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by Rodney Bolt, The Daily Telegraph, September 12, 2016
An insider's guide to Amsterdam, featuring the city's best Michelin-starred restaurants, breakfast bars, pizza joints, and local favourites. By Rodney Bolt, Telegraph Travel's Amsterdam expert.
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Ciel Bleu (1)
Wunderkind Onno Kokmeijer, who picked up two Michelin stars in quick succession in his early thirties, comes up with delightfully wayward creations such as pigeon with pistachio cream and smoked beetroot, in a full silver service, classical setting. Well-heeled, well-dressed epicures rub shoulders with business folk on fat expense accounts. There’s an excellent wine list, worth exploring for its odder corners. Ask for a table at the window, on the northern side – the Okura Hotel is one of the tallest buildings in town, and the restaurant, on the 23rd floor, offers a rare unrestricted view across the entire city.
There’s an excellent wine list, worth exploring for its odder corners
Address: Hotel Okura. Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, 1072 LH
Getting there: trams 12
Contact: 0031 20 678 7450; okura.nl/okura-culinair/ciel-bleu/
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 6.30pm-10.30pm
Prices: set-price menus from €175 for dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Bridges (2)
Local master-chef Ron Blaauw is backstage advisor for one of his star protégés, at the restaurant of The Grand Amsterdam. Thirty-something Bobby Rust produces ‘Dutch fish with a French twist’ – sourcing local ingredients, and bringing a new take to traditional ways. Think gently cooked pike perch, with a jus made with smoked eel and escargot from Dutch (yes!) vineyards, or mackerel tartare with green strawberries and sesame. For those who scorn seafood, there are fine meat and poultry dishes, too. If you’re in the mood for something light, try the excellent raw bar.
Local master-chef Ron Blaauw is backstage advisor for one of his star protégés,at the restaurant at The Grand Amsterdam
Address: The Grand Amsterdam, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197, 1012 EX
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 555 3560; bridgesrestaurant.nl
Openingtimes: Mon-Sat, noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm; Sat, Sun, 6.30pm-10.30pm
Prices: lunch around €60, dinner around €80
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Bord'Eau (3)
Chef Richard van Oostenbrugge, in the main restaurant of Hotel de l'Europe, is not a fan of the food syringe, the curious spiral, the ‘ball of something strange on your plate’. He has a down-to-earth attitude to cooking, and believes in pure ingredients. But down-to-earth does not mean dull. This is high-end cuisine done with style and adventure – green asparagus, Romanesco tips, tiny leaves of chard, come tangled on a ridge of basmati-rice couscous, like a delicate spring garland. The décor is a realm of crisp whites, cascading orchids and gold-leaf wallpaper. Book a window table, for a view over the River Amstel to the 17th-century Munttoren (City Mint).
The décor is a realm of crisp whites, cascading orchids and gold-leaf wallpaper
Address: Hotel De L'Europe, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2, 1012 CP
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 531 1705; bordeau.nl
Opening times: Tue-Fri noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm; Sat 6.30pm-10.30pm
Prices: lunch from €48, dinner around €90
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Librije's Zusje (4)
Amsterdam’s new Waldorf Astoria Hotel occupies a stretch of six of the city’s grandest 17th-century canal mansions. The hotel has lured one of the Netherlands’ top chefs into town to establish a restaurant looking out into the garden at the back. From the smoked-mackerel macaroon amuse, through beef tartare with crispy tulip bulbs, to cod with green-tea oil, and then asparagus pudding, Sidney Schutte’s cooking represents all that is inspired and adventurous in Dutch cuisine. Try his cheeky take on the classic Waldorf salad: the same ingredients transformed into a dessert.
Amsterdam’s new Waldorf Astoria Hotel occupies a stretch of six of the city’s grandest 17th-century canal mansions
Address: Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Herengracht 542-556, 1017 CG
Getting there: tram 4, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 718 4643; waldorfastoria3.hilton.com
Opening times: Tue, Wed, 6.30pm-10.30pm; Thu-Sat, 12.30pm-2pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm
Prices: three courses from €72
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: essential
Rijks (5)
Star chef Joris Bijdendijk, still in his twenties, has shot across town from Bridges restaurant to glitter in a new setting, beneath the Rijksmuseum. I love the delicate, sophisticated touch he gives to his dishes: wild duck with sweet-and-sour fennel; pumpkin, aromatic with fresh porcini and hazelnut. To my mind this is by far the best cuisine to be had near the big museums, and well worth a special lunchtime treat. As befitting a restaurant at the national museum, Bijdendijk sources local and traditional products. Try one of the Dutch white wines, from the south of the country – they are surprisingly good.
To my mind this is by far the best cuisine to be had near the big museums
Address: Rijksmuseum (separate entrance, behind the museum), Museumstraat 2, 1077 XX
Getting there: tram 2, 5, 7, 10
Contact: 0031 20 674 7555; rijksrestaurant.nl
Opening times: Mon-Sat 11.30am-11pm; Sum 11.30am-9pm
Prices: 'Rijkstafel' (a feast of smaller dishes to share)€67.50 per person (dinner), €37.50 (lunch); individual dishes to share, on average €15-€20(three to five dishes sufficient for two people)
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
££
Envy (6)
A battery of chefs produces some of the most inventive new-Dutch cuisine in town (think smoked pigeon and tempura cherries), in four-bite portions. Go for individual menus, or share five or six dishes in haute-tapas style. Italian charcuterie is a speciality, and the Dutch gourmet sausages are an adventure (lavender as a matching flavour for pork took me pleasantly by surprise.) The light is dim, the décor dark, the clientele fadingly fashionable. Ask for a side table when you reserve; the tall central tables with bar-stool chairs are not particularly comfortable.
A battery of chefs produces some of the most inventive new-Dutch cuisine in town in four-bite portionsCredit: William Maanders Photography
Address: Prinsengracht 381, 1016 HL
Getting there: trams 1, 2, 5, 13, 14, 17
Contact: 0031 20 344 6407; envy.nl
Opening times: daily, 6pm-1am (kitchen closes 11pm); Fri-Sun also noon-3pm
Prices: lunch around €35, dinner around €45
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Koevoet (7)
With its dark wood panelling, Tiffany lampshades, wall clocks and assorted bric-a-brac, Koevoet seems every inch a traditional Jordaan café – until you get the menu. The cooking is by a wildly talented Sicilian family who supply home-made pastas, their own sausages, and other fine flavours of the south. The artichoke ravioli ranks easily with the best I’ve tasted. The restaurant is hugely popular among visitors to town, dating couples, and local Italian expats, though more expensive than you might expect, given the simple style. Tables to the rear of the mezzanine level feel less of a crush.
Tables to the rear of the mezzanine level feel less of a crushCredit: Cris Toala Olivares
Address: Lindenstraat 17, 1015 KV
Getting there: trams 10, 13, 14, 17
Contact: 0031 20 624 0846; diningcity.nl/koevoet
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 6pm-10pm; Sun, 6.30pm-10pm
Prices: dinner around €40
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Greetje (8)
A portrait of Greetje, the owner’s mother, smiles out at you from the wall. And most contented she would be, could she see what was happening in her name. Greetje harks back to good, traditional values in Dutch cooking, to a world of pure ingredients and forgotten flavours, but often with a cheeky twist. Think sea bass with elderflower sauce and creamed oats. Greetje’s Big Beginning is a must – a magnificent tier of all manner of starters: delicately smoked Volendam eel, Limburg cave mushroom soup, and more. Puddings bring a shine of childhood nostalgia to Dutch diners’ eyes.
A portrait of Greetje, the owner’s mother, smiles out at you from the wall
Address: Peperstraat 23, 1011 TJ
Getting there: tram 9, 14; Bus 22, 42, 43; Metro Waterlooplein
Contact: 0031 20 779 7450; restaurantgreetje.nl
Opening times: Sun-Fri, 6pm-10pm; Sat, 6pm-11pm
Prices: dinner around €52
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: essential
Maydanoz (9)
Splendidly patterned Turkish tiles line the walls, light glints through the coloured glass of lamps and lanterns, and from the kitchen come prime grills and Turkish cuisine. The old favourites are there – baba ganoush, homemade with smoky, wood-grilled aubergine, crisp filo börek stuffed with feta. But there are more adventurous dishes, too, such as rocket salad with pomegranate dressing. Grilled fish, fresh from the nearby market, is especially recommendable. There’s a mixed crowd – Maydanoz gets its share of hip De Pijp diners, but it is also a popular neighbourhood hangout.
There’s a mixed crowd – Maydanoz gets its share of hip De Pijp diners, but it is also a popular neighbourhood hangout
Address: Ceintuurbaan 9, 1072 ER
Getting there: trams 3, 12
Contact: 0031 20 676 1195; restaurant.maydanoz-amsterdam.nl/en
Openingtimes: Tue-Sun, 5pm-10.30pm
Prices: dinner around €26
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: not necessary
Blue Spoon (10)
Chef Kasper Stiekema draws on Dutch traditions, sources prime local and regional ingredients, and adds a dash of personal flair to come up with dishes that are big on flavour, with subtle turns – Dutch white asparagus topped with a kadaifi nest containing a steamed poached egg drenched in an earthy, lusciously creamy Remeker cheese sauce, then given a little kick withroasted red onions. A glass wall gives a view out on a garden courtyard inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The restaurant is more low-key: Delft blue and white, bare wood, black leather– the design by Dutch interiors man-of-the-moment Marcel Wanders.
Chef Kasper Stiekema draws on Dutch traditions, sources prime local and regional ingredients
Address: Andaz Prinsengracht Hotel, Prinsengracht 587, 1016 HT
Getting there: trams 1, 2, 5, 13, 14, 17
Contact: 0031 20 523 1234; hyatt.com/corporate/restaurants/Bluespoon
Opening times: daily, noon-3pm, 6pm-10pm
Prices: lunch around €40, dinner around €45
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
The Lobby (11)
A long bar, lots of space, comfy padded leather chairs, and witty designer quirks such as an open hearth suspended mid-air from its own chimney - all these facets help make The Lobby at once hip and cosy. Dishes are hearty, and superbly done – think lamb with Puy lentils and a zing of lemon. The wine list includes some intriguing, lesser-known bottles, with a good range by the glass. The Flammkuchen – thin, pizza-like Alsace bread, spread with crème fraiche and savoury toppings such as confit de canard and prune - are a must. If I’m really hungry, I can manage one as a starter.
Dishes are hearty, and superbly done – think lamb with Puy lentils and a zing of lemon
Address: Nes 49, 1012 KD
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 758 5275; thelobby-amsterdam.nl
Opening times: daily, noon-10pm
Prices: lunch around €15, dinner around €38.50
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Mamouche (12)
One of the first restaurants to begin propelling De Pijp neighbourhood towards foodie heaven, Mamouche produces refined Moroccan cuisine. The traditional dishes are there – an excellent lamb couscous with dates and almonds – but I prefer the menu’s wilder shores: fig, goat cheese and avocado millefeuille with an orange dressing; marinated tuna with scallops and oysters. The interior is dark wood, soft lighting, decorative brass candlesticks; the service warmly friendly; the crowd young professional. In good weather they sometimes put a few tables outside – try to book one of those, as the restaurant is in a spot with great street life.
The interior is dark wood, soft lighting, decorative brass candlesticks; the service warmly friendly
Address: Quellijnstraat 104, 1072 XZ
Getting there: trams 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 670 0736; restaurantmamouche.nl
Opening times: daily, 5pm-10.30pm (remains open as bar till 1am weekdays, and 3am Fridays and Saturdays)
Prices: dinner around €40
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Little Collins (15)
Australian owner-chefs rev up the dining scene at one of the leading newcomers to De Pijp. Top-quality ingredients and imagination and style go into dishes such as grilled stilton bruschetta with pears, and saffron-pickled mackerel. The idea is to share dishes tapas-style. Brunch (a concept only beginning to catch on in the Netherlands) is big at Little Collins, with such stalwarts as kedgeree and eggs hollandaise joined by the likes of oysters with tequila-lime granita. Over weekends (and especially for brunch) you’ll need to book, but don’t try phoning on the day – they’re often too busy even to pick up the phone.
Australian owner-chefs rev up the dining scene at one of the leading newcomers to De Pijp
Address: Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19F, 1073 CL
Getting there: trams 4, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 673 2293; littlecollins.nl
Opening times: Wed, 10.30am-4pm; Thu, Fri, 10.30am-10pm; Sat, 9am-10pm; Sun, 9am-4pm
Prices: brunch from €18; dinner, €35
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Wink (16)
Natasja Postma works wonders in the kitchen, hair wrapped in a tea towel; Jan Paul Delhaas whirls around the restaurant making people feel at home. There’s something endearingly domestic about Wink – a tiny kitchen with a serving hatch; pale green walls and painted tiles, cheerful red table tops. But the food propels things to a different level altogether – quail with lentil salad, exquisitely presented; wild duck on a touch-of-genius base of crunchy bulgur, beets and pomegranate. This is one restaurant where I prefer the table nearest the kitchen, and chatting with the cook through the hatch.
Natasja Postma works wonders in the kitchen, hair wrapped in a tea towel; Jan Paul Delhaas whirls around the restaurant making people feel at home
Address: Govert Flinckstraat 326, 1073 CJ
Getting there: tram 4
Contact: 0031 20 752 6243; bijwink.nl
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 6pm-10pm
Prices: dinner around €40
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: essential
L'Invité (17)
Pristine white interior, sparkling crystal, linen tablecloths, a black-and-white marble floor, and classic French cuisine (with modern variations). And all this on one of the prettiest canals in town. Well-heeled local professionals sit down to Bretonne sardines with a rich Antiboise tomato sauce, or slow-cooked beef with Puy lentils. But chef Richenel has a light touch, cuts back on sugars and fats to produce cuisine less artery clogging than traditional French fare, and gives modern twists to the menu, such as beet and quinoa salad. The few tables outside, directly on the canal, are worth fighting for.
The few tables outside, directly on the canal, are worth fighting for
Address: Bloemgracht 47, 1016 KD
Getting there: tram 10, 13, 14. 17
Contact: 0031 20 570 2010; linvitelerestaurant.nl
Openingtimes: daily, 6pm-10pm; lunch Thurs-Sun, noon-3pm
Prices: set-price menus from €36
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Serre (18)
A star turn for an epicurean lunch, Serre offers a scaled-down selection of past signature dishes from the chart-topping Ciel Bleu restaurant upstairs at The Okura Hotel. Examples might include sea-bass tartare with crispy oysters and anchovy kadaifi, and grilled lamb with polenta and garlic-and-sage jus. The three-course Bibendum Menu is especially good value, or you can simply drop by for a club sandwich or Caesar salad. The tree-shaded canalside terrace (with no traffic thundering by) is one of the best in town.
A star turn for an epicurean lunch, Serre offers a scaled-down selection of past signature dishes
Address: Hotel Okura, Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, 1072 LH
Getting there: trams 12
Contact: 0031 20 678 7450; okura.nl/okura-culinair/serre-restaurant/
Opening times: daily, 10am-10pm
Prices: set-price menus from €37 for lunch and dinner
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
De School (19)
Out in up-and-coming, multicultural Amsterdam West, De School is housed in what was the teaching workshop of a former technical college – all tiled floors, glass, and bare concrete beams. The setting is industrial, the atmosphere unpretentious, and the food sublime. Think salt beef wrapped around chicken-liver crème, with sweet beetroot and hazelnuts; or veal with sweet potato and cavalo nero, in a jus that is given a flick away from the traditional by the addition a little smoked chipotle. De School is a little out of town, and – squeezed in between a public swimming pool and the ring road – is not in a particularly eye-catching location, but is certainly worth the journey.
De School is housed in what was the teaching workshop of a former technical college
Address: Dr Jan van Bremenstraat 1, 1056 AB Amsterdam
Getting there: tram 13, Bus 302, 752
Contact: 00 31 20 737 3197; deschoolamsterdam.nl
Opening times: Tues-Sat 6pm-10pm
Prices: dinner around £27 (€35)
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Lion Noir (19)
A restaurant venture by the owner of an über-hip Amsterdam nightclub. It is upstairs, dimly lit, with dark wood, deep-green walls, bright prints, flashes of foliage, and the odd bit of surreal bric-a-brac such as a stuffed peacock. I confess I expected too-cool-for-its-own-good service and cuisine. Instead, I found staff friendly, efficient, without a bristle of pretentiousness, and a chef unafraid of big, unfussy flavours – suckling pig with roast peppers and garlic; scallops steamed with soybeans and cockles. Do try for a table in the courtyard garden, beside the building’s supremely elegant rear façade.
Lion Noir is a restaurant venture by the owner of an über-hip Amsterdam nightclubCredit: Kyla Elaine Photography/Kyla Hancock
Address: Reguliersdwarsstraat 28, 1017 BM
Getting there: trams 1, 2, 5
Contact: 0031 20 627 6603; lionnoir.nl
Opening times: Mon-Fri, noon-2.30pm and 6pm-10pm; Sat, Sun, 6pm-10pm; remains open as a bar Mon-Thu until 1am, Fri and Sat until 3am
Prices: lunch and dinner around €44
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Pomorosso (20)
Two young Sicilians with a passion for cooking join up with a band of Italian expat friends to create a restaurant that might have been beamed in from Naples. Chatter and banter fill the air, Claudio suggests a wine, Tony tosses the perfect pizza dough, Elio is cooking up a storm, Francesca emerges from the kitchen with a steaming plate of tagliatelle with mushrooms and sausage. Pastas are homemade, most ingredients are sourced direct from Italy, and those pizzas are thin and perfectly crusty. I can never resist the antipasto grande – multiple platters of warm and cold starters.
Two young Sicilians with a passion for cooking join up with a band of Italian expat friends
Address: Ceintuurbaan 71, 1072 EW
Getting there: trams 3, 12
Contact: 0031 20 379 0453; pomorosso.nl/ristorante
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 1pm-3.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm; Sun, 5.30pm-10.30pm, lunch by reservation only
Prices: lunch and dinner around €34; pizzas from €9.50
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: essential
De Reiger (21)
Old-fashioned Amsterdam eetcafé (‘eating café’) dining at its best. With its high ceilings, mahogany bar, wooden wainscoting, Art Deco lamps and old prints, De Reiger dates from the time when De Jordaan was a working-class quarter. The clientele has moved upmarket, but the atmosphere and no-nonsense fare hark back to the Jordaan of old. Daily-changing menus are chalked up on the wall, and might include lamb’s shank with rosemary sauce, and a tarte tatin. Arrive early. You can’t reserve tables, but De Reiger is a convivial place for a pre-dinner drink, and the wait is seldom very long.
Old-fashioned Amsterdam eetcafé (‘eating café’) dining at its best
Address: Nieuwe Leliestraat 34, 1015 ST
Getting there: trams 13, 14, 17
Contact: 0031 20 624 7426; dereigeramsterdam.nl
Opening times: Tue-Fri, 5pm-10.30pm; Sat, noon-4pm, 6pm-10.30pm, Sun 4pm-10.30pm
Prices: dinner around €38
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: not possible
Stork (22)
A cavernous café and seafood restaurant in a former bottle-making plant, on the banks of the IJ in Amsterdam Noord - this old docklands quarter is experiencing a massive makeover, and emerging with a vibrant arts and café scene. Stork was a forerunner, and is my favourite place eat in the area. I love the light and space in the old factory building, and watching the boat traffic. The atmosphere alone is worth the ferry trip, but for me it’s hard to beat sharing a bottle of bubbly over a mixed crab and shellfish platter as the sun sets.
A cavernous café and seafood restaurant in a former bottle-making plantCredit: © Seth Carnill
Address: Gedempt Hamerkanaal 201, 1021 KP
Getting there: ferry from behind Central Station (destination IJplein or Buikersloterweg)
Contact: 0031 20 634 4000; restaurantstork.nl
Opening times: daily, 11am-10pm
Prices: lunch and dinner around €38
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Rijsel (23)
A trendsetter in the local move towards no-nonsense ruig (literally ‘shaggy’, or ‘rough’) cuisine, Rijsel occupies what was the canteen of a former health clinic. In some ways, things have barely changed – bright lights, ceiling fans, noisy conversation, the clin and clash of crockery and cutlery. But there the comparison stops. The food, though hearty and traditional, is subtle, flavourful, perfectly prepared, in dishes such as cod with mussel vinaigrette, and skirt steak with a classic shallot sauce. The rotisserie chicken is superb – especially spring chicken - and the Anjou pigeon (should it be on the menu) is even better.
A trendsetter in the local move towards no-nonsense ruig cuisine
Address: Marcusstraat 52B, 1091 TK
Getting there: tram 12; Metro Wibautstraat
Contact: 0031 20 463 2142; rijsel.com
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 6pm-10pm
Prices: dinner around €34
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: essential
De Taart van m'n Tante (25)
High camp confectionary among vintage bric-a-brac. ‘My Aunt’s Cake’ is the lovechild of Siemon de Jong and Noam Offer, famed for their creations – cakes with stripes and spots, with gaudy colours and frosted flourishes, sporting marzipan fruit and naked men. But they restrain themselves, too, and come up with more conventional fare: cheesecakes and carrot cake, fruit tarts and sponges – all in a setting of old designer chairs and flea-market furnishings. It’s all great fun for afternoon tea if you’re in De Pijp, worth a detour if you’re not. The chocolate tart is (probably quite literally) to die for.
It’s all great fun for afternoon tea if you’re in De Pijp, worth a detour if you’re notCredit: Jos Beltman
Address: Ferdinand Bolstraat 10, 1072 LJ
Getting there: trams 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 776 4600; detaart.com
Opening times: daily, 10am-6pm
Prices: coffee and cake, from €8
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not necessary
GIN
The décor at GIN is rough-hewn: bare, stripped beams, partially painted walls, scuffed floors, and free-hanging naked light bulbs. No, it’s not a gin joint – the name refers to owner-chef Jin Hu, the Dutch-born son of Chinese restaurateurs, who has branched out on a culinary adventure of his own. His ‘neo-bistro’ cuisine combines tastes and ideas from his Sino-Dutch youth with sensitive, imaginative forays into new flavours and combinations—think white cabbage cooked in seaweed and a salt crust, smoked over pine needles, and served with chestnuts, wild sorrel and cranberries. Set menus change completely every month, with weekly adjustments along the way.
The décor at GIN is rough-hewn: bare, stripped beams, partially painted walls, scuffed floors, and free-hanging naked light bulbs
Address: Westerstraat 264, 1015 MT Amsterdam
Getting there: trams 3,10
Contact: 00 31 20 627 9932; ginamsterdam.com
Opening times: daily 5pm-11pm
Prices: three-course set menu (Mon-Wed) around £28 (€35); five-course set menu (Thurs-Sun) £40 (€49.50)
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Jansz.
Jansz. ambles through four buildings along the Keizersgracht and one of the ‘Negen Straatjes’ sides streets, once owned by a 17th-century copper-smelter and bon vivant, Volkert Jansz.. You enter through an old apothecary’s shop (its original shelving still intact), to a series of rooms, simply decorated with plain wood floors, grey wainscots, bentwood chairs, and walls adorned with old portraits and copper implements. Amsterdam foodies crowd in for chef Cassidy Hallman’s refined, essentially simple dishes, full of quiet surprises (such as roast cauliflower and wild mushrooms, with hidden flavours of lemon and sweet pine nuts).
Jansz. ambles through four buildings along the Keizersgracht and one of the ‘Negen Straatjes’ sides streets
Address: Reestraat 8, 1016 DN Amsterdam
Gettingthere: trams 13, 14, 17
Contact: 00 31 20 523 5282; janszamsterdam.com
Opening times: Sun-Thurs, 6.30am-10pm; Fri-Sat 6.30am-11pm
Prices: dinner around £40 (€52), lunch around £18 (€23))
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
The Duchess
Housed in the magnificent former counting house of a bank, built in 1906 and complete with enormous, distant, stained-glass roof, The Duchess became the talk-of-the-town the moment it opened in 2015, as much for the space and sumptuous décor as for the cuisine (everything from foie gras-filled donuts to good old beef Wellington). You can toy with cocktails, seated in a sofa in the comfy bar section, then repair to the dining hall beneath a wall of portraits (which turn out to be LED screen projections), for a night out with Amsterdam hipsters.
The Duchess became the talk-of-the-town the moment it opened in 2015
Address: dinner, Sun-Wed 6pm-11pm, Thurs-Sat 6pm-11.30pm; Lunch, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm, Saturday noon-3pm, Sunday noon-4pm
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24
Contact: 00 31 20 811 3322; the-duchess.com
Openingtimes: dinner, Sun-Wed 6pm-11pm, Thurs-Sat 6pm-11.30pm; Lunch, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm, Saturday noon-3pm, Sunday noon-4pm
Prices: dinner around €70, lunch around €50
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
£
Tujuh Maret (26)
My favourite spot for an Indonesian rijsttafel – a feast of tiny, spicy dishes served with rice and relishes. The cook used to star at the (far more expensive) restaurant next door. Here the atmosphere is simple and homely, and the service has delightful, personal touches (such as a basket of reading glasses, for those who have forgotten theirs at home.) Elsewhere, rijsttafel dishes can be a set of barely distinguishable curries, but here each is subtle and different. You can order courses individually, but I especially recommend the Rijsttafel Minahasa for its bounty, and subtlety of flavours. You'll end up stuffed: consider skipping lunch if you’re coming for dinner.
My favourite spot for an Indonesian rijsttafel – a feast of tiny, spicy dishes served with rice and relishes
Address: Utrechtsestraat 73, 1017 VJ
Getting there: tram 4
Contact: 0031 20 427 9865; tujuhmaret.nl
Opening times: Mon-Sat, noon-3.30pm, 4.30pm-10pm; Sun, 4.30pm-10pm
Prices: Rijsttafel €27.75
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Couscous Club (27)
Just couscous, and only three types to choose from, but made with fine ingredients, in the traditional manner (with the couscous being steamed over the bubbling vegetable stock), and served in convivial surrounds. The Couscous Club does indeed have a clubby feel – a relaxed, neighbourhood place, full of regulars, popular with groups of friends getting together a chat, a bite, and a couple of bottles of wine. The vegetarian couscous is varied in content, subtle in flavour, and hard to beat. Come on a Sunday evening, for a free chamber music recital, with a meal in the interval.
Just couscous, and only three types to choose from, but made with fine ingredients, in the traditional manner
Address: Ceintuurbaan 346, 1072 GP
Getting there: trams 3, 4
Contact: 0031 20 673 3539; couscousclub.nl
Opening times: Tue-Sun, 5pm-10.30pm
Prices: dinner around €20
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: recommended
Goodies (28)
A perennial favourite for a lunch or dinner stop-off in the Negen Straatjes, between the main canals. Lunchtime shoppers slip their bags under the tables, and take a break over sandwiches and big salads, with mainly organic ingredients. At night there are tapas-like starters, suitable for shared meals, pastas (which can get as grand as chicken and truffle ravioli), and daily non-pasta specials. There’s a really good line in home-made cakes and puddings, too. Décor is simple – bare tables, bright photographs, bold colours. Go for the window counter, or one of the few terrace tables, for a good spot of people watching.
A perennial favourite for a lunch or dinner stop-off in the Negen Straatjes, between the main canalsCredit: Cris Toala Olivares
Address: Huidenstraat 9, 1016 ER
Getting there: trams 1, 2, 5, 13, 14, 17
Contact: 0031 20 625 6122; goforthegoodies.nl
Opening times: Sun-Wed noon-10pm; Thu-Sat noon-10.30pm
Prices: lunch around €10, dinner around €25
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not necessary
Bouchon du Centre (29)
A tiny restaurant, where Hanneke Schouten runs the show entirely on her own. You sit at one of a handful of tables around the edge of her kitchen and take pot luck. She works with top-ranking local suppliers, and has a passion for good, traditional French country cooking – from the breads and saucisson, to pork-neck confit and coq au vin. By Hanneke’s own admission, it s food that is not for picky eaters, or vegetarians. This is a spot for long, luscious lunches. It’s also open in the evenings, but Hanneke likes an early night, and last orders are at 6.30pm.
You sit at one of a handful of tables around the edge of her kitchen and take pot luck
Address: Falckstraat 3, 1017 VV
Getting there: trams 7, 4, 10
Contact: 0031 20 330 1128; bouchonducentreamsterdam.com
Opening times: Wed-Fri noon-3pm, 5pm-8pm (last kitchen orders 6.30pm); Sat noon-3pm
Prices: lunch and dinner around €29
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: essential
Foodism (30)
A Slav chef with a background in Japanese macrobiotic cuisine and a taste for the Med could make for a culinary train crash, but here it means healthy, imaginative and very affordable dining. Think zucchini stuffed with mushrooms and melted goat's cheese, artichokes with mint and pecorino pesto, or really succulent squid cooked in its parsley/garlic marinade. Portions are modest, so the idea is to approach the meal tapas-style (two to three dishes per head is ample). The pavement terrace is beside a busy road, but still fun in good weather.
Portions are modest, so the idea is to approach the meal tapas-style (two to three dishes per head is ample)
Address: Nassaukade 122, 1052 EC
Getting there: tram 10
Contact: 0031 20 486 8137; foodism.nl
Opening times: daily, 5pm-10pm
Prices: three dishes from €20
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not necessary
La Falote (31)
More traditionally Dutch ambience and food would be hard to find. Setting the tone is a folksy interior, hearty blonde waitresses, and a chef who can sometimes be persuaded to come out and play the accordion as the evening wears on. The cooking – and hefty portions – seem to come from an earlier generation: pots of mussels, cooked ham and mustard, steak with tomato and melted cheese, North Sea prawn cocktail. And it wouldn’t be Dutch if you couldn’t round it all off with a good wedge of homemade apple pie. The restaurant is really busy around Dutch family dining time (6 pm), but eases up later in the evening.
More traditionally Dutch ambience and food would be hard to find
Address: Roelof Hartstraat 26, 1071 VJ
Getting there: trams 3, 5, 12, 24
Contact: 0031 20 662 5454; lafalote.nl
Opening times: Mon-Fri,3pm-9pm; Sat, 5pm-9pm
Prices: set-price menus from €17.50
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: recommended
Moksi (32)
Good, old-fashioned mamma-cooks-best in the heart of hyper hip De Pijp. The décor is basic; you might even find catering equipment piled on the table next to you, and the place has limited, and often erratic, opening hours. But if you can get past that, you’ll be rewarded with the best Surinamese (former Dutch Guiana) cooking in town. The kitchen is ruled by a matriarch (the frequent closures happen when she’s catering for a party), who comes up with superb curries, sate and roti dishes – her wild duck roti is my personal all-time favourite.
Good, old-fashioned mamma-cooks-best in the heart of hyper hip De Pijp
Address: Ferdinand Bolstraat 21, 1072 LB
Getting there: trams 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 676 8264; moksi.nl
Opening times: Tue-Thu 5pm-10pm; usually closed over weekends, but worth phoning to check
Prices: dinner around €20
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not necessary
Japan Inn (33)
A refuge in the midst of Amsterdam’s nightlife district, and much beloved of expat Japanese students. A modest entrance among the neon glitz leads to a low-key interior. There’s a Zen calm to the décor, with alternating pale and dark woods, and paper-lined slatted lamps on the wall. Yakitori grills are a speciality, done on charcoal burners, and there’s a wide range of sushi and sashimi, with a good selection of pickled salads and side dishes too. Donburi dishes (stews or loose sushi fish on rice) are great if you’re hungry, and the mixed dinner-boxes are good value.
A refuge in the midst of Amsterdam’s nightlife district, and much beloved of expat Japanese students
Address: Leidsekruisstraat 4, 1017 RH
Getting there: trams 1, 2, 5
Contact: 0031 20 620 4989; japaninn.nl
Opening times: daily, 5.45-11pm
Prices: dinner around €22
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: not necessary
Elements (34)
A training restaurant for students in their final year at hotel school. Of course, that means you might encounter the odd wobble, but I have never been disappointed here. On the contrary, I’ve always found the service a delight, and the dishes refined, well-presented and a treat – not to mention easy on the pocket. My last visit involved a punchy bulgur-and-wild-mushroom sponge cake, perfectly pink pigeon breast with caramelized pumpkin, and spinach-and-celeriac tortellini. The kitchen closes early (7pm), but the restaurant is only a short walk from the Concertgebouw, making it an ideal for a pre-concert meal.
A training restaurant for students in their final year at hotel school
Address: Roelof Hartstraat 6-8, 1071 VH
Getting there: trams 3, 5, 12, 24
Contact: 0031 20 579 1717; heerlijkamsterdam.nl
Opening times: Mon-Fri, lunch noon-2pm, dinner 5.30pm-7pm
Prices: set-price menus €24.50 for dinner. Payment is by Maestro direct debit card only, so check about payment methods when reserving
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: essential
Bird (35)
Crush up at the window counter or grab one of the handful of small tables for tangy Thai food, cooked while you wait. Dishes are basic, and turnover is quick – this is really just a snack bar – but for authenticity and flavour, the cooking is hard to beat. I especially love the squid with basil and chilli. Though Bird restaurant across the road is run by the same people, is more comfortable and has a more sedate ambience, I’ve always found the food disappointing in comparison to a lively meal at the snack bar.
Crush up at the window counter or grab one of the handful of small tables for tangy Thai food
Address: Zeedijk 77, 1012 AS
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 420 6289; thai-bird.nl
Opening times: daily, 1pm-10pm
Prices: lunch and dinner €18
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not possible
Wing Kee (36)
Everyone has their favourite restaurant in China Town, and I will fight Wing Kee’s corner till I drop. We’re talking neon lights, plastic chairs, and sometimes gruff service, but the roast suckling pig (crispy crackling and meltingly succulent meat), and the noodle dishes (delicate stock and subtle, distinct flavours) are unsurpassed. The suckling pig is usually only available over weekends (it is worth checking before you sit down), but then the duck is pretty good, too. Note that there’s no alcohol licence, and that the Bring Your Own concept does not hold in Amsterdam.
We’re talking neon lights, plastic chairs, and sometimes gruff service
Address: Zeedijk 76, 1012 BA
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 623 5683
Opening times: daily, 2.30pm-11pm
Prices: lunch and dinner €19
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not necessary
La Perla (37)
A prime corner spot, neighbourhood conviviality, and wholesome Italian food – La Perla is one of my favourite hangouts in the Jordaan quarter. It’s on a bustling alley of galleries, quirky shops and eateries, and is open all day – great for lunch after the Saturday farmer’s market, or for one of those chatty afternoon coffees that becomes a drink, then dinner. Wood-oven pizzas come with adventurous toppings such as fennel-seed salami with artichokes. There are salads and charcuterie platters, too. The home-made ravioli is a treat, but you will have to come at lunchtime to get it.
A prime corner spot, neighbourhood conviviality, and wholesome Italian foodCredit: Ernst Yperlaan/Ernst Yperlaan
Address: Tweede Tuindwarsstraat 53, 1015 RX
Getting there: tram 10
Contact: 0031 20 624 8828; pizzaperla.nl
Opening times: daily, 10am-10pm (pizzas available from 5pm)
Prices: pizzas from €8.90
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: recommended
Letting (38)
Squeeze up, keep your elbows tucked in, and settle down some home-style cooking, for breakfast, lunch or tea. Letting is small, the tables are teeny, and word is getting out about the soups, salads, mega sandwiches, and fluffy omelettes. It’s the soups, especially, that draw me here – perhaps thick lentil or herby tomato (the menu changes daily) served with sourdough bread. Also try the grilled goat's cheese salad, perked up with thyme, walnuts and honey. But breakfasts and brunches (think scrambled eggs with smoked halibut) are also popular, as is high tea. It’s worth the wait if there isn’t a table, as turnover is fairly quick.
Squeeze up, keep your elbows tucked in, and settle down some home-style cookingCredit: Cris Toala Olivares
Address: Prinsenstraat 3, 1015 DA
Getting there: trams 13, 14, 17
Contact: 0031 20 627 9393; letting.nl
Opening times: Mon, 8.30am-5pm; Wed, 8.30am-3pm; Thu-Sat, 8.30am-5pm; Sun, 9am-5pm
Prices: lunch around €10
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: recommended
De Waaghals (39)
To my mind the best vegetarian restaurant in town. De Waaghals is on a quiet, tree-lined street in De Pijp. Its muted interior (white walls, subtle lighting, exhibitions of original art) is a pleasing change from the 1970s retro of other vegetarian restaurants in town, and the cuisine follows suit: refined, well-presented, made with flair. Most ingredients are organic, and there’s a well-chosen range of organic wines and micro-brewery beers. Menus change fortnightly, but expect such delights as aubergine in filo pastry, with apricot-and-allspice pilaf and walnut sauce. Ask for a window table, or if the weather’s good one outside.
Most ingredients are organic, and there’s a well-chosen range of organic wines and micro-brewery beers
Address: Frans Halsstraat 29, 1072 BK
Getting there: trams 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 679 9609; waaghals.nl
Opening times: daily, 5pm-9.30pm
Prices: dinner around €24
Payment type: credit cards accepted
Reservations: not necessary
De Laatste Kruimel (40)
Home-made is trending in Amsterdam, and De Laatste Kruimel’s forest-fruit bread puddings, dangerous chocolate cake and comfy scones top the lot. Some of the wilder experiments (courgette and lemon-curd tart) don’t quite do it for me, but this remains one of my favourite afternoon sugar-fix pit stops. It’s small and usually crowded, but the upended wooden fruit-box seats ensure a quick turnover. They do a variety of quiches and other savouries, too, plus good coffee and smoothies to go with it all. Try for a seat on the Romeo and Juliet balcony at the back, jutting out over a canal.
Home-made is trending in Amsterdam, and De Laatste Kruimel’s forest-fruit bread puddings, dangerous chocolate cake and comfy scones top the lot
Address: Langebrugsteeg 4, 1012 GB
Getting there: trams 4, 9, 14, 16, 24
Contact: 0031 20 423 0499; delaatstekruimel.nl
Opening times: daily, 8am-8pm
Prices: cup of coffee, €1.80
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not necessary
Foodhallen Amsterdam (41)
A hip, upmarket version of an Asian food hall, with different vendors ranged around a pool of central tables. You can mix and match from healthy wraps and salads, Turkish meze, sushi, chunky Dutch meat grills, Vietnamese springrolls, Mumbai street food, and much more. Or perhaps have just a drink with Dutch cheeses or charcuterie. It all takes place in a former tram depot, in Amsterdam’s most hot-and-happening quarter at the moment, just west of the city centre. Bring your own bottle of water or soft drinks. Very few of the vendors sell anything to drink, and it can be a hassle to wait at the only bar.
A hip, upmarket version of an Asian food hall, with different vendors ranged around a pool of central tables
Address: Hannie Dankbaar Passage (between Tollenstraat and Ten Katestraat), 1053 RT
Getting there: tram 7, 17
Contact: foodhallen.nl
Opening times: Tue-Wed: food stalls 11am-8pm, bar open till midnight. Thu-Sat: food stalls open 11am-9pm, bar open till 12.30am
Prices: dishes from around €5
Payment type: credit cards not accepted
Reservations: not possible
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This article was written by Rodney Bolt from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
