Amsterdam's food story is more interesting than its reputation suggests. Yes, there are croquettes from vending machines and tourist-trap pancake houses. But the city also has a Surinamese food scene that rivals London's, Indonesian restaurants that serve food you won't find this good outside Java, a cheese culture that goes deeper than the tourist shops, and a modern restaurant scene that's grown dramatically in the last decade.
Here's what to eat, where to find it, and what to skip.
Dutch Classics You Should Try
Bitterballen
Crispy fried balls of meat ragout, served with mustard. Every brown café in Amsterdam has them — they're the default bar snack. The outside should be crunchy; the inside is a molten, creamy filling. Order them with a beer in any traditional pub. Café 't Smalle in the Jordaan and Café de Vergulde Gaper on Prinseneiland serve excellent versions.
Stroopwafels
Two thin waffle layers with caramel syrup in between. The supermarket versions are fine, but a fresh stroopwafel from a market stall — made on the spot, warm, with the syrup still liquid — is a different thing entirely. Albert Cuyp Market and the Noordermarkt are the best places to get them fresh. Accept no substitutes for the real thing.
Raw Herring (Hollandse Nieuwe)
Raw herring with chopped onion and pickles, eaten by holding it above your mouth and lowering it in. Or, if you prefer dignity, in a broodje (bread roll). The herring season starts in June (Hollandse Nieuwe) when the first catch arrives. Fish stalls on Albert Cuyp Market and Stubbe's Haring near Centraal Station are reliable. It's milder than you expect.
Dutch Cheese
The Netherlands produces 650 million kilos of cheese a year. Gouda (aged versions are intense and crystalline), Edam, Leyden (with cumin), and Old Amsterdam are the main varieties. The tourist cheese shops on Damrak are overpriced — go to the Albert Cuyp Market or a proper cheese shop like De Kaaskamer on Runstraat (Nine Streets) for better quality and fair prices. Always taste before buying.
Indonesian Food
Rijsttafel — the Dutch-Indonesian feast
The rijsttafel (rice table) is Amsterdam's signature dining experience — a shared feast of 12 to 20 small Indonesian dishes served with rice. Satay, rendang, gado gado, sambal, tempeh, and dozens of other dishes arrive in waves. It originated in Dutch colonial Indonesia and is now more popular in Amsterdam than in Indonesia itself. Blauw (De Pijp), Sampurna (near Flower Market), and Kantjil & de Tijger (Spui) are the top choices.
Surinamese Food
Roti, pom, and bakabana
Amsterdam has the largest Surinamese community outside Suriname, and the food reflects it. Roti (flatbread with curried chicken, potato, and egg) is the essential dish — Roopram Roti on Eerste van der Helststraat in De Pijp has been making it since 1981. Broodje pom (a casserole of chicken and tayer root on bread) is uniquely Surinamese-Dutch. Bakabana (fried plantain with peanut sauce) is the perfect snack.
Markets and Street Food
Albert Cuyp Market
The biggest street market in Amsterdam — 250+ stalls stretching through De Pijp, Monday through Saturday. Fresh stroopwafels, herring, cheese, Surinamese roti, Vietnamese spring rolls, flowers, and everything in between. It's a working market, not a tourist market — prices are fair and the food is made fresh. Come hungry and graze. More on the market →
Foodhallen
An indoor food hall in a former tram depot in Oud-West. Twenty-plus stalls covering Vietnamese pho, New York-style pizza, oysters, tacos, dim sum, and Dutch bitterballen. It's curated rather than chaotic — each vendor is selected, and the quality is consistent. Good for groups who can't agree on one cuisine. Gets busy on weekend evenings.
Noordermarkt (Saturday)
The Saturday organic farmers' market on the Noordermarkt square in the Jordaan. Artisan bread, organic vegetables, French cheeses, prepared food, and fresh juice. It's where local foodies shop — the quality is a step above Albert Cuyp and the prices reflect it. The Monday market on the same square is more flea-market than food, but worth browsing.
Where to Eat Well
Brown cafés for bitterballen and beer
Café 't Smalle (Jordaan, 1786), Café Chris (Jordaan, 1624, the oldest brown café), Café de Vergulde Gaper (Prinseneiland), and Café Papeneiland (Prinsengracht, 1642, famous for apple pie). Order bitterballen, a cheese board, and a local beer. Brown cafés are at their best in late afternoon when the light comes through the windows.
Modern Amsterdam restaurants
The restaurant scene has matured dramatically. Rijks (the Rijksmuseum restaurant, modern Dutch), BAK (creative tasting menus in a former warehouse), Restaurant Breda (Southern French-Dutch), and Choux (contemporary bistro in De Pijp) are all excellent. For a splurge, &mfie by Alain Caron and Vinkeles offer Michelin-level dining.
What to Skip
Tourist-trap pancake houses on Damrak and Leidseplein — Dutch pancakes (pannenkoeken) are good, but these places charge €15+ for mediocre versions. The Nutella-drizzled waffle stands near Centraal Station — these are Belgian-style waffles, not Dutch, and not very good ones. The "Dutch tasting" boards at tourist restaurants near Dam Square — overpriced and underwhelming. Walk ten minutes in any direction and you'll eat better for less.
Taste Amsterdam Your Way
Canal cruises with cheese and wine, food tours, and neighborhood guides.
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