10 Unique Places To Eat In Amsterdam You Have To Try

If you’re traveling to Amsterdam, you probably know to try a Heineken beer, and go to the Albert Cuypmarkt for a stroopwafel.

But what about Bitterballen, Hagelsalg, and more uncommon Amsterdam eats and where to to try them!?

If you are interested in that, then this list of unique places to eat in Amsterdam is for you!

I stumbled upon most of these while I was in Amsterdam for three few days, and I think they’re some of the best restaurants in Amsterdam.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

The Most Unique & Different Places To Eat In Amsterdam #wheretoeatinamsterdam #bestplacestoeatamsterdam #uniquesplacestoeatinamsterdam #differentplacestoeatinamsterdam

Top 10 Unique Restaurants In Amsterdam

Amsterdam is filled with delicious food to try, the only question is, where to find them!?

P.S. If you’re interested in an organized food tour, check out Viator. The most popular food tour is Eating Amsterdam: Jordaan Small Group Food Tour.

1. Start Your Day Off Right At The Smallest Tea House in Amsterdam

This is hands-down one of the MUST places to eat in Amsterdam.

The Smallest Tea House in Amsterdam is only about 6 feet wide, my partner could almost touch both walls at the same time! So needless to say, it’s quite the unique place to eat in Amsterdam!

You used to be able to come here for a traditional Dutch breakfast, but now they only offer three types of tea tastings. P.S. If you like Earl Grey, I can’t recommend trying the Dutch Earl Grey tea enough (now called Amsterdam Earl Grey)! It’s like Earl Grey on steroids filled with twice the amount of bergamot!

It was my favourite experience while visiting the city, you can’t really get more local than this!

the smallest tea house best restaurant in amsterdam the outside facade. Its a grey day outside, and looks like it might have just rained. There are three buildings attached to each other. Starting from the left, is one story entryway, with a double door arched entrance. Next to it is a very narrow but tall building - the smallest teahouse. The bottom is the storefront with floor to ceiling windows with a burgundy frame. Above it are burgundy brick walls with red frame windows. There's only one large window per floor. You can see 4 floors before it becomes a triangle roof meeting the sky. On the right, you can start to see the side of the next building

The owner, Niels, is the highlight of this shop. He’ll tell you the entire history of the building and how he came to own it. He’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet in Amsterdam and he’s so happy to welcome you to The Smallest Tea House in Amsterdam.

The only downside is that I found there was a lack of communication when making our booking. I made it all online and I never got an answer to some of the questions I had (about vegetarian options and allergies).

We showed up the day of with several back up plans if it didn’t work out. In the end, he was very accommodating to my dietary needs! But now that there’s no full breakfast this should no longer be an issue.

P.S. If you are still interested in booking the tea tasting, elevate your experience by taking some notes on each tea with my tea tasting guide on Etsy!

a man and a woman enjoy a traditional dutch breakfast at the smallest tea house in amsterdam. The room is just large enough to see four people at a table. The table is filled, so it's a small table. You can't really make out what anything is besides for a giant apple pie on the edge. There's a large floor to ceiling window letting in all the natural light.

What To Eat In Amsterdam For Breakfast (Alternative)

Since The Smallest Tea House in Amsterdam no longer serves a traditional Dutch breakfast, you should still seek out my favourite part: Hagelslag, or rather chocolate sprinkles.

Hagelslag is eaten on toast with butter at breakfast, and it’s DELICIOUS! The best part is that it’s very easy to make yourself.

Pick up all the ingredients at the local grocery store, Albert Heijn.

My go-to Hagelslag brand is De Ruijter, but there are many to choose from. Pick up some butter, and bread, and you’ve got yourself a delicious Dutch breakfast!

2. Where To Eat Breakfast In Amsterdam: Lanskroon

If you’re looking for a quick option for breakfast, go to Lanskroon.

This fourth generation family run bakery is no stranger to the Amsterdam morning scene.

You have to try their coffee caramel stroopwafel when you visit.

The main downside is that there isn’t a lot of seating, so you have to get lucky with a table or you might have to take it to go.

P.S. Plan your perfect day in Amsterdam with my digital travel planner on Etsy! Plan your day from breakfast to lunch and dinner, with some sightseeing in between of course!

an overhead photo at Lanskroon in Amsterdam restaurants. It's a marble design round table with a box of milks, creams, and sugars. There are two cappucinnos, and a traditional Lanskroon stroopfwafel.

3. Best Coffee In Amsterdam: Back To Black

If you’re searching for the best coffee spot in Amsterdam, look no further! Back to Black, founded by two best friends, is all about mouthwatering sustainable coffee roasting.

They have two coffee shops in the city, and even a bakery. Also, I LOVE their logo!

I recommend going to the one closer to Vondelpark. It’s a good spot to sit down for a break after walking through the park.

You might also be interested in

Digital Coffee Tasting Journal

4. Where To Eat In Amsterdam: Melly’s Cookiebar

If you’re looking for good quality desserts and good coffee in the heart of Amsterdam, go to Melly’s Cookiebar!

Although it’s a family run business, but it isn’t Dutch. It’s actually Argentinian, so you’ll also find some Argentinian delicacies here, like Yerba Mate tea.

But! In 2019 they expanded to bring a new twist to a Dutch classic! Now, Melly’s Stroopwafels are the most picturesque stroopwafel Instagram has ever seen!

Bike off all the sweets In Amsterdam!

How To Bike To A Windmill From Amsterdam: The Best Day Trip!

inside mellys cookiebar in amsterdam: a teal painted wall is filled with chalboards with the days meny and shelves selling theor products. You can see the counter with pastries galore from pies to cookies and loafs

5. Best Restaurants In Amsterdam For Sandwiches: Het Stadspaleis

Het Stadspaleis literally translates to the City Palace… although, it’s probably the furthest thing from a palace even though it’s charming A.F.

And it’s one of the best restaurants in Amsterdam for lunch.

We walked by the restaurant probably about 5 times before realizing it was the place we were looking for, it’s a small hut on the sidewalk, right next to the street.

Het Stadspaleis is an organic sandwich shop serving juices, tea, coffee and pastries. There are only a few seats inside but the terrace is a good option if it isn’t raining.

It’s one of the perfect places to eat in Amsterdam to refuel and watch local life in Amsterdam.

city-palace-where-to-eat-in-amsterdam-places-to-eat

6. Unique Restaurants In Amsterdam: FEBO

If you’re looking for where to eat in Amsterdam that’s fast and easy head to FEBO.

FEBO is a Dutch fast food chain where you can quickly get fresh food from a vending machine.

I’ll admit, it’s a bit of a gimmick, but we don’t have anything like this in North America so it was a must-try for us… at least once!

And let me tell you first hand, it isn’t bad at all. It’s SUPER quick for lunch and it’s one of the best croquettes I’ve ever tried… and I was coming from Belgium.

Plus if you’re in a rush, you can’t get faster service than this!

The only negative when using the vending machine is that you may still need have to have change for it to work.

It was cash only when I visited in 2019, but now it seems like some locations have updated to accept certain credit cards and Apple Pay, while others are still a cash only system.

P.S. Write about all your unique experiences in Amsterdam, like buying a croquette from a vending machine, in a travel journal, so you don’t forget a moment of your trip!

febo amsterdam places to eat at in a rush. There are two pictures side by side.

The first picture a woman is taking out first from a little slot. There are two columns of 9 slots each, most are filled with a croquette.

The second picture the woman is putting in a coin into a slot.

7. Dinner With A View In Amsterdam: SkyLounge (Now LuminAir)

One of the best restaurants in Amsterdam for a view is SkyLounge (May 2024 update: the restaurant has rebranded, it’s now called Luminair!).

This isn’t necessarily a top local spot to eat, but it’s worth checking out at least once while you’re visiting Amsterdam.

The LuminAir restaurant is in the Hilton DoubleTree hotel and gives you the BEST skyline view of Amsterdam.

You don’t even technically have to order anything if you don’t want to, head out to their terrace just to admire the view for a bit.

But if you want, get a table and stay for a while as you stare off into the abyss. It is a bit on the pricier side, so we kept it to appetizers and a drink each (they used to make a mean bitterballen and fried cod that I’d go back for any day!).

P.S. What To Eat In Amsterdam: Bitterballen

Bitterballen are essentially fried Dutch meatballs and they’re DELICIOUS!

They aren’t simply a regular meat ball that’s been fried though. First you have to make a beef stew, and refrigerate it. Only once the stew is cooled can it be turned into a ball that’s breaded and friend.

the view from the skylounge double tree amsterdam eats. The top half of the photo is all sky, you can see a dark grey cloud coming in on the right of the photo. Then the city is in night mide below, the lights give the city a vibrant yellow colour. You can see red kights from street signs, traffic lights, and cars and trams driving through the streets.

8. Best Local Restaurant in Amsterdam: Hap Hmm

If you’re looking for more of a local dining experience in Amsterdam, go to Hap Hmm – it’s seriously one of the best restaurants in Amsterdam.

This is the polar opposite of the Skylounge, and it’s not meant for tourists AT ALL!

But because it’s not for tourists, it’s just a bit outside the city center, closer to Vondelpark.

We tried both the beef and chicken stew, and it seemed like that’s what everyone was getting.

We were far from disappointed, the meat melted in your mouth. They even sell some local micro brewery beers here if you’re bored of drinking Heineken!

It’s quite a small restaurant as well, so you end up sitting really close to your neighbours. But this added so much to our experience as we all ended up chatting with each other!

Depending on when you come, you might have to wait for a table. So the earlier you come the better. We were hungry at 5:00 P.M., so we had no issue getting a table right right away.

Also, although Hap Hmm accepts cars today, they still prefer cash!

hap hmm best places to eat amsterdam. A photo of the table with two meals for two people. There are two heineken glasses filled with beer in the centre. On one side is a plate a square bowl filled with chicken stew, on the other side is the same plate and bowl but its filled with a dark brown beef stew instead. On the left and right of the table are the sides, two bowls of vegetables and two bowls of two types of potatoes. There's cutlery nicely organized in a folded paper and underneath is the menu - a plasticized pink paper!

9. Where To Eat In Amsterdam With Options Galore: FoodHallen

We were lucky to stumble upon this Amsterdam food gem because it was around the corner from our hostel (CityHub, which I recommend staying at!).

FoodHallen is a large food court, but with quality and pop up restaurants. They have every cuisine imaginable, including Dutch classics (like bitterballen). It’s the perfect place to come when you really don’t know what to eat in Amsterdam.

It’s especially good if you’re travelling with a few people that all want something different to eat, or you’re a picky eater (like myself), or maybe you want to try some Dutch classics without ordering an entire portion!

Plus, it has a fun vibe with live music and bustling crowds.

Make sure to find a table before buying any food though. It can be quite crowded, and you risk enjoying your dinner standing up otherwise.

Once you find a table though, you’re golden for the night! Grab a drink, and try all the different foods FoodHallen has to offer!

Related

How To Travel As A Picky Eater… And Not Starve!

inside foodhallen with bustling crowds and food vendor stalls. There are three restaurants in a row on the left side, people are standing in line, walking towards it, or sitting at one of the many tables in the middle.

10. Local Micro Brewery: De Prael Brouwerij

Amsterdam has more than just Heineken for beer options. And although Heineken is better in Amsterdam (on tap), branch out to try some beers that you can’t get back home.

There are several microbreweries in Amsterdam but we went to De Prael (they have a few locations, we went to the one in the red light district).

You can order a flight to get a taste of all their beers.

But whatever you order, make sure to try their beer bread on the side, it’s so fresh and it comes with homemade hummus!

Easily Rate & Compare Each Beer

Rate each new beer you try from a brewery to find your favourite one with my digital and printable beer flight scorecard. See it on Etsy.

P.S. Get an additional discount on my Etsy shop with my code ATRLOVE!

inside de prael brewery in amsterdam. A long table going all the way to the other side of the restaurant. There's only one other group sitting at the table, far on the opposite side. We've ordered some bread with hummus, there are two beers, and a giant preztel. The lighting is dim in the brewery.

Need A Place To Stay In Amsterdam?

We stayed at the Cityhub pod hotel in Amsterdam. This experience won’t be for everyone, but we thoroughly enjoyed it for 2 nights – it was quite… unique! See room rates and availability.

If a pod hotel isn’t for you, here are some other recommendations I found:

Best Location: Live like a local at a canal house at Mokum Suites. Each room is designed with you in mind, and you can’t get a better location than this in Amsterdam. Dam Square is only a 15 minute walk away and the nearest tram line is 250 metres, taking you anywhere you need to go! See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Luxury Hotel: Live in luxury in Amsterdam at Hotel V Nesplein – a boutique hotel where no two rooms are the same. See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Affordable Boutique Hotel: For a more affordable hotel option, stay closer to Vondelpark in Amsterdam at the De Ware Jacob Boutique Hotel. Every room is different and even offer family rooms to stay in! See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Find other hotels in Amsterdam on Booking.com.

inside cityhub hostel in amsterdam. A carpeted aisle with a city hub sign at the end. On either sides of the aisles are the pods, you can only see the doors and small windows of each pod.

Buy The Travel Bundle & Save

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See the bundle on Etsy.

P.S. As a thank you to my readers, enjoy an extra discount on my Etsy shop with my code ATRLOVE!

Himalaya Palace

Sunday 18th of December 2022

Thanks for sharing this article.I like it.This was very helpful for me.

lisa

Wednesday 23rd of November 2022

Great tips! I've been to Amsterdam a good few times and have not tried any of these yet..

Meghan

Thanks so much Lisa! Now you have some new places to try if you have a chance to go back! Hope you like them as much as I did :D

Chloe Dickenson

Sunday 1st of November 2020

What an awesome list of recommendations! I absolutely loved the food we ate in Amsterdam a few years ago, but I definitely wish I'd heard about some of these, especially the SkyLounge place; I bet those views were incredible while dining! x

Monday 2nd of November 2020

The view is UNREAL from the Skylounge (good excuse to go back!) and so is the food in Amsterdam!

Sara

What a great post! I always love trying out unique local places when travelling and I'll definitely remember these when visiting Amsterdam :) thank you for sharing!

Happy to hear that! I hope you like them :D

Jenny

Saturday 31st of October 2020

It made me hungry just reading this! I'd like to try out the vending machine just for the quirkiness of it. The Smallest Teahouse looks really good, I'd love to go there as well.

Hahah! Job well done then :P FEBO is totally worth trying at least once, it's so much fun, and they still produce delicious food! The Smallest Teahouse is a MUST! I cannot recommend going there enough!