Where to eat near Dam Square in Amsterdam: how to avoid the tourist traps

Dam Square is the busiest spot in Amsterdam, and the restaurants around it live mostly off passing trade. This guide gives no prices, because they change often: it describes the streets, the types of places and the pitfalls, so you know where to walk five or ten minutes further. For an overview of the whole city, see our guide to where to eat in Amsterdam.

What to know before you choose

The Damrak, between Central Station and Dam Square

Around the Dam, the Damrak, the Nieuwendijk and the nearby lanes are packed with large dining rooms, waffle and fries kiosks and fast-food chains. They are convenient and open late, but they depend on customers who will never come back, so quality is more uneven than in residential neighbourhoods. Walking two or three streets away is often enough to find shorter menus and quieter dining rooms.

Streets to avoid for a proper meal

The Damrak: the avenue between Central Station and the Dam. It works as a tourist corridor; the big terraces facing the boats are expensive for what they offer.
The Nieuwendijk and the Kalverstraat: very busy pedestrian shopping streets, ideal for a takeaway snack, less so for a sit-down meal.
The immediate edge of the Dam: the view of the palace pushes up the bill and service can be rushed. Have a coffee here rather than a full meal.

Streets to prefer

The lanes between the Dam and the Spui (Nes, Wijde Kapelsteeg, Voetboogstraat): small places also used by people who work in the area. The Nes, the street of theatres, is calmer at lunchtime.
The Spui and its cafés: ten minutes' walk away, the square of books has neighbourhood cafés and brasseries, including the famous Café Hoppe, a brown café from 1670 that opens early for breakfast and lunch.
The Nine Streets: about 10 to 15 minutes' walk to the west, this district of small shops has many cafés and light lunches.
The Nieuwmarkt: about 10 minutes to the east, the terraces around the Waag are more local than those on the Dam.

How to spot a tourist trap

A tout calling to you in the street to get you inside.
A menu with photos of dishes in every language and a fixed-price "tourist menu".
A huge menu with very varied dishes (pizza, sushi and Dutch dishes all at once).
"Typical" dishes with no mention of local or seasonal produce.
Drink prices not displayed: ask for the menu before you sit down.

If in doubt, check recent reviews and see whether the room is full of locals at lunchtime (around 12:30) or dinner (usually 18:30 to 19:30).

For a quick bite

For a fast lunch, a bakery or a takeaway snack costs less than a table on the Dam. Takeaway sandwiches, soups, herring (haring) and fries in a paper cone are simple meals to eat standing or on a bench by a canal. For specialities to try, see our guide to what to eat in Amsterdam; for breakfast, brunch and breakfast in Amsterdam.

Booking and timing

Places popular with locals fill up on Friday and Saturday evenings: book or arrive before 18:30. Dutch kitchens often close early, around 21:30 or 22:00; after that, mostly fast food and bars remain. Tipping is explained in our guide to money, payment and tipping in Amsterdam. To go beyond the meal, see what there is nearby in Around Dam Square.