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
In Amsterdam there are many options for those who don't like to waste time eating quietly in restaurants; from the option of the typical kebab or fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King and KFC, to a rich Asian food chain, Wok to Walk!
The best known fast food establishments where you can eat in Amsterdam are the mythical FEBO, which have dozens of vending machines where you can find hot dogs, croquettes, hamburgers at any time of day.
Several places where you can eat or have a drink, with a different kind of atmosphere are:
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
When it comes to food, Amsterdam isn’t the cheapest city. Daily set menus at restaurants typically cost just over € 20 (US$ 22.84) per person. However, for those looking for more budget-friendly options, the city has plenty of fast food spots and casual eateries to choose from
Meal Times
In the Netherlands, like in other northern European countries, residents have their lunch between 12 noon and 2 pm, whereas dinner is between 5 pm and 10 pm. If you want to have dinner later than 10 pm, you can head to any fast food joint.
When looking for where to eat in Amsterdam, you can find restaurants and fast food places all over the city.
Some of the best areas in Amsterdam to eat out include Dam Square and Spui. For dinner, we recommend heading to Leidseplein.
