Amsterdam is so close to England, with flights at merely 50 minutes away; yet for some reason, I’ve never visited until now. For a friend’s birthday, we decided to do a cheap weekend getaway and it was a pretty spontaneous decision to come to Amsterdam. Ignoring the infamous ‘not-so-good’ reputation side of Amsterdam, I find Amsterdam a very pretty city with its unique charm. Leisure breakfasts at cute cafes and long strolls along the canals have been fairly dreamy and pretty much sums up our trip. Despite it being a really short trip, we managed to stuff ourselves with some nice food (as well as some not so nice ones). And now that I’ve returned, I’ve put together a list of the food we recommend for you guys!
Dutch Fries at Manneken Pis
One of Dutch’s staple is fries. The way the Dutch does it is by serving thick-cut fries (or chips if you prefer) in a paper cone and top it with sauces (typically mayo). You will find plenty of stalls and shops within central Amsterdam selling these Vlaamse Frites.
After a little bit of research, we found Manneken Pis – the Vlaamse Frites shop that’s voted best in Amsterdam. It is located in the heart of Amsterdam, nearby the infamous red-light district and opposite to the Amsterdam Conference Centre. You won’t miss it seeing a queue outside their stall.
The most popular topping is probably their Original Frites Sauce, which is pretty much the classic mayo. Another popular choice would be the Oorlog topping, which has mayo, peanut sauce, spiced ketchup and onions.
Website: https://www.mannekenpis.nl/en
Stroopwaffles at Van Wonderen Stroopwafels
Another Dutch staple is most definitely the stroop waffles. Hot freshly made thin waffles spread with caramel – who can resist that?! We visited Van Wonderen Stroopwafels, a stroopwaffle shop that adds a little extra indulgence to these goodies. At Van Wonderen Stroopwafels, you get to choose various sizes of stroopwaffles – from large, medium, or small, and you get to add toppings to it.
Pictured above are the small size stroopwaffles, one topped with Hazelnut and the other with Oreos. There are loads of options to choose from, including speculoos, chocolate, nuts, cookies, etc. Each waffle would be freshly made upon order. You can also get them in one big box to share within a group as well as little souvenir packs for mini stroopwaffles (these would be without toppings).
Website: https://www.vanwonderenstroopwafels.nl/
French Toasts at Libertine Le Comptoir de Cuisine
French toasts aren’t exactly a Dutch speciality, but I’d strongly recommend a visit to Libertine Comptoir de Cuisine for a taste of their scrumptious French toasts. Finding the perfect breakfast spot and food really sets the mood for the day, and Libertine Comptoir de Cuisine had been the gem we needed. Both savoury and sweet toasts had been spectacular.
My personal favourite on the menu is the Eggs Norwegian Toast (see picture above), and the Vanilla Mascarpone & Pecan Nuts French Toast. Both were phenomenally delicious and very generous with toppings. Read my review here.
Matcha Pie at the Matcha Bar
Here’s one for the matcha lovers and those looking for an Instagrammable pink cafe. Frankly speaking, the food was a bit of a hit and miss. We tried out a range of items on the menu – some were good, some less impressive. You can read my full review here. If you’re looking for something cute and different, it’s worth giving Matcha Bar a visit and, personally, I’d recommend the Matcha Pie and Matcha Soft Serve.
Website: https://www.matchabar.nl/
Cakes at De Drie Graefjes
Did I mention this trip was for my friend’s birthday? Not that we needed the excuse but, of course, we need to have cake!
De Drie Graefjes is an American bakery featuring a range of beautiful cakes. We had their signature Red Velvet cake and their Turtle cake (as pictured). Both came in humongous portions and had us absolutely stuffed. The texture of the cake was a bit more on the dense side, which made it a little heavy towards the end. Nonetheless, good frosting and one can never complain about having too large of a cake slice!
Apart from cakes and baked goodies, they also offer a brunch menu at their lunchroom.
Website: https://www.dedriegraefjes.nl/
Amsterdam Cola at De Koffie Schenkerij
I loved how Amsterdam have all these adorable cafes at every corner. De Koffie Schenkerij is one we stumbled across in the city centre of Amsterdam by the red light district. We got a bit tired from all the walking and wanted a little rest stop.
Despite the incredibly busy streets outside, the inside of the cafe has a very vintage setting. In fact, the cafe is located inside Amsterdam’s oldest church. You can expect the standard cakes and teas, but what I want to recommend here is the Amsterdam Cola. We find Amsterdam Cola being the perfect quencher. In a nutshell, it’s an organic handcrafted cola – with much less unhealthy sweeteners and gas.
I loved Amsterdam so much, such a fabulous place to visit and so many tasty things to be had. I loved the chips from Manekenpis – love their name too! 🙂
I agree, it’s such a beautiful place! Am already looking forward to visiting again. Do you have other recommendations? 🙂