Amsterdam offers plenty of enjoyable places to eat in or take out, lots of choice for every taste and budget. Walking from Amsterdam Central Station to the famous Dam Square, you will already encounter numerous places. Needless to say Amsterdam knows its "tourist traps", but a bit of research on Amsterdam.org will keep you far away from those.
Eating in Amsterdam - Must tries
Dutch food is straightforward and wholesome. Winter brings pea soup and hotchpodges like mashed potatoes and kale with gravy and sausage or mashed potatoes, carrots and onions with beef stew. June brings raw hering with onions. A white bun with a kroket or a "frikandel speciaal" goes year around, just as freshly baked apple pie with cookie crust and hot-from-the-iron syrup waffles. If you feel adventurous, get yourself some licorice. Once the letter R has found a place in the name of the month, mussels are an absolute must.
Eating in Amsterdam - International Cuisine
Experts say that outside of Asia, Amsterdam is the best place for Indonesian food, probably due to the colonial past. The unique combination of Caribbean and Indian food in the Surinamese cuisine in the form of Roti is highly recommended. Furthermore, there is a magnificent melting pot of millennium fusion to haute cuisine in restaurants like the “kas” and “Blauw aan de wal”. The most important tip for avoiding a eating fiasco is to avoid tourist areas littered with low quality and expensive Grill Houses like on the “Leidseplein” and the red light district.
Eating in Amsterdam - Take out for at home or on the go
Amsterdam's fried snack outlets with coin operated drawers are known worldwide and its kroketten (ragout filled crusty snacks) and frikandellen are a must try for visitors. Outlets selling freshly baked and dressed sandwiches, smoothies, coffee and microwaveable meals in train stations and city centers sprout like mushrooms in fall. And take out chinese, pizza and increasingly sushi are classics. If you do not care to dress up for one time, you can still have a gourmet meal right in front of the telly, on the couch with your feet up.
