Dutch food to try in Amsterdam: the essential guide

Dutch food: modest origins, genuine flavours

Dutch cuisine does not have the international reputation of French or Italian cooking, and the Dutch themselves tend to acknowledge this with some self-deprecating humour. The country’s culinary tradition was shaped by a Protestant work ethic that valued nourishment over pleasure, a fishing economy that put preserved fish at the centre of the diet, and a colonial history that brought Indonesian and Surinamese food cultures into the mainstream.

The result is a cuisine that rewards engagement but does not announce itself loudly. The raw herring is better than it sounds. The aged Gouda has depth that supermarket versions lack entirely. The stamppot is exactly what cold weather and a brown café require. And the stroopwafel, eaten hot from a market stall, is one of the genuinely great street foods of Northern Europe.

This guide covers every essential Dutch food category, where to find the best versions in Amsterdam, what to expect to pay, and which tastings and tours connect you to the producers behind the products.

Raw herring

Haringkar (herring carts) and haringhuisjes (herring shops) are scattered throughout Amsterdam, and eating raw herring is one of the oldest surviving Amsterdam street-food traditions. The Dutch preparation — called hollandse nieuwe when the fresh-season herring arrives in late May or June — involves lightly salting the fish, removing the skin, and serving it with finely chopped raw onion and pickles.

The traditional way to eat it is to hold the fish by the tail and lower it into your mouth in one piece. Most tourists prefer the broodje haring (herring roll) with the fish chopped on a soft white roll with the same accompaniments. Either way, the experience is worth having.

Best herring in Amsterdam:

• Stubbe’s Haring (Singel 2, near Centraal Station): The most famous haringhuisje in Amsterdam, operating since 1850. Broodje haring €3.50–4.50.
• Albert Cuyp Market herring stalls: Several competing haringkaren on the market; try two to compare. The best typically have a queue.
• Jopenkerk (Haarlem, for day-trippers): Not Amsterdam, but the herring in Haarlem is exceptionally fresh and worth trying if you do the Haarlem day trip.

Season note: hollandse nieuwe season runs roughly late May to July; the first barrel is auctioned for charity. Outside this period, the herring is still good but from a later catch.

Stroopwafel

The stroopwafel was invented in Gouda in the 1810s and has since become the most internationally recognised Dutch food. The commercial versions sold in supermarkets worldwide give a false impression: the real thing is two thin, crisp wafels sandwiched with thick caramel syrup (stroop), pressed to order in a special iron, and eaten while the caramel is still warm and liquid.

Best fresh stroopwafel in Amsterdam:

• Lindengracht market (Saturday morning): Several stalls press to order; queue for the busiest one as a quality signal. €2–3 per wafel.
• Noordermarkt (Monday and Saturday): Less crowded than Lindengracht, equally good stroopwafel.
• Albert Cuyp Market (daily except Sunday): Multiple stalls. A hot stroopwafel from a busy stall is always the right choice over a pre-packaged one.

The custom of placing a stroopwafel over the top of a hot cup of coffee to warm the caramel before eating is worth trying — the café interior version of the market experience.

Bitterballen and bar snacks

Bitterballen are deep-fried balls of beef ragout (sometimes veal or cheese) with a crispy breadcrumb exterior, served hot with a small pot of grainy Dutch mustard. They are the definitive brown café snack and, alongside a glass of pilsner, represent the most Dutch possible pub experience.

A portion of six bitterballen costs €5–8 at most brown cafés; a portion of twelve or a larger snack platter (bittergarnituur) is €10–16. The quality varies significantly: the best have a hot, flowing interior with flavour; the worst are frozen and tasteless. Café ‘t Smalle in the Jordaan, Café Papeneiland, and Brouwerij ‘t IJ all serve reliably good bitterballen.

Related bar snacks worth trying:

• Kroket: The larger sibling of the bitterbal — an oblong ragout roll, often served in a soft roll (broodje kroket) from an automat machine (the FEBO wall-dispensed version is a Dutch experience in itself, though not the finest culinary moment). €2–3.
• Kaassoufflé: A fried pastry parcel of melted Gouda; a brown café staple. €3–4.
• Uitsmijter: Two fried eggs on buttered toast with ham, cheese, and pickles — the classic Dutch lunch. €8–12 at most brown cafés.

Cheese

Dutch cheese is one of the great underappreciated food products of Northern Europe. The varieties available at tourist market stalls and supermarkets are predominantly young Gouda — mild, rubbery, and not very interesting. The aged versions are completely different.

What to look for:

• Jong (young): 4–8 weeks. Mild, slightly squeaky, creamy. Good for sandwiches. Not worth a special trip.
• Belegen (mature): 4–12 months. More complex, firmer, with small crystalline structures beginning to form. Excellent.
• Oud (old): 12+ months. Dense, crumbly, rich with tyrosine crystals, deeply flavoured. The best version to eat as a cheese course.
• Extra oud: 18–24+ months. Powerful, almost toffee-like in its intensity. A small piece goes a long way.
• Smoked Gouda (rookkaas): Distinctive in Amsterdam’s cheese shops; excellent paired with dark beer.

Best cheese shops in Amsterdam:

• Henri Willig (multiple locations): A reliable chain with good aged selection and consistent tastings.
• Kaaskamer (Runstraat 7, in the Nine Streets): An excellent independent shop near the Jordaan with an unusually wide selection.
• Reypenaer (Singel 182): Offers sit-down tasting sessions of aged cheeses with explanation; booking required. One of the best cheese experiences in the city.

For a guided cheese experience with context, the cheese and wine tasting provides a structured tasting with explanation. The cheese tasting guide covers the full range of options.

Stamppot

Stamppot is the Dutch winter comfort dish: mashed potato combined with vegetables (kale, endive, sauerkraut, or spinach), served with a rookworst (smoked sausage) and sometimes gravy. It is seasonal — most brown cafés serve it from October to March — and at its best it is genuinely satisfying.

Varieties:

• Boerenkool stamppot: Potato and kale, the most common. The rookworst is laid on top.
• Hete bliksem: Potato, apple, and bacon — slightly sweet and smoky. Less common, worth ordering when you see it.
• Zuurkool stamppot: Potato and sauerkraut; a hearty winter option.
• Andijvie stamppot: Potato and endive, often with bacon bits.

Good stamppot in Amsterdam: Café de Reiger (Jordaan), Moeder’s (Jordaan), and Café Kobalt (Singel 2 area). Expect to pay €14–18 for a main portion.

Poffertjes

Poffertjes are small, fluffy pancakes made in a special cast-iron mould with shallow hemispherical indentations. They are made with buckwheat flour and yeast, which gives them a distinctly lighter, slightly sour flavour compared to regular pancakes. Served warm with a knob of butter and powdered sugar, a plate of 12–16 is an excellent snack.

Market stalls sell them from €4–7 per plate. The Pancake Bakery (Prinsengracht 191, Jordaan) is a well-known dedicated pancake restaurant where poffertjes are €8–10; the poffertjes at the Vondelpark’s open-air stalls in summer are comparable quality at market prices.

Dutch jenever

Jenever (Dutch gin) is the ancestor of British gin and has been produced in the Netherlands since the sixteenth century. The Amsterdam style is maltier and more complex than London dry gin, with varieties ranging from jonge (young, lighter, more neutral) to oude (old, barrel-aged, more richly flavoured).

Traditional serving: a small tulip glass (borrel) filled to the brim, placed on the bar. You lean down and take the first sip without picking up the glass — this is a real tradition, not a tourist performance. A jenever costs €3–4.50 at most brown cafés.

The best jenever bars in Amsterdam:

• De Drie Fleschjes (Gravenstraat 18): A jenever and whisky specialist near the Nieuwmarkt, operating since 1650. An astonishing collection.
• Wynand Fockink (Pijlsteeg 31): A historic jenever distillery near Dam Square with a tasting room. Tours available.
• Café Papeneiland (Jordaan): Good selection and the historic context to match.

For a guided tasting experience, the Amsterdam food walking tour typically includes a jenever stop alongside the other Dutch food tastings.

The food tour option

If you want to experience multiple Dutch food traditions in one efficient session, a guided food tour is the best format. The best food tours guide compares the main options in detail. Food tours typically cover herring, cheese, stroopwafel, bitterballen, and jenever in two to three hours, with a local guide explaining the context.

For Dutch food in the context of the full Amsterdam experience, the best restaurants guide covers venues for a more formal introduction to Dutch cuisine.

Frequently asked questions about Dutch food

Is Dutch food good?

Dutch cuisine is better than its reputation suggests, particularly the cheeses, the herring, and the brown café snack culture. It is not a cuisine built for elaborate restaurant experiences — it is built for cold weather, fishing boats, and long working days. In that context, it is genuinely excellent. The Indonesian and Surinamese food traditions that are now integral to Amsterdam’s food culture lift the overall level significantly.

Where can I try Dutch food in Amsterdam?

Brown cafés (bruine kroegen) throughout the city serve bitterballen, kroketten, and uitsmijter. The Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp is the best place for herring and stroopwafel. Dedicated cheese shops like Kaaskamer and Henri Willig sell aged Gouda tastings. Moeder’s and Café de Reiger in the Jordaan serve the best stamppot in winter.

What is the difference between old and young Gouda?

Young Gouda (jong, 4–8 weeks) is mild and rubbery. Mature Gouda (belegen, 4–12 months) is more complex and firmer. Old Gouda (oud, 12–24 months) is dense, crumbly, and richly flavoured with crystalline tyrosine structures throughout. The difference is significant — a cheese shop tasting demonstrates it better than any description.

What is jenever and how is it different from gin?

Jenever is Dutch grain spirit distilled with juniper berries and botanicals. Unlike London dry gin, traditional jenever contains malted grain spirit (moutwijn) which gives it a heavier, more whisky-adjacent character. Jonge jenever is lighter; oude jenever is fuller and more complex. It is the historical ancestor of gin and is drunk neat in small glasses, usually at a brown café.

Is raw herring safe to eat?

Yes. Dutch herring is prepared according to European food safety regulations that require cold treatment to kill parasites. The lightly salted preparation that Amsterdam herring vendors use is long-established and safe. If you are genuinely squeamish about raw fish, start with the broodje haring (chopped, on a roll with onion and pickles) rather than the whole fish version.