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Food tours in Amsterdam: what to eat and which tour to book
Amsterdam food is mostly snacks and borrowed cuisines. The Dutch side is raw herring from fish stalls, croquettes and bitterballen with mustard, fries with thick mayonnaise, warm stroopwafels from the market and apple pie in brown cafés. The other side comes from the former colonies: Indonesian rijsttafel and Surinamese sandwiches are as much part of eating here as anything Dutch. Street markets such as the Albert Cuyp in De Pijp are where most of this comes together, and the brown cafés are where you eat bitterballen with a beer.
Use this page to choose what to eat and where to find it: the dishes, markets and neighbourhoods below say what each does well and when to go. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as we saw them when we checked; prices and times change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Amsterdam
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw herring Hollandse nieuwe / haring | Lightly salted raw herring, eaten whole by the tail or cut into pieces on a paper tray with chopped onion and pickles, or in a soft white roll (broodje haring). The new-season 'Hollandse nieuwe' arrives in June and is the mildest and fattiest. | Fish stalls (haringhuis or viskraam) on bridges and squares around the canal ring, and at the Albert Cuyp and Dappermarkt street markets. | roughly €3.50–5 for a herring or a broodje haring |
| Fried fish bites kibbeling | Chunks of battered white fish (usually cod or pollock) fried and served with a garlic or ravigote sauce. A good option for anyone who does not want raw fish. | The same fish stalls and street markets that sell herring. | roughly €6–9 for a portion |
| Bitterballen and croquettes bitterballen / kroket | Deep-fried balls (bitterballen) or logs (kroket) of thick beef ragout in breadcrumbs, served very hot with mustard. Bitterballen are a bar snack; a kroket is often eaten in a bread roll. | Brown cafés (bruine cafés) in the Jordaan and around the canals for bitterballen; FEBO wall-vending snack bars for a cheap kroket. | roughly €7–11 for 6–8 bitterballen in a café; €2.50–4 for a kroket from a snack bar |
| Fries patat / friet | Thick-cut fries in a paper cone, usually with mayonnaise. 'Patatje oorlog' (war fries) comes with mayonnaise, peanut satay sauce and raw onion. | Takeaway fries shops in the centre and snack bars in every neighbourhood. | roughly €4–6 for a cone with sauce |
| Syrup waffle stroopwafel | Two thin waffle wafers sandwiched with caramel syrup. Freshly made at market stalls they are warm and soft; packaged ones are sold everywhere. | Albert Cuyp Market, where stalls make them to order. | roughly €2–4 for a fresh one at a market stall |
| Mini pancakes poffertjes | Small, puffy yeast pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan and served with butter and powdered sugar. | Market stalls and pancake houses; also at funfairs. | roughly €4–7 for a portion |
| Indonesian rice table rijsttafel | A spread of many small Indonesian dishes (satay, rendang, sambal, vegetables, egg, crackers) around rice, a legacy of the Dutch colonial period. Usually ordered for two or more. | Indonesian restaurants across the city, with several in the centre and in De Pijp and Oud-Zuid. | roughly €30–50 per person |
| Surinamese sandwich broodje pom | A roll filled with pom, an oven-baked dish of grated pomtajer root and chicken, often with pickled vegetables and chilli. Surinamese roti with curry is the other staple. | Surinamese takeaways in De Pijp, Oost and Zuidoost. | roughly €5–8 for a broodje pom; €12–17 for a roti meal |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Albert Cuyp Market (De Pijp)
The city's best-known street market, along Albert Cuypstraat. Food stalls sell herring, kibbeling, fresh stroopwafels, poffertjes, cheese and Surinamese snacks between clothing and household stalls, and the side streets of De Pijp are full of cafés and restaurants.
Foodhallen (Oud-West)
Indoor food hall in a converted tram depot (De Hallen) near Bellamyplein, with around twenty stalls doing everything from bitterballen to dim sum and tacos, plus bars. Useful for a group with different tastes.
Noordermarkt (Jordaan)
Square by the Noorderkerk with an organic farmers' market (Boerenmarkt) on Saturdays, good for cheese, bread and apple pie nearby, and a flea and textile market on Monday mornings. The Jordaan's brown cafés are a short walk away.
Dappermarkt (Oost)
Daily street market in the east, less touristy than the Albert Cuyp, with Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese food stalls, fish stands and produce at local prices.
Jordaan
Canal-side neighbourhood with many traditional brown cafés for bitterballen and beer, cheese shops, bakeries and small restaurants. Most Amsterdam food walks pass through it.
De Pijp
Dense, mixed neighbourhood around the Albert Cuyp market with Surinamese, Indonesian, Turkish and Middle Eastern places alongside cafés and bars, generally cheaper than the canal ring.
Food tours in Amsterdam compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam: Premium Henri Willig Cheese Tasting Experience | 40 minutes - 1 hour | from €20 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Amsterdam: N°1 Food & Culture Walking Tour with 10 Tastings | 3.5 hours | from €79 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Old Amsterdam: Dutch Cheese Tasting with Wine Pairing | 45 minutes | from €25 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Amsterdam: Food Tour with Drinks by Spui, Canals and Jordaan | 3 hours | from €99 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Amsterdam: Guided Food Tour with Tastings | 3.5 hours | from €69 per person | max 6 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Amsterdam: Self-Guided Food Tour in De Pijp Neighbourhood | — | from €13 per group | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Amsterdam: Premium Henri Willig Cheese Tasting Experience
On GetYourGuide · run by Henri Willig
- Length
- 40 minutes - 1 hour
- Price
- from €20 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 1,225 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- 10 pieces of different kinds of Gouda cheese 3 different dip sauces & mustard 2 drinks Cheese crackers Water Story-telling with profesional cheese host 10% off at the store
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- This activity has 2 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select.
Amsterdam: N°1 Food & Culture Walking Tour with 10 Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Ollantay Food Tour
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €79 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 1,202 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Walking tour Guide Food tastings Bottle of water Tips
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- Meet just in front of "Asian Kitchen" at 5-A Vijzelstraat in the center of Amsterdam, in front of the entrance of the flower market.
Old Amsterdam: Dutch Cheese Tasting with Wine Pairing
On GetYourGuide · run by Old Amsterdam Cheese Store bv
- Length
- 45 minutes
- Price
- from €25 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 795 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Instructor Cheese tasting session 5 different Gouda cheeses 3 tasting glasses of wine, especially selected to enhance the flavours of the cheese (1 white, 1 red, 1 port) Fig bread Water 20% discount in shop
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Damrak 62, 1012 LM Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam: Food Tour with Drinks by Spui, Canals and Jordaan
On GetYourGuide · run by Adam and Eve tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €99 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 136 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Gastrovino Amsterdam - De Mannen Van Kaas
Amsterdam: Guided Food Tour with Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by NO DIET CLUB
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €69 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 57 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 6
- Included
- Food tour Guide Tastings Bicycle rental (€12 for the day)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Café Thijssen
Amsterdam: Self-Guided Food Tour in De Pijp Neighbourhood
On GetYourGuide · run by Who Is Amsterdam Tours
- Price
- from €13 per group
- Rating
- 4.3 ★ from 23 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Self-guided Amsterdam foodie tour Stops at 6 to 8 family-owned businesses Exclusive discounts and tastings at 7 out of the 8 locations Directions to each of the food tasting stop Free 3-day Amsterdam itinerary Restaur…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Amsterdam means fish stalls, snack bars and markets: herring and kibbeling from stalls, fries in a cone, a kroket from a FEBO wall, fresh stroopwafels at the Albert Cuyp. It is cheap by Amsterdam standards and quick, but there is little seating, and most market stalls close by late afternoon and on Sundays.
Sit-down meals
Brown cafés are the cheapest sit-down option for snacks and simple lunches (soup, sandwiches, uitsmijter fried eggs on bread). For dinner, Indonesian rijsttafel is the classic Amsterdam meal, and De Pijp and Oud-West have good-value restaurants. Restaurants around Damrak, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein are mostly aimed at tourists. Book ahead for popular places on Friday and Saturday.
Cooking classes
Dutch cooking classes are less common than in Italy or Spain; the classes you will find usually cover stroopwafels, pancakes or Dutch-Indonesian dishes, and some combine a market visit with cooking. Check what you will actually cook and eat before booking.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about €35–50 (bakery breakfast, herring or fries and a market snack, a cheap dinner in De Pijp) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about €70–100 (café lunch, rijsttafel or a bistro dinner, a couple of drinks) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | €180+ (tasting menu with wine) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Easy. Amsterdam has many vegetarian and vegan restaurants, fries, poffertjes, stroopwafels, pancakes and cheese are meat-free, and vegetarian versions of bitterballen and kroketten are common in cafés and at FEBO. Check whether fries are cooked in beef fat at traditional snack bars.
Halal: Halal food is easy to find thanks to large Turkish and Moroccan communities, especially around the Dappermarkt, in De Pijp, Oost and Nieuw-West: kebab, grilled meat, Moroccan dishes and Turkish bakeries. Traditional Dutch snacks such as bitterballen and kroketten are usually beef-based but check for pork or non-halal meat; herring and kibbeling are fish.
Gluten-free: Moderate. Herring (without the bread roll) is naturally gluten-free, and Indonesian rice dishes can work if you ask about soy sauce. Bitterballen, kroketten, stroopwafels, pancakes and battered kibbeling all contain gluten, and fries often share fryers with breaded snacks. Many cafés label gluten-free ('glutenvrij') options.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Tourist restaurants on Damrak, around Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein, and in the Red Light District, with touts, picture menus and high prices for average food. Walk ten minutes into the Jordaan, De Pijp or Oud-West, and check menu prices before you sit.
- Cheese shops in the centre with free samples and high-priced 'aged Gouda', sometimes with flavoured cheeses that are not traditional Dutch products. Compare price per kilo, and buy at a market cheese stall or a neighbourhood cheese shop, or a supermarket for everyday Gouda.
- Being offered 'space cakes' or edibles by people on the street in the centre; these are illegal street sales and the contents are unknown. Do not buy anything from street sellers. If you choose to try cannabis edibles, only coffeeshops sell them legally, and they are much stronger than they look.
- Dynamic currency conversion on card terminals for non-euro cards, charging you in your home currency at a poor rate. Always choose to pay in euros. Note that many places are card-only, so carry a card that works without a high foreign fee.
Top tours & activities in Amsterdam
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Amsterdam?
Tipping is not obligatory, because service is included in prices. Locals round up in cafés and leave about 5–10% in restaurants when service was good. Many card terminals now ask about a tip; you can choose zero without causing offence. On food tours, guides appreciate a tip of about €5–10 per person if you enjoyed it.
Is raw herring safe to eat?
Yes. Herring sold in the Netherlands has to be frozen before sale by law, which kills parasites, and stalls sell large volumes. It is lightly salted rather than fishy. If you are unsure, order it cut into pieces with onions and pickles, or try kibbeling, which is fried, before moving on to the raw fish.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Amsterdam is expensive. On a tight budget, about €35–50 a day covers bakery breakfast, market snacks such as herring, fries or a stroopwafel, and a cheap Surinamese or Turkish meal. A mid-range day with a café lunch and a restaurant dinner with a drink is about €70–100. Tasting menus start around €100–150 before drinks.
When are the markets open?
Most street markets, including the Albert Cuyp and Dappermarkt, run Monday to Saturday from morning to around 17:00 and close on Sundays. The Noordermarkt holds a farmers' market on Saturdays and a flea market on Monday mornings. Foodhallen is open daily until late. Hours change on public holidays and King's Day, so check before a special trip.
What should a first-time visitor eat?
Try a herring (or kibbeling) from a fish stall, bitterballen with a beer in a brown café, fries with mayonnaise, a fresh stroopwafel at the Albert Cuyp, apple pie with cream, and one Indonesian or Surinamese meal. That covers the essentials in a day or two, and most of it costs little.
Should I book food tours or restaurants in advance?
Yes, in spring and summer and at weekends: small-group food tours and popular restaurants fill several days ahead, especially around King's Day (27 April) and tulip season. In winter a day or two is usually enough. Mention dietary needs when you book, as a lot of Dutch snack food is fried, meaty or contains gluten.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.