AMSTERDAM FOOD GUIDE

When it comes to traveling, you could say we travel for food. I love to experience new foods and different cultures. I will seriously eat anything or at least try it once! I usually do lots of food research before traveling and make a list of places to go. So for Amsterdam I wanted to share the places we enjoyed the most on our trip! 

Bam Boa - Bam Boa is not right in the city central area but worth the trip. We rode bikes along the Amstel canal to get there. One of the main reasons we went was because a girl I follow on Instagram is the owner of Bam Boa. Besides the food and drinks being delicious, the inside is so Instagramable. By the way, the food was great for any meal of the day.

 

Blue Amsterdam - Want to eat with a view? You need to go to Blue Amsterdam! I would recommend this place more for lunch or even coffee / breakfast. The restaurant is located at the top of a shopping area with an entire 360 view of the city. They even have binoculars on the tables for you to look out while eating! Both our sandwiches were SO good and the drinks were unique, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. 

Mama Kelly - I kept seeing this place all over instagram before our trip! I recommend making a reservation here because it can fill up quick. It’s become a very popular spot for tourists especially based on its location. The atmosphere inside is absolutely amazing with everything being pink. It’s more of an experience to go to the restaurant vs being known for the food in my opinion. The food was good, don’t get me wrong, but not mind blowing to us. The vibe, however, is just so cool. Josh and I both got such delicious drinks and some food to share. 


The restaurants mentioned above are more of a sit down eating style.  Next I'm going to share more of the "street food" places we really enjoyed and some things that you must try in Amsterdam!

Van Wonderen - Amsterdam is known for their stroopwafel and Van Wonderen is the place to get them! There are multiple locations throughout the city and they make them fresh right in front of you. If you know me, I am not a sweets person but, I could eat these all day. If you don’t know what a stroopwafel is, they’re two thin wafer cookies with melted caramel inside. At Van Wonderen you can choose any type of toppings to go on top as well. That includes nuts, chocolate, Oreos, and even marshmallows along with many others! 

The Happy Pig - This place is unreal! They serve rolled pancakes, almost like crepes. Josh and I got a savory and a sweet one to be able to share and enjoy both kinds. I ordered smoked gouda cheese with bacon and Josh got fresh strawberries. He asked for half to have melted chocolate and the other half to be drizzled with honey. Best of both worlds! We walked over to a canal and sat along the water to eat them which was very enjoyable because there’s very little room to sit inside!

Kibbeling & Herring - These fishes might be the most known “street food” or “snack” in the city. They have stands all over the city just like the hot pretzel stands here. We rode our bikes to the trendy neighborhood of De Pijp to try them at an outdoor market called Albert Cuyp Market. Kibbeling is fried salt cod chunks that comes with tons of dipping sauces on the side. Herring is served raw with diced raw onions and sliced gherkins on top. We definitely loved Kibbeling more, but try both to get the full experience of Dutch culture!

Croquettes / Bitterballen - You can find these anywhere and everywhere in Amsterdam. So f*cking good! I ate way too many on our trip, haha! You can even find them in vending type machines off the street. You put 1 euro in the machine and it opens up and pops out a hot croquette. A lot of these quick-mart type of places also serve up hamburgers which seemed to be quite popular in Amsterdam too! 

French Fries - Another dish you can find on every street corner. French fries are a true weakness of mine. Of course, I was eating them left and right with the “mayo.” The dutch mayo does not taste anything like the one here in the US. It has a more garlicky foundation. I need to figure out where I can buy their kind in bulk! There are Fry stands all over and they come packed in a paper cone full of fries. You’re supposed to able to eat them on the go while walking! Most of the places we came across have tons of unique sauces to add on the side for dipping as well.

Kapsalon - We were recommended by serval people to eat Kapsalon. It’s not fancy, but it’s so damn good! Considered a fast food dish in Amsterdam, Kapsalon is a layer of french fries served in a dish topped with shawarma meat and gouda cheese, all melted in an oven. Yum! Once that is heated up it gets topped with a “salad” which is made up of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and onion. Lastly, it’s dressed with a healthy bit of garlic chili sauce.

Food Hallen - This is like a food hall market, with a wide variety of different cuisines. They even offer venders with gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options. Josh and I got a few things from different spots to be able to try a little bit of everything. We got Dumplings, Spanish tapas, Bitterballen, Sausage sandwich with bacon and mustard, and a variety of cheeses on little baguettes!

Lastly I wanted to mention the Coffee Shops, which I figured was appropriate to add into the food category hahah! A coffee shop in Amsterdam is not what a coffee shop is in the U.S. Over there, coffee shops are where you can buy cannabis or hash. Of course we went to a few… you have to if you’re visiting! The cutest one that I would highly recommend (if you’re into it) is Boerejongens Coffeeshop, go to the one at Utrechtsestraat 21, 1017 VH, Amsterdam.  The inside is all gold and marble and the workers are dressed up fancy!

Click here for my Amsterdam Travel Guide!