A Foodies Guide to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the perfect city to just chill the hell out by cycling around the canals or getting lost around the centre. All the exploring and site seeing is amazing, but it really does give you a huge appetite.

One of my favourite things to do before I visit a city is research all the amazing local cuisines and explore the quirky hidden foodie spots.

Here I have put together a guide on all the snacky-foods I was able to try during my time in Amsterdam or spots I would recommend that isn't on a typical Dutch food guide.

Caution sugar overload

Try Homemade Stroopwafel
A stroopwafel is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in the middle. These are very popular in the Netherlands and almost every street corner in the centre sells them either made from scratch or in mini packets to take away. The smell of these delicious sweet treats instantly draws you in and the taste of these is amazing and so moreish! You can easily eat a whole bag of the minis in one go, not that I did of course...

Van Wonderen Stroopwafels - A very Instagrammable cafe to try that makes Stroopwafels in giant form and you can add any sweet toppings on top.

Fast Food Vending Machine

I didn't try this myself personally, but I witnessed so many others do so and I kinda wish I did as it is such a quick and easy thing to have. Perhaps on a lunch break or if you don't fancy waiting in queues for food just pop a euro or two in a machine and grab a burger. Such a cool thing to have and definitely something worth checking out on your travels.

Pluk Amsterdam Cafe

Something I saw quite frequently on Instagram was this quirky, chic cafe and its amazing picture-esc smoothie bowls. Obviously, I was sold to try the unicorn bowl and I can confirm it was amazing and so healthy. They also sell delicious pancakes, salad bowls and the cutest little snacks at the counter. It is definitely a good spot to come for brunch or even just to take out a scrumptious unicorn doughnut. As well as selling delicious, photo-worthy foods, they also sell cute home decor and accessories, which I believe you can buy off their website. 

This cafe was probably a highlight for me and somewhere I would definitely visit again.

The Corner Bakery

If you are into freakshakes or just want a sugar-overload which we clearly did, definitely check Corner Bakery out. They do of course other breakfast foods, but I think the milkshakes are what draws a lot of attention. I mean why would you not want to eat your weight in cream and all sweet things as well as devouring a delicious milkshake at the end? I personally could not eat all mine I had to scoop the cream off and my boyfriend finished the drink. It tasted amazing and definitely something you have to try at least once.

Tony's Chocolonely
When visiting local supermarkets my boyfriend and I was constantly coming across this chocolate brand. It reminds me of Wonka chocolate bars from the packaging, so we decided to try a few flavours. I went for milk chocolate caramel with sea salt and my boyfriend went for white chocolate raspberry sugar crack. Both of which tasted absolutely amazing! I loved the chocolate so much I grabbed some through the airport on my way home. Definitely try this chocolate they do so many amazing flavours.

Thrill Grill

One place we visited for dinner was Thrill Grill, a restaurant that sells amazing burgers with delicious sides. This place was recommended when we looked up top burger places to try in Amsterdam and it did not let us down. The atmosphere was very chilled and the food was so cheap and tasted so good. For a burger and two sides, it cost 15 euros. I went for the chicken burger with wasabi sauce and a side of fries and onion rings. My boyfriend went for a classic burger with fries and seasonal veggies. My burger came with a drip of soy sauce you squeeze into the bun for extra flavour, which was pretty cool! Definitely check this place out if you love burgers, they also sell organic black buns and vegan options too!

We tried so much food in Amsterdam that I am recovering from withdrawal symptoms from those waffles. We didn't always try your typical Dutch foods as we wanted to give hidden gems a try as well. But other Dutch foods that are recommended to try are Herring, Poffertjes (baby pancakes), croquettes and Heineken Beer.


Similar Posts...
4 Days in Amsterdam Guide | Link

What food do you recommend in Amsterdam??

4 Days in Amsterdam | Guide

What's that Katie, you've gone away again? Yes, I know I've had a serious case of the travel bug this year, I need help. 

No more this year I promise...

Once you've had a taste of what the world has to offer you sort of become addicted to exploring different cities, learning about the cultures and trying the local cuisines. It was my boyfriends birthday recently and what better excuse than to go away, right?

This time we decided to take a long weekend break to the staggering city of Amsterdam. We didn't fancy the 12 or so hour journey on the ferry, so we hopped on a plane that took just over an hour to get there. We had 3 full days to explore this beautiful city which was more than enough time to get a taste of the Dam.

Here are a few things we got up to during our stay.

The Sex Museum
Everything in Amsterdam is relatively close by and you can cycle your way around the city or get a tram, which is what we did 99% of the time with our 3-day tram pass. We were tempted to rent a bike, but my god I wouldn't be here writing this post if I had rented one, they are crazy! One of the first things we did was took a tram to the centre and visit the Sex Museum. This is one of the most visited museums in Amsterdam and is quite interesting and...peculiar. This museum mostly contains pornographic imagery and sexual objects. Definitely somewhere to visit with your partner if you are curious or just fancy a giggle like we did.

Anne Franks House
This was something I wanted to explore, but because of the extortionate pricing and the fact it was so busy, we decided to just visit the place from the outside instead. If you are into your history and don't mind the waiting line to go in, definitely would recommend coming here. Apparently, the home is meant to be very moving and not a lot has been changed, so it very much feels like you are a part of that era.

Artis Zoo
Probably my favourite part of Amsterdam and not something I would have expected was definitely the zoo. I would go far enough as to say this is the best zoo I've ever been to because it's so engaging with the animals and at times it didn't feel like it was a zoo. There were lemurs running freely around your feet, monkeys within touching distance and elephants splashing the crowd. I felt like a big kid at this zoo I was forever running off from my boyfriend to see the animals. We spent a good 3 and a half hours here, it is huge and definitely takes up most of your time. Would highly recommend coming here if you have a spare day to see the animals.

Tip: Try and come around lunch time when the elephants get fed, it is amazing!

Canal Tour
As there are over 165 canals in Amsterdam there are dozens of companies offering canal cruises or tours of the city. I wanted to book the evening tour where you could dine with pizza, but we opted for a daytime cruise around the city. I really enjoyed this tour it took the weight off my feet for an hour or so and we got to learn historical facts about Amsterdam, as well as capture beautiful photos of buildings. I think what made this canal tour so good was the crispy autumnal weather. Definitely check out these tours there are so many options to choose from throughout day and evening.

The Red Light District
Typically what Amsterdam is known for and something you HAVE to experience in my opinion is the Red Light District. It was an experience for sure and the atmosphere in the evenings is what makes the RLD so captivating. If you don't do crowds, but want to check the area out, go during the day as it is a lot less crazy. I found it really fascinating to take a peek into other peoples lifestyles.

I personally loved Amsterdam it was so interesting to experience the atmosphere and what this beautiful city has to offer. We would definitely go back as there is just so much more to do and see! 

I have a food guide post going up soon as well if you wondered where all the snaps of the food were, don't you worry it deserved a whole post to itself!

Tips/Advice:
1. Watch out for bikes! Literally almost got killed a million times
2. Don't take or buy any drugs from dealers in the streets
3. Watch for pickpockets around the District
4. Try stroopwafels they are amazing!

Similar Posts

72 Hours in Paris | Guide 

5 Days in Reykjavik, Iceland

Have you been to Amsterdam??