Amsterdam is like a foodie heaven. There are so many restaurants and bakeries and cafes all over town. The cuisines are very international. Here you can find foods from every country, even ones I’ve never heard of. Within walking distance of our hotel, I saw foods from Suriname, Indonesian, Tibet, Italy, etc. We tried many restaurants but could not possibly taste it all. (My biggest disappointment is not having a chance to try Rijsttafel, an Indonesian cuisine that literally translates to “Rice Table”. I guess I’ll have to come back!) What I wasn’t prepared to find out about restaurants in Amsterdam is that every restaurant expects you to make a reservation, even the casual, hole-in-the-wall ones. If you show up without a reservation, they may try to accommodate you but they definitely know instantly that you are not local. I haven’t completely figured out how to make reservations easily (I found a local app for reservations but it doesn’t want to work with an American phone…). Some restaurants are on OpenTable which made it very easy, but majority are not. Had I known how important it was to make reservations earlier, I would have given a list of the restaurants I wanted to our hotel host, who was very accommodating and always available.
Cafe In De Waag
This restaurant is right across the street from where we stayed (Tulip of Amsterdam). We came across it because it’s located inside a castle and it just looked so cool. When we went, it was between lunch and dinner time and the inside of the restaurant wasn’t open (I think the inside is open for dinner only), but the outdoor patio seating was open and we were seated immediately. We wish we could have gone inside because the pictures I’ve seen shows the inside looking so cool. The food was very good and there was good drink options too. Service was a little slow but they were quite busy.
De Carrousel Pannenkoeken
If you come to Amsterdam, you must try the Dutch pancake. Dutch pancake is served everywhere around town. We found this little place near Heineken, on our way walking back to the guesthouse after our Heineken experience. We ordered the poffertjes (which are small little pancakes) and it was perfect for sharing. The pancakes come with a huge list of toppings to choose from. We chose whipped cream and strawberries. It was so delicious.
Cafe Piazza
This restaurant is just two doors down from where we were staying. The reviews were excellent so we were excited to try. The menu was pretty exciting with lots of items but the food turned out to be about average. My food (Salmon with shrimp) was pretty tasty but it was very greasy. Teddy wasn’t too impressed with his homemade lasagna. Service was so slow that it was a little annoying. We didn’t have a reservation though so that may have been part of the issue.
De Lunch
This restaurant situated in the coastal town of Volendam is literally called, De Lunch, I assume meaning “The Lunch”. It was recommended to us by our tour guide and although the whole town felt a little touristy, I didn’t get the feeling this place was any more expensive than others. The food was actually REALLY good and tasted authentically Dutch. There are two parts to the restaurant – an indoor section across the street from the water, and an outdoor section that’s right on the water. Same menu! We would have totally missed the outdoor area if the guide didn’t help us.
Cafe Del Mondo
Cafe Del Mondo is a little restaurant across from our room that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. We enjoyed breakfast here one morning. The food was simple but pretty good. The coffee was very good and came with a little piece of stroopwafel. They have fresh squeezed fruit juices too.
The Cafe at Rijksmuseum
There’s a super cute Café inside Rijksmuseum. Since this is a top attraction, I thought I would share our experience at this little cafe. The food was actually really good and the staff was kind, but you had to order through a digital format and there seemed to be something not working right because every table was having trouble with their order. We eventually got everything we ordered and they gave us a slice of cheesecake for free for our troubles. The bitterballen (fried meat balls) was SO delicious!
Pancakes Amsterdam
Since our first try of poffertjes was so good, we decided to go for another round after visiting Anne Frank House, at a restaurant aptly named Pancakes. And it did not disappoint. This restaurant is literally right outside of Anne Frank House and the interior was beautiful. They also have some free cute little gifts near the door, like postcards and keychains with little clogs charms. Most visitors were foreigners like ourselves, and when I ordered a little coffee drink, a few people asked me what I had ordered (which I wasn’t even sure to be honest lol). It was some espresso coffee and a shot of some kind of liqueur (eggnog maybe?). It was good and strong.
Bunk
Bunk is a beautiful International restaurant and hostel. My childhood friend who has been living in Amsterdam for decades now, recommended this restaurant and brought us here. The restaurant has awesome drinks and coffee and the food was very good too. The décor is classy and playful at the same time – lots of flowers but also a dinosaur!
Papa Carlo
Papa Carlo is a restaurant literally next door to the guesthouse we were staying in. We got to smell the wonderful smells everyday so we had to give it a try. It was an Italian restaurant with pizza and pasta options. The food was very good here and they were on OpenTable so it was easy to make a reservation too.
Sea Palace
Sea Palace is a Chinese restaurant located close to the cruise port. It’s somehow built in the water and you have to walk on these bridge gangways to get into the restaurant. It’s one of the most expensive restaurants in Amsterdam and it’s easy to see why – the building is a marvel on its own and the menu is quite fancy. The food is ordered through a QR code and someone will bring your food to you as they become ready. We ordered one thing at a time and shared everything. They have entrees and dim sums too, but the dim sums were priced so high that we didn’t order any. We ordered the roasted half duck, which was quite filling, and some wonton soup. The drinks here are fancy. My favorite was the Pornstar Martini, which was SO good.
Ctaste
Absolutely the most unique dining experience we’ve ever had to date. Ctaste is a restaurant created and ran by people that are visually challenged (blind). The dining experience is in total darkness and you are not told what you are eating until the whole experience is over. You can choose a number of courses (3 course or a little more) and they are paired with wine or beer. You can eat with your fingers if you wish. We were given a glass of sparkling wine before going in, then we left our phone and other items in a locker and followed the waiter into the total dark room (by placing our hands on his shoulders). It was so nerve wracking at first and I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown! But it went so well and since you are in pitch black darkness, you will be forced to eat your food slowly, carefully, and talk to one another. This was a very special experience that you really don’t know what it’s like until you try it. I do it for my kids now at home from time to time – they wear an eye cover and I’m able to sneak some veggies onto their plates!
ARCA
Arca is a new Portuguese restaurant opened by the famous chef Henrique Sa Pessoa. He’s perhaps the best chef from Portugal and I was surprised that he was literally working in the open kitchen where I could see him from where we sat. The food was pretty expensive here, but that’s to be expected. We weren’t very hungry so we shared the Braised Pork Cheeks and a Sea and Citrus dessert. The pork is slow cooked for 15 hours and melts in your mouth. The red wine sauce goes so well with the pork and it’s just amazing. The dessert is innovative, with seaweed ice cream, lemon curd, rice cake and mint oil. The ice cream has a real punch of seaweed flavor which I loved. The food is high dollar here but if you are a connoisseur, this is a must-do.
Conclusion
There are so many restaurants left to try around Amsterdam. Many places looked amazing as we walked by. Next time I come here I will have all my reservations ready before I even arrive. This city is foodie heaven and that’s not an overstatement!