Food Hotspots in Amsterdam
By Niamh McCartney and Xenia Gatti
Amsterdam’s food scene, being set in one of the major centres of Europe, is something uniquely multicultural. Whether you are looking for a cozy cafe or a traditional meal, our list has great recommendations.
Le Smash - Govert Flinckstraat 122-h
Le Smash is a burger hotspot located in De Pijp. The restaurant is set up like an upscale fast food place. The description of the burgers is in the name, the ‘smashed’ burger patties are perfectly cooked. A wide variety is available with three main options: Le No meat (vegan), Le No Meat Special, Le Classic, and Le Special. Each with the option to add your own condiments or extras. To finish it off, their fries are spectacular - with both skins and crispy. Average price per person is €20 including a burger, fries, and a drink.
La Condesa Taqueria - Heerengracht 287h
Authentic Mexican flavours located right in the Heerengracht. They offer Mexican starters, and then a wide variety of tacos for the main menu including: pork, vegetarian, fish, chicken, and beef options. It can be challenging to find a seat, as this restaurant does offer a cozier feel in the basement of a town house. We recommend booking a table in advance or getting takeaway and enjoying your meal sitting on the canal side.
Pluk cafe - Reestraat 19
Looking for a break whilst shopping in the nine streets, look no further. Pluk offers brunch, pastries, and a selection of warm or cold drinks from coffee, matcha, to lemonade. It can often be busy, but if you can’t find a seat at this location, further down the street there is Pluk 2 (Berenstraat 19). If you take a liking to Pluk’s interiors, you can buy decorations and ceramics in store or in their online webshop.
Takumi Ramen - Ferdinand Bolstraat 36H
With a total of 18 locations over the Netherlands, Takumi Ramen knows what they are doing when it comes to ramen. Their signature dishes include teriyaki miso ramen and gyoza. With sides including jasmine rice, fried shrimp, and teriyaki chicken it makes it easy to share with a friend as the ramen bowls are quite large for one person, making this more affordable. The average cost between two people - including sides, drinks, and shared main - could be €35. The location is on the main street of De Pijp, and near all other cafes, bars, and shops. The restaurant itself is small and mostly only tables of 2 or 4, therefore we recommend going early before the crowds, as it tends to get busy around 19:00.
Espresso Bar Puccini - Staalstraat 21, 1011 JK Amsterdam
A short walk from either Rokin or Waterlooplein metro stops, Espresso bar Puccini is the perfect cafe for a cold winter day looking out at the city. On this cute and quiet street can be found Espresso bar Puccini offering sandwiches, soups, coffees, and desserts. Reasonably priced and laptop free, it is the perfect place for a post shopping pick me up or the perfect place to chat with your friends. Similarly to Pluk, they also sell decor, candles, cards, and bracelets in the shop. Their specialty is the warmed cinnamon bun.
