Amsterdam Restaurant Reviews

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

Trip notes from our 2024 first time visit to Amsterdam, The Netherlands

A beautiful city full of top notch museums, history, impressive sites, lots of bike riding, and great people and food. Keep in mind we hit mainstream restaurants and vegetarian oriented ones.

• If you are a fellow cycling fan, take a bike city tour to learn the etiquette and ride around town.
• Also be sure to take a countryside biking tour. It is fantastic!

We visited when nearby Keukenhof Gardens had their 8 week longs INCREDIBLE tulip festival. March 21, 2024 – May 12, 2024.  Be sure to time your visit.

Where to buy a SIM Card at the AMS Airport

Albert Heijn market closes 11pm.
Aankomstpassage 1 – Before security – Make a right after exiting customs. Arrival passage 1 50 – Smaller to go market does not have it
Must ask cashier for it. Select the one from Lyca Mobile for 4.49€ – It has 1GB and you can top up online. This sim card worked fine in our Huawei Mi-Fi Moble Router.

The Electronics store at the airport charges 39.99€.

Food Review Websites

Yelp is fairly incomplete.

Google has a lot of reviews.

Michelin Guide – We went to 2 One star, 1 Green star restaurants that definitely deserve the marks.

Trip Advisor makes it hard to tell what is good.

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Must visit:

Albert Kuyp outdoor market
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Last Visit: 4/3/2024

Rijks
Museumstraat 2
1071 XX Amsterdam
020 674 7555

Home

Rijks is a one Michelin star restaurant next to the museum in Amsterdam.  How convenient! After getting museum’d out, we stopped here for dinner. We were attracted by the a la carte menu. Did not feel like spending $$$$ and hours eating.

We found the food fantastic, with flavor profiles we do not encounter in the San Francisco area. Service was top notch. They can accommodate many food requirements. Definitely deserving of 1 star. (Only 4 stars on Trip Advisor. hmm)

A la Carte was far cheaper than the tasting menu. There is a cheaper tasting menu pre fixe option at lunch.

This meal would cost double in San Francisco.

Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering.

Food Review:
Dutch Shrimp (8.50€) is on the bar bites menu and hits the spot. 2 pieces full of flavor and textures. Wow and so cheap. 10/10

Bread and butter with chili was especially good. The gluten free bun was one of the best we’ve had.

Millefeuille of beetroot (25€) was also fantastic. Thin layers of beet and a super robust broth. Unique and never tried before. Vegan version available. 10/10

Judas Ear (19e) was a type of wood ear mushroom vegetarian dish. Interesting. 8.5/10

Pork Collar (35e) had a good amount of tender and fatty pork and a savory meaty sauce. Interesting calamasi cream. 8.5/10

Vegan Chocolate dessert (17e) had 2 different types, the lighter one was better. 8.5/10

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Excellent
Service – Excellent
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/4/2024

Restaurant Max
Herenstraat 14
1015 CA Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 420 0222
https://www.restaurantmax.nl

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188590-d2292732-Reviews-MAX_Amsterdam-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Restaurant Max is an Indonesian restaurant in Amsterdam. Everyone said we had to eat this cuisine while here, so we picked this spot. Rated 4.5 on Google and trip Advisor. The restaurant is located in a quieter area, just a couple blocks from central areas.

The food was better than expected. Frankly better than the Rijsttafel we had in Bali, Indonesia. The restaurant is cozy and cute. Service was warm but not top notch.
They are very accommodating to dietary requirements include vegans.

Minimum 2 people:
3 course included the MAX speciality dessert € 46 per person
2 course Rijsttafel menu € 39 per person without the MAX dessert

Safety Pluses – Online menu.

Food Review:

Rijsttafel (39€) is definitely the way to go here. No worries ordering. They even gave 2 extra dishes to our vegan, gluten free person. Food quality was high although quantity on each item wasn’t. 9.5/10

Starter is Max’ Javanese chicken satay on a crispy marinated vegetables – is bigger than expected and definitely hit the mark.

Main course is a mix of smaller portions of our Indonesian specialities, including:
Beef rendang slowly cooked with coconut and spices – really well done
Giant shrimps (peeled) in red curry cream
Balinese chicken curry
Spicy egg plant curry – very spicy.
Oriëntal spiced soy chicken, egg in yellow curry sauce
Vegetables curry in Indonesian coconut sauce
Spicy shrimps crackers, aromatic pandan rice
Gado gado, a fresh vegetables salad with spicy Javanese peanut sauce dressing

Spicy tofu
Fake chicken curry

Mango Sorbet (8€) had 2 scoops and tasted home made, almost like a gelato. 9/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Excellent
Decor – Very Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/5/2024

The Old Soul
Hobbemakade 71
1071 XM Amsterdam
020 227 8889
https://sm4r.nl

The Old Soul is a plant based Vegan Surinamese restaurant in Amsterdam. We walked by it several times and noticed how busy it was. Having never tried this cuisine before, we decided to give it a go. It was packed on a Friday night, and we had to wait and eventually sit at the counter.

Service was heater skelter due to the business of the spot. Old Soul still had homeyness and nice staff. Reservations suggested.

Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering, outside seating.

Food Review:
Coconut Sour sop Smoothie (9€) was smooth and creamy. 8.5/10

Ginger Biri (4.25) spicy ginger lemonade is really spicy, but good. 8.5/10

Tempeh Sate (9.50) pickled onion* cucumber* homemade spicy soy sauce *cassava chips is nice and moist and meaty. 9/10

Saoto Soup (8.50) vegan broth* bean sprouts*bok choi*vermicelli* potato sticks*soy sauce*fried onion was lukewarm. 6/10

Her’ heri (24) plantain* cassava* sweet potato* mashed yam*veggies*oyster mushroom batjaw* pickles was recommended by our server. Nice discrete veggies that are not mixed up. Everything was solid. 9/10

Masala Wrap (16.90) Gluten free – masala potato and pumpkin* longbeans* chickpeas* aubergine mash*tomato hot sauce (on the side) was too starchy forward. Not enough veggies. 7/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Good

Would we come back – Maybe

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Last Visit: 4/6/2024

Assaggi Ristorante Italinao
Tweede Egelantiersdwarsstraat 6
1015 SC Amsterdam
020 420 5589
https://www.assaggi.nl/

Assaggi is an Italian restaurant near our hotel in Amsterdam’s Jordaan neighborhood that was recommended by our concierge. The spot has outdoor seating along with indoor. Menu is not that extensive, leading to less choices for those with dietary requirements.

Service was very slow. Simply not enough servers for the number of tables here.

Assaggi serves up solid Italian food but is limited in a recommendation by its service.

Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering.

Food Review:
Carpaccio di assona (22€) has amped up with several minor accompanying toppings. 8/10

Strozzapreti alla siciliana (24) was vegan and gluten free. An acquired tasted, this pasta was very better than most. Perfect sauce. 8/10

Rigatoni al ragu (24.50) had egg free pasta with a robust rag sauce. Decent. 8.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Good

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/7/2024

Meatless District
Bilderdijkstraat 65-67
1053 KM Amsterdam
020 722 0804

Homepage

Meatless District is a plant based modern vegan restaurant in Amsterdam’s Bilderdijkstraat district. An area with lots of funky vegan spots. These types of restaurants are all over this city, but very rare back home in San Francisco.

The food was very good, inventive and satisfying even for omnivores. The service was subpar. Long wait to order, get food, check in with us.

This meal would cost double in San Francisco.

Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering.

Food Review:
Faux Gras in a Jar with toasts (9€) looks and spreads like the real thing. Made with lentils. 8/10
Gluten free bread (+2) was better than most.

Sashimi Watermelon with Tamari soy sauce, nori, and furikake (12.50) had a similar texture and was surprisingly close. 8.5/10

Roasted Cauliflower garlic and ‘parmesan’ roasted cauliflower, with macaroni, ‘cheese’ sauce, crispy capers, thyme breadcrumbs, toasted grains, and purple mustard micro greens – (11.50) had very little cauliflower but was more Mac and cheese. 8/10

Spicy oyster mushroom skewer, 2 grilled oyster skewers with chili flakes, secret sauce, and spring onion – (9.5) was not spicy and hit the mark for a more meaty dish. 9/10

Rainbow Sliders 2 beetroot and carrot burgers with broccomole, rocket and kimchi mayo – (9.50) were fun and also meaty. Well worth it. 9/10

Sweet Potato Fries with MD mayonnaise – (5.50) hit the mark, being fresh out of the fryer. 10/10

Chai Spiced Orange Creme Brülée (9.50) was a nice touch with a torched crust and sweet custard. 8.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Poor
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/8/2024

Pesca Theatre of Fish
Rozengracht 133
1016 LV Amsterdam
020 334 5136
https://pesca.restaurant

Pesca is a cutting edge restaurant with a fish market as a menu, serving a fresh seafood that changes daily. (With prices that change too). Much of the seafood is local although some is from the Mediterranean.
It seemed like a cool concept that we wanted to try. We’ve been to places where you select the seafood from tanks and they cook it for you. (Sai Kung Hong Kong and Seoul fish market come to mind)

Reservations are hard to come by, so get them early. You come in the door, select your fish, seafood, and sides. They have a sheet showing dietary restrictions and they take them seriously. If you have fatal allergies, they will not seat you. We went easy and concentrated on a variety of crustaceans and limited quantity. Next you move to the drink area and pick your poison. Finally you get seated.

In the end, the food was better than expected and it was all fun. All the seafood was cooked perfectly as were the sides. Service was friendly, but not very present. A great experience during our fabulous trip to Amsterdam. 1e to the Pesca Foundation. 4.95 for still water.

This meal would cost double in San Francisco.

Safety Pluses – Online menu.

Food Review:
Gamba – prawns (3.95€ for one medium sized) are grilled and hence less creative than other dishes. 8/10

Coquilles – scallops (12.95 for 2) were cooked really well. They shrank a lot! 9.5/10

Softshell crab (9.75 for 1) was lightly battered, eggless and hit the mark. Crunchy and light. 9.5/10

Pulpo – octopus (6.44 for 0.056kg) was cooked just right, not tough or chewy. 9/10

Asperges – asparagus (12.50) was really done well. You get traditional and a white asparagus. 10/10

Friet – fries (6.25) are fine and one of the few starchy sides. 9/10

Aubergine – eggplant (9.75) has a lot of cheese and nuts on top. 9/10

Brood Glutenvrij – Gluten free bread (3.75) was fantastic. Hard to believe they make it so well. 10/10

Brood – Sourdough (5.50) was fine. 8/10

Dark & Stormy mock tail (10) is super spicy, make sure this is okay! 8/10

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Excellent
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/8/2024

SAINT-JEAN
Lindengracht 158h
1015 KK Amsterdam
https://www.saintjean.nl/

SAINT-JEAN is a plant based bakery and deli in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam. They have a deli across the street. The baked items are stellar, unlike any we’ve had before. Their deli is across the street. Another nearby vegan baker spot that is closeby is Margo’s – Not as exceptional, but they serve nicer sandwiches. No gluten free options here. Prices are great, items would be at least 2-3x in San Francisco.

Outstanding items we tried include the Pecan & maple syrup Croissant (4.20€) 10/10, Pear & Hazelnut Bostock (4.28) 8.5/10, Pain Au Chocolat (3.50) 8.5/10.
Chausson Aux Pommes (4.95) was a bit too much on the crust. 7.5/10
Smoked Mushroom Sourdough Sandwich (8.90) had a nice rustic bread but the ingredients were a bit watery and disjointed. 7/10

Nothing in San Francisco comes close. Only Twelvemonth Bakery in Burlingame is in the same ballpark.

Safety Pluses – Online menu.

Food Review:

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Excellent
Service – Very Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/8/2024

Stads-Koffyhuis
Oude Delft 133
2611 BE Delft
015 212 4625
https://stads-koffyhuis.nl

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188626-d1068367-Reviews-Stads_koffyhuis-Delft_South_Holland_Province.html

Stads-Koffyhuis is a breakfast/lunch restaurant in Delft, The Netherlands. It is located behind the main building in the square, away from the more touristy spots. We were on a day trip here and came for lunch. It was listed in Rick Steve’s book.

You can eat inside or outside on a boat platform in the canal. The food was solid, making this a good bet.

Warning: We were on a one day tour, making eating at this restaurant a rushed affair.

Safety Pluses – Online menu.

Food Review:
Rosbief – Roast Beef Sandwich (11.75€) looks great and tastes great too. Simple but fresh meat and bread. 8.5/10

Portobelloburger (14) with fries (3.50) is perfect for vegetarians. Lots of cheese, no surprise considering they are famous for that. 8.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/8/2024

DE KAS
Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3
1097 DE Amsterdam The Netherlands
020-4624562
https://restaurantdekas.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/de-kas-amsterdam

De las or The Greenhouse is about 20 minutes from the center of Amsterdam. There is a tram station across the street, making it really easily to get to.

“We’ve been working with this philosophy, from plant to plate, since 2001”. It is situated in a Greenhouse and grows their own produce or receives it from local farms. This plant oriented restaurant received 1 Michelin red star and one green star. Reservations are hard to get, so book ahead. Look for cancellations or easier lunch ones.

Pre Fixe Menu changes daily. Lunch priced at 50/62€ / person, Dinner with more courses and usually more meat or fish 79/88 making this spot is a great value. They can serve a complete vegetarian and vegan menu. Contact them beforehand with dietary restrictions.

Safety Pluses – None.

Food Review:

Lunch Menu (62€ for 4 courses) – Keep in mind you start with 2 amuse bouches and bread course. You also get a final dessert. That helps pump up the true number of courses. The 4 course meal adds a dessert, thankfully something you can decide on after entrees are done.

The courses really showed off what creative use of vegetables can achieve. No gimmicky nitro or molecular techniques. The produce was super fresh and the use of herbs spots on. The gluten free option was handled with precision and included a nice buck what pancake.
This is a must visit for vegans and vegetarians.
Be sure to ask to take pictures of the beautiful kitchen.

Oester Steaktartaar (7.50) oyster with steak tartar is an optional dish. This is packed with steak tartaraar, making it a bit overwhelming. 8/10

Thull’s Waterkefir (5.50) was a diluted tart drink. Acquired taste. 6/10

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Very Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

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Last Visit: 4/9/2024

Kinnaree Thai Cuisine
Eerste Anjeliersdwarsstraat 14
1015 NR Amsterdam
020 627 7153
https://restaurantkinnaree.nl

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188590-d783382-Reviews-Kinnaree_Thai_Cuisine-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Kinnaree is a Thai restaurant in the Jordaan neighborhood that was featured in Rick Steve’s book. We walked by and decided to try it out.

Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering.

Food Review:
Massaman Kai – chicken curry (19.50€) had a nice curry that was not spicy. Not a lot of chicken but a good quantity of potatoes and nuts. 8/10

Pad Pack – Mixed veggies (9.50) was a pretty standard mix of work seared veggies. 8/10

Tahoe Kraprao (18.50) – tofu curry is perfect for vegetarians. Reasonable quantity. 8/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – No

Restaurant Map: