Before You Arrive in Amsterdam: 8 Food Things to Sort Out First

Oct 11

4 min read

Half of eating well in Amsterdam happens before you even get on the plane.

Markets close on Sunday, kitchens stop taking orders earlier than you'd expect, and the place you saved months ago might be fully booked by the time you land. None of that is a problem if you know it in advance. I've been running Streat Bites food tours in Amsterdam for nine years, and if food is a big part of your trip, this is what I'd sort out before you arrive.

Oysters, prawns, octopus salad and desserts shared on a marble table at an Amsterdam restaurant

1. Book the few things that need booking

Popular dinner spots on Friday and Saturday, and anything fine dining. That's about it. Lunch places, bakeries, market stalls and snack bars are walk-in, so don't stress about those. If there's one dinner you've been dreaming about for months, book that one first.

Coming with a bigger group? Here are Amsterdam restaurants with private rooms for groups.

A busy Amsterdam restaurant in the evening with an open kitchen and candles on the tables

2. Then stop booking

Leave most lunches and at least a couple of dinners open. Some of my favorite meals here started with walking past a window and thinking "wait, what is that?" You can't do that if every slot is taken. A good rule: one or two fixed dinners, and the rest of the trip stays flexible.

Brunch dishes shared on a wooden table in Amsterdam, hands reaching for bread and eggs

3. Check opening days

Albert Cuyp Market is closed on Sundays, while the Noordermarkt farmers market and the Lindengracht market are only on Saturdays. A lot of smaller restaurants close on Monday, Tuesday or both.

Google hours aren't always right either, so check the place's own website if it matters. This one is worth doing before you plan your days, not after. Moving a market visit from Sunday to Saturday is easy when you're still at home.

For what to eat at each one, see my guide to Amsterdam's best food markets.

4. Leave room for Indonesian and Surinamese food

The Netherlands has a long colonial history with Indonesia and with Suriname, a country in South America, and many people from both now call Amsterdam home. Their food is part of everyday eating here.

Think a table full of small Indonesian dishes you share with rice, or Surinamese baka bana - sweet plantain fried in batter and dipped in peanut sauce. Stroopwafels and bitterballen deserve a spot on your list. They just shouldn't get the whole list.

Surinamese baka bana, fried plantain in batter, served with peanut sauce in Amsterdam

5. Use Facebook and Instagram as a starting point, not the plan

Some busy places are busy for a good reason. Others look great on camera, and that's where it stops. Pick a few you're really curious about and mix them with places that don't have a line outside.

A food tour guest photographing a tray of Surinamese sandwiches in Amsterdam

6. Don't count on a late dinner

People here eat around 6 or 7 (yes, yes... 6-7 😉). A lot of kitchens close around 9:30 or 10, so if you usually sit down at 9, eat a bit earlier or have a backup plan. This matters most on your arrival day, when flights run late and you land hungry.

A large restaurant hall in Amsterdam filling up for an early dinner in the evening sun

7. Learn a few food words

You don't really need them, almost everyone speaks English and most restaurants have an English menu. But at a market stall, a bakery or a snack bar, things are often labeled only in Dutch, and it's nice to know what you're pointing at.

I'll give you the first one: broodje, which means sandwich. The Dutch are big on sandwiches all day long, right up until dinner, which is the main meal of the day.

Ready to use it? Here are my favorite sandwiches in Amsterdam.

A tray of Surinamese broodje pom sandwiches with a bowl of piccalilli, seen from above

8. If you're doing a food tour, do it early

I run food tours, so yes, I would say that. But here's what I hear from people who joined one of our food tours on their last day: "I wish we'd known about that bakery on day one." "We walked past this place twice and never went in."

Do it at the start, and you walk away with a list of places to go back to, what to order there, and where to have dinner that night.

A Streat Bites food tour group tasting sandwiches outside a Surinamese-Chinese deli in Amsterdam

Your quick checklist

Book your one or two must-have dinners, especially Friday and Saturday
Leave most lunches and a few dinners open
Check market days and restaurant closing days
Add at least one Indonesian and one Surinamese meal
Plan dinner for 6 or 7, especially on arrival day
If you're doing a food tour, put it early in the trip

None of this is about planning every bite. Make a few smart decisions now, then relax and eat when you get here.

If you want to start your trip with a food tour, you can find more about the food tours here.

Questions people ask

Do I need to book restaurants in Amsterdam?

Only for popular dinner spots on Friday and Saturday and for fine dining. Lunch places, bakeries, markets and snack bars are walk-in.

What time do people eat dinner in Amsterdam?

Usually around 6 or 7. Many kitchens close around 9:30 or 10.

Is Albert Cuyp Market open on Sunday?

No, it's closed on Sundays. The Noordermarkt farmers market and the Lindengracht market are on Saturdays.

Do restaurants in Amsterdam have English menus?

Most do, and almost everyone speaks English. Market stalls, bakeries and snack bars sometimes label things only in Dutch.

What food should I try in Amsterdam besides Dutch food?

Indonesian and Surinamese food, like a shared Indonesian table of small dishes with rice or Surinamese baka bana.

When is the best time to do a food tour in Amsterdam?

Early in your trip. You come away with places to go back to, what to order there and where to have dinner, and you still have days left to use it.