A man, few plans, several canals, Amsterdam

September 12, 2023 5:34 PM

What are some restaurants to prioritize in Amsterdam? Looking for dinner plans next Wednesday. And there are a couple more questions inside.

I am late in querying the hive mind for travel tips. This time: The Netherlands for a week, though we'll only be in Amsterdam for one night. In AMS, we'll be staying along the Singel but will happily venture anywhere from there.

What did you love in Amsterdam, The Hague, Leiden and possibly Delft, Utrecht, Rotterdam?

posted by emelenjr to Travel & Transportation around Netherlands (9 answers total)

It was years ago now, but I had a wicked meal at Die Silveren Spiegel and would go again if I had the opportunity.
posted by aramaic at 5:56 PM on September 12, 2023

My partner and I visited in June, and a friend’s sister who lives in Amsterdam gave me the list below. We didn’t have time to try all of them, but especially liked Ceppi’s and Pekelhaaring.

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*typical Amsterdam brown cafe's to have a beer/drink:*

Café Langereis https://maps.app.goo.gl/ezeVeDuy7NCQxVqe8

Café de tuin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/25X5L52cWgvjkWCs7

Café Thijssen (to have a drink or a small bite)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eVH2Sd4zmwi1PCcF6

❤️ (my personal favourite)
Café de Wetering
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7CYoHPrRJWtMhtYp9

*Dinner*
De Engelbewaarder (also typical Amsterdam Café but they have good food aswell) https://maps.app.goo.gl/BKirarbT5UHxiyuX8

Ceppi's (very good Italian)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gvNe8x7KXC6VLQpW9

Pekelhaaring (European)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tPx1X2npBC6VBq7F6

LouLou (Best pizza)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eJ9KTbbVhMQ1hGPY7

La Trattoria Di Donna Sofia (Good Italian right next to Café de Tuin)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ynU4tTrX9hZrq3wq9

BUFFET van Odette (French. Very good food! _Opens on Wednesday_ . And is right next to Café de Wetering)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hCb2ZxpkS4WUQxpD8
posted by jon1270 at 6:27 PM on September 12, 2023 [3 favorites]

We had two amazing meals in Amsterdam last time we visited. Slight disclaimer, this was 2017, but both of these places are still going and hopefully still good.

The first was an Indonesian 'rijsttaffel' at Kantjil & De Tiger. Reasonably priced and absolutely delicious food.

The second was a much spendier but delicious meal at De Gouden Reale. It's tucked away on a side street in a residential area with a lovely view, amazing service and cracking food.
posted by Happy Dave at 11:22 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

Indonesian food:
Back in the 80s, Tempo Doeloe (Utrechtsestraat 75) was mostly a takeaway Toko: a door, a counter and very few tables. The cooking was good: traditional, using family recipes and ancient cookbooks. The owners were always happy to discuss techniques, ingredients and equipment.

It seems like the place now has advanced to one of the best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam, and you have to make a reservation.
posted by Namlit at 8:43 AM on September 13, 2023

It's been a few years since I was last there, but if you like Szechuan food, I'd enthusiastically recommend China Sichuan on Warmoesstraat.

Assuming your question about other Dutch places is not limited to food:

- In Rotterdam, I was delighted by the Cube Houses and the vastness of the Market Hall.

- In The Hague, you'll find one of my favourite museums in the world, Panorama Mesdag. I'm on my phone and linking is not easy, so since I've recommended it on here before, I'm going to cheat: if you search Ask for Panorama Mesdag, you'll find my previous recommendations, complete with helpful links.

- In Utrecht, there's a UFO, and a truly fantastic museum of musical automata.

And I enjoyed just walking around Delft (it's small, and very picturesque!), stopping anywhere that took my fancy - a museum, a pottery shop, lots of pausing to admire canal views.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:28 PM on September 13, 2023

If you're in Rotterdam it's worth visiting the statue known locally as "The Buttplug Gnome"
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 7:17 AM on September 14, 2023

After a number of trips, finally had a meal I really enjoyed in Amsterdam this summer, at Bollywood near Leidseplein. Recommended it to someone who also ended up liking it a lot.
posted by troywestfield at 9:16 AM on September 15, 2023

Amsterdam: Seafood Bar (exactly what it sounds like—gorgeous space) and Long Pura (Indonesian).
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 12:11 PM on September 16, 2023

Probably too late to help you for Wednesday, but here's a list of spots that I would go back to. They aren't necessarily "destination" restaurants, but many just kind of fill a niche. It really depends on what you're coming from and looking for, but... in case it helps.

I'll lift a handful of the more special ones (in no particular order up)
Entrepot Dok Eat Strong 4 courses, new flavors, Oost
’T nieuwe Diep Drink Walnut cake and genever Oost
Cafe Brecht Drink German beer, snacks and fresh wine Centrum
Thuskomme Eat Frisian restaurant. Go there and try literally anything. They're wonderful and have a great selection of booze 😬 Oost
Auberge Eat French, hanger steak and bouillabaise Zuid
Pancake Bakery Eat Great pancakes, near Singel, touristy but memorable to me Centrum
Cafe Bern Eat Fondue Centrum
Gollem Drink Good tap list, ridiculous bottle list Multiple Locations

More in case it touches what you're looking for
Oedipus Brewing Drink Brewpub and good burgers Noord
Dignita Hoftuin Eat All day brunch Centrum
Soup Enzo Specialty Spinach soup
Yuan's Hot Pot Eat cheap and fun evening meals Zuid
La Fucina - Javastraat Eat traditional Italian fare, cheap pizzas good pasta Oost
Eatmosfera Oost Eat best pizza in town. Oost
Ramen Bar SORA Eat try their takoyaki! EN sake bar has for me both the best sake menu and the best f Japanese food in town. Zuid
The Bab Eat Good bibimbap and goodish Korean fried chicken West
Fulu Mandarijn Eat most authentic Chinese food Centrum
Franggo Eat peri peri chicken Zuid
Brouwerij ’t IJ Drink Beers, sausage, cheese Oost
Mitts Eat Mediterranean Oost
Dopey's Elixir Drink Neighborhood bar Zuid
Omelegg Eat Omelets, opens at 7AM Zuid
Tarbush Eat Schwarma, consistently good Oost
Moeders Eat Dutch food, soups good, stampot ok
Hakata Senpachi Eat Ramen, Japanese Zuid
Door 74 Drink Cocktail - speakeasy Centrum
Twenty seven bar (rooftop bar) Drink Cocktails, near de bijenkorf Centrum
Labyrinth Cocktail Soul Food & Poetry Bar Drink Cocktails, near house, good music Zuid
Pind Punjabi Eat "- their dal makhni, samosa, and Garlic naan are pretty good
- achaari mushrooms" Zuid
Dutch Dabawala Eat "their biryani and kadhi is pretty good" (also dal) Centrum
Pesca Eat Seafood, spectacle Centrum
Toko Kok Kita Eat Cheap Indonesian cafeteria Zuid
Gustatio Eat Italian. Bigoli, carbonara, spinach side Zuid
Penderghast Eat Smoked meat bbq West

Den Haag? Mauritshuis, Escher musem, little brewpup, the tree-lined street, walk along Lange Voorhout
Rotterdam? Maritime museum (at least the outdoor part) and that super cool mirror dome that lets you see the skyline from the ground. Witte de Withstraat maybe? Street with cafes. All in all nice showcase for Dutch architects unconstrained by history.
posted by minedev at 7:08 AM on September 18, 2023 [1 favorite]