Where to Eat in Amsterdam: Restaurants We Tried & Recommend

Where to Eat in Amsterdam: A Food Guide Based on Our Trip

Amsterdam gives you almost too many reasons to stop eating while exploring the city. Between canal walks and museum visits, we made our way through several restaurants, cafés, and food spots, mixing planned stops with a few spontaneous finds. As always, we paid attention to the food, service, atmosphere, prices, and whether we would actually come back. Here is where we ate in Amsterdam, what stood out, and which places earned our recommendation.

What Does Amsterdam Actually Taste Like

Amsterdam is not a city defined by one signature dish. Its food scene blends traditional Dutch comfort food, quick street snacks, seafood, sweets, and flavors brought to the city through centuries of trade and migration. You can go from eating herring beside a canal to sitting down for an Indonesian rijsttafel on the same afternoon, and both feel equally at home here.

Traditional Dutch food tends to favor simple, filling flavors rather than lots of spice. Potatoes, cheese, meat, fish, bread, and dairy appear often, particularly in dishes such as stamppot, where mashed potatoes are combined with vegetables and usually served with sausage. Bitterballen, small crispy balls filled with a thick meat ragout, are the kind of snack that makes much more sense once there is a cold beer beside them.

Then there is the seafood. Haring, or Dutch raw herring, is traditionally served with chopped onions and sometimes pickles, while kibbeling gives you something much less intimidating: pieces of battered and fried white fish served hot, often with a creamy sauce. Both are worth knowing about even if only one ends up on your must-eat list.

Amsterdam also does sweet food particularly well. Stroopwafels combine two thin waffles with a warm, caramel-like syrup filling, while poffertjes are small, fluffy pancakes traditionally finished with butter and powdered sugar. Waddle through the city center, and you’ll quickly notice how seriously Amsterdam takes its fries, often served in paper cones with a generous choice of sauces.

But eating in Amsterdam goes far beyond traditional Dutch dishes. Indonesian and Surinamese food have become an important part of the city’s culinary identity, reflecting the Netherlands’ colonial history. An Indonesian rijsttafel, literally a “rice table,” brings numerous small dishes to the table at once, ranging from meats and vegetables to sambals and satay. It is less about ordering one plate and more about tasting your way through an entire spread.

So, what should you expect Amsterdam to taste like? Salty, fried, buttery, cheesy, occasionally very sweet, and far more international than you might expect. Traditional Dutch food provides the foundation, but Amsterdam’s wider food culture tells a much bigger story.

Where We Actually Ate in Amsterdam

Now for the part that matters: where we actually ate. Over our Amsterdam trip, we tried a mix of restaurants, quick food stops, local specialties, and a few places we stumbled across while exploring. Below, we share each stop, what we ordered, what we paid, and, most importantly, whether we would recommend adding it to your Amsterdam food list.

Our Amsterdam Food Map: Where We Ate & Saved for Next Time

We put together this Amsterdam food map with all the restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and food stops we tried during our trip, so you can easily see where everything is as you plan your own waddle around the city. We also pinned a few restaurants we wanted to try but did not have enough time (or stomach space) for. Consider them saved for our next visit, or perhaps inspiration for yours.

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Burgers at Burgermeester Jordaan

📍 Location: Elandsgracht 130, Amsterdam
💶 Price: €€
🌐 Website: Burgermeester

Sometimes you don’t want a burger that requires a strategy to eat. That was one of the things we immediately appreciated about Burgermeester in Jordaan. The restaurant is small and cozy, with limited space, which gives it more of a neighborhood feel than a big burger chain.

Burgermeester has been making burgers in Amsterdam since 2007, focusing on making almost everything in-house and using sustainable ingredients. The menu covers beef, lamb, vegetarian, and vegan burgers, alongside fries and a few sides.

What stood out to us, though, was the option to order the burgers as minis. Instead of committing to one huge burger, you can choose a smaller version or order a trio of three different mini burgers. We really liked the size. They were easy to eat, but still felt like proper burgers rather than scaled-down versions where something gets lost. Ours were freshly prepared and well put together, with a good balance between the bun, filling, sauce, and toppings. Nothing overwhelmed the rest, and despite their smaller size, they were surprisingly satisfying.

The fries were another highlight. They arrived hot and properly crispy on the outside, with that soft center you want from a good portion of fries. They weren’t soggy and didn’t need sauce to save them. Between the quality of the burgers and those fries, this was much more than a convenient lunch stop.

The mini format is still what makes Burgermeester particularly fun for us. Being able to try several burgers in one sitting works especially well when you are visiting for the first time, and the smaller portions make the whole meal feel much lighter. Combined with the small, neighborhood-style setting in Jordaan, it was a casual Amsterdam food stop we would happily return to.

Croquettes at Pllek, NDSM

📍 Location: NDSM, Amsterdam-Noord
💶 Price: €€-€€€
🌐 Website: Pllek

While exploring NDSM, we stopped at Pllek for a break, a couple of beers, and our first proper encounter with one of the Netherlands’ favorite snacks: croquettes. Pllek fits naturally into the former shipyard setting, with an industrial feel, a relaxed atmosphere, and plenty of space to sit back after waddling around NDSM.

We ordered the forest mushroom croquettes, six generously sized croquettes served with mustard. They arrived with a deeply golden, crisp breadcrumb coating that gave way to a soft, creamy mushroom filling. The earthy mushroom flavor came through well without becoming too heavy, while the mustard added the sharpness the rich filling needed. They were hot, crunchy, and dangerously easy to keep reaching for.

Croquettes might not be the first food everyone associates with Amsterdam, especially compared with stroopwafels or fries, but we completely understand why the Dutch are so serious about them now. Simple, comforting, and made for eating alongside a cold beer, these were exactly the kind of snack we wanted after a few hours at NDSM; definitely something we would order again.

Ethiopian Food at Lalibela

📍 Location: Eerste Helmersstraat 249, 1054 DX Amsterdam, Netherlands
💶 Price: €€
🌐 Website: Lalibela

Lalibela wasn’t on our Amsterdam food list. In fact, we probably wouldn’t have discovered it at all if our friend hadn’t recommended it and suggested we go together. Ethiopian food wasn’t something we had specifically planned to try during this trip, but we were happy to hand over the restaurant decision and see where it took us. And we are very glad we did. Sometimes the best meals while traveling are the ones that never made it onto the original itinerary.

Everything arrives on a large shared platter, with no cutlery. Instead, you tear pieces from the soft, porous injera and use them to scoop up the spiced meats, lentils, vegetables, and sauces. We particularly loved the injera for its distinctly sour, fermented flavor, as well as the variety of traditional sides that made every bite taste slightly different. It was authentic, communal, and completely different from the way we normally eat, which made the meal as much about the experience as the food itself. We loved it enough that we wrote a separate Lalibela restaurant review with everything we ordered and our full verdict.

Miuz Gelato & Coffee

📍 Location: Overtoom 117, 1054 HE Amsterdam, Netherlands
💶 Price: €€€
🌐 Website: Miuz Gelato & Coffee

We also stopped at Miuz Gelato & Coffee, an artisanal Italian gelateria we had heard was particularly good. Miuz was founded to bring the new generation of Italian gelato-making to Amsterdam, producing its gelato fresh from scratch every day and sourcing ingredients from both Dutch and Italian producers. We found a large, slightly adventurous selection of flavors, mixing Italian classics with more unusual and seasonal combinations. The gelato lived up to the recommendation: smooth, dense, and exceptionally creamy without feeling heavy, with clean, pronounced flavors rather than excessive sweetness. It had that elastic, almost silky texture that separates properly made gelato from ordinary ice cream, and we could understand why Miuz has built such a reputation. Definitely one of the ice-cream stops we would happily make again in Amsterdam.

Back to Black

📍 Location: Weteringstraat 48, 1017 RN Amsterdam, Netherlands
💶 Price: €€
🌐 Website: Back to Black

For coffee in Amsterdam, Back to Black is an easy recommendation. We stumbled across this small coffee shop on a rainy day, and it turned out to be exactly the kind of place you want to find when the weather turns: warm, cozy, and filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The space is intimate and can feel a little cramped when it gets busy, so finding a table right away isn’t guaranteed, but that also adds to its neighborhood coffee-shop feel. Back to Black roasts its own coffee in Amsterdam, focusing on specialty-grade, traceable beans, and you can taste that attention in the cup. We aren’t big fans of coffee with an aggressively sour, acidic profile, so we particularly appreciated that the acidity here was mild and well balanced, adding brightness without dominating the coffee. The cup was smooth, aromatic, and clean, with enough depth to make you slow down and actually pay attention to what you were drinking. Good coffee, a cozy room, and rain hitting the windows outside made this one of those unplanned Amsterdam stops that worked particularly well.

Loaded Sausages at Padrón, Foodhallen

📍 Location: Foodhallen, Bellamyplein 51, Amsterdam
💶 Price: €€
🌐 Website: Foodhallen

With dozens of dishes competing for attention inside Foodhallen, choosing what to eat took us a while. We eventually landed at Padrón, a counter specializing in what it calls Green Dutch Cuisine. Our order was simple: two loaded sausages and a portion of sweet potato fries to share.

The sausages came tucked into soft bread with two different combinations of sauces and toppings. One had a creamy white sauce with spring onion, while the other came covered in a richer orange sauce and herbs. The sausages themselves were juicy, the bread held everything together surprisingly well, and there was enough sauce to make them interesting without completely drowning the filling.

The sweet potato fries were our favorite part of the order. They arrived properly browned with crisp edges rather than turning into the soft, slightly limp pile that sweet potato fries sometimes become. The portion was also generous enough for us to share alongside the two sausages.

Padrón suited Foodhallen perfectly: quick, casual food that you can eat without turning lunch into a whole event. Would we call the sausages something you absolutely need to cross Amsterdam for? Probably not. But as part of a visit to De Hallen, they made for a satisfying lunch, and we’d happily order those sweet potato fries again.

Stroopwafels at Hans Egstorf Amsterdam

📍 Location: Spuistraat 274, Amsterdam
💶 Price: €€€
🌐 Website: Hans Egstorf Amsterdam

We couldn’t leave the Netherlands without trying a proper Dutch stroopwafel, so we headed to Hans Egstorf, a historic Amsterdam bakery known for making them fresh. We liked that this wasn’t simply a packaged stroopwafel handed across the counter. They made the waffle right in front of us on a hot iron, sliced and filled while it was still warm, so we grabbed one and ate it almost immediately.

From a food perspective, the freshness really makes a difference. The waffle was thin and crisp around the edges but still slightly chewy, while the warm syrup filling added that familiar caramel-like sweetness without changing the waffle’s texture. Simple, warm, and satisfying, it was exactly the kind of stroopwafel we wanted to try in Amsterdam. Our only criticism was the price: €7.50 for a single stroopwafel felt quite steep, even for a popular spot in central Amsterdam. You’re definitely paying partly for the location and reputation, but if you want to watch your stroopwafel being made and eat it while it’s still warm, it is a tasty little Amsterdam experience.

Wolfsend (Zaanse Schans)

📍 Location: Lagedijk 13C, 1544 BA Zaandijk, Netherlands
💶 Price: €€
🌐 Website: Wolfsend

Although Wolfsend is not actually in Amsterdam, we still wanted to include it because it was one of the places we stopped to eat during our trip. You will find it at Zaanse Schans, around 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam, making it an easy addition if you are heading out of the city to see the windmills.

By the time we stopped, we had already done plenty of waddling around Zaanse Schans and were not hungry enough for a full meal, so we ordered two Dutch croquettes and the soup of the day. The croquettes were crisp and golden on the outside with a soft, creamy filling, while the soup was warm, flavorful, and exactly what we needed at that point in the day. It was a simple meal, but both dishes hit the spot. Wolfsend made for a good little lunch stop before we headed back out to continue exploring Zaanse Schans.

Small Snack at Marathonweg

📍 Location: Marathonweg 1, 1076 SW Amsterdam, Netherlands
💶 Price: €€€
🌐 Website: Marathonweg

Marathonweg was another quick and spontaneous food stop for us in Amsterdam. We were not looking for a big meal. We spotted the restaurant near a bridge while walking, liked its relaxed terrace and laid-back atmosphere, and decided it looked like a good place to sit for a while. The restaurant serves everything from lunch and snacks to dinner, with a large south-facing terrace.

We kept our order simple with spring rolls and fries with homemade mayonnaise. Everything arrived hot and crisp; the fries had a good crunch, and the creamy homemade mayo made them dangerously easy to keep picking at. It was exactly what we wanted: a few snacks, a drink, and a chance to rest our feet before continuing our waddle around Amsterdam. The only small downside was that the menu we received was in Dutch, so we did a bit of phone translation at the table. Overall, though, Marathonweg was one of those unplanned stops that worked out well: relaxed, unfussy, and just right for a quick bite.

So Many Restaurants, So Little Time

Of course, we saved far more restaurants than we could possibly squeeze into one Amsterdam trip, but we are glad we managed to try at least these. There are still plenty waiting for our next waddle through the city. If you want more inspiration, check out our Amsterdam food map, where we have also pinned the restaurants, cafés, and food stops we researched and had on our radar but did not have enough time or stomach space to try.   

How Much Does Eating Out in Amsterdam Cost

Amsterdam isn’t the cheapest city for eating out, and prices can add up quickly if you eat every meal at a restaurant. Based on our trip, we found that a coffee generally costs around €3–€5, while a quick snack, pastry, croquette, or similar bite can easily cost €4–€8. Even something as simple as a freshly made stroopwafel can be surprisingly expensive. We paid €7.50 for one at Hans Egstorf.

For a casual lunch, we would budget roughly €15–€25 per person, depending on what you order and whether you add drinks. Food halls and casual restaurants are useful when you want something quicker, though they aren’t necessarily much cheaper. For a sit-down dinner, expect to spend around €25–€45 per person, and more if you order several courses, cocktails, or wine.

Overall, we would describe Amsterdam as moderately expensive when it comes to eating out. You can keep costs down by mixing restaurant meals with bakeries, markets, quick snacks, and supermarket stops, but we would still leave a decent part of the travel budget for food. Amsterdam has far too many things worth tasting to spend the whole trip counting every euro.

Amsterdam Food Tips We Wish We Knew

A few things are worth knowing before you start waddling between Amsterdam’s restaurants, cafés, and food halls:

• Reserve popular restaurants. For well-known restaurants and weekend dinners, book ahead. We were often spontaneous, but having a reservation for somewhere you really want to try saves disappointment.
• Cards are your best friend. Card and contactless payments are widely used, and some places may even be cashless. We would not rely on cash alone.
• Tipping is not mandatory. Service is generally included in the price. You can round up the bill or leave around 5–10% for good service, but you don’t need to tip at the same level as in the US.
• Do not assume every menu is in English. Amsterdam is very international, and English is widely spoken, but we still encountered Dutch-only menus. At Marathonweg, our phones quickly became our translators.
• Dinner often starts earlier than you might expect. Many restaurant kitchens get busy from around 6 PM onward, particularly on weekends, so check opening and kitchen hours if you tend to eat late.
• Foodhallen can get packed. Plenty of food counters are available, but finding somewhere to sit can be harder than choosing what to eat. Take a lap and find a table before everyone starts ordering, especially during busy periods.
• Terrace culture is part of Amsterdam. When the weather cooperates, sitting outside beside a canal, street, or square is part of the experience. Just remember that a sunny afternoon can fill those tables surprisingly quickly.

Buy Us a Ko-fi

Amsterdam has plenty of interesting food choices worth making room for. We came expecting Dutch classics like stroopwafels, cheese, croquettes, and fries. Still, we ended up eating everything from Ethiopian food and burgers to Foodhallen snacks, gelato, and plenty of coffee along the way. That variety was one of the things we enjoyed most about eating our way around the city.

And despite all that waddling and eating, we still did not make it everywhere on our list. We researched several restaurants and really wanted to try them, but there are only so many meals you can squeeze into one trip. They are still firmly on our radar and, hopefully, waiting for our next visit to Amsterdam. Until then, you can find them alongside all the places we actually tried on our Amsterdam food map.

Travel Bold. Eat Well. Waddle Wild.

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