Amsterdam’s hottest restaurants
The Dutch food scene is hotter than ever.
Lively Italian restaurant
La Florita
While this lively Italian restaurant, which is decorated with leather sofas, whitewashed walls, and elegant lamps, just screams sophisticated luxury, everybody is made to feel welcome here. Not surprisingly, La Fiorita attracts a diverse crowd and guests flock here to enjoy entrées such as veal with fava beans and San Daniele ham along with mouth-watering desserts. The restaurant also boasts a terrific wine list. Head chef Thor Lunstroo’s background includes, among other things, the trendy entertainment complex De School while co-owner Benjamin Sanchez also runs the nearby pizzeria La Perla.
Young and trendy
Public Space
If your cup of tea is vivacious natural wines, craft beers from boutique breweries, sustainable food prepared from fresh, seasonal ingredients, and fragrant roasted coffee, then Public Space is the right choice. The establishment, which is located in the trendy Noord area, acts as a coffee house by day and a wine bar and restaurant by night. With its gray concrete walls and minimalist decor, hipsters will find themselves right at home here after their first taste of the delicious fermented rhubarb. Since the kitchen also offers charcoal-grilled entrées with generous portions that can be shared by large groups, Public Space is a popular dinner destination. If you feel like dancing after your meal, it also happens to be close to Shelter, one of the best nightclubs in Amsterdam.
Mexican magic
Bacalar
This Mexican taqueria in the Noord area is as much a counterculture institution as a relaxed hangout. As Bacalar is located in a fairly isolated area next to a car repair shop, the fact that guests manage to find it at all, is a testament to just how delicious its tacos and tostadas are. It doesn’t hurt either that the owner, Joachim de Buck, was highly successful with another popular Mexican restaurant, Coba. Along with the food, they serve Mezcal and a delicious Swiss beer flavored with apricot and rhubarb. You’ll also find an outdoor seating area for those sunny days and warm nights.
The place that’s become the talk of the town
Carmen
Carmen, the place that the in-crowd is frequenting right now, has become the talk of the town in Amsterdam. Owned by Carmen Atiyah de Beats and her husband Joris ter Meulen Swijtink, the establishment combines a shop, a guesthouse, and a café. While simple and seasonal, the food is made of only the finest ingredients: mackerel with beans, creamy polenta, and spicy arrabiata with goat cheese are just a few of the delicious entrées. The café also plays host to a number of invited chefs and impromptu pop-ups. As it’s centrally located, it’s become an oasis of sorts for trendy influencers who come here to enjoy the chic atmosphere and tasty food.
Dutch fine dining
Restaurant Floreyn
Dutch cuisine isn’t particularly well known and there are many people who can’t name a single dish off the top of their head. Restaurant Floreyn’s opening in 2017 was a bold attempt to correct this unfortunate oversight by offering ambitious meals accompanied by over 30 local Dutch wines. Mullet served with rose and onion jam over toasted rice and rollmops (pickled herring hors d’oeuvres with a delicious filling) are just a few of the beautifully presented dishes that really push the envelope here. The restaurant, located in the popular De Pijp neighborhood, is operated by head chef and owner Jasper Holthuis. Although the flavors and ingredients are primarily Dutch, the food is inspired and influenced by the country’s history as an important global trade center.
A romantic French restaurant
Café Caron
This charming little bistro operated by TV personality Alain Caron is located near the Rijksmuseum. The restaurant serves charmingly updated versions of French classics such as bouillabaisse and Guinea fowl with chanterelle mushrooms. The decor is simple, with whitewashed walls and wooden floors, while a glass roof lightens the ambience – perfect for that romantic date with someone special. You can order wine off the menu, but if you want something more exclusive, you’ll need to ask for their handwritten wine notebook, which includes their private stock of rare wines.
Surrounded by luxury
Café Georgette
If you like to people watch while you dine, just head to Café Georgette in the heart of P.C. Hooftstraat – Amsterdam’s luxury shopping street that’s lined with the exclusive shops of famous designers like Hermès and Gucci. Sink your teeth into classics such as a club sandwich or steak tartare, sip a flat white espresso, and see who gets out of that sleek Hummer that just stopped on the other side of the road! Don’t forget to document your visit on social media. That’s practically a must these days!
Kitschy taste sensations
Secret garden
This restaurant, which opened last year, specializes in Nikkei cuisine, a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions. The decor is unique and charming – a fanciful, eclectic mix of animal murals, hanging plants, bird cages, and checkered floors, among other things. Thanks to the finest, top-shelf ingredients, you can count on the fact that everything served here is fresh and delicious – from the tataki tuna to the grilled corn-fed chicken with a glazed miso seasoning and salsa Huancaina (a spicy cheese sauce). Whatever you do, make sure to save enough room for the incredible delicately-textured pineapple crème brulée.
Freshly foraged
Foer
Whenever a restaurant’s identity is based on foraging, i.e., gathering ingredients directly from the wilderness, you know the food just has to be all-natural and in-season. As the menu constantly changes, we can only give an illustrative example of the type of food served here, such as the delicious morel mushrooms filled with whisky cream, glazed with black garlic and lemon thyme, and topped with a fragrant smoked mushroom-butter sauce. The chefs employ advanced techniques to create exciting taste sensations, primarily from vegetables and fruits. In addition to wine and beer, Foer also offers several homemade non-alcoholic beverages, such as kombucha tea, kefir (a fermented yogurt-like drink), and kvass (similar to beer but usually made from beets or rye).
Dining with a view of the harbor
Helling 7
As Amsterdam is a busy port, it’s no surprise when you pay a visit to Helling 7 that you’re surrounded by enormous cargo ships and cranes. The restaurant markets itself as a place for people who don’t take themselves too seriously but have high standards when it comes to their dining experience. The food is mainly charcoal-grilled – the fish and the meat as well as the vegetarian alternatives. You can either book a table on their outdoor terrace and enjoy the gezellig atmosphere or sit indoors and take in the view of the bustling urban port through the panoramic glass walls.
Text by Daniel Björk