A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Amsterdam

  Dutch Gouda Cheese

Life in Amsterdam has a restless, endlessly social feel to it. Rather than sticking to formal meal patterns, it’s a place that likes to continuously graze, eating on the move among cafés and fast-food outlets, and moving from bars to restaurants with reassuring regularity.

Amsterdam’s real gastronomic draw arguably lies in its eclectic mix of outstanding ethnic eateries. The city’s Chinatown - a rash of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian places - sits alongside the similarly gaudy Red Light District on and around the Zeedlijk.

For something to wash your meal down with, the Dutch are famed for their love of beer. And Amsterdam offers a dizzying variety of brews, from the traditional Amstel, Grolsh and Heineken to more unusual varieties.

Beer is not usually sold in pint glasses – unless you visit one of the many Irish pubs in the city – but in small glasses called ‘colaatje pils’ and ‘kabouter pils’. They are are usually poured with a modest head on, which is supposed to be around two fingers thick.

If it’s a midmorning smoke you’re after, coffee shops in Amsterdam are legally permitted to sell their customers five grams. And to see a list of available marijuana consumables (such as the time-honored ‘space cake’), menus are kept behind the till in most places.

Coffee shops can be found all over the center of town, but there’s a cluster of good places to choose from around the Warmoesstraat. It’s a good idea to take it a little easy at first, though, as while the quality’s generally excellent, the strength can vary from place to place.

Fortunately, Amsterdam snack options are practically never-ending. ‘Pofferties’, (a type of mini pancake with butter and sugar) can be picked up cheaply from the bakeries of Utrechtsestraat and ‘stroopwafels’ from the Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp.

For something a little more savory (and in keeping with the fast-living feel), shawarma places line the busier bar streets around the Leidseplein. Thick mayonnaise-covered potato chips are also sold in cones on the street, and are something of a Dutch specialty.

All in all, gastronomically speaking, Amsterdam is an extremely attractive proposition. But the really great thing about eating out in the city is how relatively inexpensive it can be, with a mouth-watering choice of flavors within the reach of most budgets.

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