Café de Klepel on Prinsenstraat near the Jordaan border runs a tight French bistro menu, an Amsterdam corner room with a winelist that rewards a long stay.
Signature dishes: Daily-changing 3-course French, Wine pairings
Must order: The chef's three-course set with the recommended pairings.
Tip: Open Mondays when many Amsterdam rooms are dark. Books a week ahead.
Address: Prinsenstraat 22, 1015 DD Amsterdam
Upstairs Pancakes on Grimburgwal occupies an Amsterdam canal house dating to 1539, four tables of pancakes, teapots on the ceiling, since 1961.
Signature: Sweet pancakes, Savoury bacon-and-cheese pancake
Order: The bacon and cheese pancake with apple, drowned in stroop.
Tip: Cash-only; reservations by phone a week ahead. The stairs are steep, the room is tiny.
Badcuyp on Eerste Sweelinckstraat is the De Pijp music-cafe and kitchen, the Amsterdam venue running European bistro plates alongside a live-music programme.
Signature: Daily-changing menu, Steak frites
Order: Whatever the day's special is; the steak frites is the safe fall-back.
Tip: Live music many weeknights; check the calendar before booking the late seating.
Upstairs Pancakes on Grimburgwal occupies an Amsterdam canal house dating to 1539, four tables of pancakes, teapots on the ceiling, since 1961.
Signature: Sweet pancakes, Savoury bacon-and-cheese pancake
Order: The bacon and cheese pancake with apple, drowned in stroop.
Tip: Cash-only; reservations by phone a week ahead. The stairs are steep, the room is tiny.
Helling 7 in Amsterdam-Noord is a waterfront warehouse running wood-fired pizza, grills and a long terrace on the IJ, the room you book for a sunny Saturday.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Burgers, Sharing platters
Order: Wood-fired pizza with whatever the seasonal vegetable topping happens to be.
Tip: Take the NDSM ferry; book the terrace explicitly in summer.
Tarim is Amsterdam's halal Uyghur room on Aalsmeerweg in Zuid, hand-pulled laghman noodles, cumin-rubbed lamb skewers, dishes carried out of Xinjiang via the spice road.
Signature: Hand-pulled laghman noodles, Lamb skewers, Polo rice
Order: Laghman noodles with lamb, then a plate of cumin skewers to share.
Tip: Halal-certified; alcohol-free. Walk-ins fine on weekdays, book Friday and Saturday.
Moeders on Rozengracht is the Amsterdam stamppot room, walls lined with photos of mothers from customers, the menu a Dutch grandmother's repertoire.
Signature: Stamppot, Erwtensoep, Bitterballen
Order: Stamppot of the week with rookworst sausage.
Tip: Bring a photo of your mother to add to the wall. Reservation advised.
Bazar on Albert Cuypstraat is the cavernous, soaring Amsterdam North African-Middle Eastern room set in a converted church, all halal, all-day from breakfast.
Signature: Mezze platters, Tagine, Couscous royal
Order: The full mezze platter with the chicken tagine to share.
Tip: Halal-certified. Big room, walk-in friendly. Pre-market breakfast is the value.
