Amsterdam Foodie Bucket List: 21 Dishes To Try Before You Die

Craving some seriously tasty Amsterdam food to try while you’re in the Netherlands? We’ve got you sorted with the best dishes to try from 21 restaurants in Amsterdam.

From mini pancakes to croquettes from a vending machine, the Dutch capital has plenty of unique culinary experiences. Steak, seafood and everything in between – you’ll find it in this diverse city.

Don’t go home without trying at least one of these dishes…

Amsterdam Foodie Bucket List: 21 Dishes To Try Before You Die, How do these rankings work?

1. Bavette Steak – Cannibale Royale

With four locations in the city, save this restaurant in your mind for when you’re craving an exceptional steak. Top pick? The 200gr Australian Bavette. Grab an order of the crispy garlic broccoli on the side.

2. Bitterballen – De BallenBar

This food stand in FoodHallen is owned by a Michelin-starred chef who puts a new twist on the Dutch classic. They make their own Bitterballen with unique fillings like Dutch shrimp, calf, bouillabaisse, and truffle.

3. Cheese Fondue – Fondue Oost

What’s better than dipping bread into gooey, melted cheese? Choose from six cheese fondue varieties: Classic, Truffle, Blue Cheese, San Daniel (with San Daniele ham and pesto) and the El Nacho (with jalapenos, queso fresco and nachos)

4. Indonesian Rijsttafel – Ron Gastrobar Indonesia

Get ready for a feast – a table filled with the most delicious dishes from the Dutch-Indonesian and Indonesian kitchen. Stuff yourself with 15 different small dishes, served with Nasi Goreng and Nasi Putih.

5. Ice Cream Popsicle – IJsmanschap

This creative artisan ice cream store serves 12 flavours of popsicles, made with natural ingredients. Try the Framboos: a raspberry popsicle with a dip of dark, Belgian chocolate and white chocolate.

6. Poffertjes – Poffertjes Albert Cuyp

Nothing can beat a bag of these hot, buttery poffertjes (fluffy pancakes) from a street market vendor, and this beloved market stall is one of the best.

Sprinkle them with powdered sugar and let the good times roll.

7. Grilled Pigeon – Restaurant C

Fine dining at its best in this Michelin-star restaurant. This delicious bird has been roasted on the BBQ, and comes with a Moroccan cream of eggplant, carrot, Ras el hanout and cumin.

8. BBQ Chicken – Bierfabriek

You can’t come to Amsterdam and not try the free range, charcoal grilled, chicken here. Juicy and full of flavour, you’ll be tearing the meat off in chunks with your hands. Bonus points for the cool self-serve beer at the Tap Tables.

9. Burgers – Burger Bar

We can’t choose just one burger here, as the options are endless. Choose to DIY your own burger, all the way from the meat – Irish beef, chicken or Wagyu? – to the toppings – fried egg, blue cheese, avocado – to the sauces.

10. Croquette – FEBO

An absolute must-have after a night out, or even the morning after. The famous FEBO croquette comes piping hot and surprisingly fresh from vending machines all over the city. Sinfully good.

11. Unagi & Foie Gras Roll – MOMO

Sushi unlike any you’ve tried before, MOMO is a super trendy Asian-fusion restaurant that does wonderfully creative dishes. Their eel roll with rich foie gras and fresh bites of green apple is fantastic.

12. Raw herring – Stubbe’s Haring

Sounds scary, tastes incredible. If you want to try this Dutch delicacy, Stubbe’s Haring stall is the best place in the city to do so. Ask for a ‘broodje haring’ to get the fish served in a small sandwich with pickles and onions if you can’t brave it on its own.

13. Steamed Oysters – Nam Kee

A few years ago Nam Kee was named the best Chinese restaurant in the Netherlands, beating out around 1,400 competitors. This signature dish, their steamed oysters in black bean sauce, has even inspired a Dutch novel and film.

14. Tasting Menu – Vuurtoreneiland

This beautiful café and restaurant sits on a small island northeast of Amsterdam’s city centre. As the island has no electricity or running water, food is cooked over old-school wood and fire. It’s a struggle to get a table for the six-course menu, but well worth it.

15. Switches wot Injera – Lalibela

Lalibela is the oldest Ethiopian restaurant in the Netherlands where you can eat authentic Ethiopian food. Veggies will love the baked eggplant and zucchini served with dishes of veg and salads, all piled onto an endjera – a pancake-like bread.

16. Barbecued Veal Cheek – Restaurant Sinne

Michelin star Sinne does Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine to the most perfect standard. Indulge in the comforting barbecued veal cheek with bimi, kumquat, crosne and a veal gravy.

17. Ramen – Hakata Senpachi 

This superb local Japanese restaurant only serves ramen at lunch time on weekends, and it’s worth waiting for. A hearty tonokotsu broth is served with add ons of leeks, sprouts or pickled veggies.

18. Land & Sea – Lars Amsterdam

A relative newcomer on the block, Lars Amsterdam focuses on high quality ingredients and relaxed yet fine dining service. Their Land & Sea dish is pure heaven: shrimps with lardo, foi gras and lobster.

19. Pancakes – Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs

Climb the steepest, narrowest set of stairs in the city to this 16th-century pancake house that makes traditional treats in a cosy room. Get a classic lemon and sugar or go all out with banana, pineapple, coconut, chocolate sauce & cream.

20. Tacos – Taqueria Lima Amsterdam

Taqueria Lima is a Mexican kitchen with a Peruvian twist to it. You’ll find their stall in FoodHallen, where they cook authentic flour tortillas topped with Peruvian-inspired fillings, such as tuna ceviche.

21. Fries – Vleminckx de Sausmeester

This stand is famous for the range of 25 different kinds of sauces to choose from . Have your perfectly crispy Flemish-style fries slathered with Andalusian, Hawaiian or yellow curry flavours. You’ll have to go back 25 times to try them all.