulars and beer on tap. Order bitterballen, crisp deep-fried balls of beef ragout, served with mustard — the essential Dutch bar snack — or a plate of cubed cheese and sausage. The Jordaan and the old centre have the most atmospheric brown cafés, some of them centuries old. For a stronger drink, try jenever, the Dutch juniper spirit that is the ancestor of gin; traditional tasting houses pour it in tulip-shaped glasses filled to the brim, and the custom is to take the first sip bent over the bar without lifting the glass.
Dutch classics. Traditional Dutch cooking is hearty and best in winter: stamppot, mashed potatoes with kale or other vegetables, served with smoked sausage; erwtensoep, a thick pea soup; and hutspot, a mash of carrots and onions with a story going back to the siege of Leiden. Pancakes, both thin and large, sweet or savoury, are a favourite lunch for families. Dutch cheese is a revelation for many visitors: try young, aged and very old Gouda, cumin-studded Leyden cheese and goat's cheese at a cheese shop or the markets. Apple cake, or appeltaart, deep and spiced with cinnamon, is the city's favourite cake, and the café on the Noordermarkt in the Jordaan famous for it draws queues on Saturday market days. In December, oliebollen, deep-fried dough balls dusted with sugar, are sold from stalls across the city.
Indonesian and Surinamese food. Amsterdam's most distinctive restaurant tradition comes from the former Dutch colonies. The Indonesian rijsttafel, or rice table, is a feast of many small dishes — satay, rendang, vegetables, sambals, egg and fish dishes — served around a bowl of rice; it was a colonial invention, and today it is the Amsterdam celebration meal. Many Indonesian restaurants offer it, and it is best with a group. Surinamese food, a mix of African, Javanese, Indian, Chinese and Creole influences, is the city's everyday comfort food: roti filled with curried chicken, potatoes and long beans, and broodjes, sandwiches filled with roast pork or chicken. De Pijp and the eastern districts are the best places to find them.
Markets and food halls. The Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp is the classic for snacks, running Monday to Saturday. The Noordermarkt in the Jordaan has a farmers' market on Saturdays. The Foodhallen, an indoor food hall in a converted tram depot in the west of the city, gathers street-food stalls under one roof and is a lively place for a casual dinner with a group. Supermarkets and delis are good for picnics in the Vondelpark or by the canals.
Modern Amsterdam. The city now has a strong restaurant scene, with chefs cooking seasonal, local produce, natural-wine bars, excellent coffee and a range of international food. The best restaurants are often in the Jordaan, De Pijp, Oost and Noord rather than the tourist centre. Book ahead for dinner, particularly at weekends.
Breakfast, coffee and a word on coffeeshops. Dutch breakfast is simple: bread, cheese, ham and, for children and the young at heart, hagelslag, the chocolate sprinkles eaten on buttered bread. Amsterdam has a thriving speciality-coffee scene, with independent roasters and cafés across the Jordaan, De Pijp and Oost, and brunch is a popular weekend ritual. Do not confuse a café with a coffeeshop: in Amsterdam, a coffeeshop is a licensed outlet for cannabis, not a place for a latte. If you want an espresso and a slice of apple cake, look for a café, a koffiebar or a bakery.
Eating well on a budget. Make lunch your main meal, when many cafés offer good-value dishes; graze at the markets; and use supermarkets and bakeries for breakfast and picnics. Avoid the tourist restaurants around Dam Square, the Damrak and the Leidseplein, which are often overpriced and mediocre. Tap water is excellent and free to ask for, though some restaurants prefer you to order a drink. Tipping is not obligatory, as service is included, but rounding up or leaving five to ten percent for good service is appreciated.