15 Best Amsterdam Restaurants You Need to Try
Amsterdam’s food scene rivals its famous canals and museums, yet it flies under the radar.
You don’t need a Michelin-star budget to eat incredibly well here. These 15 best restaurants in Amsterdam will show you exactly where to eat.
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1. De Kas
Hidden inside Amsterdam’s Frankendael Park, De Kas is a greenhouse restaurant where the dining room doubles as a working conservatory. Most of the organic produce is grown right on-site, so the menu flips with what is ripe in the garden that day.
The Mediterranean-inspired dishes focus on vegetables pulled straight from the beds out back. Roasted beet dishes show up often and remind you how good vegetables can be when they’re this fresh.
The high glass ceilings and floods of natural light make it feel far from the busy city center. Tables go fast, especially for dinner when the greenhouse glows at night, so booking ahead is a must.
Location: Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, 1097 DE Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
2. De Silveren Spiegel
This Dutch fine dining spot is tucked inside a 17th-century monument on Kattengat, with wooden beams and slanted floors that hum with Amsterdam history. The building’s gorgeous, but it’s the food that keeps people coming back.
The kitchen sticks to Dutch ingredients, turning local produce into Michelin-worthy tasting menus that shift with the seasons. You can pick from 5, 6, or 8 courses, and each one highlights what the Netherlands does best.
Location: Kattengat 4-6, 1012 SZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
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3. The Pantry
The Pantry sits on Leidsekruisstraat, serving up traditional Dutch home cooking that regulars have loved for years. It’s warm and casual, like eating at a friend’s place, especially if you snag a spot on the terrace out front.
Hearty portions of Dutch classics come out of the kitchen daily. Hutspot is a highlight here: mashed potatoes with vegetables, stewed beef and a side of smoked sausage. It’s comfort food that sticks to your ribs and reminds you why these dishes never go out of style.
Location: Leidsekruisstraat 21, 1017 RE Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
4. Restaurant De Utrechtsedwarstafel
Down a quiet side street near the Amstel River, this tiny 24-seat spot gives you a fine dining experience minus the crowds. Forget menus — Chef Esther van Meerten puts out a surprise tasting menu based on what’s fresh, seasonal, and what sparks her creativity at the moment.
The food draws from French, Italian, and Dutch traditions. Each course builds on the last, almost like chapters in a story you get to eat. What really sets this place apart is host Hans Verbeek’s wine pairings; he pours bottles from tiny producers and always has a story to go with each glass.
Location: Utrechtsedwarsstraat 107-109, 1017 WD Amsterdam
Website: Visit Website
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5. Cape Town Social Club
South African flavors are rare in Amsterdam, but Cape Town Social Club on Raamstraat brings bold, authentic tastes from Cape Malay and traditional South African cooking. Fragrant curries, braised meats, and spices that feel like a quick trip to the Cape — this kitchen doesn’t hold back.
You might see dishes like bunny chow (a curry served in bread) and mains like short rib paired with chakalaka on the set-course menu, plus desserts with a South African-inspired twist, so you get a real intro to South African home cooking.
Location: Raamstraat 27, 1016 XL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
6. Restaurant Flore
Restaurant Flore offers conscious fine dining in Amsterdam’s city center, with a team-first attitude that puts creativity and genuine hospitality right up front. The kitchen is all about seasonality and bold flavors, serving plates that balance technical skill with a relaxed, easygoing atmosphere.
The menu changes often, depending on what’s fresh, but you’ll find dishes that show off the kitchen’s knack for pairing ingredients you wouldn’t expect. Wine picks add another layer — sometimes surprising, always thoughtful.
Location: Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14, 1012 CP Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
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7. Restaurant Bougainville
Inside Hotel TwentySeven on Dam Square, Restaurant Bougainville lets you look out over Amsterdam’s historic center through panoramic windows as you eat. Executive Chef Tim Golsteijn landed a Michelin star here early on, and the kitchen keeps pushing out creative plates.
The menu focuses on high-end meat and seafood, with dishes that play with texture and presentation. The wine and sake list gets serious attention from Maître-Sommelier Ronald Opten, who’s trained the staff to help you pick pairings that fit what’s on your plate.
If you’re not ready to wrap up after dinner, Bar TwentySeven downstairs has cocktails waiting. The whole setup works whether you’re celebrating or just want to see what Michelin-level cooking looks like in the heart of Amsterdam.
Location: Dam 27, 1012 JS Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
8. Restaurant Olijfje
Restaurant Olijfje sits right in Amsterdam’s old center, serving Mediterranean and Turkish flavors in a relaxed spot. Grilled meats, fresh fish, and casseroles anchor the menu, all embracing bold spices and simple prep.
The menu covers a lot of territory, from meat-forward plates to vegan choices, so everyone at the table can find something. Their lamb casserole pops up on plenty of local must-try lists — slow-cooked, tender, and loaded with herbs.
Grilled meats are another safe bet, charred just so and paired with sides that don’t steal the spotlight. Vegan, vegetarian, or all-in on meat — the kitchen handles each plate with care.
Location: Valkenburgerstraat 223D, 1011 MJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
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9. Brasserie Ambassade
Brasserie Ambassade claims a prime spot on the Herengracht canal in central Amsterdam, where French cooking gets a Dutch twist. The menu sticks to classic French dishes with a modern update, and most of the ingredients are sourced from local producers.
The wine list is pretty extensive, with over 50 bottles picked to match the food, plus cocktails, specialty beers, and whiskies. There’s also the Library Bar inside, lined with over 5,000 signed books from well-known authors.
CoBrA art hangs throughout the dining room, giving the space a cozy, almost gallery-like vibe. Seasonal tasting menus rotate to highlight what’s fresh, so what’s on offer changes to follow the local harvest.
The canalside terrace gets busy when the sun’s out; it’s a top perch for boat-watching and people-watching alike.
Location: Herengracht 339, 1016 AJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
10. Ciel Bleu
On the 23rd floor of Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Ciel Bleu has kept its two Michelin stars since 2007. The kitchen embraces international flavors and bold spices, with Chef Arjan Speelman and his team balancing technical skill and creative spark.
Every bite is a little different — textures and flavors get their moment. The view is a big part of the experience, with sweeping looks over Amsterdam’s skyline.
Sommeliers are on hand to walk you through their exclusive wine selection if you want a little guidance. Dress code is smart casual; no sportswear, shorts, or ripped jeans.
Location: Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, 1072 LH Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
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11. BAK
BAK, up in Amsterdam Houthaven, is all local ingredients, seasonal cooking, and skipping shortcuts. Since 2012, this fine dining spot has made vegetables the star — though you’ll get fish and meat done right, too.
They work directly with nearby farmers, hunters, and growers, so everything on your plate is fresh and close to home. The meal is a fixed tasting menu, but you can add à la carte specials if you’re extra hungry.
The kitchen uses modern European techniques and keeps Dutch roots visible in every dish. Vegetables get the most creative treatment here; they’re not just sides, but the main event, showing off what Dutch soil can do.
Location: Van Diemenstraat 408, 1013 CR Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
12. Restaurant Watergang
Restaurant Watergang is tucked into a charming townhouse on Weteringstraat, where Dutch ingredients shine in a five-course surprise menu that changes with the seasons.
The kitchen sticks to what’s fresh, so you won’t see the same dishes twice, but the approach is steady: refined technique, rich flavors, and butter-forward cooking that shifts as the calendar turns.
Each plate is built around what’s peaking that week — sometimes it’s spring greens, other times it’s autumn game or winter roots. The townhouse keeps things cozy, so it’s worth booking ahead online or by phone.
Location: Weteringstraat 41, 1017 SM Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
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13. Assaggi
Assaggi brings real Italian cooking to Amsterdam’s Jordaan neighborhood. This family-run spot has been around since 2007, and they’re serious about ingredients — most of them come straight from Italy.
The menu offers traditional Italian dishes made with quality products. Pasta is the main event here, made fresh and served the way you’d find it in Italy.
The wine list focuses on bottles from well-known Italian wineries, especially from the Piedmont region, and they pair up nicely with whatever you order.
The dining room is cozy, and the Jordaan location puts you right in one of the city’s most walkable, canal-lined neighborhoods. Booking ahead is advised, especially during busy dinner hours.
Location: Tweede Egelantiersdwarsstraat 6, 1015 SC Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
14. Vinkeles
Vinkeles sits inside a former 1700s bakery at The Dylan hotel, right on the Keizersgracht canal. Executive Chef Jurgen van der Zalm leads the kitchen, focusing on modern French food that lets top-quality ingredients speak for themselves.
You’ll find classic French technique with fresh, seasonal ingredients on every plate. Wine pairings from Merlijn Kemper and his team are spot on and never overcomplicated.
Vinkeles earned its two Michelin stars for good reason, with a chef’s menu that changes with the seasons and always highlights each ingredient’s purest character. If you want high-level French cooking in a historic Amsterdam setting, this is the place.
Location: Keizersgracht 384, 1016 GB Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
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15. Hollands Hap Hmm Restaurant
Since 1935, Hollands Hap Hmm has been the go-to spot on Eerste Helmersstraat for Dutch comfort food. Locals and travelers keep coming back for the homestyle cooking that’s hard to find outside a Dutch grandma’s kitchen.
You’ll find meatballs that taste like they’ve simmered all afternoon, steaks with a rich, homemade stroganoff sauce, and sides that rotate with the seasons — stewed pears, fresh applesauce, or a ladle of warm custard.
The schnitzel, though, is probably what most folks talk about after — golden, crisp, and just plain satisfying. Prices? Let’s just say you won’t need to check your bank balance before ordering dessert.
Location: Eerste Helmersstraat 33, 1054 CZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: Visit Website
