Where to Eat in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam is one of the most famous European cities. It’s famous for its food, its canals, and its party atmosphere (thanks to unique marijuana and sex industry laws). It is also only a one-hour flight from London. But, as many of my readers know, I am a conservative person. I’m not remotely interested in participating in many of the activities that make Amsterdam famous. So, what is there to do in Amsterdam when you like food and culture but not partying? You eat, of course! I’ll show you some options of where to eat in Amsterdam.

Lodging

The first step in having a wonderful weekend in Amsterdam is to find a gorgeous place to call your home base for the weekend. In my case, that meant staying in this AirBnB apartment a 15-minute tram ride west of the historic city center.

To rein in rent prices that were getting out of control, the city enacted a rule that homeowners can only put their properties on the short-term housing market for 30 days each year. The gentleman that owned our apartment was able to make a little extra income (by renting to us) when he went out of town for the weekend anyway.

He also left a notebook FULL of food recommendations. He was a kindred spirit, obviously.

If you aren’t a traveler who uses short-term rentals, there are plenty of hotel options in Amsterdam too. Booking your summer travel plans now? Find the perfect hotel here:

What is there to do in Amsterdam? Eat!

My husband’s co-worker raved about The Breakfast Club. As children of the 80’s we appreciated the name and ate breakfast there one morning. They have half a dozen locations throughout the city and serve breakfast all day. I was underwhelmed by my breakfast chicken, bacon, tomator and egg sandwich (11 euros), but my husband discovered Nirvana while eating his chicken and waffle sandwich (12 euros). He said, “everything just came together.” So, if you try out The Breakfast Club, I suggest the chicken and waffle sandwich.

A Food Hall: A Place to Eat in Amsterdam with Variety

I wrote a great deal about our food hall experience in Stockholm. These grown-up food courts have something for everyone and are intended as a place for friends to visit, bond, and connect over a drink and a delicious plate of food. De Hallen is Amsterdam’s most famous shopping center & food hall. We shared a couple of items and took leftovers with us. This weekend was intended to be a food marathon, after all, and we needed to pace ourselves.

The Best Bakery in the City

The notebook our host left said that Fort Negen was “the best bakery in the city.” That’s a serious statement in a city that has waffle shops every 20 feet. Were we up to the challenge? Of course! The important distinction here is that Fort Negen is more of a traditional bakery (specializing in various pastries and loaves of bread rather than waffles) with flavors that are sometimes not traditional at all.

For breakfast on-the-go one morning, we got there early (to make sure they wouldn’t be sold out) and ordered a savory croissant with bacon/ham and feta baked in (served warm) and a sweet “cruffin” (a muffin with a flaky croissant texture). We shared both, each eating half. I died and went to Heaven. We wished we had ordered more, but there were so many other things to experiment with this weekend. I can’t imagine a better bakery in Amsterdam. Our host was right.

A Waffle Tutorial: Part I

Both Belgium and The Netherlands have important waffle traditions. The two countries are neighbors and share a lot of similarities, including their canals and their absolute obsession with waffles. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that Amsterdam has competing waffle shops two doors down from one another. There can be half a dozen on a short street and many more than that on a long street.

What Americans often call a “Belgian waffle” is called a “Liege waffle” in Belgium and just a “waffle” in Amsterdam. These are the thick, caky waffles. In Amsterdam, they are art. Storefronts will display them coated in Nutella, with chocolate chips (or white or pink), and drizzles of various kinds.

We shared a warm, melty one during a rainstorm one afternoon. There are no words for how happy melting Nutella can make a person when they are standing under an awning during a rainstorm on a cold March day.

A Waffle Tutorial: Part II – Stroopwaffel!

The second kind of waffle is a Stroopwaffel. For the record, if I am ever on death row and am asked what I want my last meal to be, the answer would be vats of pasta and stacks of Stroopwaffel taller than myself. They consist of two thin cinnamon-sugar flavored waffles held together by a layer of caramel goop from the Gods in the center. You can buy small, pre-made stroopwaffel in the store and they are delicious mildly softened in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

But, for a truly orgasmic waffle experience, you need to order a fresh stroopwaffel. To accomplish this bucket list activity, I visited the oldest bakery in Amsterdam. I watched while the woman at Hans Egstorf Bakery put a ball of dough on the waffle press and squished it wafer-thin. Then, she grilled it golden brown, slathered the caramel on there, pressed two waffles together and gave it to me in a cardboard envelope. The real thing is much larger than a pre-made, store-bought one. It is also messier. Take lots of napkins.

My goal in life was to have a fresh stroopwaffel. I finally did. It was so good that I would have cried if I hadn’t been high as a kite from the intense sugar rush. I was beyond giddy, as evidenced by the embarrassing series of photos below.

Febo

We also bought a snack from Febo. Febo seemed to be the most-common brand of an unusual way to eat. Some locations also have a counter where you can order food, just like any fast-food restaurant. However, the most popular way to eat at a Febo is vending machine. Look through the tiny windows and pick the snack that looks yummiest to you. Put your money in, press the button and slide open the window to remove your hot, appetizer-sized snack. They are actually pretty good too!

While in Amsterdam, I also visited the Rijksmuseum, the famous Red Light District, and saw a windmill or two. Make sure to read the next installment to hear about all these unique sights.

After you’ve eaten too many Stroopwaffel, you can crash at a beautiful hotel. Find one here: