Cheap Eats in Amsterdam

Scandinavian Embassy ★ 4.8

Scandinavian Embassy on Sarphatipark has been pouring Amsterdam's Nordic third-wave coffee since 2013, the cafe that set the city's filter standard.

Lot Sixty One ★ 4.7

Lot Sixty One on Kinkerstraat in Oud-West roasts its own beans in the basement, the canal-corner Amsterdam cafe that pioneered the third-wave wave.

White Label Coffee ★ 4.7

White Label on Jan Evertsenstraat roasts in West, a sunny Amsterdam cafe rotating rare beans and a coffee-of-the-month, with a small terrace out front.

Bakhuys Amsterdam ★ 4.6

Bakhuys on Sarphatistraat in Oost has baked Amsterdam bread in a wood-fired stone oven since 1926, the same family business across five generations.

Patisserie Holtkamp ★ 4.6

Patisserie Holtkamp on Vijzelgracht has run since 1886, the Amsterdam patisserie behind the Amsterdamse School storefront, its veal kroketten kept.

Friedhats Fuku ★ 4.6

Friedhats Fuku in Amsterdam West is the roaster's tasting room, a small cafe pouring espresso and slow-pour filter from beans the team also wholesales.

Frens Haringhandel ★ 4.6

Frens on Koningsplein near the Bloemenmarkt is the Amsterdam herring stand locals queue at, raw soused herring with onion and pickles, served the proper way.

OrderHollandse Nieuwe haring

Roopram Roti ★ 4.5

Roopram Roti on Eerste van Swindenstraat in Amsterdam Oost has wrapped roti since 2004, the Surinamese counter the Indo-Caribbean diaspora sends.

OrderRoti kip with bara on the side.

TipTakeaway-first counter, small dine-in area. Closed Mondays Walk-ins usually OK.

Vlaamsch Broodhuys ★ 4.5

Vlaamsch Broodhuys on Haarlemmerstraat is the Amsterdam flagship of the Dutch sourdough chain, baking the city's reference country loaf since 2001.

Winkel 43 ★ 4.5

Winkel 43 on Noordermarkt serves what most Amsterdam locals nominate as the city's apple pie, a thick crumb of slow-baked apples with a foam of whipped cream.

Vleminckx De Sausmeester ★ 4.5

Vleminckx on Voetboogstraat is the Amsterdam frites takeaway, since 1957, double-fried Belgian-style chips, a queue that wraps the alley most lunchtimes.

OrderBelgian frites with mayonnaise

Vleminckx De Sausmeester ★ 4.5

Vleminckx on Voetboogstraat is the Amsterdam frites counter, since 1957, double-fried Belgian-style chips under 6 euros, the daily queue starting at noon.

OrderFrites with mayonnaise or 28 other sauces

Van Dobben ★ 4.5

Van Dobben between Rembrandtplein and Muntplein has run an Amsterdam eetsalon since 1945, the rundvleeskroket on a soft white bun the city's reference.

OrderBroodje kroket and rundvleeskroket

Warung Spang Makandra ★ 4.4

Warung Spang Makandra has been the De Pijp Surinamese reference since 1978: roti you assemble yourself, saoto soup, almost nothing on the menu over 15 euros.

OrderRoti kip with the dahl and a side of the bean stew.

TipWalk-in only. Order at the counter, sit upstairs. A second Spang Makandra branch in Nieuw West takes the overflow.

Warung Mini ★ 4.4

Warung Mini on Ceintuurbaan in De Pijp serves what locals call the best saoto soep in the city: clear chicken broth, beansprouts, fried potato.

OrderSaoto soep, with a side bara doughnut.

TipWalk-in counter. Cash and card both fine. Closed Mondays Booking recommended for weekends.

Warung Mini Surinamese ★ 4.4

Warung Mini in De Pijp serves Amsterdam's signature saoto soep, a clear Surinamese chicken broth crowned with crisp potato, beansprouts and a hard-boiled egg.

OrderSaoto soep with extra sambal on the side; bara to start.

TipCounter service, closed Mondays. Lunchtime queue forms quickly.

Spang Makandra Warung ★ 4.4

Spang Makandra has been Amsterdam's reference Surinamese counter since 1978, rolling roti, ladling saoto soep, almost nothing on the menu costing over 15.

OrderRoti kip; ask for medium spice and the kouseband bean stew as a side.

TipLunch only at the upstairs tables; takeaway counter for everything else.

Tjin's Toko ★ 4.4

Tjin's Toko on Eerste van der Helststraat near Albert Cuyp is the Amsterdam De Pijp Surinamese counter and toko, a deli-supermarket hybrid running broodjes.

OrderBroodje pom with extra sambal, bara to nibble on the walk.

TipOrder at the deli counter on one side; pick up Surinamese pantry staples on the other.

Rudi's Stroopwafels ★ 4.4

Rudi's on Albert Cuypstraat presses Amsterdam stroopwafels to order, two thin waffles sandwiched around warm caramel, the snack the market built around.

Petit Gâteau ★ 4.4

Petit Gâteau on Haarlemmerstraat is the small Amsterdam patisserie counter pressing French gateaux, tartes and millefeuilles, a daily-rotating display window.

Back to Black ★ 4.4

Back to Black on Weteringstraat near the Rijksmuseum is the Amsterdam cafe pouring carefully sourced coffee in a tight, white-tiled room you treat.

Monks Coffee Roasters ★ 4.4

Monks on Bilderdijkstraat is the Amsterdam Oud-West cafe pouring its own espresso roast alongside a brunch menu, the room locals book for a long weekend.

Stubbe's Haring ★ 4.4

Stubbe's at the Haarlemmersluis bridge on the Singel near Centraal is the Amsterdam herring stand that ranks alongside Frens, family-run for more.

OrderHollandse Nieuwe haring

Original Stroopwafels Albert Cuyp ★ 4.4

Albert Cuyp's stroopwafel stall presses the Amsterdam syrup waffle in front of you, two thin layers around hot caramel, eaten before the caramel cools.

OrderFresh stroopwafel off the iron

Spang Makandra ★ 4.4

Spang Makandra in De Pijp is the Amsterdam Surinamese counter where almost every dish is under 15 euros, roti kip and saoto soep both squarely in budget.

OrderRoti kip, saoto soep

Fort Negen ★ 4.3

Fort Negen on Frederik Hendrikstraat in West runs an Amsterdam sandwich-and-bread counter, sourdough loaves out of the oven by 11:00, salads alongside.

Toki ★ 4.3

Toki on Binnen Dommersstraat in the Haarlemmerbuurt is the small Amsterdam cafe pouring careful pour-overs and one of the city's tighter single-origin lists.

De Ballenbar at Foodhallen ★ 4.3

De Ballenbar inside Foodhallen serves Amsterdam bitterballen on the bar, beef ragout deep-fried, with truffle and lobster variants for the splurge order.

OrderBitterballen and croquettes by the dozen

Volendammer Vishandel ★ 4.3

Volendammer Vishandel on Albert Cuypstraat sells Amsterdam kibbeling fresh from the fryer, battered cod chunks with garlic mayonnaise, the way the markets.

OrderKibbeling with garlic sauce

Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs ★ 4.2

Upstairs Pancakes on Grimburgwal occupies an Amsterdam canal house dating to 1539, four tables of pancakes, teapots on the ceiling, since 1961.

OrderThe bacon and cheese pancake with apple, drowned in stroop.

TipCash-only; reservations by phone a week ahead. The stairs are steep, the room is tiny.

Thai Snackbar Bird ★ 4.2

Thai Snackbar Bird on Zeedijk has run an Amsterdam Chinatown Thai counter for over two decades, snug, no-frills, the city's most reliable bowl of pad krapow.

OrderPad krapow gai with a fried egg on top.

TipWalk-in only; turnover is fast, the booth seats clear quickly.

Bakkerij Kwakman ★ 4.2

Kwakman on Gerard Doustraat in De Pijp is the Amsterdam neighbourhood bakery: krentenbollen, rye bread, ontbijtkoek, the regular bake locals walk.

Rum Baba ★ 4.2

Rum Baba on Pretoriusstraat in Oost is the Amsterdam cafe Antipodean expats run, a brunch room pouring strong flat whites and an updated weekend menu.

Heertje Friet ★ 4.2

Heertje on Herengracht serves Amsterdam hand-cut frites the proper way, double-fried, salted, paired with mayonnaise or one of two dozen sauces.

OrderHand-cut Dutch frites

Poffertjeskraam Albert Cuyp ★ 4.2

Albert Cuyp's poffertjes stall flips Amsterdam mini-pancakes in a cast-iron griddle, served with butter and powdered sugar, the snack the market eats walking.

OrderPoffertjes with butter and powdered sugar

Thai Snackbar Bird ★ 4.2

Thai Snackbar Bird on Zeedijk is the Amsterdam Chinatown Thai counter, two decades in, big bowls of pad krapow and curry under 15 euros, fast turnover.

OrderPad krapow, green curry

De Koffieschenkerij ★ 4.1

De Koffieschenkerij sits in the former sacristy of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam's oldest building, a specialty coffee bar pouring careful espresso alongside.

Espressofabriek ★ 4.1

Espressofabriek in Westergas runs as the cafe of the in-house Amsterdam roaster, an industrial-feel room next to the gas-works park with seating.

Café de Jaren ★ 4.0

Café de Jaren on the Amstel runs a two-floor grand-cafe room, the Amsterdam terrace by the water students and locals occupy from morning into the evening.

SLA ★ 4.0

SLA on Ceintuurbaan runs the Amsterdam organic-salad chain, build-your-own bowls 8 to 12 euros, soups for 5, the everyday office-lunch counter.

OrderBuild-your-own salad bowl