The restaurants worth a reservation in Amsterdam, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Amsterdam. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Restaurant Blauw in Amsterdam's Oud-Zuid runs the most consistent rijsttafel in the city, twenty-plus dishes laid across a long table, near Vondelpark.
OrderThe full Blauw rijsttafel, twenty-plus small plates with rice and sambals.
TipBook a fortnight ahead for weekends. Two seatings a night, the early one is quieter.
Indrapura on Rembrandtplein is the long-running Centrum rijsttafel house, three decades of spiced Sumatran and Javanese plates set out for the table.
OrderThe full Indrapura rijsttafel, with the Udang Gala lobster as a supplement.
TipOpen from 17:00 daily; book Rembrandtplein-facing window seats one week ahead.
Sampurna has run an unpretentious rijsttafel for 35-plus years; the Lijnbaansgracht room in the Jordaan is open all day from noon and pours one.
OrderRijsttafel Sampurna with extra sambal badjak on the side.
TipWalk-in friendly at lunch, book for dinner. Open daily from noon.
Mama Makan inside the Hyatt Regency on Spinozastraat takes Indonesian classics through a contemporary lens: brighter rooms, cleaner plating.
OrderMama's full Rijsttafel, the contemporary read on the classic spread.
TipSunday lunch is the easiest booking. They take large groups, useful at the weekend.
Toscanini has been Amsterdam's reference Italian since 1985, a Jordaan room running its own bread, its own pasta, and a list weighted toward small producers.
OrderWhatever the pasta of the day is; the bread basket is also their own bake.
TipReserve two weeks out for weekends. The room is loud, in the best Italian-trattoria sense.
nNea is the Amsterdam pizzeria placed seventh on the 2025 50 Top Pizza Europe list, Vincenzo Onnembo running a two-day Neapolitan dough in Oud-West.
OrderThe seasonal special with whatever San Marzano tomato is fresh that week.
TipWalk-ups eat at the counter on the early shift; the dining room takes online bookings via their site.
Wilde Zwijnen in Amsterdam's Indische Buurt is the city's game-forward room, a tight seasonal menu built around what hunters bring in that week.
OrderWhatever the game of the season is; venison and pigeon both pass through.
TipThe 3-course set at the start of the week is the value play. Cash or card both fine.
De Kas grows its own vegetables in a 1926 municipal greenhouse in Frankendael Park and runs a daily-changing menu out the kitchen built inside the glasshouse.
OrderThere is no choice: the day's tasting menu, whatever has come in from the garden.
TipLunch is the value play. Trams 9 and 14 stop nearby; cycling is the local move.
De Goudfazant runs a 1,200 sqm former warehouse in Amsterdam-Noord; the four-course menu changes daily, the wine list leans natural, the room is unbookable.
OrderThe full four-course menu; the kitchen plans for the room.
TipTake the free NDSM or Buiksloterweg ferry from Centraal. Booking opens online, often books a week ahead.
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.
Moeders on Rozengracht is the room for Dutch stamppot, erwtensoep and the other home-mother dishes, the walls covered in photos of mothers customers.
OrderThe stamppot of the week with rookworst sausage and braised pork.
TipBring a photo of your mother for the wall. Reservation strongly advised.
Kafe Kontrast on Ceintuurbaan in De Pijp runs chef Ellinor Strinnholm's Swedish-Indonesian kitchen: weekend brunch smorrebrod, weekday Kontrast Experience.
OrderThe weekend smorrebrod plate or the four-course Kontrast Experience set.
TipWeekend brunch is the busy slot. Quieter on Wednesdays, kitchen on full form.
esra opened in 2024 on the Oostelijke Eilanden, the Amsterdam room running modern Turkish: house manti, slow-braised lamb shoulder, a mezze table to start.
OrderThe full mezze for the table, then the lamb shoulder to share.
TipBook at least a week ahead. The terrace is the move in summer.
Jinweide opened December 2024 in De Pijp, the Amsterdam room for Northwest Chinese hand-pulled noodles, the chef pulling the dough in the open kitchen.
OrderHand-pulled noodles in lamb broth; ask for medium thickness.
TipWalk-in usually fine on weekdays. Sundays book up fast Booking recommended for weekends.
Kim's So opened in 2024 on Linnaeusstraat in Oost, an Amsterdam Korean room turning out crazy-spicy fried chicken, kimchi samgyeopsal. Priced at €€.
OrderCrazy-spicy Korean fried chicken with the soju highball.
TipTwo seatings a night, book the early one if you want to linger over the cocktail list.
Choux on De Ruijterkade behind Centraal Station runs a tight vegetable-forward tasting menu, an Amsterdam fine-casual room that has held the same chefs.
OrderThe chef's set, with the wine pairing if you can stretch.
TipThe lunch set is half the price of dinner; the kitchen has the same intent.
De Plantage runs the glasshouse-feel brasserie next to Artis Zoo, an Amsterdam all-day room with a high ceiling, big terrace, and a menu that pleases.
OrderWhichever roast vegetable is on, with a side salad of the day.
TipOutside is the move in summer; the indoor garden room is the consolation in winter.
Bistrot Neuf has run on Haarlemmerstraat since 2009 as Amsterdam's reference French bistro, a tight room turning out classics: steak frites from the bavette.
OrderSteak frites with the natural-wine-leaning house red.
TipWalk-in often works on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Friday is a full sitting.
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.
Leo Bistro on Beukenplein in Oost runs a short daily-changing European bistro menu, an Amsterdam room you can walk into on a Friday and still find a corner.
OrderWhatever the chef's three-course is that day; ask the waiter what to skip.
TipThe bar runs walk-ins, the back room takes reservations. Closed Sundays.
Roef on Middenweg in Watergraafsmeer is the modern European room east of the centre, a daily-changing five-course menu built around what the kitchen sourced.
OrderThe five-course set; the vegetable course is usually the standout.
TipBook at least a week ahead. The tram 9 stop is two minutes away.
Vicio on Bilderdijkstraat is the Amsterdam Sicilian pasta room, professional pasta makers from Sicily turning out busiate, ravioli and a daily-changing.
OrderWhatever the fresh pasta of the day is, with a Sicilian wine pour to match.
TipSmall room, books up fast on weekends. Lunch is the quieter window.
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