How to choose where to eat in Amsterdam
Three simple rules avoid most disappointments:
- Move away from the main tourist streets. The Damrak, the street running from the station to Dam Square, is lined with restaurants showing picture menus in several languages, aimed mostly at visitors passing through. Walk a few minutes further to eat better for the same price.
- Eat early. Amsterdammers sit down for dinner around 6pm or 7pm, and most kitchens close between 9pm and 10pm, even when the bar stays open until midnight or later. After 10pm, finding an open kitchen becomes difficult.
- Book for dinner, especially from Thursday to Saturday: dining rooms are small. Many cafés, on the other hand, take no bookings.
This guide does not describe the dishes themselves: to know what to order (herring, bitterballen, stamppot, stroopwafel), read our guide what to eat in Amsterdam. For breakfast and brunch cafés, see our guide brunch and breakfast in Amsterdam.
The centre: eating around Dam Square without falling into a trap
In the historic centre, the easiest option is a quick bite: herring from a fish stall, a cone of fries or a kroket, all covered in our specialities guide. For a sit-down meal without a booking, Café de Jaren, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20 (1012 CP), is a large café on two floors, with a balcony and a terrace right on the Amstel, five minutes' walk from Dam Square. It opens from 10am to 10pm Sunday to Wednesday and from 10am to 11pm Thursday to Saturday; the kitchen closes at 9pm, and snacks are served later. Tomato soup costs €8.30, a hamburger €16, six bitterballen €8.20 and steak with fries €27.50. The café takes no bookings and accepts cards only.
For a drink before dinner, the centre also has several of the city's oldest bars: our guide to Amsterdam's brown cafés presents them.
The Jordaan and the Nine Streets: Dutch cooking and canal views
The Jordaan is the area where you eat the most "Dutch" food. Restaurants are mainly on the Westerstraat, the Rozengracht, the small side streets and the Haarlemmerstraat. On Saturdays, the stalls of the Noordermarkt and the Lindengracht let you snack as you walk.
- Moeders, Rozengracht 251 (1016 SX), serves home-style Dutch cooking in a dining room whose walls are covered with photos of mothers. It opens daily at 5pm, and the kitchen takes last orders at 10pm. The stamppot of the day costs €20, erwtensoep (pea soup) €9.50, and the "Hollandse rijsttafel", a selection of Dutch dishes for a minimum of two people, €24 per person. Bookings are made online only, up to five weeks ahead.
- De Belhamel, Brouwersgracht 60 (1013 GX), sits on the corner of the Brouwersgracht and the Herengracht, with views of both canals and a waterside terrace in summer. The cooking is French- and Italian-inspired; the chef's three-course menu costs €56. Breakfast from 9.30am to noon, lunch from noon to 4pm, dinner from 5.30pm to 10pm.
Between the Jordaan and the Singel, the Nine Streets are better for a coffee or pancakes during the day than for dinner: the area's brunch spots are listed in our dedicated guide.
De Pijp: the market and food from around the world
In De Pijp, start with the Albert Cuyp Market, open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm: it is the cheapest place for a standing lunch, between fish, stroopwafel and world-food stalls. In the evening, terraces cluster around the Gerard Douplein and the Ceintuurbaan.
On the quay of the Boerenwetering canal, Café Binnen Buiten, Ruysdaelkade 115 (1072 AN), is a neighbourhood café open since 2003, with a terrace in fine weather. It opens from noon to 1am Sunday to Thursday and from 11am to 3am on Friday and Saturday; the kitchen serves daily until 10pm. Bookings are taken by phone.
For Surinamese food, the Roopram Roti chain has a branch in the area, Van Woustraat 37A, open from 1pm to 9pm Tuesday to Saturday and from 3pm to 9pm on Sunday, closed on Monday.
Oud-West and De Hallen: the food hall for groups
In the former tram depot of De Hallen, the Foodhallen, Hannie Dankbaarpassage 16 (1053 RT), bring together 19 independent stalls (tapas, ramen, dim sum, Indonesian food, tacos, burgers, pizza) and three bars. They open daily from noon to 11pm, close on 25 December and close at 8pm on 24 and 31 December. Each stall sets its own prices. It is the most practical option for a group or family who want different things, or for a rainy evening; at weekends, arrive before 6.30pm to find a table.
Amsterdam-Oost: from a Surinamese canteen to a Michelin-starred greenhouse
In the east, the area around the Dappermarkt, open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, is less touristy than De Pijp. Right next to it, Roopram Roti, Eerste van Swindenstraat 4 (1093 GC), is a Surinamese canteen where you order at the counter: chicken roti €13, vegetarian roti €10, lamb roti €19.50. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 2pm to 9pm and is closed on Monday; in the last hour and a half, it serves takeaway only.
At the other end of the scale, Restaurant De Kas, Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3 (1097 DE), occupies a 1927 municipal greenhouse in Frankendael Park. The restaurant holds a Michelin star and a green star. Much of the produce comes from its own gardens, and the restaurant serves set menus only, with no à la carte: a three-course lunch at €55 (four courses €67, five courses €76), and a five-course dinner at €86 or six courses at €95. It opens Monday to Saturday; lunch seating is between noon and 1.45pm and dinner seating between 6pm and 9pm. Booking online is essential.
For an Indonesian rijsttafel, another Amsterdam dinner classic, see our guide rijsttafel in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam-Noord: dinner on the IJ waterfront
The free ferries leaving from behind Central Station take you to the north bank in a few minutes, where old warehouses and shipyards have become restaurants overlooking the water.
- Pllek, TT Neveritaweg 59 (1033 WB), near the former NDSM shipyard (ferry F4), looks out over the IJ and the city skyline. It opens daily at 9.30am; the kitchen closes at 10pm, and the dinner menu is served from 5.30pm to 10pm. Evening mains cost €19 to €27, for example €26.50 for steak frites.
- Hotel de Goudfazant, Aambeeldstraat 30 (1021 KB), is a restaurant despite its name. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 5.30pm and serves a three-course menu at €49.50, whose dishes can also be ordered à la carte. Online booking for tables of up to fifteen people.
You can also dine on the water itself: dinner cruises are compared in our guide Amsterdam canal cruises.
The Museum Quarter: before or after a concert
Around Museumplein, the museum cafés work well for lunch, but the choice is more limited in the evening. Brasserie Keyzer, on the Van Baerlestraat next to the Concertgebouw, serves breakfast from 10am to noon, lunch from noon to 4pm and the à la carte menu from noon to 10pm. Expect €17 for a broodje bal (meatball in a roll), €20 for a "12 uurtje" (a selection of rolls with soup) and €28 for its steak tartare, the dish it is known for. The brasserie can time your meal around your concert next door; book on concert nights. Trams 2, 5, 12 and 24 stop nearby.
Summary of addresses by area
| Address | Area | Type of meal | Hours | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Café de Jaren | Centre, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20 | Café, terrace on the Amstel | Sun-Wed 10am-10pm, Thu-Sat 10am-11pm | Hamburger €16 |
| Moeders | Jordaan, Rozengracht 251 | Dutch cooking | Daily from 5pm, kitchen until 10pm | Stamppot €20 |
| De Belhamel | Jordaan, Brouwersgracht 60 | Canalside restaurant | Dinner 5.30pm-10pm | 3-course menu €56 |
| Albert Cuyp Market | De Pijp | Quick bite | Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm | Low-cost stalls |
| Café Binnen Buiten | De Pijp, Ruysdaelkade 115 | Café, terrace on the quay | Kitchen until 10pm | Booking by phone |
| Foodhallen | Oud-West, De Hallen | Street food hall | Daily noon-11pm | Prices set by each stall |
| Roopram Roti | Oost, Eerste van Swindenstraat 4 | Surinamese canteen | Tue-Sun 2pm-9pm | Chicken roti €13 |
| De Kas | Oost, Frankendael Park | Fine-dining set menu | Mon-Sat, lunch and dinner | 5-course dinner €86 |
| Pllek | Noord, TT Neveritaweg 59 | Dinner overlooking the IJ | Dinner 5.30pm-10pm | Mains €19 to €27 |
| Hotel de Goudfazant | Noord, Aambeeldstraat 30 | Restaurant | Tue-Sun from 5.30pm | 3-course menu €49.50 |
| Brasserie Keyzer | Museum Quarter, Van Baerlestraat | Brasserie | À la carte noon-10pm | Steak tartare €28 |
Hours and prices checked in October 2026 on the restaurants' official websites.
How much does a meal cost in Amsterdam
Based on the menus checked for this guide, here are typical amounts per person, excluding drinks:
| Type of meal | Example | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Quick bite | Roti at the counter, market stall | €10 to €15 |
| Café lunch | Soup, open sandwich or burger | €8 to €20 |
| Café dinner or Dutch cooking | Stamppot, evening main | €20 to €30 |
| Restaurant menu | Three courses | About €50 to €60 |
| Fine-dining menu | Five or six courses | €85 to €95 |
Prices checked in October 2026. Add drinks on top: to fit these meals into a trip budget, see our guide to the cost of a trip to Amsterdam.
Booking, payment and table manners
- Booking: online for most restaurants (Moeders, De Kas, Hotel de Goudfazant), sometimes by phone only (Café Binnen Buiten). Large cafés such as Café de Jaren do not take bookings: arrive before 7pm.
- Payment: cards are accepted almost everywhere, and some places refuse cash. Tipping is explained in our guide money, payment and tipping in Amsterdam.
- Water: to find out whether tap water is safe to drink and how to ask for it at the table, see our guide tap water in Amsterdam.
- Closing days: several places close on Monday (Roopram Roti, Hotel de Goudfazant) or Sunday (De Kas). Check before crossing town.
Further reading
To know what to order once at the table, read our guide what to eat in Amsterdam, then plan a morning at the Albert Cuyp Market with our guide to De Pijp. Morning addresses are gathered in our guide brunch and breakfast in Amsterdam.
