Amsterdam has one of the most diverse food scenes in the Netherlands, and there is always somewhere new worth discovering. Between creative neighbourhood restaurants, natural wine, excellent specialty coffee and a bakery scene that seems to get better every year, the city has plenty to keep food lovers busy. These are the restaurants, cafés and bakeries in Amsterdam that have stood out most to us.
Best Restaurants in Amsterdam
Bar Bouche
Bar Bouche is a lively neighbourhood restaurant in Amsterdam East where good food and wine come without too much formality. The menu is compact and changes regularly, with dishes made for sharing and plenty of reason to return. We especially like that it works just as well for drinks and a few plates as it does for a full dinner.
Fabus
Fabus brings together several things we love: natural wine, Levantine-inspired food and a warm neighbourhood atmosphere in Amsterdam West. The menu is perfect for sharing, with plenty of dips, vegetables and comforting dishes alongside an interesting wine selection. We particularly loved the labneh and red pepper mutabbal with sourdough — simple, generous and exactly the kind of food that keeps you ordering another plate.
Silk
Silk is one of Amsterdam’s more original new restaurants, created by the team behind Salvo and nNea. The menu takes inspiration from the ancient Silk Road, bringing Chinese and Italian influences together without falling into predictable fusion. Expect bold flavours, handmade elements and dishes that feel genuinely different from what you find elsewhere in the city.
Esra
Esra is a tiny, intimate restaurant on Sporenburg where chef Selin Kiazim cooks whatever feels right that day, drawing heavily on Turkish and Mediterranean flavours. The menu changes constantly with the seasons and what local producers bring in, while the open kitchen and handful of tables make the whole experience feel almost like eating in someone’s home. We especially love that the wine list ventures beyond the obvious, with bottles from Turkey, Georgia, Croatia and Greece.
R21
R21 brings relaxed fine dining to a beautifully restored historic building near Waterlooplein. Chef Orlando David draws inspiration from cuisines around the world, creating seasonal dishes with plenty of surprising flavour combinations. We loved the warm, intimate setting and chose the tasting menu with wine pairing — especially impressive is that every course has a thoughtfully created vegetarian alternative.
Salut
Salut is a stylish all-day spot in De Pijp, combining Mediterranean flavours with French and Flemish influences. The colourful interior is just as inviting as the terrace on sunny days, making it perfect for anything from lunch to a long apéro. We especially loved the buttery brioche with eel and their brilliant tiramisu perdu. Classic flavours with a playful twist, in exactly the kind of setting where you easily stay for another glass of wine.
Scala
Scala turns dinner into something completely different by combining food with small-scale theatre. Short performances take place throughout the evening, with time in between to eat and drink in the restaurant. With only a small audience at each performance, the experience feels surprisingly personal. One of the most distinctive evenings we have had in Amsterdam and much more than simply another dinner reservation.
Ikaria
Hidden inside Bilderdijkpark, Ikaria Park brings Greek flavours to one of Amsterdam West’s greenest settings. The food goes beyond the usual Greek classics, with plenty of colourful dishes, vegetables and options for sharing. We were equally impressed by the carefully selected Greek wines. Especially on a sunny day, the park setting makes this a lovely place to spend a long lunch or evening.
Breakfast & Lunch in Amsterdam
Uncommon
Uncommon takes specialty coffee seriously, but the food deserves just as much attention. The menu is plant-forward, seasonal and full of interesting ingredients, with creative toasts and other dishes that change throughout the year. We have tried several versions over time and there is always something unexpected going on. A great choice when you want both excellent coffee and a proper lunch.
Zero Zero
Zero Zero keeps things simple: freshly baked Italian-style schiacciata filled generously with good ingredients. The bread itself is the star, crisp on the outside and soft inside, with plenty of vegetarian combinations to choose from. The melanzane is one of the favourites for a reason. There is often a queue around lunchtime, but these sandwiches are well worth waiting for.
Florentin
Florentin is one of our favourite brunch finds in De Pijp, with a menu inspired by Israeli and other Mediterranean flavours. Even familiar dishes are given their own twist. We particularly loved the Florentin shakshuka with creamy leek, spinach and goat’s cheese, served with homemade challah. Colourful, generous and a welcome alternative to the standard Amsterdam brunch menu.
Bakers & Roasters
Bakers & Roasters combines New Zealand café culture with Brazilian influences in a colourful all-day brunch concept. The portions are generous, baked goods are made in-house and the menu has plenty of options whether you want breakfast or something more substantial. It has been around for years, but remains a reliable choice when a proper brunch rather than just coffee and pastry is the plan.
Best Bakeries & Pastry in Amsterdam
Fort Negen
Fort Negen is one of our favourite bakeries in Amsterdam and a place we rarely leave with just one thing. Their sourdough bread is excellent, but the pastries and changing specials are just as tempting. We particularly loved the cheese and wild garlic croissant. Everything feels rooted in proper baking rather than pastry made purely to look impressive — and that makes it even better.
Saint-Jean
Saint-Jean proves how exciting a completely plant-based bakery can be. The pastries are beautifully made, with regularly changing flavours and creative seasonal specials that make it difficult to choose. Their pistachio pastry was one of our favourites. The quality is no secret anymore, so coming earlier in the day is still a very good idea.
Margo’s
Margo’s is another plant-based bakery that makes you forget entirely about the fact that everything happens to be vegan. We had one of the best plant-based cheese croissants here — flaky, savoury and genuinely satisfying. The pastries are handmade and the atmosphere still has that friendly neighbourhood feel we loved when we first discovered it.
Grammes
Grammes is the kind of bakery where deciding what to order becomes unnecessarily difficult. The focus is on beautifully laminated pastry, but the flavours are playful and often a little unexpected. It is popular for good reason and the counter rarely looks boring. If the pistachio escargot is available, that would still be our first choice.
Salvo
Salvo brings unmistakable Italian energy to Amsterdam’s bakery scene. Their maritozzi originally drew us in, but the constant stream of creative flavours and new pastries gives plenty of reason to return. There is a real sense of personality behind everything they make, combining Italian pastry traditions with ideas that feel contemporary rather than nostalgic.
Anook Bakehouse
Anook Bakehouse is a small bakery in De Pijp with an especially tempting mix of sweet and savoury bakes. Their doughnuts are excellent, but we also loved the cheese and mustard bun. The selection regularly changes, making it the kind of neighbourhood bakery where going in without knowing exactly what you want is probably the best strategy.
et CLAIRE
et CLAIRE takes a more polished approach to viennoiserie, with beautifully finished pastries and plenty of creative flavour combinations. Their signature cube-shaped creations immediately catch the eye, but the savoury pastries can be just as interesting — we particularly loved the kimchi croissant. Definitely one for anyone who appreciates pastry that is both technically precise and a little playful.
Best Coffee in Amsterdam
LOT61
LOT61 has become one of Amsterdam’s established specialty coffee names, with its own roasting operation and several places around the city to stop for a cup. We originally discovered them through a very good flat white and have kept the name on our coffee list ever since. A reliable choice when properly roasted coffee rather than an enormous food menu is the priority.
Rum Baba
Rum Baba combines excellent specialty coffee with the relaxed atmosphere of a proper neighbourhood café. Their beans are roasted in Amsterdam and there is always something interesting to try, from espresso to filter coffee. Add some homemade pastry and it becomes very easy to stay longer than planned. One of those Amsterdam coffee names that has remained consistently good over the years.
Toki
Toki is a relaxed little café close to the Haarlemmerdijk with a strong focus on good drinks and a creative neighbourhood atmosphere. We particularly remember their matcha latte, which was prepared with much more care than the average version. The setting is simple and easygoing — exactly the kind of place we like for a coffee or matcha break while walking around the city.
YUSU
YUSU brings specialty coffee together with art, creativity and community in Amsterdam East. The coffee is the foundation, but the playful specials are part of what makes the place fun. We once tried iced drinks topped with matcha and taro ice cream and absolutely loved them. Keep an eye on what they are serving when you visit, as their seasonal creations are often worth trying.
Sango
Sango is one for people who really enjoy exploring specialty coffee. Different origins, varieties and processing methods rotate through the selection, with beans roasted in small batches in Amsterdam. We originally became fans after trying an excellent iced chai, but the coffee programme itself is the main reason to visit. A small place where there is clearly a lot of knowledge behind every cup.
Hummingbird
Hummingbird is a tiny specialty coffee bar right in the centre of Amsterdam, proving that good coffee can still be found between the tourist-heavy streets. The focus is firmly on coffee, with a changing selection of high-quality beans and plenty of attention from the people behind the bar. We love having an address like this so close to the heart of the city.
Badeta
Badeta combines a specialty coffee bar with its own roasting operation, making it a good address for both a coffee on the spot and beans to take home. There is plenty of attention to different origins and flavour profiles, but the atmosphere remains relaxed rather than overly technical. A good one to save if exploring Amsterdam beyond the most obvious city-centre cafés.
Scandinavian Embassy
Scandinavian Embassy has been an important part of Amsterdam’s specialty coffee scene for years. The café in De Pijp focuses on coffees from Scandinavian roasters, paired with homemade pastries in a small and distinctly Nordic setting. It may no longer be a new discovery, but the quality and clear point of view still make it one of the city’s most interesting coffee addresses.
White Label Coffee
White Label Coffee is another Amsterdam roaster that keeps the focus firmly on the coffee itself. They work with different origins and roast their own beans, giving each coffee plenty of individual character rather than relying on one fixed house style. With several places around the city, it is an easy name to keep in mind whenever you are looking for a properly made filter coffee or flat white.
