Where to eat in Amsterdam
Although Amsterdam is not renowned for its gastronomy, Amsterdam has a wide variety of restaurants, especially from Indonesia and China.
Traditional dishes
These are some of the best-known dishes from the Netherlands:
- Patat: Chips are the king of street food in Amsterdam and other nearby cities like Brussels. They are usually served in a paper cone and served with a large dollop of ketchup or mayonnaise.
- Maatjesharing: Raw herring, also known as soused herring, are sold in the street food markets in Amsterdam. The fish is normally served with onion or pickles and is eaten whole in one go.
- Kaas: Dutch cheese (Kaas in Dutch) is famous worldwide, especially Gouda and Edam.
- Bitterballen: The bitterballen are fried meat balls accompanied by mustard. They are usually served in bars as an appetizer.
- Hutspot: Hotchpotch in English, this dish consists of mash potato, carrots and onions. It is usually served in winter.
- Erwtensoep: This pea soup is a typical winter dish in Holland. There are various variations of it.
Fast food everywhere
If you like to make the most of your time and spend little time eating, then Amsterdam is the place to go. The capital of Holland offers hundreds of fast food chains, including the typical kebab, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, and one of our favorites: Wok to Walk!
FEBO is the most famous Dutch fast food chain with thousands of automat machines offering hot dogs, croquettes, hamburgers, among other delicatessens.
Beer
Beer is one of the most famous Dutch national drinks. The most common is the Pilsner, a light-colored type of larger. The most famous Dutch Pilsner beers are Heineken and Grolsch, followed by Witbier (whitish and cloudy, served with a slice of lemon). If you prefer a darker beer, we recommend Bokbier.
Prices
Eating out in Amsterdam is relatively expensive. The average price per person without wine is a little over € 20 (US$ 21.50) approximately. If you prefer to spend less money, the capital is packed with all types of fast food restaurants.
Meal times
In the Netherlands, like in other northern European countries, residents have their lunch around midday and dinner between 5pm and 8pm. Luckily, restaurants are open longer hours (approximately from noon – 2:30pm and from 5pm to 10pm). If you want to have dinner later than 10pm, you can head to any fast food joint.
Best areas to eat out
Most of the city center in Amsterdam is packed with restaurants, cafés, bars and fast food chains; nevertheless, the most popular neighborhoods to eat out include Dam Square and Spui (and their surroundings). For dinner, we recommend heading to Leidseplein.
