The 24 best restaurants in Amsterdam

What started as a pop-up restaurant has become a go-to destination in Amsterdam’s former lumber port. After climbing the wooden stairs to the third floor of an old warehouse, you’ll step into a minimalist whitewashed room with huge windows overlooking the River IJ. BAK was originally a vegetarian restaurant, and while the set menus now incorporate local meat and fish, veg is still the star of the show.

Price: High-end

A monumental former Goldsmith’s College serves as suitable lodging for the gold-standard cooking by chef Dennis Huwaë and his team. At Daalder, the internationally-inspired food is always original, flawlessly presented and, at times, unafraid of some serious spice. The restaurant reflects its surroundings in upcoming De Baarsjes. All that refinement never feels stuffy and a friendly vibe harks back to the restaurant’s beginnings as a convivial Jordaan café (now home to its charming sister restaurant, neo-brasserie Gossler & Florin). Choose from a six-course tasting menu or seasonal a la carte offerings, but don’t miss the signature elevated stroopwafel. Maitre Sommelier Saskia Smeenk – one of the city’s best sake and wine specialists – adds to the sparkle of this Michelin-starred marvel. 

Price: High-end

If the finest, freshest produce, beautifully cooked, is what you’re after, then a trip to De Kas is a must. Tucked inside a set of greenhouses that date to 1926, they serve a fixed daily menu – you simply choose how many courses you want – prepared with vegetables and herbs grown in their own nursery. Their farm-to-table credentials are impeccable, and the dishes showcase each ingredient at its best.

Price: Blowout

Flore is temporarily closed for renovations. In the meantime, you can visit its pop-up restaurant at Basecamp Amsterdam. 

Flore was previously Bord’eau, but took on a new name back in 2021. With two Michelin stars, an award-winning wine list and a spectacular canalside location, this is special-occasion dining at its finest. Executive chef Bas van Kranen’s fixed veg-led menus focus on showcasing top-notch local ingredients through simple but innovative flavour combinations and elegant plating. The service is impeccable, the setting classy but unfussy. Reservations are a must.

Price: Blowout

Kaagman & Kortekaas is (also) temporarily closed for renovations. For now you can visit its pop-up, Kafé Kanard, at the Lancaster Hotel. 

Local foodies have been loyally placing themselves in the practised hands of chef Giel Kaagman and sommelier and host Bram Kortekaas since 2015. Their eponymous eatery, which has played a pioneering role in the local bistronomy movement, is situated in a meandering medieval alley in the heart of the Palace District, where multiple levels arranged around a recessed kitchen allow a few lucky diners to feel like they’re in on the action. Kaagman & Kortekaas is known for its high-end, nose-to-tail dining in a casual space, where regularly changing chef’s menus keep things fresh. Usually, there’s housemade charcuterie, plenty of foraged ingredients, venison and a few offal surprises – picky eaters beware. 

Price: Mid-range

Sure, there are a lot of fancier French restaurants in the city – De Juwelier, Vinkeles and Ciel Bleu to name a few – but what’s not to love about a buzzy Eastside eatery, where you get to eat food from former Michelin chefs without the eye-watering prices? Here at Troef, you’ll find bites from €5, smaller plates from €17 and a la carte mains from €22 (though there’s lobster for €59 and a €900 Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2012 too). Oenophiles will go wild for the wine room, which is home to over 2000 bottles, from impressive vintages to wines in the €30 to €40 range. Expect decadence from chef Raymond Plat Plat (formerly of 212 and De Juwelier) with pork cheek croquettes and oyster cream, plump pies with oxtail, sweetbreads swimming in a mushroom foam and a whole lot more. 

Price: Mid-range

Step into the oldest Chinatown in mainland Europe and discover Hoi Tin, a go-to destination for top-tier Cantonese cuisine for nearly half a century. Situated beside the He Hua Temple – the largest Chinese Buddhist temple in the region – this beloved eatery reflects the local Chinese community’s ties to the city’s seafaring past: its name translates to ‘between heaven and sea’. Now in the hands of Ethan Lo, his mother Susan and uncle Alex, the restaurant is famous for its dim sum, including delicate har gau, savoury siu mai and soft steamed cha siu bao. The menu extends to expertly roasted meats, sizzling wok dishes and a renowned in-house bakery that produces everything from silky custard tarts to traditional mooncakes. 

Price: Affordable

When the craving for exceptional rotisserie chicken hits, head to this French-Flemish restaurant next to the Amstel River. Set in a former domestic sciences school, it’s a no-frills space with an open kitchen. The menu changes daily but always features classic French bistro classics with a Flemish twist – Rijsel, after all, is the Flemish name for the French town of Lille. This is a locals’ favourite that’s always packed, so book well in advance.

Price: Mid-range

The ‘Golden Pheasant Hotel’ is not a hotel at all, but an enormous restaurant housed in a former garage in Noord (with some quaint old cars still left inside). Located on the River IJ, this is a particularly good choice in summer, when the garage doors open wide and it feels like the entire dining room is outdoors. It’s not fancy – you’ll sit on red plastic chairs – but servers are attentive, and the views are fabulous. Come for modern bistro-style French food, prepped in an open kitchen and served at actually reasonable prices (and follow up with a stroll around Noord). 

Price: Mid-range

For a modern take on Indonesian food, head to this high-ceilinged room in the Oud-Zuid neighbourhood, just southwest of Vondelpark. It may be called ‘Blue’, but this peppy spot is done out in black, white and red, with a mural-sized family portrait dominating one wall. At Blauw you'll find traditional rijsttafels (including a vegan option), or opt for the ‘Biru menu’ to sample a selection of Indonesian street food.

Price: Mid-range