This is where you want to eat during SAIL 2025
SAIL 2025 will be a triple celebration: 750 years of Amsterdam, 50 years of SAIL, and the catch-up edition of the cancelled SAIL 2020. And you’ll definitely want to be there as a foodie. Because among all the Tall Ships, sailors’ stories and maritime splendour, there’s one dining experience you absolutely won’t want to miss: Dinner by Dock.
What is there to do during SAIL 2025?
SAIL takes place from 20 to 24 August and is free to attend, so everyone can come to the quays along the IJ to admire the impressive Tall Ships from all over the world. There are performances and demonstrations, live music, drinks, food, and above all: plenty of nautical atmosphere. But for the foodies among us, there is something truly special, namely Dinner by Dock.
The most exclusive dinner of SAIL 2025
Forget plastic containers of kibbeling on the quay (although there’s of course nothing wrong with that either). No busy quays or crowded terraces. We’ve found a place where everything is just right: the atmosphere, the view, the food and the hospitality. Dinner by Dock is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you’ll still remember years later. Imagine this: a dinner, 10 metres below sea level. In a dry dock where ships are normally serviced, you’ll stand face to face with a colossus – and take your place at a perfectly set table. All around you: history, technology and a unique piece of Amsterdam. Above you: an imposing ship.
Dinner by Dock: dining beneath a gigantic ship
For just three days, from 21 to 23 August 2025, Damen Shiprepair in Amsterdam is opening Dock 1 especially for this event. While the tall ships sail across the IJ, you can enjoy a creative four-course dinner or lunch, served in perhaps the most spectacular location across the entire SAIL site. A few hundred lucky guests can take their seats per shift beneath the colossal hull of an imposing DAMEN ship. And believe me when I say that it will not only be incredibly unique, but delicious too. The culinary offering comes from two of our favourite Amsterdam restaurants, BAUT (also known for their pop-up BAUT Del Sol) and Helling 7.
Date and price of Dinner by Dock
Dinner by Dock takes place from 21 to 23 August 2025. The price for lunch and dinner is the same, and you can also opt for an exclusive wine pairing.
- Lunch: 12:00–15:00: €198.50
- Dinner: 18:00–21:00: €198.50
- Optional wine pairing: €75.00
You can make a reservation via dinnerbydock.nl/#tickets, starting from 6 people (maximum 10 per table). Tickets are limited, so don’t wait too long.
Extra tip: lunch or dinner at Helling 7 during SAIL
All right, one more tip. Didn’t manage to get tickets for Dinner by Dock? You’re guaranteed a great experience at Helling 7 during SAIL 2025. The location in a former shipyard canteen on the IJ, in the middle of the old harbour district, is fantastic – especially during SAIL. Because from here, you have a front-row view of the Netherlands’ biggest nautical spectacle. During SAIL, they serve a four-course lunch or dinner for €85 per person. Reservations can be made via Helling 7.
Read also:
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- This is where you’ll find the best sandwiches in Amsterdam
- Vegan Visboer wins major award. But what exactly is vegan fish?
Image: Lisa Kunst/SAIL
