So. Hummus. It seems to be officially a thing. I mean, of course there were places like Beyrouth and Orontes selling it forever – but now there are entire restaurants just dedicated to the humble chickpea purée. And a jolly good idea it is too, if you ask me. Hummus is cheap to produce, goes well with all sorts of other yummy stuff, and everyone loves it – even toddlers who will eat nothing else. (I know this because my friend’s baby went through a phase of eating nothing but hummus – even going so far as to suck it off the bread rather than waste those carb-calories.) So here, in no particular order, are my favourite places to eat hummus in Amsterdam.
Sir Hummus
Sir Hummus has a lunch vibe to it, which I guess is unsurprising since hummus makes a perfect midday meal. As I said, it was a while ago that I went here, but I do remember enjoying the hummus – and especially loving the little bottle of spikey, punchy, garlicky green sauce that comes with it. I don’t think there was a lot of choice in terms of hummus accompaniments (I think I recall the egg pictured below being one of only two options) and nor could you really buy much other than hummus. But hey, when the chickpeas are this good, who needs anything else?
Sir Hummus’s hummus with signature green sauce
Plus: That yummy green sauce
Minus: It closes at 8 pm
Hummus House
Possibly my favourite hummus spot on this list, De Hummus House absolutely blew me away. They’d invited me and a couple of other bloggers for dinner, but I kept checking the other tables to make sure their food looked the same as ours and that we weren’t getting any special service – it did and we weren’t. I promise you: it really was just that good. We tried the hummus (of course) which came with both smoky aubergine AND boiled egg (inspired). It was obviously delicious, but they also serve a bunch of other dishes that are equally moreish. We tried just-warm, meltingly soft, perfectly light, rice-stuffed vine leaves that were delicately spiced. Their tabbouleh was heavy on herbs and drizzled with tahini. And I even loved their shakshuka – which is saying something because I make it myself at least once a month and consider myself to be something of a shaxpert.
Hummus House’s hummus with smoky aubergine and egg
Minus: They don’t serve alcohol (my little alcoholic heart sobs…)
Hummus Bistro d&a West
Ok, so this place is open in the evening AND serves wine (and just happens to be close to my house) so clearly this is the one I’m most likely to go back to. The hummus here is also great, and they’ve come up with the wonderful idea of putting shakshuka INSIDE their hummus. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s called Hummshuka! I was a bit less impressed with the non-hummus menu items, however: the minced lamb dish we had (which I believe was called siniya) was swimming in far too much animal fat, although I enjoyed the picked onion and green sauce on top for cutting through the richness to some extent. However, the service was friendly, the prices reasonable, and the wine flowing. I had a great evening with wonderful hummus, despite these small kitchen niggles.
Hummus Bistro d&a’s “Hummshuka”
Plus: Hummshuka is an actual thing!
Minus: The meat dishes were slightly less impressive
Hummus Bistro d&a East
The good people behind Hummus Bistro deserve another mention here, as they recently opened a second location in Oost – at the end of the Czar Peterstraat. I was invited to go and check out their wares, and this time I was doing Vegetarian January so I didn’t try any of their meat dishes. What I did try, however, was their hummus (obviously – and it was still great) as well as their shakshuka, stuffed aubergine, and a plethora of little side dishes that were either spicy or pickled or both. A great addition to their d&a’s new neighbourhood. Hummus Bistro d&a – Amsterdam Oost: The hummus pic that got me possibly the most Instagram likes ever?!
Plus: Hummus Bistro d&a is now available on both sides of town!
Minus: I didn’t see any Hummshuka on the menu here…
Mana Mana
Hummus is just one of many dishes on offer at Mana Mana, but it’s one they do very well. It’s a cosy, split-level, open-kitchen restaurant in de Pijp, with a very Amsterdam-gezellig feel to it. Our hummus came with battered aubergine (which was honestly a bit too fatty and fried for me) and various sauces in the middle. We tried another cauliflower dish with tahini and grapefruit which was very good (although also on the greasy side) and a minced lamb “burger” (my description: it was burger-shaped and came on a bun but the meat was far more loosely packed than a burger). Also interesting was the sweet potato “carpaccio” (this time, their description!) which was cooked and topped with melted cheese, pine nuts and herbs. It was very tasty, but there was nothing particularly carpaccio-like about it; the sweet potatoes may once have been finely sliced, but by the time we got to eat them it was more like a thin layer of mash.
Mana Mana’s hummus with battered, fried aubergine
Plus: The venue is super-gezellig, and the presentation beautiful
Minus: The food was all a bit on the oily side
Have I missed somewhere? Which is your favourite place to eat hummus in Amsterdam?
If (like me) you can’t afford to eat out in restaurants all the time, you need my cookbook to spice up your lunch! The print version is the price of a simple meal; the e-book version the price of a craft beer
Editor’s note: This post was originally written in March 2016 but was updated in January 2018 to reflect new openings.
In all honesty, I don’t eat a huge amount of Dutch food. Yes, I live in the Netherlands – but it seems that even the average Dutch person doesn’t eat that much of their national cuisine – especially those who live in Amsterdam. And yet, when I’m approached to write articles, it’s the topic I’m most likely to be asked to write on. A while ago, I wrote this post on Dutch food and drinks for Eating Amsterdam; they’ve commissioned a set of “foodie maps” – illustrations of the national cuisines of the Netherlands, Czech Republic, United Kingdom and (soon) Italy, and where each dish comes from in the country. I thought the Dutch one was cute (it’s so orange!) and I was interested to teach myself about the origins of the various Dutch foods I take for granted. So I did a little research and this was the result.
The Netherlands Foodie Map! (Image courtesy of Eating Amsterdam Tours)
But then I wondered where I go in Amsterdam when I want to eat Dutch food? And I came up with this (albeit short) list… These restaurants range from traditional to modern, and from places you might eat just a lunchtime snack to those you’d visit to pick up ingredients for dinner. I say this all the time, but on this occasion the words are especially appropriate: Eet Smakelijk!
Fine dining: Floreyn
There’s very little Dutch food in Amsterdam that’s both sophisticated and true to its traditions. But Floreyn walks that line perfectly. Think bitterbal, but then filled with Messeklever cheese and served with smoked beetroot, radish, apple and fennel. Or mustard soup that’s been deconstructed into a clear broth with a cheese foam and three types of mustard. Even dessert uses local, seasonal vegetables: carrot and parsnip ice cream with a sweet hutspot and citrusy crème brulee. This is very accomplished cooking that stays true to its Dutch roots. It may not be cheap, but the quality of Floreyn’s food and wines, as well as its great location in de Pijp, is more than worth the price tag.
The perfect place to take your parents to, Greetje serves charmingly translated dishes (pigeon’s hangover, anyone? Or perhaps the yoghurt marbles?) that are as tasty as they are endearing. Think pot roasts, mustard soup, and deer pâté, as well as some fish and vegetarian dishes. It’s not cheap, but the service is excellent – which is not to be underestimated in Amsterdam.
Whether you choose to go to the original Wilde Zwijnen or the newer Eetbar Wilde Zwijnen, you won’t be disappointed with the modern Dutch cuisine on offer. I prefer the Eetbar personally – they serve small, shareable plates of creative, seasonal food prepared with care. Slightly disappointingly, neither restaurant generally seems to have wild boar on the menu, but perhaps I’ve just been unlucky. The quality of the other meats, however, is excellent.
You can’t get much more local than plucking your fruit, veges and herbs from your own garden or greenhouse. And that’s exactly what de Kas (meaning: greenhouse) does at their Amsterdam restaurant adjacent to the Frankendael Park. What they can’t source from their own grounds, they procure from nearby farms. The menu is heavy on vegetables (unsurprisingly) so dinner at de Kas leaves you feeling light and a little virtuous, too.
While Gartine also has its own moestuin (allotment), it’s not quite as close to the restaurant as de Kas’s – which is hardly surprising given that Gartine is sandwiched between the Kalverstraat and the Rokin in the centre of town. I should more properly call it a “tearoom”, as it’s open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, but not dinner. The location is delicate and classy, but in an old-fashioned way – as if your grandma had taken a degree in interior design. The food is likewise: eggs benedict with salmon for breakfast, crayfish rillettes for lunch, and a plethora of tarts and cupcakes at tea time. While the menu doesn’t exactly scream Dutch, everything is made with such local products that I think it classifies for inclusion.
You can’t visit Amsterdam without trying the legendary Dutch pancakes (although the Honey Badger had been living here nearly four years before I finally remembered to pop his pancake cherry); and where better to try them than the place of the same name? Pancakes! (complete with exclamation mark) serves some of the best versions in the city, and while you will see plenty of tourists, locals do treat themselves to the occasional pancake there too. Of course, you can order the regular toppings (ham and cheese, apple and stroop, and so on), but you’ll also find some more adventurous combinations. I tried one of the house specials: camembert, ham, chicory and raspberry sauce – it sounds odd, but it was strangely addictive. The Honey Badger went for a sweet-n-savoury combo of bacon, bananas and chilli – it was equally tasty so I demanded we share.
Pancakes at Pancakes! Typically Dutch food
Shop: Landmarkt
If you’re looking to buy Dutch (organic) produce and have a bit of time on your hands, hop on your bike and head over to Schellingwoude. As the name would suggest, Landmarkt sort of resembles a covered market (or perhaps just a very nice supermarket) filled with the best quality produce – including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, charcuterie and the rest. It’s not always Dutch (they do sell bananas that clearly don’t grow here, as well as some other produce that isn’t in season in Holland), but it’s still a good bet for finding truly local, top-quality food all in one place. Try some of the cheeses from the farms north of Amsterdam – heerlijk!
Salmon and sauerkraut broodje on the best bread – at Landmarkt
They also have a café inside the Landmarkt store, so if you decide to make a day of it you can stop for lunch before buying your ingredients to make dinner. Their bread is excellent, and so are their sandwiches.
On your travels and want to use this article offline with GPS-guided navigation? Download the travel guide app via GPSmyCity!
This post was first published in May 2016, but has subsequently been updated to reflect new openings.
While the Dutch were mostly eating bread with hagelslag for breakfast until fairly recently, the last few years have seen a trend in international brunch culture. Spearheaded by the Australian and New Zealand immigrants, there are now a handful of great places offering breakfast and brunch dishes from the world over. These are my top picks of the places serving the best brunch in Amsterdam.
This post is an extract from my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide – want to eat more than just brunch? Download the full guidebook here!
Little Collins
I first discovered Little Collins’ excellent line in international brunch dishes, from kedgeree to shakshuka. But I later discovered they do dinner as well. The menu is very international, which I would usually avoid, but they do so many things well. The chef is Australian, and of course Australian cuisine is a melting pot of influences from Europe, Asia, America… you name it. I usually order a rhubarb bellini and/or a coffee while I’m waiting for brunch – and you can’t go wrong with one of their Asian dishes, like smoked tofu or pork belly with kimchi. Little Collins was the first to bring Antipodean brunch culture to Amsterdam, and a few other copycats have sprung up since – but none are as good as the original!
Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19F (De Pijp) 020 753 9636 littlecollins.nl
Best brunch in Amsterdam: Little Collins
Dignita
As well as serving up an excellent brunch, Dignita is excellently set up for families with kids. I love Dignita’s chickpea and courgette fritters with fried halloumi, poached egg, avocado, dukkah and a mint-yoghurt dressing. The fritters are moist, the egg perfectly poached, the textures well balanced – all in all, a lovely dish. Their coffees and breakfast cocktails are good too, and even the service is quick. If you are child-free, escape to the stroller-inaccessible mezzanine level at the Vondelpark location. There’s also now a new location in Centrum.
Dignita’s courgette and chickpea fritters – my favourite!
Gartine
Despite the fact that Gartine is sandwiched between the Kalverstraat and the Rokin in the centre of town, it has its own moestuin (allotment) in which they grow much of the produce you’ll eat at the restaurant. I should more properly call it a “tearoom”, as it’s open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, but not dinner. The location is delicate and classy, but in an old-fashioned way – as if your grandma had taken a degree in interior design. The food is likewise: eggs benedict with salmon for breakfast, crayfish rillettes for lunch, and a plethora of tarts and cupcakes at tea time.
One of the things I enjoyed most about my trip to Istanbul was the incredible Turkish breakfasts. So, if you’re looking to get your fix in Amsterdam, you’ll be happy to stumble upon Mozaiek. The Turkish brunch I had there included everything from filo-cheese cigars and chorizo skewers to fried halloumi and dozens of dips and toppings for bread. The individual portions weren’t huge, but there were enough of them that you certainly didn’t go hungry for a very reasonable €13.
You can’t come to Amsterdam without experiencing the gluttony that is Dutch pancakes – especially if you have a hangover. These bad boys are the size of dinner plates and as thick as pizzas, with both sweet and savoury toppings. My favourite pancake house is Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs, which is (unsurprisingly) up an extraordinarily steep and narrow flights of stairs – even by Dutch standards. It’s a tiny place, and easy to miss, but worth it once you get inside. Teapots hang from the ceiling in every size and shape, and the pancakes are buttery and satisfying.
Sinfully good pancakes at Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs
Omelegg
It’s one of my biggest pet peeves, not being able to get a decent omelette in Amsterdam. I frequently seem to be served up thin, dry egg pancakes rolled up with cold stuff in the middle. Omelegg is one of the rare exceptions: whether you’re hungover or just hungry, a huge mound of eggs stuffed with everything from sausage to cheese to veggies is sure to set you right. Their original branch is in de Pijp, but they’ve more recently opened up a second location near Centraal Station too.
See website for locations and phone numbers: omelegg.com
I was recently asked to write an article for a food industry magazine about food courts in the Netherlands, so inevitably that necessitated a couple of “research trips” here in Amsterdam. As far as I know, there are three indoor food courts in the Dutch capital, the most famous of which being of course the Foodhallen. But the other two – both very different, but both filling a niche – are equally worth a visit. So whether you’ve lived here your whole life or are just visiting for a weekend, here’s where to fulfill your food court fantasies in Amsterdam.
Foodhallen: most likely to spot tourists
I’ve written about Amsterdam’s Foodhallen in the past, so I won’t go into great detail here except to say that this iconic food court is housed in a disused, converted tram depot – which certainly lends it a very Amsterdam ambience. It’s packed in the evening and on weekends, so I’d advise stopping by for lunch if you’re not keen on crowds. Some of my favourite food stands include Fento for fantastically healthy Mexican-inspired street food (and amazing cornbread!), Taqueria Lima West for (no prizes for guessing) tacos, and Renato’s for excellent Italian antipasti and pizza.
Visit the Foodhallen at Bellamyplein 51 (Oud-West), or see foodhallen.nl for more information.
Fento’s veggie nachos at de Foodhallen
Market 33: most likely to spot city slickers
Right in the heart of Amsterdam’s business district, the Zuidas, you’ll find split-level food court Market 33 – replete with lots of men in suits and banking types. (As well as the rest of us.) When I visited, I was interested to see a familiar face from Pho & Yummie – the sushi and Vietnamese restaurant that used to be in the Spaarndammerbuurt until recently. It seems the owners have instead started two new ventures at Market 33: Oishii Sushi, serving sushi, salads and more; and Hello Vietnam, serving pho, summer rolls and various noodle and rice dishes. I tried the gyoza, which were as crispy and tasty as I remember them from their previous location. Market 33 also has a well-stocked bar, so it’s a good spot for a drink and a snack after work. (Note that the food court is not open on weekends.)
Visit Market 33 at Claude Debussylaan 33 (Zuidas), or see market33.nl for more information.
Market 33 in Amsterdam’s Zuidas
World of Food: most likely to spot people from the world over
A little further out of town, in Amsterdam Zuidoost, you’ll reach the aptly named World of Food. Featuring stands selling street food from all over the globe, this is the place to come if you want to try a range of different cuisines – or if you’re with a group who can’t decide what they want to eat. Plus, most of the food on offer is extremely reasonable: you can easily score a satisfying meal for around the €5 mark. When I visited, I tried a dish of spicy chicken, yams and veggies from African food stand Monrovia, as well as a “Johnnycake” stuffed with salt cod from Yvette’s Kitchen. Both delicious – and deliciously good value!
Visit World of Food at Develstein 100 (Zuidoost), or see worldoffoodamsterdam.nl for more information.
According to some, the Wibautstraat is the ugliest street in Amsterdam. And admittedly, it’s no Canal Belt. But what it does have is space – and that’s something that comes at a premium in Holland. Not only that, but it has a lot going on – and a lot that’s changed in the last few years. I’d lived in the Spaarndammerbuurt for a decade before I could gather a list of 10 restaurants in my neighbourhood. I’ve lived on the Wibautstraat for only a month and I’ve already reached the same number. (Not, I might add, that I’ve eaten at all these places in the past month!) I’ve no doubt I’ll add to this list as time goes on, but for now I’d like to introduce…
Wibautstraat Restaurants for Brunch and More
Drovers Dog
I’d been to the Drovers Dog in Indischebuurt several years ago and had a mixed experience. Then I went back a couple of years ago and things had improved considerably. The Wibautstraat branch is even better, and the servers practically know us by name there already. It seems to be nigh-on impossible to find Eggs Benedict made with proper English muffins in Amsterdam, and Drovers Dog is no exception. However, at least they mount their eggs on strong toasted sourdough (rather than brioche or bao buns – yes, I really have experienced this!) and the rest of the dish is stellar. Excellent Hollandaise, a generous amount of buttered wilted spinach (although a slightly less generous amount of ham), and perfectly cooked eggs.
Drovers Dog Wibautstraat – great for brunch and dinner
We liked it so much we’ve even popped in for dinner as well. I decided to try their Aussie classic Chicken Parma, as well as their ribs. The latter were average – the meat was good, but the ribs were crying out for some spiky BBQ sauce to cut through the porky richness. Admittedly, theirs was my first Chicken Parma, but it certainly had promise: moist breaded chicken with tomato sauce, ham and cheese – like the Aussie answer to that 80s staple, chicken cordon bleu. Oh, and their burgers are pretty good too…
Benji’s
The coffee at Benji’s is some of the best on the Wibautstraat. And their brunch and lunch options have a healthier bent than their Antipodean counterparts next door. So far, I’ve only tried their Buddha Bowl – a rainbow salad of quinoa, avocado, hummus, beetroot, sweet potato and chickpeas. My only criticism is that the dressing didn’t run through the salad – it only rested on top. But it was a decent enough bowl that I’ll be back to try more.
Benji’s Buddha Bowl
Stek
The weakest of the brunch trio, Stek has decent coffee but their Eggs Benedict leave something to be desired. They come with spinach only – ham is extra – and the Hollandaise is throat-catchingly acidic. It’s served on brioche bread, which is too sweet to counterbalance the other ingredients, and the best thing about it was the addition of crispy bacon (again, extra). Their seasonal salad of asparagus, new potatoes, ham and egg was equally disappointing. The only part of the salad that was dressed was the potatoes, which were served as a classic mayo-based potato salad. The rest of the salad leaves and the asparagus were naked, and the egg was (bizarrely) fried rather than hard-boiled. Take me back to Drovers Dog any day…
Wibautstraat Restaurants for Casual Fine Dining
Restaurant C
From one of the brains behind the popular BAUT concept, Restaurant C adds bold flavours and playfulness with temperatures from Chef Arnout van der Kolk – both of which make this place one of the best eating experiences in Oost. The five-course menu will set you back €55, but you’ll want to get the wine pairing as well for another €38 (a la carte options are also available). It’s well worth the price tag, however: some of my favourite dishes included raw mackerel and cucumber, yuzu gel, saffron kroepoek, and a spicy-sweet-citrusy sauce. Or clams and razor clams served with several varieties of seaweed and an umami-rich foam. Be sure to sit at the chef’s table at the bar (especially if there are only two of you) for a behind-the-scenes peak into the kitchen. Read my full review here.
Mackerel starter at Restaurant C
Rijsel
I visited Rijsel around a year ago, and would happily go back to its converted schoolhouse interior for some of the kitchen’s much-touted rotisserie chicken. Mine came with cubes of roasted root veg, dressed butter lettuce, and seasoned roast potatoes with mayo. It’s sort of posh comfort food. Meanwhile, one of my table mates tried the onglet (hangar steak) and reported it to be tender and tasty as well. For the less carnivorous, there are actually fish and vegetarian options as well – but most people go there for the chicken. Read my full review here.
Wibautstraat Restaurants for Cheap Eats
The Commons
Right around the time we got the keys to our new place, I happened to read about The Commons’ ‘nduja chilli freak pizza – and since I’m a total chilli addict it was first on my list to try. We prepped ourselves with a couple of beers on The Commons’ sunny terrace, and then got stuck into the pizza challenge – so hot (apparently) that it’s served with a glass of milk. The €10 pizza came topped with a spicy tomato sauce, ‘nduja sausage, and fresh red chillies (plus cheese, of course) – and I’ll admit that it was genuinely, properly hot. As pizzas go, it wasn’t the best – the crust was a little thick, not quite crispy and a tad sweet. But I admire the chef’s decision to own all that chilli heat and make this pizza their signature. Read my full review here.
The Commons’ “Nduja Chilli Freak” pizza
Volkshotel
When you’re a freelancer, every café becomes a potential office – and the Volkshotel is set up perfectly for mobile workers like me (especially workers who don’t yet have a desk!). I’ve only tried their coffee, beer and a couple of simple dishes – but it’s good value, there’s free water on tap, and you can pretty much sit there for as long as you like. Try the bulgur salad with cucumber, tomato, feta and spinach – it’s well seasoned, well dressed and satisfyingly healthy. Plus, when googling the Volkshotel’s website for the purposes of this article, I realised their café is actually called “Werkplaats”. So there – now you don’t even have to feel guilty about sitting there all afternoon with one cup of coffee and your laptop….
And a few restaurants that aren’t quite on the Wibautstraat…
LouLou Pizzabar
LouLou’s was probably my first experience of the miracle that is getting reservations in Oost: the day before my birthday, I emailed to ask for a reservation for 12 people the next evening. It was a Friday night on the banks of the Amstel, and they fitted us in – just like that. The pizza tasted pretty good too: of course, I went for the Diavola (the spicy one), which was rather sparse on toppings. As in, I got three tiny acorn-sized splodges of ‘nduja, even less of the salami, and the thinnest of layers of tomato sauce. For €15.50 (it was one of the most expensive pizzas on the menu), that seemed rather steep. However, others in my party ordered other pizzas of course, and they were far more generously topped. My BBQ buddy Jeroen got half a deli counter’s worth of San Daniele ham. And the house wine and the service were impeccable. So I’ll be going back to LouLou’s – I just won’t be ordering the Diavola.
Diavola pizza at LouLou Pizzabar
Grieks Restaurant Athene
Somehow, Greek restaurant Athene has been doing business beside the Amstel for yonks – possibly because they have an idyllic pavement terrace that catches the evening sunshine with just the right amount of leafy dapple. It certainly isn’t because of the food, which was borderline inedible. Fried aubergine was flabby and oily in its batter jacket, while stuffed vine leaves were like hard little pellets. Perhaps as a result of being zapped to within an inch of their life in a microwave. For main, we split a lamb kebab, which comprised one skewer of dried up, leathery meat for around €20. Despite ordering wine, we had to pay a heavy premium for water (apparently water doesn’t come out of Athene’s taps as we were forced to order it bottled), and the service was surly at best. Greek food this is not – and neither is it Greek hospitality.
Cote Wispe
New on the Amstel (not just new to me) is Cote Wispe: a classy looking eetcafe with good wine and craft beer as well as simple food like burgers, steaks and so on. My steak was tender but a tad undercooked for medium-rare, and could’ve used a warm plate (especially since there hadn’t been much heat getting into the meat while cooking it). Speaking of lacking in warmth, my jacket potato was completely cold – to the point that I had to send it back and exchange it for chips. All that being said, I did like the atmosphere of Cote Wispe and would probably go back – but I’d advise keeping it simple and opting for the burger and fries.
Rare steak at Cote Wispe on the Amstel
Le Due Sicilie
In stark contrast – and on the opposite side of the Wibautstraat – is Le Due Sicilie, a Sicilian restaurant with all the warmth and sunshine in their food and in their manner that you’d expect. So far, I’ve tried the pulpo, the swordfish and the ziti pasta – all of which were spectacular. And I simply can’t wait to go back for more – especially when washed down with a well-rounded glass of Nero d’Avola. Read my full review here.
When I first moved to the Dutch capital as a student in 2001, French restaurants in Amsterdam were the height of fashion. Things have moved on since then, but there’s still some good French food to be found if you know where to look. Some of it is more old-school than others, but these are all top quality restaurants.
This post is an extract from my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide – want to eat more than just French food? Download the full guidebook here!
Café de Klepel
Café de Klepel is a cosy, unassuming little French restaurant in the picturesque Jordaan neighbourhood. It serves classic French/Dutch dishes, great cheeses and organic wines, and the service is professional, too. Take your parents, take a date, take a colleague – it’s a great spot for any occasion.
Dutch chef Ron Blaauw owns a few different restaurants in Amsterdam and most of what he does, he does well. His Parisian menu is split into three different types of dish: entrées priced at €15 each, including things like rillettes and crudités; main dishes priced at €18, including classics like foie gras, frog’s legs and French onion soup; and desserts for €9. You can also take their Bib Gourmand menu for €37 or get a special deal for pre-theatre dinner. Blaauw’s Parisian branch has a well-stocked bar, too: I’d recommend kicking off with an aperitif at the steam-punk-esque bar before making your way to the table.
Oeufs Mimosa – classic French fare at Ron Gastrobar Paris
Auberge Jean et Marie
Opening in de Pijp neighbourhood in 2016, Auberge Jean et Marie is testament to the trend that top-notch, high-end French food is making a comeback. The interior is as classic as the food: all white tablecloths, dark wood, classy tones of grey on the walls, and a touch of stained glass. Even the terrace outside looks like a French brasserie spilling out onto the pavement. Culinary highlights for me included the coarsely textured, gamey pâté stuffed with chestnuts and pistachios; and the smooth, coral-coloured bisque that was full of flavour from brown shrimps and deftly sliced fennel.
Paskamer is Dutch for changing room, but the place is a sort of wine bar-cum-restaurant serving food that’s loosely French-Mediterranean. So who knows where the name comes from? Because they offer around 50 wines by the glass, you can pair a different one with each dish you order, or just plump for a bottle to split with your pals. The food is almost perfectly designed for sharing: oysters on the half shell were silky and salty. Finely sliced pulpo (octopus) was smoky and ever-so-slightly spicy from the smoked paprika and chilli mayo on top. Sweet potato chips were suitably crispy on the outside yet comfortingly mushy on the inside, and nicely salted. Paskamer does a great job in providing a glorious range of French-ish snacks that you can easily turn into a whole meal.
Lutmastraat 132 (De Pijp) 020 362 7468 paskamer.nu
All sorts of fancy hapjes to share at Paskamer
Wijnbar Boelen & Boelen
I first found Wijnbar Boelen & Boelen soon after I moved here, when de Pijp was the (only) place to go out at night. After a long absence, I recently rediscovered it as a lovely spot for a glass of wine and a plate of cheese or charcuterie after work on a Friday evening. They do good, classic main courses as well: steak, duck and the like. It’s not cheap, but it’s very good quality French food and the service is extremely attentive.
Eerste van der Helststraat 50 (De Pijp) 020 671 2242 wijnbar.nl
The summer of 2018 will go down in history: either as the hottest summer in a century, or the beginning of the world’s global-warming end. I’ve been taking at least two cold showers a day, but still I struggle to cool down – my brick apartment has essentially turned into a storage heater. I know you know what I mean, because it’s all any of us Amsterdammers can talk about for the past two months. So, by necessity, I’ve been spending as much time in, on or beside the water as possible. Like a foodie in a heatwave, I’ve been dipping in the Amstel, diving in the IJ, and dining along the canals. Plus, summer is often known in the Netherlands as komkommertijd (cucumber time – obvs) when not a lot of work gets done and sitting around on terraces in the middle of the day is commonplace. So go on – treat yourself to lunch in Amsterdam at one of these canal-side restaurants…
The Romantic Lunch: Belhamel
The Belhamel is one of those places that’s truly stood the test of time (it’s been run by its current owners since 1998) but I’d lived in Amsterdam for 13 years before I finally made it there for the first time. Now, having witnessed its art deco charm, its canal views, its romantic ambiance, and of course its classic but excellent French-led food, that seems somewhat unforgivable. But there it is. During my lunchtime visit, I tried Belhamel’s scallop and jumbo shrimps with puff pastry (think vol au vent, but less 80s) and beurre blanc. Pair it with a glass of oaky Chardonnay and you’re in classic French heaven. Be sure to try their signature white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry coulis, too.
The art deco exterior of the gorgeous Belhamel restaurant
Editor’s note: I was invited to Belhamel as part of an IENS Insider Tour, which meant that I didn’t pay for my lunch. Usually, starters are around €12-15, mains around €25, and desserts around €10.
The Fine-Dining Lunch: Breda
I discovered Breda on my fifth anniversary with my other half, which just so happened to be the day we announced our engagement. So my circumstances were not exactly unbiased, but I can honestly say my meal that night was one of the best I’d tasted in months – if not years. From the runner beans that took me straight back to childhood in my parents’ garden, to the horseradish and wild-garlic dressing that pepped up otherwise-ordinary greens, to the smoky grilled flavour of rib-eye and corn – everything I tasted was spectacular. It’s been just as good when I’ve been back to Breda since – whether at lunchtime or at dinner.
The most exquisite plate of greens at restaurant Breda
The Boozy Lunch: Jansz
Yes, the Pulitzer Hotel has been around for donkey’s years, and I’m assuming it’s always offered its guests something to eat. But Jansz – the Pulitzer’s restaurant that’s been a hit with locals – only opened in 2016, as did its much acclaimed cocktail bar. If the weather is nice, sit outside in the sheltered courtyard: you’ll be treated to a view of the Westerkerk that feels almost like a secret. A glass of Chardonnay will cost you €7, but it’s a generous pour and the service comes with a smile (and free tap water, which is always a plus). First time around, I tried the Reuben sandwich for €13, which was stuffed with pastrami, sauerkraut and cheese, and decadently fried in butter until the cheese had melted. My second lunch at Jansz was in celebration of my wedding with my witnesses – we shared various salads, steak tartare and suchlike – all of which were excellent. And the restaurant’s interior feels highly fitting for a decadent lunch. Don’t forget to order some Champagne, and/or hit the cocktail bar afterwards.
Reuben sandwich at Jansz – the Pulitzer Hotel’s restaurant
The Classic French Lunch: Brasserie Ambassade
Up one of the leaf-lined stone stairways on the Herengracht is Brasserie Ambassade – the relatively recent (2015) addition to the Ambassade Hotel (1953). The interior pairs starched white table cloths and ornate chandeliers on the ceilings with modern art on the walls. Here again you’ll find classic French cuisine – it’s not cheap but it’s done well. Think escargot gratinated in properly garlicky butter, rich foie gras with tart berry coulis and sweet brioche, flat-iron steak cooked to a perfect medium-rare, crispy confit de canard with gamey duck jus, and even the odd salad for the vegetarians… Prices for the a la carte menu are around the same as the Belhamel, or you can get the three-course lunch menu for €37. Again, Champagne is advisable.
Brasserie Ambassade for a canal-side lunch in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: my lunch at Brasserie Ambassade was also part of the same IENS Insider Tour, so another freebie. Rest assured that I wouldn’t be recommending these places if I wouldn’t send my Dad there – and he taught me everything I know about restaurants!
The Budget Lunch: Lebanese Sajeria
The rest of the restaurants in this round-up are up the pricier end of the scale, so I wanted to include at least one option for those on a budget, or those looking for a canal-side lunch to go rather than one to stay and linger over. Enter the Lebanese Sajeria, which does an industrious line in manoushe: a type of flatbread that’s rolled and eaten with your hands. I tried one of the vegetarian versions featuring za’atar and halloumi – the latter of which was not what you’d expect, being grated and melted rather than sliced and fried. The za’atar was rich in sesame seeds and dried herbs (and don’t worry – it comes with pretty much whichever version of manoushe you choose), while the flatbread itself was flavourful from the whole wheat. The entire thing was wrapped up with mint, cucumber and tomatoes and served in paper for €7 – you can eat it upstairs (but it’s small, hot and spartan) or walk 50 metres to the nearest canal-side bench. A much better option.
Manoushe from the Lebanese Sajeria
Liked these? Don’t forget to download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide for more tips for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
As all Amsterdammers know but many visitors don’t, Indonesian food is widely eaten in the Netherlands due to the two countries’ colonial history (too complicated to go into here, but Google it). So when in the Dutch capital, checking out one of the Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam is a must. Don’t leave the city without trying a rijsttafel (literally: “rice table”): dozens of small, shareable dishes ranging from mild to spicy, in all colours of the rainbow, served with rice. Although something of a Dutch invention (locals in Indonesia aren’t eating rijsttafels), it’s a great way to try lots of dishes in one meal. Satay skewers – generally chicken and goat – are a staple, as are various curries (meat and fish), boiled eggs in spicy sauces, vegetables in peanut sauce (wonderfully named gado-gado) and fried bananas. But there’s much more besides, depending on the particular restaurant’s selection of rijsttafel. Of course, if you’d rather stick with just one dish all to yourself, these places offer plenty of Indonesian specialties as starters and main courses, too.
In this article, I’ve focused on the Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam, where you can turn up for a proper sit-down meal with wine (or whatever your poison may happen to be). And, believe me, you’ll need a decent-sized table just to fit all the dishes that will inevitably appear if you order a rijsttafel. But there are of course plenty of tokos offering takeaway Indonesian food in Amsterdam, or holes-in-the-wall where you can sit down to eat a quick meal without alcohol.
Want to eat more than just Indonesian rijsttafel? Download my comprehensive Amsterdam restaurant guidebook here!
Blauw
For a long time, Blauw was my favourite Indonesian restaurant in Amsterdam. I liked its split-level interior and bold décor that eschews the kitschiness that often goes along with Asian restaurants. I liked the fact that it’s a bit of a trek – down at the bottom of the Vondelpark on the Amstelveenseweg – which meant it wasn’t full of tourists. I also loved its rijsttafel, which comprised a huge selection of boat-shaped dishes ranging from mild to super-spicy. But the last time I went it had gone down a notch in my estimation – the dishes still tasted good, but were lacking in heat. In both senses of the word. I heard on the Amsterdam restaurant grapevine that several of Blauw’s original chefs defected to Ron Gastrobar Indonesia (more on that below) when it opened. Who knows? Blauw’s still definitely worth a visit, but it’s not what it used to be.
The boat-shaped dishes of the rijsttafel at restaurant Blauw
Tempo Doeloe
More central (it’s on the Utrechtsestraat) is Tempo Doeloe, where the dishes come on three different trays – starting with the mildest and ending with the hottest. I’ve been to Tempo Doeloe several times (although admittedly the last time was a while ago) and it’s the one restaurant that’s still preparing the odd dish that’ll make steam come out of your ears. The final two dishes are nuclear – you have been warned. Also worth a warning is the service: don’t expect to be seated quickly (even if you have a reservation); don’t expect a lot of smiles (at least, not genuine ones); and don’t expect free tap water. The food here is great, but the overall experience leaves a little to be desired.
Just a fraction of the spicy rijsttafel at Tempo Doeloe
Indonesian Kitchen
The rijsttafel at Indonesian Kitchen may be on the pricey side compared to other restaurants in Amsterdam, but then again it is slap bang in the middle of the Canal Belt – and besides, you do get quite a lot of bang for your buck. After a trio of starters, a spicy fish soup, and some chicken and goat satay skewers, you’ll move onto the rijsttafel proper: a collection of eight small, spicy dishes to share. There are classics like beef rendang, gado-gado, and a spicy chicken curry, which are nothing special. But there are also some less obvious dishes that steal the show: shell-on king prawns came with a tasty sambal that lent a welcome hit of chilli, for example. Meanwhile, lamb cutlets were still pink in the middle and served with a sweet soy sauce much like the goat satay earlier. A good pick for tasty Indonesian food in the heart of the Canal Belt area – if you can handle all the tourists.
Chef Ron Blaauw already has a series of restaurants in Amsterdam showcasing everything from French cuisine to Oriental specialities. But it’s worth taking a trip to Oudekerk aan de Amstel (around a 40-minute cycle ride from the south of the city centre) to try the rijsttafel at Ron Gastrobar Indonesia. And here, Java-born Chef Agus is in charge. His satay is to die for – the chicken and goat meat perfectly moist yet charred on the outside, and the sauces spicy yet sweet. Both the eggs and the fried shrimps have the perfect level of chilli heat. And all the curries are succulent and distinctly different in flavour. The wine list and service are what you’d expect from a fine dining restaurant, but the prices are surprisingly modest. My only criticism is that I’d have liked it if a few more of the dishes were on the spicy end of the spectrum.
In contrast, old-timer Sampurna is right in the centre of Amsterdam, just off the bustling flower market on the Singel canal. Yes, it may be full of tourists, but the food is still good and reasonable value given the location. It’s been in business for over 25 years – so they must be doing something right!
The first time I went to Kartika, we were forced to order our food before we’d even sat down, and were hustled out the door less than an hour later. But because the food was actually pretty good, I ended up going back. The manager there called me out on what I’d written the first time (he actually remembered me, amazingly), which was awkward but at least we both got to say our piece. Suffice to say that the second time the service was much more leisurely, and the food was just as good. Beef rendang had excellent warm spices and a rich sauce; gado-gado was fresh and fragrant, not cloying with peanut butter as is often the case. Two chicken dishes were good and distinctly different from each other: a hotter version in a thin, chilli-based broth; and a milder version in a sweet, soy-based sauce with plenty of aromatic anise. And Kartika also serves one of the cheapest rijsttafels in Amsterdam, which is good to know for those on a budget. No reservations nor free water, however.
What distinguishes Mama Makan from almost everywhere else on this list is its atmosphere. Its fresh botanical interior, its extensive wine-list, its rijsttafel served in traditional “courses”: this is an Indonesian restaurant you want to take your parents to. The food arrives in five rounds, which gives the meal a nice leisurely pace that’s often lacking when eating a rijsttafel. When it comes to the dishes themselves, a couple are excellent: the chicken satay was one of the best I’ve tried, and the spicy shrimps and seabass with shallots were big hits. The dessert was also a tropical revelation of fruit flavours and creamy coconut. However, much of the rest of the food leaves a lot to be desired – in general, I got the impression the kitchen was playing it very safe for its cruise-ship clientele. This is Indonesian cuisine for people who don’t like spicy food. There’s nothing wrong with that (and it’s a question I’m often asked) but it’s not for the chilli addicts.
Editor’s note: I was invited to eat at Mama Makan by their PR agency, so I didn’t pay for my meal.
Excellent satay at Mama Makan
Jun
The first time I went to Jun I didn’t order the rijsttafel, which in hindsight was perhaps a good thing. I went back a couple of years later to try it, and was disappointed to discover how few dishes are actually included compared to other Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam. Those that came were lacking in spice (I was told the Dutch clientele generally ask for the dishes to be milder) and a bit of variety – there was a predominance of chicken. However, I did enjoy Jun’s soto ayam – a chicken-laden broth that’s aromatic with lemongrass, ginger and turmeric. And the service is very friendly.
Sama Sebo is one of the oldest Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands, having been serving customers from its kitsch brown-café location for over 35 years. So you’d think, after all that time, that they’d know when they’re doing. You’d be wrong. We’d no sooner got our wine than the dishes started arriving – suspiciously quickly. It felt like we were part of a production line of tourists being fed our requisite dozen or so plates before the next busload arrived. The dishes were variations on bland, cold, dry, and whatever the opposite of spicy is. I get that restaurants dumb down the spice levels for the western palate, but seriously – this was so dumbed down it was fake news. The pork satay was (reliably) about the best thing on the menu, but the other meat dishes lacked much of the flavour of warm spices that you’d expect from that part of the world. The gado-gado and green beans were limp, sorry shadows of their former selves, and the side dishes lacked anything to pep up the main event. The sambal with shrimp crackers was the only thing that didn’t disappoint.
I have a confession to make about Café AMOI: I’ve only actually tried three of the dishes there (I ate them as part of a food tour with Eating Europe), but I liked them so much that I wanted to include the restaurant here. Namely, AMOI served possibly the best gado-gado I’ve ever eaten in Amsterdam: the vegetables freshly cooked to al dente perfection and the peanut sauce sweetly savoury. I also tried the corn fritters, peppered with kaffir lime leaves and dipped in a spicy sauce, as well as the traditional Indonesian spekkoek (spiced layer cake). It was enough to make me want to go back and order a lot more next time.
A general observation: When I first started visiting Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam around a decade ago, the chilli could blow your head off. I’m not sure whether my taste buds have been assaulted with so much capsaicin by this point in my late 30s that it now takes a lot more to make me sweat, or whether the spice levels in the dishes have been taken down a few notches. Perhaps it’s a bit of both. But either way, if your chilli tolerance is low then don’t worry – there’s plenty on a rice table that you’ll be able to eat comfortably. And if you’re a chilli fiend, I can only sympathise. I miss the burn too…
Remember a decade ago – before ramen and ceviche and poké bowls – when the most ethnic excitement you could get in Amsterdam was Indonesian rijsttafel or Thai green curry? I’ve always been a spice fiend, so I used to go out for Thai food a lot back then… Serving the usual mix of curries, stir-fries, pad Thai and salads, I always liked Little Thai Prince in Chinatown, Kinnareein the Jordaan, and Take Thai on the Utrechtsestraat. But a few years later the international cuisine scene that we know today erupted in the Dutch capital and I just, kinda, forgot to go to Thai restaurants in Amsterdam anymore. Just recently, I found I was missing a decent pad Thai or massaman curry… So I went in search of Thai food once again – but this time in a city much changed from the reign of Bird on the Zeedijk.Want to eat more than Thai food? Download my comprehensive Amsterdam restaurant guidebook here!
Bar Mash
Slap-bang in the middle of Gerard Douplein is the chipboard-clad, unassuming Bar Mash – which, despite its name, seems to be more Thai restaurant than bar. Helpfully, they serve a slightly different menu at lunchtime than dinner, with smaller portions and smaller prices. Great for a pit stop between work meetings. The lunchtime I dropped by, I ordered a hearty bowl of spicy tofu noodles (a sort of chilli, veggie version of pad Thai) for just €8. They were full of flavour from the fish sauce, chilli, veggies and spices – only perhaps lacking in a fresh hit of lime. But for that portion at that price, I can’t complain.
Spicy noodles at Bar Mash
Boi Boi
So good they named it twice (?), Boi Boi claims to have invented the “crispy pad Thai” – which is pretty much what you think it is. The noodles are deep fried instead of steamed, so you end up with a pile of crispy curly string, punctuated with fried chicken in the usual pad Thai flavours. Of all the things we tried at Boi Boi, this was not my favourite (I think I’d go with the regular pad Thai next time) but I applaud the restaurant’s efforts to do something a little different.
Boi Boi’s mix of Thai starters
Meanwhile, all their starters were a hit: fragrant fish cakes, savoury rice “monkey balls”, veg-packed spring rolls, tender chicken satay skewers… and the dipping sauces they came with were excellent, too. Along with our crispy pad Thai main, we also tried the sweet sambal stir-fry with shrimps. It was a little less spicy and a little more sweet than I’d hoped, but the flavours were promising enough that I’d go back and try one of their curries instead. And the atmosphere was fun and relaxed, too.
Chok Dee
We made the mistake of choosing Chok Dee purely on the basis of Google reviews (what was I thinking?) and ended up paying almost €20 for a plate of sweet, gloopy rice noodles with too-fishy (i.e. not very fresh) shrimps and sauce that tasted like ketchup. My pad Thai cravings were far from satisfied. Meanwhile, Mr Foodie ordered the fried beef with white pepper and garlic, which was so heavy with the latter that it radiated from our bedroom all night in a garlicky funk. Oh, and the glass of wine I had tasted faintly oxidised. Nope, Chok Dee was one Thai restaurant experience we won’t be repeating.
Pad Thai at Chok Dee
SOI 74
A group of six of us were celebrating a friend’s birthday, so we headed to SOI 74 in de Pijp for pre-party dinner and drinks. An ice bucket of six bottles of Thai beer for €20 added to the festive Saturday-night atmosphere, as did the other revellers in the restaurant. The music was perhaps a tad loud for eating – but then again I’m in my late 30s so it’s probably best to gloss over my occasional grumpy old woman tendencies.
Meaty starters at SOI 74
To start, we ordered a couple of platters of mixed meaty snacks to share: chicken satay skewers were marinated in fresh spices and served with a clearly homemade peanut dipping sauce; chicken meatballs were fragrant with lemongrass and Thai basil; sausages were a surprising hit with plenty of Southeast Asian flavour (we also tried the raw sausage as a borrelhapje with our beer – something like a Thai version of ossenworst, I naturally loved it); and pork belly came in a sticky, moreish marinade. My red curry main with shrimps was properly spicy, full of flavour, and a generous portion size for the price. The prawns were fresh, unlike at Chok Dee, and the dish also comprised pineapple and tomato, which added to the curry’s hot ‘n fruitiness. Thai ribs and the other curries were also a hit with those who ordered them. The bill came to €35 each, including the two courses, G&Ts, wine and beer – SOI 74 was a proper Saturday night out with a very friendly price tag.
Mae Somjai
I had high hopes for this Thai hole-in-the-wall because a friend of mine used to go there every week when she lived in the Nieuwmarkt area. However, the night we went it was a different chef in the kitchen – which perhaps accounts for the lacklustre food. Pork massaman tasted more like a penang curry – the flavour was fine, but it didn’t have the depth of spice you’d expect from the dish it was supposed to be. Pad Thai was equally lacking in pizazz, although Mae Somjai’s version was nowhere near as bad as Chok Dee’s and had the virtue of at least being considerably cheaper. On the plus side, Thai fishcakes were tasty, with plenty of flavour from the kaffir lime leaves and sweet-chilli dipping sauce. Mains at Mae Somjai only cost around €11-13, and they also offer takeaway and delivery – so I might have to give them a second chance when my friend’s “Thai Mom” is back in the kitchen.
Pad Thai at Mae Somjai
In the meantime, I’m still on the lookout for new Thai additions… Which are your favourites? And don’t forget, if you liked this article, you might also like to download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide!
As regular readers know, I strive to write objective, independent reviews of restaurants in Amsterdam – which means that you’ll never find paid reviews on this site. With that in mind, BookDinners is an independent restaurant reservation system and social platform that does not charge commission for reservations to the restaurants it features. The nice people at BookDinners approached me about a paid partnership as part of their network of foodies who provide visitors with inspiration for their next meal out. Since I’m never paid by restaurants themselves, I need to find other ways to fund my restaurant habit, so this seemed like a win-win: BookDinners is not promoting any individual restaurant; it’s providing a platform whereby people can see which restaurants fit their preferences and where their friends recommend eating so they can make an informed decision about where to book. In short, it seemed to fit well within Amsterdam Foodie’s mission.
But more important than what I think is what your own friends think. BookDinners allows you to create your own profile, set preferences, mark favourites, and see where your friends are recommending. Its algorithms focus on your preferences and your friends’ recommendations so as to reduce the risk of “fake” reviews that can be misleading for guests. Many Amsterdam restaurants are bookable via the site, but as BookDinners is run by the restaurant industry for the restaurant industry, fees are kept to a minimum so that the restaurateurs themselves aren’t left out of pocket. And when I say “by the restaurant industry”, I mean it’s run by Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (roughly translated as the royal Dutch association of hotels, restaurants and caterers).
To check it out and create your own profile, visit bookdinners.nl.
On a side note: I’ve been supporting BookDinners for a few months already, and when I posted a link to their site on my Facebook page I was challenged on the fact that the website is in Dutch. I recognise that since my site is in English, not all my readers understand Dutch. However, Amsterdam Foodie is written as much for locals as it is for visitors so I have no problem recommending a Dutch website. If you would rather not use it because of the language or indeed any other reason, there are of course many other ways to find and book restaurants that I fully support.
Five years ago, Mr Foodie and I threw an extremely geeky Game of Thrones party, in which we renamed the seven kingdoms according to areas of Amsterdam. Perhaps as a piss-take to two good friends who’d recently moved to the Eastern Docklands, we dubbed the Red Waste as the East Waste – because Westerpark was clearly Westeros. Ahhh, how naïve we were! It’s been six months since I moved to Oost, and although the area has changed a lot in the last half decade it’s clear that I drastically underestimated what its neighbourhoods had to offer. From the leafy grandeur of Oosterpark to the gentrification of Oostpoort, each little buurt has its own character. And, most importantly for me, its own restaurants and bars. I’m still discovering more about my new Eastside abode every day, but for now here are my suggestions for where to eat in Amsterdam East in each neighbourhood…
A note about the Weesperzijde and Wibautstraat: I once heard that back in the day, the area directly east of the Amstel River used to be part of de Pijp, until some rich Pijp residents decided that they no longer wanted anything to do with us Oosterlings. Not because of this, but coincidentally enough, I’ve already written a post about restaurants along the Weesperzijde and Wibautstraat specifically, which is why I’m not including that area in my foodie’s tour of Oost…
Where to eat on Beukenplein: Rotisserie East
You might not stumble across the Beukenplein without knowing about it, which means you’ve got half a chance of getting a seat on one of the sunny terraces in summer. However, it being winter right now, you could do a lot worse that retreat into the cosy interior at Rotisserie East and indulge in some comfort food. The time I visited, the rotisserie chicken itself had a great umami rub and was perfectly moist. They’d even taken the thigh bone off the breast bone/ribs, which made it much easier to eat (especially to share). Meanwhile, the fried chicken had a wonderfully savoury, moreish, crispy coating. Mr Foodie says it’s a travesty that it was off-the-bone chicken thighs cut into slices, but from a practical perspective it worked perfectly. And the ranch dressing was a nice touch, too.
Rotisserie chicken – at Rotisserie East, it would be rude not to!
I was slightly less impressed by the sides: loaded jalapeno and cheese fries were rather soggy and oddly sweet, while the veggie salad seemed to involve more cheese (burrata?) than actual vegetables. But from the chicken perspective, Rotisserie was finger-lickin’ good. Plus, I loved their Boulevardier cocktail – it tasted like a cross between an Old Fashioned and a Negroni – awesome. Dinner came to €40 each, including a few cocktails and more food than we could eat.
Also worth checking out on Beukenplein: Smokin’ Barrels for burgers and Café Maxwell for classic eetcafe fare like satay and bitterballen.
Where to eat by Oosterpark: Louie Louie
The insides of buildings in Oost just seem to be bigger than those in West, and nowhere is this more in evidence than in the spacious, fake-fur-lined Louie Louie at the northeast corner of Oosterpark. With an all-day concept, you can hit up Louie Louie for brunch, lunch, afternoon borrel, dinner or evening drinks. So far, I’ve only managed the first and last of these options, but in both cases the service was fast and attentive and the drinks flowing. For brunch, I tried the eggs Benedict, which is always something of a risk in Amsterdam where the concept of English muffins does not seem to exist. So, lack of English muffins aside (Louie Louie used brioche buns instead), the rest of the dish was good: the eggs were perfectly cooked and still warm, the ham was decent quality, and the Hollandaise had good flavour – albeit had split a little. Plus, of all the muffin substitutes I’ve been given, the brioche bun is probably the least offensive…
Eggs Benedict at Louie Louie
Also worth checking out by Oosterpark: de Biertuin for local beer and Henry’s Bar for cocktails.
Where to eat by Dappermarkt: Alex + Pinard
I’m not sure who Alex is – nor Pinard, for that matter – but their concept is simple: good-quality, affordable wines by the glass and shareable dishes that are several cuts above the average borrel hapje. Plus, if you’re feeling hungry and looking for a full meal, you can order the four-course chef’s menu for only €25. And not only are the prices friendly – the service is, too. The evening I was at Alex + Pinard, I tried the jamon croquettes, which were delicious, but probably the cause of my entire outfit smelling like a deep-fat fryer. We then moved onto two veggie dishes: beetroot with horseradish and chervil, plus cauliflower with ricotta and bottarga (cured fish row). Both dishes packed a punch in terms of flavour, but were also subtle enough so that no ingredient overpowered another.
Cauliflower and beetroot dishes at Alex + Pinard
From there, we tried two meat dishes: crispy rabbit tempura with a flavoursome tarragon dip, plus a classic veal schnitzel. Both were simple but well executed. All these dishes plus four glasses of wine each came to just over €40 per person, which seemed like very good value. My only criticism would be the ventilation – I had to throw all my clothes in the washing machine the next day.
Also worth checking out by Dappermarkt: Boi Boi for Thai appetisers in a fun atmosphere.
Where to eat in Indische Buurt: Bistro Zebra
Right on the southern tip of Indische Buurt, you’ll find hidden gem Bistro Zebra – a sort of Asian-fusion hybrid restaurant whose chefs aren’t afraid of big flavours. First up, I tried a plate of marinated grey mullet sashimi with pickled (lightly fermented?) root vegetables and wasabi mayo. It was fresh and inviting from the fish, sweet and sour from the vegetables, with both heat and umami from the wasabi and the soy marinade. An excellent combination. Still on my fish kick, I ordered the pollack next: it came with a heady mix of kimchi and sake cream that formed a rudimentary sauce for the udon noodles. Spicy, creamy and savoury – I couldn’t get enough of it.
A fusion of flavours at Bistro Zebra
Also worth checking out in Indische Buurt: Walter Woodbury Bar for burgers and beers, and Wilde Zwijnen for modern Dutch cooking
Where to eat on the Eastern Islands: Frank’s Smokehouse
For 20 years, Frank was peddling his smoked fish, meats and other delicacies from his tiny shop out the front of his smoking kitchen. Lots of locals knew about Frank’s as a specialty food shop, and you’d see his wares on restaurant menus around the city. Then, a year and a half ago, he decided to branch out into the restaurant business himself – serving his own excellent smoked goods as part of a broader menu at Frank’s Smokehouse.
Pâté and rillettes at Frank’s Smokehouse
The day I ate there it was a special Thanksgiving lunch (disclaimer: I was invited and didn’t pay) but it looks like several of the things we ate feature on the regular menu as well. Namely the duck rillettes and pâté (the latter particularly good), the smoked salmon (a Frank classic), and the chocolate lava cake (nothing smoked about it, but amazingly gooey and delicious). I’m already planning my next visit – the smoked fish and charcuterie platters looked incredible…
Also worth checking out on the Eastern Islands: Spirit for a vegetarian buffet.
Where to eat in Transvaalbuurt: Michel-Inn
One of my new favourite streets in Oost is Pretoriusstraat, packed with specialist food shops and cute cafés. At the square on the western end of the street is Michel-Inn, which – despite the potentially pretentious name – is the very definition of gezellig: warm, cosy and with comforting dishes to match. They have a large clay oven, fired by wood, in which they cook pizzas to order. We tried the truffle burrata with caponata, which was perhaps something of a misnomer but still tasty. The burrata was just drizzled in black truffle oil, while the “caponata” essentially comprised pieces of aubergine and courgette in a rich tomato sauce.
Pizza and pasta at Michel-Inn
Also good was the pasta of the day: in our case, lamb ragu with warming North African spices and generous ribbons of pappardelle. It had good flavour, but the lamb could’ve been cooked a little longer and slower for more tenderness. With a bottle of wine between the two of us, dinner came to €30 each, while the service and atmosphere were delightful throughout.
Also worth checking out in Transvaalbuurt: Le Due Sicilie for stellar Sicilian food at great value.
Where to eat in Oostpoort: Nomads
Every six months, the aptly named restaurant Nomads takes you on a culinary journey through a different country. The night I visited (and until around April 2019) that journey was to Jordan – I am a huge fan of Middle Eastern food, so the menu couldn’t have made me happier if they’d known I was coming. Not wanting to limit our choices, we decided to go for the Chef’s Menu, which started with three mezze-style dishes: sweet ‘n spicy muhammara (red pepper and walnut paste); fragrant falafel with yoghurt dip; and smooth but simple hummus – all excellent, and all served with fluffy warm whole-wheat pitas. Dinner was off to a good start.
Mezze at Nomads in Oostpoort
The tussen gerechten included razor clams spiked with preserved lemons; lamb tartar with onions and capers; and soft, smoky aubergine with a coriander and basil dressing. The only dish we didn’t finish was the lamb because of the strength of the onions, but the rest was superbly flavoured. Instead of desserts, we requested an extra savoury dish, which meant we got three main courses: cauliflower with labneh, pomegranate and a buttery sauce; grilled duck with a whole grilled green pepper, beetroot puree and a sweet/umami jus; and another meat dish whose particulars were lost on me after a bottle of Chilean Pinot Noir but which in any case I remember as being a delight to eat.
Aubergine deliciousness in an urban jungle…
Dinner came to €50 each, including the wine and a tip because the service was some of the friendliest I’ve ever experienced. Perhaps it’s because Oostpoort doesn’t quite feel like Amsterdam… Perhaps it’s because Nomads feels like Jordan…
Also worth checking out in Oostpoort: Yatta Sushi for my favourite sushi in the area.
Where to eat in Amstelkwartier: The Lobby Fizeaustraat
One morning during Amsterdam’s long Indian summer, we sat outside on the comfy, spacious terrace at The Lobby Fizeaustraat for brunch. The Caesar salad was excellent, with fresh anchovies, succulent chicken, crispy croutons and all the things you’d expect in a Caesar salad. Possibly a boiled egg would’ve been a bit more suitable than a poached egg, but that’s more of a preference than a complaint. We also tried another attempt at eggs Benedict (or whatever you call them when it’s with avocado, not ham). This time, they were made with similarly good eggs and Hollandaise but served on crusty bread. One of these days, I will make my millions importing English muffins into Holland…
Caesar salad at The Lobby Fizeaustraat
I’ve not yet been to The Lobby for dinner, but it’s high on my list for this winter – not least because the interior of the restaurant and bar look just as sumptuous as the terrace.
Also worth checking out in Amstelkwartier: Persijn for Dutch food in the QO Hotel.
Every December since 2014, I’ve looked back on my favourite restaurants of the year in Amsterdam. Not necessarily newly opened – but new for me. Usually, I base the list on my Restaurants of the Month – a revolving selection I make (unsurprisingly) once a month. But this year, for various reasons, a few of these restaurants no longer seem appropriate for this list – either they were temporary and have now closed down, or they’ve been replaced by something (to my mind) better. So for my 2018 list of best restaurants in Amsterdam, around half came from this year’s Restaurants of the Month, while the other half I discovered before or since. Also important to note: this list is not meant to be exhaustive. Firstly, because there are still a great many fantastic restaurants in Amsterdam that I’ve not yet visited; and secondly, because it’s just a snapshot of a single year. For my complete recommendations on the city’s food scene, download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide or use the handy restaurant finder to search for places that meet your requirements.
From one of the brains behind the popular BAUT concept, Restaurant C adds bold flavours and playfulness with temperatures from Chef Arnout van der Kolk – both of which make this place one of the best eating experiences in Oost. The five-course menu will set you back €55, but you’ll want to get the wine pairing as well for another €38 (a la carte options are also available). It’s well worth the price tag, however: some of my favourite dishes included raw mackerel and cucumber, yuzu gel, saffron kroepoek, and a spicy-sweet-citrusy sauce. Or clams and razor clams served with several varieties of seaweed and an umami-rich foam. Be sure to sit at the chef’s table at the bar (especially if there are only two of you) for a behind-the-scenes peak into the kitchen.
There’s very little Dutch food in Amsterdam that’s both sophisticated and true to its traditions. But Floreyn walks that line perfectly. Think bitterbal, but then filled with Messeklever cheese and served with smoked beetroot, radish, apple and fennel. Or mustard soup that’s been deconstructed into a clear broth with cheese foam and three types of mustard. Even dessert uses local, seasonal vegetables: carrot and parsnip ice cream with a sweet hutspot and citrusy crème brulée. This is very accomplished cooking that stays true to its Dutch roots. It may not be cheap, but the quality of Floreyn’s food and wines, as well as its great location in de Pijp, is more than worth the price tag.
I had an Indonesian place as one of my Restaurants of the Month this year, and it wasn’t this one – it was Ron Gastrobar Indonesia. But given that Ron Blaauw’s ode to rijsttafel is down in Oudekerk, and given that I discovered (and loved) Tujuh Maret soon afterwards, the latter just pips it. On the foodie-meets-shopaholic Utrechtsestraat, Tujuh Maret is a family-run restaurant that’s not much to look at but absolutely delivers. The regular rijsttafel (including dozens of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes to share, all served with rice) costs €27.75, which is cheaper than many in Amsterdam but is just as extensive. And (wait for the best bit) several of the dishes are actually properly spicy. Not uncomfortably so, but I’d have a few friends whose eyes might water a little. And that’s a good thing because it’s been regrettably hard to come by in Indonesian restaurants here in recent years. It’s hard to pick out favourite dishes because I enjoyed them all – even the tempeh, which usually I can’t stand. So that’s saying something!
Warning: do not eat for at least four hours (more if you can manage it – I can’t) before stepping foot inside De Aardige Pers. There’s no way you’re getting out of there anything other than food-baby full. With the fasting out of the way, start by ordering the trio of starters – the chef’s selection – all top notch. Then move onto the grilled meats: simple but perfectly cooked kofte kebabs, chicken thighs, lamb loin and so on – all served with fragrant saffron rice and grilled tomatoes. Don’t worry – they’ll give you a box for the leftovers to take home if you ask. De Aardige Pers isn’t fancy looking, but the food is outstanding and the prices extremely reasonable (we paid €30 each for everything I described above plus plenty of wine).
Overlooking the Amstel River and with a huge terrace in summer is Portuguese restaurant Girassol – one of my favourite finds in my new neighbourhood (albeit the place has been there for donkey’s years so won’t be new to many of you). I’ve been there three times since I moved to Oost, and the last time was a little different – though no less delicious. While the food used to be rather rougher around the edges – think steaming, garlicky clams and perfectly charred octopus – it’s now prettier to look at with less on the plate for the price. But as the flavours are just as good, I wanted to include it anyway. I am, however, curious to know whether Girassol changed chefs or whether the existing chef just decided to pimp up their menu…
Bright, sunny starters at Portuguese restaurant Girassol
Read my full review of Girassol (although this was from summer, before the change in chef/menu) or download my Amsterdam restaurant guide for more Mediterranean restaurant recommendations.
Best Italian restaurant: Le Due Sicilie
Speaking of Southern Europe, another fabulous find in my new buurt was Le Due Sicilie – a Sicilian restaurant presumably run by two people from the Italian island itself. And of course exuding all the warmth and sunshine in their food and in their manner that you’d expect. So far, I’ve tried the pulpo, the swordfish and the ziti pasta – all of which were spectacular, especially when washed down with a well-rounded glass of Nero d’Avola. I can’t wait to go back for more.
Tucked behind the OLVG Hospital is the minimalist, Scandi-chic, hipster-tastic 4850 – so called because it occupies numbers 48-50 on the Camperstraat. During the daytime, pop in for excellent coffee and the most pillowy-soft cinnamon buns you’ve ever tasted. Then, in the evening, duck inside for a glass or several of wine (they have an extensive wine list) and a shareable snack (not your average bitterballen fare). Or go for the full-blown chef’s menu of four courses for €40. Whatever the time of day or your reason for visiting, this place delivers!
Super-smooth coffee and dreamy cinnamon buns at 4850
Vuurtoreneiland literally means “lighthouse island”, and this outcrop of land just off Durgerdam was originally built over three centuries ago. Now, you can take a boat from the Veemkade to the island for a Dutch fine dining experience that varies according to season. In winter, you eat in the converted fort – think open-hearth fireplaces, romantic candles and sheepskin rugs. As the island has no electricity or running water, food is cooked using old-school wood and fire, while cutlery and glasses aren’t changed between courses to save on water usage. And the menu has a clear local, seasonal message that’s heavy in vegetables and sustainable protein throughout its six courses. An intimate dining experience that’s well worth the waiting list.
Ready to set sail to Vuurtoreneiland’s winter restaurant…
Right on the southern tip of Indische Buurt, you’ll find hidden gem Bistro Zebra – a sort of Asian-fusion hybrid restaurant whose chefs aren’t afraid of big flavours. First up, I tried a plate of marinated grey mullet sashimi with pickled (lightly fermented?) root vegetables and wasabi mayo. It was fresh and inviting from the fish, sweet and sour from the vegetables, with both heat and umami from the wasabi and the soy marinade. An excellent combination. Still on my fish kick, I ordered the pollack next: it came with a heady mix of kimchi and sake cream that formed a rudimentary sauce for the udon noodles. Spicy, creamy and savoury – I couldn’t get enough of it.
A fusion of flavours in Bistro Zebra’s noodles, fish and kimchi
Although I first published my Ramen Roundup back in October 2017, I’ve added half a dozen places since then. Yup, 2018 has been the year that ramen took Amsterdam by storm. Umaimon featured in my top 10 list last year, and it’s still a firm favourite, but there are a couple of others I’ve discovered in the meantime that I’m also loving. Namely Betsubara in Oud-West, Hinata near Westerpark, and Fou Fow’s new branch on Van Woustraat (dangerously close to home). I couldn’t pick just one for this year’s top 10, so suffice to say that ramen – in general – is one of 2018’s most unmissable food trends in Amsterdam.
While the Dutch were mostly eating bread with hagelslag for breakfast until fairly recently, the last few years have seen a trend in international brunch culture. Spearheaded by the Australian and New Zealand immigrants, there are now a handful of great places offering breakfast and brunch dishes from the world over. These are my top picks of the places serving the best brunch in Amsterdam.
This post is an extract from my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide – want to eat more than just brunch? Download the full guidebook here!
Little Collins and Little Collins West
I first discovered Little Collins’ excellent line in international brunch dishes, from kedgeree to shakshuka, at their original location in de Pijp. But I later discovered they do dinner as well – and they now have a new location in West, too. The menu is very international, which I would usually avoid, but they do so many things well. The chef is Australian, and of course Australian cuisine is a melting pot of influences from Europe, Asia, America… you name it. I usually order a rhubarb bellini and/or a coffee while I’m waiting for brunch – and you can’t go wrong with one of their Asian dishes, like smoked tofu or pork belly with kimchi. Little Collins was the first to bring Antipodean brunch culture to Amsterdam, and a few other copycats have sprung up since – but none are as good as the original!
Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19F (De Pijp) and Bilderdijkstraat 140 (Oud-West) littlecollins.nl
Best brunch in Amsterdam: Little Collins
Dignita
As well as serving up an excellent brunch, Dignita is excellently set up for families with kids. I love Dignita’s chickpea and courgette fritters with fried halloumi, poached egg, avocado, dukkah and a mint-yoghurt dressing. The fritters are moist, the egg perfectly poached, the textures well balanced – all in all, a lovely dish. Their coffees and breakfast cocktails are good too, and even the service is quick. If you are child-free, escape to the stroller-inaccessible mezzanine level at the Vondelpark location. There’s also now a new location near the Hermitage Museum.
Koninginneweg 218 (Zuid) and Nieuwe Herengracht 18a (Plantage) eatwelldogood.nl
Dignita’s courgette and chickpea fritters – my favourite!
Gartine
Despite the fact that Gartine is sandwiched between the Kalverstraat and the Rokin in the centre of town, it has its own moestuin (allotment) in which they grow much of the produce you’ll eat at the restaurant. I should more properly call it a “tearoom”, as it’s open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, but not dinner. The location is delicate and classy, but in an old-fashioned way – as if your grandma had taken a degree in interior design. The food is likewise: eggs benedict with salmon for breakfast, crayfish rillettes for lunch, and a plethora of tarts and cupcakes at tea time.
One of the things I enjoyed most about my trip to Istanbul was the incredible Turkish breakfasts. So, if you’re looking to get your fix in Amsterdam, you’ll be happy to stumble upon Mozaiek. The Turkish brunch I had there included everything from filo-cheese cigars and chorizo skewers to fried halloumi and dozens of dips and toppings for bread. The individual portions weren’t huge, but there were enough of them that you certainly didn’t go hungry for a very reasonable €13.
You can’t come to Amsterdam without experiencing the gluttony that is Dutch pancakes – especially if you have a hangover. These bad boys are the size of dinner plates and as thick as pizzas, with both sweet and savoury toppings. My favourite pancake house is Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs, which is (unsurprisingly) up an extraordinarily steep and narrow flights of stairs – even by Dutch standards. It’s a tiny place, and easy to miss, but worth it once you get inside. Teapots hang from the ceiling in every size and shape, and the pancakes are buttery and satisfying.
Sinfully good pancakes at Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs
Omelegg
It’s one of my biggest pet peeves, not being able to get a decent omelette in Amsterdam. I frequently seem to be served up thin, dry egg pancakes rolled up with cold stuff in the middle. Omelegg is one of the rare exceptions: whether you’re hungover or just hungry, a huge mound of eggs stuffed with everything from sausage to cheese to veggies is sure to set you right. Their original branch is in de Pijp, but they’ve more recently opened up a second location near Centraal Station too.
Ferdinand Bolstraat 143 (de Pijp) and Nieuwebrugsteeg 24 (Centrum) omelegg.com
Pancakes, crepes, pannenkoeken… whatever you call them, and whatever size and shape they come in, they make an excellent, filling, low-budget meal. Holland and pancakes go together like Sonny and Cher, but it’s actually extremely rare that I eat pancakes in Amsterdam. Except, that is, when I have a hangover. Then these carb-rich beauties are exactly what’s needed to stave off whatever ails you. And the Dutch do them particularly well: you mustn’t visit Amsterdam without trying one of the pancake houses the city has to offer.
Here are a few of my favourite pancake eateries in the capital…
Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs
My most-loved pancake house is Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs, which is (unsurprisingly) up an extraordinarily steep and narrow flight of stairs – even by Dutch standards. It’s a tiny place, and easy to miss, but worth it once you get inside. Teapots hang from the ceiling in every size and shape, while the pancakes are the diametre of dinner plates and as thick as pizzas, with both sweet and savoury toppings. Try a hearty classic like ham and cheese (add pineapple if you’re feeling the Hawaiian thing), or go sweet with apple, cinnamon and whipped cream.
Pancakes at Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs
Madam Pancake
Luxuriously thick, fluffy, American-style pancakes seem to be having a bit of a moment in Amsterdam right now. And it makes sense, given the country’s passion for pannenkoeken. It’s not often that I eat out in the Red Light District, but I recently made an exception when I accepted an invite from Madam Pancake. Tucked down an alleyway replete with sex shops and snack bars, this pancake house attracts its fair share of tourists, but for good reason. The coffee is strong, the orange juice freshly squeezed (and comes with a shot of hangover-relieving pressed ginger on the side) but most importantly the pancakes are as they should be. Warm and pillow-soft, with plenty of maple syrup and excellent bacon (or fruit, or salmon, or pretty much any pancake topping you can think of). The breakfast deal costs €18.50 and will set you up for the day.
Madam Pancake’s fluffy American stack
Pancakes Amsterdam
Mr Foodie had been living here nearly four years before I finally remembered to take him out for pancakes. And where better to try them than the place of the same name? Pancakes Amsterdam serves some of the best versions in the city, and while you will see plenty of tourists, locals do treat themselves to the occasional pancake there too. Of course, you can order the regular toppings (bacon and cheese, apple and stroop, and so on), but you’ll also find some more adventurous combinations. I tried one of the house specials: camembert, ham, chicory and raspberry sauce – it sounds odd, but it was strangely addictive. The Honey Badger went for a sweet-n-savoury combo of bacon, bananas and chilli – it was equally tasty so I demanded we share.
Pancakes at Pancakes! Typically Dutch hangover fare
I was recently asked to write an article for a food industry magazine about food courts in the Netherlands, so inevitably that necessitated a couple of “research trips” here in Amsterdam. As far as I know, there are four indoor food courts in the Dutch capital, the most famous of which being of course the Foodhallen. But the other three – all very different, but all filling a niche – are equally worth a visit. So whether you’ve lived here your whole life or are just visiting for a weekend, here’s where to fulfill your food court fantasies in Amsterdam.
Foodhallen: most likely to spot tourists
I’ve written about Amsterdam’s Foodhallen in the past, so I won’t go into great detail here except to say that this iconic food court is housed in a disused, converted tram depot – which certainly lends it a very Amsterdam ambience. It’s packed in the evening and on weekends, so I’d advise stopping by for lunch if you’re not keen on crowds. Some of my favourite food stands include Fento for fantastically healthy Mexican-inspired street food (and amazing cornbread!), Taqueria Lima West for (no prizes for guessing) tacos, and Renato’s for excellent Italian antipasti and pizza.
Visit the Foodhallen at Bellamyplein 51 (Oud-West), or see foodhallen.nl for more information.
Fento’s veggie nachos at de Foodhallen
The Food Department: most likely to spot shoppers
Newly opened in the Magna Plaza – Amsterdam’s answer to a shopping mall – The Food Department takes up the entire top floor of this iconic building in the centre of town. If shopping and sightseeing make you hungry, this is the place to pop in for a pit stop. Undoubtedly The Food Department’s resident bars and food stands will change over time, especially as any initial teething problems get resolved, but when it opened in spring 2019 there were 17 spots to choose from, serving everything from dim sum and sushi bowls to gourmet hotdogs and tacos. You’ll notice a few familiar names – The Butcher has a stand selling its famous burgers, as does Petit Gateau (for the prettiest cakes and pastries) as well as seafood seller Brut de Mer. But when I went, I checked out the sabich pita at Bepita: a fluffy dough pocket filled with aubergine, hard-boiled egg, hummus, tahini and more. For €6.50, it wasn’t half bad.
Visit The Food Department on the top floor of Magna Plaza at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 182 (Centrum), or see thefooddepartment.nl for more information.
Bepita’s pita at The Food Department
Market 33: most likely to spot city slickers
Right in the heart of Amsterdam’s business district, the Zuidas, you’ll find split-level food court Market 33 – replete with lots of men in suits and banking types. (As well as the rest of us.) When I visited, I was interested to see a familiar face from Pho & Yummie – the sushi and Vietnamese restaurant that used to be in the Spaarndammerbuurt until recently. It seems the owners have instead started two new ventures at Market 33: Oishii Sushi, serving sushi, salads and more; and Hello Vietnam, serving pho, summer rolls and various noodle and rice dishes. I tried the gyoza, which were as crispy and tasty as I remember them from their previous location. Market 33 also has a well-stocked bar, so it’s a good spot for a drink and a snack after work. (Note that the food court is not open on weekends.)
Visit Market 33 at Claude Debussylaan 33 (Zuidas), or see market33.nl for more information.
Market 33 in Amsterdam’s Zuidas
World of Food: most likely to spot people from the world over
A little further out of town, in Amsterdam Zuidoost, you’ll reach the aptly named World of Food. Featuring stands selling street food from all over the globe, this is the place to come if you want to try a range of different cuisines – or if you’re with a group who can’t decide what they want to eat. Plus, most of the food on offer is extremely reasonable: you can easily score a satisfying meal for around the €5 mark. When I visited, I tried a dish of spicy chicken, yams and veggies from African food stand Monrovia, as well as a “Johnnycake” stuffed with salt cod from Yvette’s Kitchen. Both delicious – and deliciously good value!
Visit World of Food at Develstein 100 (Zuidoost), or see worldoffoodamsterdam.nl for more information.
The Dutch have a long history of turning old buildings into something else. Think of the Kruisherenkerk (church) in Maastricht that is now a hotel. Or the old tram depot in Amsterdam that’s now the Foodhallen. So it’s no surprise that there are some weird and wonderful places to eat dinner in Amsterdam and its environs… Here are 10 of the quirkiest, for next time you feel like dinner with a difference:
Revolving office block: Moon
When the old Shell building across the IJ River was transformed into the A’DAM Tower, restaurant Moon was one of the first new inhabitants to open. Any why? Because of the spectacular view diners are treated to from 360 degrees of revolving glass. Given that the restaurant is on the 19th floor, and the full rotation takes 90 minutes (just about long enough for a proper meal), it’s definitely a dining experience worth saving up for. And the food isn’t bad either: Chefs Jaimie van Heije and Tommy den Hartog have dreamt up a fine dining menu that presents classic dishes ‘remixed’ with international flavours. Dinner will set you back a pretty penny, but you’re paying for the view as much as the meal.
Moon’s scallop ceviche was a veritable oil painting
An island fortress: Pampus Forteiland
Pampus is only accessible by boat – which is logical given that it’s a tiny island in the middle of the IJmeer that was built between 1887 and 1895 to defend Amsterdam against invaders. And while it’s no longer being used as a defence fort, the building itself remains largely unchanged save for what goes on inside it. Nowadays, you can take tours, attend festivals, and even get married there. But more importantly, you can reserve the Zomerlicht (summer light) experience during the warm months or the Winterlicht (winter light) experience during the cold months – both of which are culinary adventures in their own right. Either way, you’ll board an atmospheric boat in IJburg, and the rest of your evening will be taken care of for you – expect seasonal, local Dutch produce in a magical setting.
Pampus island has a chequered wartime history…
A moving train: Dinner Train
Doing what it says on the tin, the Dinner Train is a restaurant housed in a train that runs from Amsterdam Centraal via Haarlem and Leiden to The Hague, and then back again via Gouda and Woerden. The entire experience takes around three hours, including a four-course dinner with wine. Although the food isn’t incredible, the kitchen does a decent job given the train’s obvious limitations, and freely flowing wine is certainly a plus. Whatever the time of year, you’ll look out over Holland’s fields and villages – although I’d imagine that it’s particularly spectacular in spring when the flowers are in full bloom between Haarlem and Leiden.
All aboard the Dinner Train!
A television studio on stilts: REM Eiland
From the waters of the Houthavens, TV Nordzee broadcast to thousands of Dutch viewers for just a few months back in 1964. When the TV station was shut down by the government, the broadcasting station – essentially a platform built on stilts – fell into disuse until it was reborn as a restaurant several years ago. Nowadays, you can eat a modern European menu of meat, fish and vegetarian options while gazing out over the industrial terrain of the Houthavens (which is itself now being revived as a gentrified area to live and work). The terrace on the top deck of REM Eiland is particularly sought after on sunny days – so long as you have a head for heights.
REM Eiland – photo credit: Flying Mikes
Water pumping station: Café-Restaurant Amsterdam
When a city is four metres below sea level, water management is of paramount importance. So it’s no surprise that since the 1900s, the Westerpark area has had its own water pumping machine, water tower and engine room. While these have evolved in the intervening years, the disused engine room was converted into a café and restaurant in 1996. Unfortunately it seems they couldn’t think of a more creative name for it, but at least you know what you’re getting with Café-Restaurant Amsterdam. Nowadays, they serve a simple but well executed menu of sandwiches at lunchtime and classics like steak-frites or mussels at dinnertime. It’s also known for its child-friendliness.
The ground floor of a multi-storey car park: Waterkant
Underneath a multi-storey carpark, Waterkant is now the place to be on sunny days in Amsterdam thanks to its expansive terrace stretching along the Singelgracht (the canal between Nassaukade and Marnixstraat, not to be confused with the Singel itself). Waterkant’s menu has much to offer in the realm of snacks and beers, but the focus of the main meals is Surinamese. Be sure to try one of their roti rolls (filled flatbread), gado-gado (vegetables with peanut sauce), or bakkeljauw (salt cod) – preferably washed down a Parbo beer.
Waterkant reflected in the canal…
An island: Vuurtoreneiland
Yup, another island (that’s what happens when a city is built on water). This time, a lighthouse island originally built over three centuries ago and holding various functions since then. Now, you can take a boat from the Veemkade to the island just off Durgerdam to Vuurtoreneiland for a Dutch fine dining experience that varies according to season. In summer, you eat in a giant greenhouse from which you can see the nature around you and (hopefully) the sunset. In winter, you eat in the converted fort – think open-hearth fireplaces, romantic candles and sheepskin rugs. As the island has no electricity or running water, food is cooked using old-school wood and fire, while cutlery and glasses aren’t changed between courses to save on water usage. And the menu has a clear local, seasonal message that’s heavy in vegetables and sustainable protein throughout its six courses. An intimate dining experience that’s well worth the waiting list.
A greenhouse: De Kas
Housed in an enormous greenhouse and surrounded by plentiful gardens in the Frankendael Park is restaurant De Kas – a long-loved favourite in Amsterdam. The chefs pluck much of their menu from the greenhouse and gardens themselves, and what isn’t grown in their own backyard comes from nearby farms. So this dining experience is about as local as you can get. Dishes are small but you’ll eat five or six of them at dinnertime, and they change daily depending on what’s available. Expect Mediterranean flavours, impeccable service, and beautiful surroundings.
Ultra-local food at de Kas (Dutch for greenhouse)
A ferry: Pont 13
Anyone who’s spent even just a day in Amsterdam will have noticed the public ferries that trek back and forth across the IJ River at various points. While most of these are for pedestrians and two-wheelers only, there are a couple of small car ferries – and what happens when one of these reaches the end of its ferrying life? It gets turned into a restaurant, naturally! Pont 13, just down the pier from REM Eiland, was one such ferry that’s now permanently moored for its guests. The dinner menu is simple – featuring a selection of antipasti to start, simple grilled fish and meal for main, and a few signature desserts (don’t miss the cheesecake!). It’s also an excellent option for group dining and large events.
Dessert at Pont 13
A railway bridge: Wolf Atelier
Housed on an industrial railway bridge from the 1920s that rotated to let boats pass through the Westerdok, Wolf Atelier may no longer move physically but it certainly buzzes with atmosphere. Chef Michael Wolf’s innovative cuisine has earned him a great reputation among the city’s gastronomes, and diners can choose from fixed chef’s menus as well as a la carte dishes. In fact, the bridge saw a few iterations of restaurants before its current version – but Amsterdammers are hoping this one’s here to stay.
Although this post was written by me, it was first published on DutchNews.nl in August 2018 – featured here with thanks to the DutchNews team.
I should better re-name this post “first-date restaurants” because when I was single, tapas places seemed to be my first port of call for a casual drink and a bite to eat on pretty much every first date I had in Amsterdam. But, of course, tapas-style food can work on many occasions. Amsterdam is not exactly awash with good tapas, but here are a few places that don’t disappoint…
This post is an extract from my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide – want to eat more than just tapas? Download the full guidebook here!
Madrid
I first visited Madrid after leaving a cookery workshop hungry. Yup, you read that right. Desperate for real food after three hours of raw cacao nonsense, we found ourselves at Madrid, ordering our way through the entire tapas menu. Now, it’s my go-to Spanish spot every time I’m in Oud-West. Try everything from the patatas bravas to the chorizo to the dates with spek.
La Oliva
I discovered La Oliva back in 2009: a Basque bar/restaurant specialising in pintxos, sort of a cross between tapas and bruschette. Ordering works by pointing at what you like the look of: try a selection of these bread-based concoctions, including figs stuffed with blue cheese, tortilla, aubergine with tomato sauce and rocket, asparagus and tuna wrapped in ham, jamón iberico, and roasted vegetables with goat’s cheese. The Rioja is excellent, too. The terrace might not be huge, but its Jordanian location makes pavement dining seem almost Mediterranean.
Pimientos de Padrón and smoked beef carpaccio at Pikoteo
Pikoteo
“Tapas” may be a little misleading in this case: Pikoteo specialises in a sort of modern, fusion tapas the like of which I’ve not seen before in Amsterdam. It’s Spanish meets South American. The smoked beef carpaccio with truffle and shaved Idiazabal cheese was hands down my favourite dish: bold but delicate, pungent but refined, all at the same time. Plus, they have a good wine and cocktail menu.
Pata Negra
A long-standing Amsterdam tapas institution, Pata Negra has three locations across the city – one on the Canal Belt, one next to the Oosterpark, and another in the Eastern Docklands. With enormous legs of jamón everywhere, and freely flowing wine, you can’t go wrong. Try the flavoursome manchego cheese, the grainy melt-in-your-mouth ham, and the tasty patatas bravas.
Navajas, albondigas and pimientos de padrón at ESCOBAR
ESCOBAR
Apparently Ron Blaauw’s had his cheffy fingers in this Spanish-meets-Latino pie, which is probably part of the reason why ESCOBAR is so damn good. It used to be a jazz club and was formerly a bath house – which is to say that it’s surprisingly large for de Pijp. It therefore has a reasonable amount of pavement seating if the Dutch weather is feeling particularly Spanish. The evening I went, ceviche was served leche detigre-style, so that the fish was almost milky, but punctuated by a marmalade-y citrus fruit, red chilli and red onion – sweet and sour, citrus meets spice. Hot dishes included pimientosde padrón (fried green peppers), albondigas (meatballs) and navajas (razor clams with broad beans). Tacos came stuffed with shredded pork, red cabbage, tomato salsa, smoky pineapple, and spicy mayo – I loved the texture, the heat and the flavours, although I wouldn’t recommend them to those who can’t handle chilli. ESCOBAR’s atmosphere is festive, the service attentive, and the food some of the best tapas in town.
This post is an extract from my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide. While I’ve loosely grouped them as “American restaurants”, of course BBQ, steaks, chicken and burgers in Amsterdam are as internationally represented as the city’s inhabitants.
Amsterdam burger restaurants
A few years ago, Amsterdam went nuts for gourmet burgers – especially if served with craft beer. Some of my favourite burgers are served up at Troost (technically a Dutch craft beer brewery, but that’s just a minor detail), The Butcher (check out The Butcher Social Club in the A’DAM Tower if you like some hip beats and old-school games with your meal) and Lombardo’s (handily close to the Rijksmuseum).
The Butcher: See website for locations and phone numbers: the-butcher.com
Lombardo’s: Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 50 (Canal Belt) 020 420 5010 lombardos.nl
Amsterdam BBQ and steak restaurants
Likewise on the meaty front, restaurants that sear your steak on the charcoal grill or BBQ your beef low & slow for hours have become more and more common over the last few years. For steak, try Cannibale Royale – now with four locations and counting – or the Midtown Grill. For real American BBQ, my favourite is Pendergast near the Westerpark (their brisket is to die for). Carnivore Smoke BBQ near the Vondelpark comes a close second and is a great option if you’re in the south of the city.
Dry-aged, corn-fed, USDA rib eye at the Midtown Grill
Cannibale Royale: See website for locations and phone numbers: cannibaleroyale.nl
For roast chicken, don’t miss Rotisserie – with one location in Oost and another in West. And for chicken wings – which absolutely must be served buffalo-style, covered in potently hot sauce, preferably with a side of blue cheese dressing – try Café Carbon and Lion’s Head Brew Bar, both in de Pijp.
‘Tis the season… for not knowing what on earth to buy your nearest and dearest! But fear not: if they like eating and/or reading, I’ve rounded up seven of the best gifts for foodies – especially those who love books. From the eateries of Amsterdam to the recipes of Rome… from the culinary quirks of the Dutch to 50 ways to liven up your lunch… these cookbooks and otherwise food-tastic tomes are the answer to your Christmas shopping dilemmas. (Or Sinterklaas shopping… or Hanukah shopping… whatever the celebration, these gifts for foodies have got you covered!)
Dutch Cookbook by Laura de Grave
About the Dutch Cookbook: If you think that the Netherlands is the ultimate underdog when it comes to all things culinary, think again! From Limburg flan, Zeeland mussels and mustard soup from Groningen to Gouda cheese, seaweed and wild oysters, the Netherlands boasts an amazing range of regional delights and products, all of which have their own fascinating stories. In this book, culinary journalist Laura de Grave jumps on her electric motorbike and takes you on a trip around the Netherlands. She visits the country’s best fishermen, farmers and food producers and takes a peek behind the scenes in the kitchens of local chefs and bakers.
About Vicky Hampton’s Working Lunch cookbook: Bored of overpriced ham-and-cheese sandwiches and packet soups from the canteen? If your workplace has a surface big enough to fit a chopping board, and perhaps a kettle or toaster at best, Vicky Hampton’s Working Lunch is here to help. This compact lunch cookbook is for people who are keen to make healthy, simple meals, but who don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen – whether at work or at home. The book features 50 easy lunch recipes (in English) covering fresh vibrant salads, cool summery soups, spicy couscous and pimped-up sandwiches. Available in both print and e-cookbook versions!
About Shortlist Amsterdam: The English-language Shortlist Amsterdam is a completely updated version of two highly acclaimed Dutch Shortlists: the first covering the city’s best restaurants and the second its top culinary cafés. Instead of highlighting conceptual flashes in the pan, fleeting hotspots or formal fine-dining establishments, this beautifully designed book focuses on 22 authentic restaurants that will never grow stale. After years of tasting dishes and reviewing restaurants in Amsterdam, food journalists Famke & Floor van Praag have compiled their definitive list of all-time favourites. The cookbook is a genuine homage to these uncompromising places, with stunning photography by Petrovsky & Ramone. It includes 44 favourite recipes, from Rijsel’s rotisserie chicken and Toscanini’s mackerel pasta to vegetable creations by BAK, Choux, Entrepot and Bar Centraal.
Language: English (Dutch version of the original two books available)
I Heart Rome by Maria Pasquale
About I Heart Rome: A love letter to Rome, with beautiful food and location photography, classic recipes, and stories from the heart of the Eternal City. Rome is an open-air museum; it’s a modern-day marvel of a city that has seen centuries of emperors, popes, movements, triumphs, and tragedies. It’s a city where the present and past sit side by side and interact in a beautiful, yet sometimes complex, kind of way. Through quirky local stories and glorious pictures, I Heart Rome takes you on an inspiring journey through the Rome that tourists rarely get to see. In a country justifiably famous for its food, Rome boasts its own fascinating and unique cuisine that is intrinsically tied to its history. Influences from Ancient Rome through to more recent events are reflected in the food culture of the Eternal City today. And given the passionate nature of Romans as a people, it’s no wonder that dining is taken so seriously. From carbonara recipes to artichoke-frying techniques, just about everything food-related is up for—and causes much—debate in Rome.
Brunch is Hell by Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam
About Brunch is Hell: Society is under threat. The culprit? BRUNCH. Not merely a forum for overpriced eggs, brunch is a leisure-time-squandering hellscape, embodying all that is soul-killing and alienating about modern life. How to fight back? By throwing dinner parties–the cornerstone of civilized society! Dinner parties–where friends new and old share food, debate ideas, and boldly build hangovers together. If we revive the fading art of throwing dinner parties the world will be better off, and our country might heal its wounds of endless division… all without having to wait in a nine-hour line to eat toast. To that end, BRUNCH IS HELL takes hesitant hosts through every phase of throwing a great dinner party, from guest list to subpoena. Loaded with wit, celebrity advice, and tongue-in-cheek humour–plus sincere insights about how humans can be more generous to each other – BRUNCH IS HELL is a spirited guide to restoring civility.
About ENERGY: Energy & Vegan is about the positive effects that food can have on our body and mind, based on the rich tradition of Chinese medicine. With witty anecdotes and striking examples from daily life, Alexander uncovers this knowledge that’s still unknown to many. By explaining the principles in a refreshing and understandable way, every recipe becomes a key to more balance, more energy or more relaxation. The book is full of recipes such as a light salad of haricots verts and seaweed with almond cream, lotus root with tofu tartar in tempura, a hearty Tel Aviv salad, and a spicy ramen bowl.
About Stuff Dutch People Eat: Stuff Dutch People Eat is a comprehensive celebration of Dutch cuisine. Whether you’re looking for festive sweets, traditional tastes or colonial classics, we’ve got something for every appetite! From breakfast straight through to dessert, Stuff Dutch People Eat will lead you through a culinary adventure spanning flavours—and centuries! Discover 40 easy-to-make recipes that are sure to restore your faith in the delightfully delicious Dutch kitchen! Eet smakelijk!
The older I get, the faster the years seem to accelerate. At the end of last winter, I was on culinary press trips to Hamburg and Latvia (judging the Top 30 Restaurants in Latvia was a major highlight) and in spring I started work renovating my kitchen. Of course, that somehow took all summer, as every construction project does. And now here I find myself again looking out of my window at leaves on the ground, staring down the barrel of another four months of cold, damp, Amsterdam winter. I’m ready for some Christmas cheer and gluhwein, that’s for sure.
But before all that, let’s take a look back at the Amsterdam restaurants that have defined 2019 for me. The list below is based primarily on my Restaurants of the Month – a revolving selection I make (unsurprisingly) once a month – which means they’re not necessarily new but they were new to me at the time. This is the fifth year in a row that I’ve published this list of the best restaurants in Amsterdam, and it’s also the second year that I’ve published my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide (latest edition available for download here!) – both of which have been milestones for the Amsterdam Foodie project. But it bears repeating that this list is a) not meant to be exhaustive (there are hundreds of great restaurants in Amsterdam!) and b) entirely subjective – these are my favourites, based on my own independent experiences. So without further ado, let’s get on with the list…
Top 10 Amsterdam Restaurants 2019 (+2 bonus restaurants!)
1. Best international concept: Nomads
Every six months, the aptly named restaurant Nomads takes you on a culinary journey through a different country. The first time I visited, that journey was to Jordan, while the second time was to Portugal. There’s not much point in my detailing all the food on the menu, since by the time you go to Nomads it will likely have changed. But order the Chef’s Menu for €38.50 and thank me later – you’ll eat your way through four courses of globally inspired deliciousness (complete with wine pairings if you so choose) and leave feeling like you’ve been on a mini-holiday.
Much like their first location in de Pijp, Little Collins West has an industrial vibe and an eclectically international menu. But it’s bigger so you should, in theory, have more chance of scoring a table. So far, I’ve popped in for both brunch and dinner: the former was as hectic as ever (Amsterdammers are still obsessed with brunch, it seems) but the latter was a more leisurely affair. Whatever time you choose to eat, cocktails, coffee and caboodles of flavour are the order of the day.
Touting itself as a South African-German mashup, the Lion’s Head’s menu features Bavarian schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) and kölsch beer on the one hand, and pork belly with kimchi and fruity watermelon wheat beer on the other. Plus a smattering of American buffalo wings and Tex-Mex nachos thrown in for good measure. I’ve been to Lion’s Head several times since I discovered it, because it’s the kind of place that serves something for everyone (you could go on a date with a new squeeze or for a work do with colleagues) and its relaxed atmosphere and lovely service make it hard to resist.
At entirely the other end of the spectrum is two Michelin-starred &moshik, which I was lucky enough to dine at while interviewing Chef Moshik Roth for the Culture Trip. The “Inspiration Moshik” tasting menu will set you back €175 (plus a further €88 for the wine arrangement) but is well worth it for the experience if your pockets are deep enough. The chef’s signature dish – “the perfect egg” – is to die for, while other creations marry his Israeli roots with his global travels. The dish in the picture below was inspired by Damien Hirst, whose artwork adorns the walls. Need I say more?
In Amsterdam winter, there can be nothing more satisfying than dipping tasty morsels into a steaming pot of hot broth. And that’s the order of the day at Yuan’s Hot Pot, where you’re transported straight to Chengdu. The décor is simple to the point of utilitarian, ordering is done via iPad, there are random screens showing Chinese TV, and half the clientele look to be Asian in origin. Each table comes with a hollowed-out centre in which a pot of steaming broth appears. Most people opt to keep one half of the broth non-spicy, and to have the other half topped up with a nuclear-looking chilli paste. From there, you simply order a variety of meat, fish, veggies, noodles and all manner of other things to throw into the pot until they’re cooked and ready to eat. This is about as authentic as you’re going to get in Amsterdam.
Bonus tip: Those who love hotpots of any origin should also check out PakuPaku – a new Japanese shabu-shabu restaurant on the Beukenplein. Great for shared dining, the location features a colourful street-art theme.
6. Best brunch: Box Sociaal
Run by Antipodeans, Box Sociaal is (perhaps unsurprisingly) known for its brunch, but they serve a delicious dinner menu as well. In the daytime, they do an egg-cellent line in the usual suspects from eggs Benedict to breakfast sandwiches, but they also have some more creative-looking menu items like the yum cha waffle or what looks like a pimped-up PBJ sandwich. Pictured here is the Eggs Benny & the Jets with added ham, which was generally pretty good. One of these days someone is going to make a killing baking English muffins and selling them to every brunch joint in town, but until that happens I guess the best we can hope for is toasted sourdough. Muffin gripes aside, Box Sociaal in the underserved Plantage neighbourhood is a great way to start your weekend!
I think I’ve had a different ramen joint on my Best Restaurants in Amsterdam lists for the last three years – but that’s because there’s now so many to choose from. Ramen Kingdom opened in early 2019 close to Centraal Station, which means you have to fight your way through the tourist crowds to reach it. But once inside, it feels like you’re 9,000 kilometres east. The restaurant – which can’t hold more than about a dozen customers seated along the kitchen counter – is adorned with artwork from Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Food-wise, I can’t recommend the spicy pork ramen enough: thin noodles with the perfect bite, caramelised char siu, oozing eggs and all the other toppings. This, foodies, this is Ramen Nirvana.
Granted I’ve never been to Peru, but I was properly, mouth-tinglingly, giddily excited about what I ate at Peruvian restaurant NAZKA in de Pijp last summer. I could’ve probably just ordered every variety of ceviche and been happy. But instead, I was glad that I branched out and tried the chef’s menu (from four courses for €51 up to six courses for €67). Iberico pork “fingers” were little chunks of porky goodness with zingy jalapeno puree and a sort of sweet-sour jelly. A smoky aubergine dish combined international flavours like American BBQ, Spanish padron peppers and Turkish yoghurt. While the chicken thigh was a veritable flavour bomb: marinated for 24 hours in rocoto peppers and served with a cooling yoghurt sauce and a shard of something crispy that tasted like cocoa. If the outstanding food isn’t enough to convince you, the authentic pisco sours and excellent wine pairings should be.
9. Best Georgian food in Amsterdam: Batoni Khinkali
I went to Batoni Khinkali as part of research I was doing for a budget restaurants article for DutchNews. And indeed, the menu is very wallet-friendly: a shareable selection of three veggie starters comes in at €6 and is probably enough for two people. So far so good, but you’re really here for the eponymous khinkali and the photogenic khachapuri. The former are the restaurant’s signature dumplings – steamed savoury dough stuffed with cheese, meat or mushrooms. The latter is calorie-tastic dish of bread, cheese, egg yolk and butter. While it sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen, it’s extremely tasty and good value, too – you can split one khachapuri for €13.50 easily between two people. Plus, Batoni Khinkali is Amsterdam’s only Georgian restaurant – so you’re likely trying something you’ve never eaten before. It’s a win-win!
I’ve been on the hunt for the best tacos in Amsterdam for many years and I think I’ve finally found them. The people behind Best Coast Taqueria pop-ups opened a permanent location in the Bilderdijkpark in 2018, and it’s already a firm favourite. When we first visited, we naturally ordered every variety of taco on the menu. While there were two meaty ones – spicy carnitas (pulled pork) and achiote chicken – my favourite had to be the elote tacos: filled with roasted corn and refried black beans, and topped with the most incredible macha sauce. Flora also serves a couple of different quesadillas, so we tried them too. I liked the version that was stuffed with pickled cactus and topped with cheesy, creamy goodness. All the dishes came with three salsas of varying heat and intensity (I am a huge fan of the smoky pineapple) but honestly with this much flavour going on you really don’t need to add anything extra to the dishes.
Bonus tip: If you love Tex-Mex, don’t miss the loaded nachos and spicy margaritas at Parakeet in Amsterdam West. With good music, good food and good cocktails, it’s a party in your mouth!
