As a port and trading city with a true cosmopolitan spirit, Amsterdam has soaked up culinary influences from far and wide, and adapted them to its own local style. More than fifty different national cuisines are served throughout the capital so anything from Indonisian Nasi Goran, through to Japanese Omakase could be on the menu – and in such a compact city your favourite flavours are only a few footsteps away. In terms of top end culinary experiences Amsterdam really has its finger on the pulse with many Michelin Star restaurants to it’s name as well as some seriously cool places to dine in; there are so many restaurants to choose from! Check out some of our best restaurants in Amsterdam that are not to be missed on a trip to Amsterdam.
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Best Restaurants In Amsterdam
In 2013, Amsterdam star chef Ron Blaauw closed his two-Michelin-starred restaurant and reopened this more easygoing spot in its stead. Since then, the Gastrobar has been setting the tone for Amsterdam’s unpretentious, next-gen dining scene. There’s a mix of expertly executed small plates, like dim sum-style shrimp dumplings in shiitake and chorizo broth. But the restaurant is really known for its dry-aged steaks and gin and tonics.
Everything about this tiny, four-table café is quintessential Amsterdam: It’s set in a 16th-century house on the edge of the Red Light District, you can only access the dining room via a narrow staircase, there are quirky teapots hanging from the ceiling, and the menu consists of pancakes, only pancakes. That is, the Dutch variety served with savory, and sometimes sweet, toppings. For a traditional order, try the sweet-and-savory combination of bacon, cheese, and apple. Dessert might be the Indonesian-influenced “Bali” pancake topped with bananas, coconut, cream, and Pisang Ambon Dutch liqueur.
Spectrum is like a posh cocoon—gray walls, plush chairs, white table clothes—hidden away inside the Waldorf Astoria and overlooking a garden. Executive chef Sidney Schutte, a De Librije alum, holds his own, mixing Dutch ingredients with global influences to create innovative dishes like local lobster flavored with lemon geranium and lychee. Spectrum is the kind of place where you, without question, splurge on the tasting menu.
The Foodhallen stands out among other food halls thanks to its top-notch offerings, serving everything from reimagined Dutch classics to Vietnamese to Mexican. Housed inside a former tram depot, Foodhallen is buzzing at all hours of the day. Aggressively guard your table if you manage to get one at all. Gin & Tonic Bar makes what you’d think it would with a range of different ingredients (try the one with jenever for something a bit different). Beerbar, meanwhile, pours more than 60 different local and international beers, including two brewed specifically for Foodhallen. It’s an ideal refueling stop at any time of day, particularly in winter when you need to thaw out after a long day of sightseeing.
Vermeer is located in the NH Collection Amsterdam Barbizon Palace Hotel, one of the first buildings you’ll see as you exit Centraal Station. A recent renovation (and modernization) of the dining room swapped out chandeliers for hanging bulb light fixtures and plush bucket chairs instead of high-backed seats. Choose from four-, five-, and six-course menus of inventive dishes that change daily. Ingredients are highly seasonal—British-born chef Christopher Naylor sources many of them from the rooftop vegetable garden.
Jansz
Classics with a modern twist are the name of the game in this former apothecary’s shop with a canal view. Spread across a number of rooms boasting simple yet tasteful décor, there’s an understated elegance to everything here, from the food to the imported marble tabletops. Whether it’s the dover sole, hanger steak or lobster risotto, chef Jeroen Robberegt’s cooking is robust and flavourful, and while dinner is the real star, they also do a mean lunch and happily cater for kids.
Wilde Zwijnen
The industrial, shabby-chic interior and ever-changing daily menu of modern Dutch cuisine have made the ‘Wild Boar’ a trendy (and increasingly popular) haunt in Oost. The idea is simple – choose three or four courses, order some wine, and let the kitchen work their magic with fresh, seasonal produce (do try the boar though). And if something a little lighter is required, head next door to their Eetbar, where they offer smaller, individual plates from just €7.
