The food and drink scene in Amsterdam is wonderfully diverse. Historically, the Dutch aren’t renowned for their fine cuisine, so there’s a wide range of international restaurants from Greek to Indian, although there are a few places that serve traditional Dutch dishes cooked with a modern twist of luxury and sophistication.
It’s easy to find something for every palate and budget, from the informal and inexpensive pub-style eetcafés to fine dining restaurants.
Dutch restaurants To sample the best Dutch cuisine in the city, head for Blauw aan de Wal, hidden on a quiet spot at 99 Oudezijds Achterburgwal in the Red Light District, where you’ll find exquisite dishes such as suckling pig.
At the other side of the city centre, in the Jordaan, and much less formal, is De Eettuin on Tuindwarsstraat, a cosy Dutch restaurant where the portions are generous and the service very friendly.
For real carnivores, Piet de Leeuw on Noorderstraat is a delicious steakhouse that has enjoyed an excellent reputation in Amsterdam since the 1930s. There’s a wide range of different cuts to choose from, all cooked to perfection just as you like them, whether that’s pink and juicy or blackened on the char grill.
Vegetarian restaurants Although Dutch food is traditionally heavily meat-based, there are nevertheless many good vegetarian restaurants across Amsterdam. Probably the most well known is De Bolhoed on Prinsengracht, where the Mexican and Italian themed food is guaranteed fresh and organic. Another vegetarian place worth checking out is Golden Temple on Utrechtsstraat, which, despite its non-smoking and non-drinking policy, has a convivial and relaxed atmosphere.
Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants Most of the Indian restaurants in the city also serve a good range of vegetarian dishes, such as Shiva on Reguliersdwarsstraat. There’s a great choice of different curries from all over India, ranging from mild and fruity to intensely spicy, and they’re all reasonably priced.
For an intimate and romantic meal in tranquil surroundings, try Sukasari Indonesian restaurant on Damstraat. Beautifully decorated in authentic Indonesian style, it serves wonderfully fragrant and aromatic dishes infused with exotic flavours such as coconut, chilli and lime.
Alternatively, for an authentic Middle Eastern dining experience, pop along to Nomads on Rozengracht. Relax on the comfy cushions as you savour a delicious Moroccan tagine to a backdrop of live traditional music and dance.
Spanish restaurants Spanish food is also easy to come by in the city. Centra on Lange Niezel is a great cantina-style restaurant with a lively atmosphere, while Casa Juan on Lindengracht serves up undoubtedly the best paella.
Dutch baking and pastries While traditional Dutch dishes may not be world-renowned, the quality of Dutch baking and pastries certainly is. A visit to Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without a relaxing cup of tea or coffee on one of city’s friendly and informal cafes or tearooms, accompanied by a real Dutch treat such as a stroopwaffel (syrup-infused waffle), a slice of appelgebak (apple tart with cinnamon), some amandelkoek (crunchy cakes with a soft almond filling) or some wonderfully satisfying pannekoeken (pancakes). Two of the best tearooms with a fine selection of cakes and pastries are Caffe Esprit on Spui and Puccini on Staalstraat. For excellent appelgebak, pop into Winkel on Noordermarkt.
Drinking When it comes to drinking, Amsterdam knows how to party. There are pubs and bars lining just about every street in the city centre and wherever you go the atmosphere is always guaranteed to be lively and festive.
You might find the terminology a little confusing at first – café in Amsterdam tends to mean pub or bar, and there are two types: bruin café (‘brown café’ or informal pub) and grand café (trendy bars and more upmarket establishments). The term coffeeshop can also be misleading. In Amsterdam the coffeeshops are the cafés licenced for smoking dope. They sell a variety of types of cannabis and joint as well as snacks and soft drinks, but are not licensed to sell alcohol. Conversely, the pubs and bars don’t permit dope-smoking, so it’s not possible to mix the two in the same place on a night out.
De Jaren is a plush grand café overlooking the canal at Nieuwe Doelenstraat and a good place to enjoy a relaxing drink day or night. Café Dante on Spuistraat is similarly eclectic and relaxing, with an Art Deco theme and an art gallery area upstairs. In contrast, one of the most lively brown cafés in the city is the slightly scruffy Het Molenpad on Prinsengracht, which is always popular with a young and laid-back crowd. To sample a good range of traditional Dutch beers, head over to Hoppe brown café on Spuistraat, one of the city’s most well known beer-drinking establishments. Other traditional Dutch tipples are jenever (a spirit similar to gin) and fruit liqueurs. To sample some of these, nip into Proeflokaal Wijnand Fockinck on Pijlsteeg, a tiny 300-year old courtyard tavern with an excellent spirit and liqueur menu.
