Welcome back to Amsterdam everyone! For the second part of the Amsterdam series, we will discover the amazing food options available in Amsterdam! I am not really a foody, but my friends are, so shoutout to Marisa+Laura for taking me to these places ❤️ Each meal will include the price I paid so you can get a better idea of the average meal cost at restaurants. Let's start eating our way through Amsterdam!🧞♀️💜🥕
Table of Contents
The Netherlands Tipping Culture
As a former waitress, I know how important it is to tip when going out for a meal. Waitresses often make the majority of their income through tips, so paying them their fair share is a vital and mandatory part of eating out. Tipping standards are different throughout the world; some countries' customs are to not tip, and some places it is expected. In the Netherlands, a tip is sometimes included as a service charge on your bill already. If not, it is not expected to tip, but if you receive exceptionally good service it is okay to leave a small tip, the average being around 5-10%.
Personal Note
Before we start, I wanted to address that I follow some of the rules of eating Kosher. None of the meals I order will have pork, shellfish, or seafood besides specific fish like Salmon. I do eat at non-Kosher certified restaurants but I make sure that none of the ingredients break the rules of Kashrut. If you have any questions about this feel free to reach out!
Meal #1: Pancakes Amsterdam Centraal
Address: Prins Hendrikkade 48, 1012 AC, Amsterdam
Gluten-Free Options: Yes
Vegan Options: Yes
Order: Goat Cheese + Spinach Dutch Pancake 9€
*No Cash, Only Credit Card
After our long flight, we were super hungry and needed to find food ASAP. Luckily, right across from the Amsterdam Centraal Station is a little restaurant called Pancakes Amsterdam. Although they have "American" pancakes, this restaurant specializes in a Dutch classic, Pannenkoeken, which is their version of a pancake. Dutch pancakes are much larger and thinner than their American counterparts. Pancakes Amsterdam sells both sweet and savory pancakes with gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegan options. I ordered the Goat Cheese and Spinach Dutch pancake which was delicious. It was the perfect combination of salty with a crunch. The waiter was extremely nice and they even gave us key chains with little wooden clogs on them at the end of our meal!
Meal #2: Toastable Koningsplein
Address: Singel 441 sous, 1012 WP, Amsterdam
Gluten-Free Options: Yes
Vegan Options: Yes
Order: Say Cheese Grilled Cheese 7€
Toastable is a hidden gem loved by the locals of Amsterdam. They have a wide variety of delicious triple-layered grilled cheese sandwiches. I ordered the "Say Cheese" grilled cheese with Mozzarella, Gouda, and Cheddar cheese with mustard. As most people know, I love cheese, making this the perfect sandwich for me. Toastable also serves an amazing breakfast, so no matter what time of the day, make sure to stop by.
Meal #3: Old Amsterdam Cheese Store
Address: Damrak 62, 1012 LM, Amsterdam
Order: Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience Ticket $20
The Old Amsterdam Cheese Store specializes in cheese tourism. They offer cheese tastings and vacuum-sealed cheese souvenirs so you can take home this Dutch specialty. A live sommelier will guide you through the 5 kinds of cheese and 3 types of wine. One variety of cheese was over 10 years old! The sommelier explains how the cheese was made and how to professionally taste the cheese. Throughout the experience, the sommelier will offer samples of complementing wines and talk about how to pair wines and cheeses together. Not only is this an informative experience, it is also a flavourful one I highly recommend to anyone visiting Amsterdam.
Meal #4: Ristorante Giuliano
Address: Schoolstraat 13, 2511 AW, The Hague
Vegan Options: Yes
Order: Total Cost: 40€ plus tip
Appetizer: Bruschetta al Tartufo
Main Course: Ravioli al Pomodoro e Basilico
Desert: Tartufo
During our overnight in The Hague, we decided to treat ourselves to a 3-course meal at the highest-rated Italian restaurant in the city. Giuliano's is a family business founded in 1996 and still owned and operated by the original founders. Walking into Giuliano's you immediately feel like part of the family. This meal was not cheap but it was definitely worth it as a treat to ourselves after a long adventure in The Netherlands. For our appetizer, we ordered the Bruschetta al Tartufo (Left Picture), with roasted bread from Naples and a truffle tapenade. As my main course, I chose the Ravioli al Pomodoro e Basilico, with tomatoes, fresh basil, dried tomatoes and parmesan (Right Picture). The Middle Picture also shows Marisa and Laura's main courses. Finally, for dessert, we ordered the Tartufo, a chocolate truffle ice cream. No matter what you order from Giuliano's it will be delicious. They use the best ingredients and it is obvious they love and care for all of the food they create.
Thank you for coming on this food adventure with me! I hope this post helps you discover all the Amsterdam food scene has to offer, and inspires you to explore even more restaurants than I did. All pictures are taken by me, check out our Instagram @3WishesTravel for more. If you are thinking about your own Amsterdam visit, contact us and we will plan your entire trip for you!
Subscribe below for an alert when our final post in the Amsterdam series, Jewish Life in Amsterdam, is published. If you have any Amsterdam restaurant recommendations, feel free to comment below! I would love to hear them :)
- 🧞♀️💜✈️
Kommentarer