Amsterdam restaurants: a crossroad of cultures and kitchens.
Amsterdam’s restaurant scene, much like the people who live here, is a vast melting pot of styles and influences from all over the world. Because Amsterdam is a logistical crossroad all these immigrants can get most of their ingredients as fresh as they would in their home country.
Dutch food
A traditional Dutch meal is influenced by working long days on the land and centred around meat, potatoes and root vegetables. It is rich in calories. There are still quite a few restaurants serving this traditional type of food like the La Falote restaurant or Haesje Claes. And after a long day walking around in the city that might just be your best choice.
Colonial influences
The other type of “Dutch” cuisine comes from an old colony, Indonesia. Spicy tastes are combined with rice, meat and vegetables. Try the Rice table (rijsttafel) and your table will be filled with many plates and cups each holding different spices and dishes that you combine on your plate.
Surinam is another former colony that brought a kitchen evolving around rice, chicken and pork. These restaurants always serve roti, pom and zoutvlees (salty pork).
In 2019 there are more Michelin star restaurants in Amsterdam than ever before, so if you look for a restaurant to enjoy the highest culinary level there are many choices as well.
Streetfood
Dutch streetfood is based around french fries and you can have some of the best you ever tasted just from a place that looks like a hole in the wall. Amsterdam has many snackbars as these places are called. If you can, try a “kroket” ( fried meat ragout rolled like a sausage with a crunchy coat) to top off the experience and you can check the streetfood box.
Immigrants from north Africa brought a different type of streetfood so the less adventurous can always go to restaurants serving Doner, kebab or showarma.
With the immigrants came their kitchen so you can eat in Greek and Turkish restaurants, enjoy Afghan kitchen, eat Moroccan food that is so good you think you are in Marrakech and many more restaurants set up by immigrants.
The supply of fresh Italian ingredients is so good, you don’t have to visit Italy for the food anymore. Temperature controlled flower trucks bring tulips to Italy and come back with the best cheese, vegetables, sausages and other ingredients to supply a number of real Italian restaurants.
Hipster food
The west part of town is hipster town and thereby home to many vegetarian and vegan restaurants and other places where lactose intolerance or gluten allergies are part of the menu. But, the Bilderdijkstraat crossing this part of town is called Hamburger Avenue due to the many restaurants making this their specialty.
A large group of Japanese expats has made sure the city also has a few extremely good Japanese restaurants serving more than just sushi. De Japanner, Yamazoto and Hakata Senpachi are three prime examples.
China town
And of course Amsterdam has its share of Chinese restaurants. You can find them all over town, but some of the best Chinese restaurants can be found in Chinatown. A small area centered around Zeedijk on the edge of the red light district. Here you can find the traditinal places and some of the Chinese restaurants that have been taken over by the next generation with a different look and a different, fusion menu.