Restaurants in Amsterdam
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Bagels & Beans
Join the crowds for bagels with all the usual toppings, plus some new-fangled ones (smoked chicken with avocado and pesto). Top it all off with a slice of dense fig cake; it goes exceedingly well with coffee. It has another branch in De Pijp (Ferdinand Bolstraat 70).
reviewed
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Van Dobben
It has been open since the 1940s, the venerable Van Dobben has white tiled walls and white-coated counter men who specialise in snappy banter. Traditional meaty Dutch fare is the forte: try the pekelvlees (something close to corned beef), or make it a halfom, if you’re keen on that being mixed with liver. The kroketten (croquettes) are the best in town and compulsory after a late-night Rembrandtplein booze-up.
reviewed
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Thais Snackbar Bird
Don’t tell the Chinese neighbours, but this is some of the best Asian food on the Zeedijk – the cooks, wedged in a tiny kitchen, don’t skimp on lemongrass, fish sauce or chilli. The resulting curries and basil-laden meat and seafood dishes will knock your socks off. There’s a bit more room to spread out in the (slightly pricier) restaurant across the street (No 72).
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Pancake Bakery
This basement restaurant in a restored warehouse features a dizzying 79 varieties of pancakes, from sweet (chocolate) to savoury (the ‘Egyptian’, topped with lamb, sweet peppers and garlic sauce). There are also omelettes, soups, desserts and lots of tourists given its proximity to the Anne Frank Huis.
reviewed
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Japanese Pancake World
If the Dutch are famous for pancakes of meat, seafood and vegies, so are the Japanese. At the continent’s only shop specialising in okonomiyaki (literally ‘cook as you like’), you’ll get yours in a hot iron dish with your choice of fillings, topped with flakes of dried fish. There’s a J-pop backdrop and barely two dozen seats.
reviewed
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Los Pilones
Owners Hector and Pedro consistently set the standard among Amsterdam’s handful of Mexican restaurants. If you’re looking for wonderfully grilled bistek (beefsteak), crispy chicken rolls and fruity margaritas, you’re definitely in the right place. A few shots from the 60-plus tequila list, and you’ll be ready for a hat dance.
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Pata Negra
Tapas and only tapas. The alluringly tiled exterior is matched by a vibrant crowd inside, especially on weekends, downing sangria by the jug and all those small plates (the garlic-fried shrimps and grilled sardines are standouts). Margaritas are made with freshly squeezed lime juice, as they should be. Arrive before 6.30pm or reserve.
reviewed
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Bazar Amsterdam
In a glorious former Dutch Reformed Church, the light-filled, Middle Eastern-style decor matches the Middle Eastern-style food. Fish and chicken dishes please meat eaters; aubergine and portobello mushroom dishes gratify vegetarians. Breakfast and lunch are served all day.
reviewed
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Oriental City
This huge Hong Kong-style restaurant with the requisite red lanterns is always lively. Join gaggles of local Chinese for daily dim sum (11:30 to 16:30; we like the meaty, flavoursome cha sieuw bao pork buns) and a 24-page menu (!) of classic Canto cuisine.
reviewed
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Nam Kee
It won’t win any design awards, but Nam Kee is the most popular Chinese spot in town. There’s a new, fancier location at Geldersekade 117.
reviewed
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De Bakkerswinkel
This family-friendly cafe sits right on the hot-and-heavy Warmoesstraat and offers excellent baked goods (especially scones), sandwiches, soups, and breakfast fare like quiche, French toast and omelettes. A smaller outlet pops up down the block at Warmoesstraat 133, serving sandwiches on wonderfully crusty bread and fresh-squeezed juices for takeaway.
reviewed
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De Kas
Admired by gourmets city-wide, De Kas has an organic attitude to match its chic glass greenhouse setting. It grows most of its own herbs and produce right there, and the result is incredibly pure flavours with innovative combinations. There’s one set menu each day, based on whatever has been freshly harvested.
reviewed
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Café-Restaurant Amsterdam
One of the city's hippest eateries is housed in a former water-processing plant. Expect classic French brasserie cooking (steak bearnaise, mussels, roasted garlic chicken). Note the 30m wooden ceilings (with hanging metal hooks and chains) and the huge floodlights rescued from the former Ajax and Olympic stadiums.
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De Keuken Van 1870
You’d never guess that this smart-looking place was once a restaurant for the poor. It still keeps up that heritage, though, with decent cooking (think stamppot or couscous) at exceedingly decent prices. The service can be a bit surly – just consider it part of the cultural experience.
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Casa Perú
When the weather’s good, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a crema de ajo (cream of garlic) soup or lomo saltado (beef with onion, tomato and French fries) while looking out over the Leidsegracht and the Prinsengracht. Indoors, it’s busy and homelike.
reviewed
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Blauw aan de Wal
Tucked away in a long, often graffiti-covered alley in the middle of the Red Light District, this charming 17th-century herb warehouse (complete with exposed brick and steel weights) is the setting for contemporary French- and Italian-inspired cooking. In summer, grab a table in the garden.
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Zagros
Never tried Kurdish food? Neither had we, but we’re glad we did. Just as Kurdistan straddles Turkey and Iran, so does the cuisine, with grills and stews (mostly lamb and chicken), salads of cucumber, tomato or onion, and starters like hummus and dumast (thick, dry yoghurt).
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Duende
Flamenco music (Saturday night), big shared tables and reasonably priced tapas guarantee Duende's popularity. It's great for a party with a big group of friends - or strangers. The front room is the more lively (and attractive) of the two. Note: order at the bar.
reviewed
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Betty’s
Some consider this the top vegetarian restaurant in the country. The menu’s small on any given day, but there’s always something new. It’s rounded out by tiny tables and a decent wine selection, and everyone says to save room for dessert.
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De Waaghals
The white-walled, vegetarian ‘Dare-Devil’ is stylish enough that even non-veggies might re-examine their dining priorities. The menu concentrates on one country each month, plus a few staples, such as a rich, mushroom-heavy aubergine stew.
reviewed
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Sama Sebo
Another reliable old-timer, this Indonesian restaurant’s got the ambience of a brown cafe. It’s also got a wicked rijsttafel comprising 17 dishes (four to seven at lunch); order individual plates if that’s too much.
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La Place
On the 1st floor of the Vroom & Dreesmann department store, this deluxe cafeteria has a little something for everyone: sandwiches, quiches, stir-fries, pastas, all freshly prepared. The ground-floor Le Marché has takeaway sandwiches.
reviewed
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Wagamama
The long rows of rectangular tables, laid out cafeteria-style, are often filled with hipsters fortifying themselves for bike trips or nights on the town. Staples include chicken ramen, Japanese curries and fried noodles or rice.
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Hap Hmm
Elsewhere €7 might buy you a bowl of soup, but at this wood-panelled neighbourhood place it might buy an entire dinner: simple Dutch cooking (meat + vegies + potatoes), served on stainless-steel dishes.
reviewed
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Koevoet
Koevoet’s congenial Italian owners took over a former cafe on a quiet side street, left the gezellig decor untouched and started cooking up homemade pastas and seafood dishes.
reviewed