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.


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4 Days in Amsterdam Guide | Link

What food do you recommend in Amsterdam??

A Foodies Guide to Paris

Paris is such a beautiful, elegant city that got me fallen head over heels in love and lusting to see much more of the world. The Eiffel Tower, Sacre-Couer, Notre Dame and all the other iconic touristy spots are all in well amazing, but what is just as important to do if not more is exploring the food.

Food is so important when you visit different cities as you want to taste all the best and try the local cuisines everyone recommends. I probably spend just as much time researching places to eat as I do for places to visit and I 99% of the time look up quirky little spots to explore.

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

P's I was very mundane with my food choices and practically lived on pastries, just cause why not?

72 Hours in Paris | Guide blog post

Visit A French Bakery

No matter where in Paris we were, we always stumbled across hundreds of French-style bakeries just off the corner of pretty much most streets. You just can't avoid them and the smell of freshly baked savouries will instantly draw you in. I noticed lots of Parisians buying a stick of baguette and just eating it by the stick which was crazy! I pretty much lived off pastries for breakfast at our hotel and I made sure to try a baguette (apparently the pointier the end the better) to see what the fuss was about. Definitely recommend visiting one or two bakeries during your stay and trying all the delicious, sweet treats.

Restaurants

Tribeca (Italian, French)

On our first night, we didn't fancy being adventurous so we went to a restaurant just off Rue Cler. After a long day of travelling, I just fancied a good old pizza, which I can confirm was probably the best pizza I have ever tasted. The service here was lovely and the prices were what you'd expect to pay here in the UK. My boyfriend had a pasta dish which was smothered in a creamy sauce served with chicken, Parmesan and rocket, which he also said tasted amazing. Every restaurant you go to in Paris you are guaranteed a basket of bread to go with your main, so all the carrrrbs.

La Poincare (French, European, Vegetarian-Friendly)

Not too far from the Trocadero metro line, we ate at a local French bistro called La Poincare. I wouldn't really rate the service as great, but the food was delicious! I had the spicy sausage, mash potato and a mustard sauce, which tasted amazing, especially the sausage it tasted a lot different to what we get here and I noticed that a couple of times throughout our stay. My boyfriend ordered a burger which he said was probably the nicest he's ever had, so the food here is definitely one to try!

Snails

I've always said if I was to visit France that I'd try snails, you can try them at pretty much any French restaurant, the same with frogs legs. Bistro De La Tour is where we went for the snails which are just around the corner from The Eiffel Tower on the corner of the river. The service was really great here, the waiter helped us with the snails and overall gave a lovely service. The snails had a strange texture to them, almost like a mushroom or mussels, they were smothered in a garlic oil which gave the snails a bit of flavour. Not something I'd eat again, but I liked them, my boyfriend however didn't so I was left to eat 5!

Sweet Treats 

Like I said at the start before I travel anywhere I always look up quirky places to eat and Paris luckily has a few to mention.

Choco Factory

Just around the corner from the Luxembourg Gardens is the Choco Factory, which is a unique little cafe that literally is like a chocolate factory full of dreams. Not only can you create your own chocolate here, but you can eat all the waffles and crepes until you explode. We went for one of the freakshakes which were incredible and definitely a place to go to snap the Instagram shots. So much choice here, I would definitely come back here.

Amorino Ice Cream

There are a couple of Amorino ice cream shops in Paris and are worth checking out during your stay. We went to the one in Montmartre when the weather was lovely and sunny, perfect for an ice cream stop. Quite possibly the best ice cream I've ever had, we each chose three flavours and had them shaped into lovely roses. I went for raspberry, hazelnut chocolate and vanilla, and honestly, it tasted amazing!

Those were most of the stops we took during our time in Paris, there are loads of choices of food to eat. We also made a few stops to local supermarkets where we bought some sweet biscuits to eat on our travels and some Milka Chocolate (which seems to be very common here). If we were to go back we'd definitely try a wine and cheese board and the famous macaroons.

What food have you tried in Paris??