9 places to eat affordably in Amsterdam

Eating out is only getting more expensive, and I fear that won’t be any different in 2026. Personally, I feel that the middle ground of eating out is disappearing quite a bit; the prices at casual restaurants are now almost as high as those at a good restaurant. Places where you can simply go for an uncomplicated, affordable meal are becoming increasingly scarce.

But fortunately, they haven’t disappeared completely, because you can still go to these restaurants in Amsterdam for an affordable meal.

9x affordable restaurants in Amsterdam

1. Franggo
This restaurant, with locations in Amsterdam’s De Pijp, Amsterdam-West and Amsterdam-Oost, isn’t just affordable—I’d even dare say that you can get the tastiest chicken in all of Amsterdam here. And the fact that you can still get it at this price is really great; they have a set menu for €17.60, for example. For that, you get half a chicken, including a sauce of your choice and a side dish. If you’d rather have a whole chicken, it’s €25.50. Now that makes me happy.
Franggo — De Clerqstraat 106 & Javaplein 35H & De Clercqstraat 106H

2. Spaghetteria
Spaghetteria’s restaurants have by now become an established part of Amsterdam; they currently have six locations (including their ‘caffè’, with sandwiches for daytime). The prices of the dishes range between €14.50 and €21.50, which I find more than reasonable considering the flavor and portion sizes. The portions here are genuinely generous, and the food is always good, no matter which location you visit. If you want to make it even more affordable, you can always order a half portion—because that’s possible too.
Spaghetteria — Multiple locations

3. Bird
If you like Thai food, you’re probably already familiar with Bird, as well as the Snackbird across the street. Fun fact: they no longer have the same owner and are genuinely two separate businesses. Personally, I find the snack bar slightly tastier, but the restaurant is more pleasant to sit in—it just depends on what you’re in the mood for. In any case, the prices are still very friendly. They have set menus for €22.50 that will leave you very full, for example, and the curries start at €16.
Bird Restaurant — Zeedijk 77 & Thaise Snackbar Bird — Zeedijk 72-74

4. Pizza Beppe
Amsterdam is bursting with good pizzerias, but by now, far from all of them are still affordable. The days when you went out for pizza because you wanted to watch your spending are long gone. But not at the delicious Pizza Beppe, where you can still get a Margherita for €12.95 (or a children’s size for €9.95), while the most expensive option (with burrata and ’nduja) is €19.95—the rest fall somewhere in between. 
Pizza Beppe — Multiple locations (Centrum, De Pijp, Oost, Schinkelbuurt, West, Westermarkt, Oud-Zuid & Spui)

5. Oresti’s Taverna
This place is so underrated, because it’s especially wonderful for (large) groups. I’ve celebrated Christmas here with a group of friends several times; there were around 50 to 60 of us, so it was quite chaotic, but the service was always so good, all the food arrived at the same time, and it was genuinely delicious. They serve Mediterranean tapas, and I particularly love the Greek dishes on the menu. Super-friendly owners too; what a great place this is, and genuinely very affordable.
Oresti’s Taverna — Overtoom 5

6. Boi Boi
Another Thai favorite, because they serve not only excellent curries here but also delicious Thai street food. An added bonus: they have lots of vegan options, all of which are incredibly tasty. They also offer delivery and takeaway, although I think it’s very cozy inside too. Perfect if you want to eat really well, but don’t want to spend too long dining or spend too much money.
Boi Boi — Pieter Vlamingstraat 56

7. Takumi Ramen Kitchen
I really enjoy a bowl full of steaming ramen. And, to put it simply, I find this far too much work to recreate properly at home, which is always a reason for me to eat it only outside the house. The portions here are generous, all very flavorful, and all under €20. The gyoza are also highly recommended, both the chicken and vegetarian versions: delicious.
Takumi Ramen Kitchen — Ferdinand Bolstraat 36 & Scheldestraat 1

8. Cannibale Royale
To be honest: I don’t think Cannibale Royale is all that affordable anymore—except for the burgers. They’re good, substantial and, apart from one, all under fifteen euros. So you can make it as expensive as you like here, because the side dishes are also generous portions and therefore great for sharing. And whatever you do, definitely order the garlic broccoli too—it’s so delicious (which means you probably won’t actually want to share it…).
Cannibale Royale — Multiple locations

9. Hap-Hmm
There are few restaurants where you can still find deals as good as those at Hap-Hmm (they deliver too, by the way!). I mean: soup of the day for €4.25, chicken braised in beer for €16.50 or a superb chop for €19.50? You can get all of that here; Hap-Hmm is a lovely Dutch restaurant with delicious food at good prices. Actually, I didn’t want to give this tip away, but here goes; it really is a little gem.
Hap-Hmm — Eerste Helmersstraat 33

Read also:

• Italian dishes you’ll never, ever get in Italy
• How to: deciphering the Italian menu
• Know before you go: 10 Italian delicacies you might want to avoid

Image: Oresti’s Taverna & Pizza Beppe