Tourist traps that are actually worth it

‘Eat like a local in Amsterdam’ and ‘8x hidden gems no one knows about’ are phrases that get thrown at you when you start looking for the best food in the capital. Of course, it feels extra great when you accidentally discover that small, cosy restaurant, but you should definitely also pay a visit to these ‘tourist traps’.

I honestly don’t understand that whole trend where everyone wants to go on holiday but absolutely doesn’t want to be a tourist. Imagine someone realising that you’re a tourist—or, even worse, thinking you’re a tourist when you’re actually a true Amsterdammer. If you turn your nose up at the touristy spots, you’re really missing out on a lot. Sometimes you simply have to queue for a herring or eat in the middle of the Red Light District.

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Van Stapele

The queues at this small cookie shop grow longer by the day because Van Stapele appears in pretty much every guide to Amsterdam. You can find that very annoying, but you can also just join the queue. Owner Vera spent years perfecting the recipe for the ultimate chocolate cookie. The result? A cookie that’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with the added surprise of melted white chocolate in the centre. The cookie is pressed into your hands warm, so you’d better eat it right away. You can also buy a tin to take home; the staff will give you reheating instructions.

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Sea Palace

For years, I laughed at people in my head who ate at Sea Palace. Who goes to eat Chinese food on a huge boat by Central Station? Something must really be wrong with you. That’s what I thought, anyway, because ever since a Chinese friend told me you can get amazing dim sum there, I’ve been going almost every weekend. In the evening it’s quite expensive, and there are better Chinese restaurants on and around the Zeedijk for that money, but in the afternoon this is where you need to be. Definitely order the turnip cake, sticky rice with meat and prawn wontons. Oh, and the sponge cake and custard buns for dessert, of course.

Loetje

The steak restaurant now has locations all over the country, so you don’t have to come to Amsterdam specifically for it, but it may still feel like a tourist trap to eat at a chain. Just do it—the steak is always on point and comes with plenty of gravy. Add chips, white bread for dipping and one of those delicious old-fashioned salads, and you’ll have the night of your life. Half surrounded by tourists and half by Amsterdammers who have been coming here for years.

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Vleminckx

Kalverstraat is a place I try to avoid as much as possible, but when I’m craving good chips, there’s really no alternative but to head that way. Vleminckx has the very best. The façade is covered with articles praising the Flemish chip shop, so the queue is always longer than you’d like. You really won’t find better chips in Amsterdam, so get in line quickly and look forward to the crispy fries you’re about to eat.

Xampanyeria Centra

Another place I prefer to avoid: the Red Light District. I’m simply never in the mood for hordes of tourists getting in my way, making it almost impossible to cycle. Ringing your bell is pointless, since everyone is so stoned that they just turn around and stare blankly at you. Still, I make an exception for Xampanyeria Centra every now and then. The restaurant on Lange Niezel (an alley filled only with tourist supermarkets and a New York Pizza) serves such delicious Spanish dishes that it’s worth enduring the terrible bike ride. You can get cava here from €2.50 a glass, so if you’re still grumpy, you can always start knocking it back.

Salsa Shop

A chain with brightly lit restaurants at Central Station and Rembrandtplein. All features that would normally set off alarm bells. But no: the burritos and tacos here are incredibly tasty. You put them together yourself by choosing your own fillings and toppings, and everything tastes wonderfully fresh and vibrant. For the salsa, definitely choose the smoky pineapple chipotle—you won’t be disappointed.

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Nam Kee

It’s also listed in all the guides and is, of course, famous for Nam Kee’s oysters. The Chinese restaurant now has three locations where you can enjoy barbecued meat with rice, Peking duck pancakes, wonton soup and beef with broccoli. The famous oysters in black bean sauce are also fantastic and enormous. I’d skip the Heinekenplein location, but the ones on the Zeedijk and Geldersekade have been delivering excellent quality for years.

Herring

At De Gigant on Westermarkt and Stubbe’s herring stand on the Singel, you have a good chance of encountering a queue—but an even greater chance of getting a perfect herring. Go for it!

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Apple pie at Winkel 43

On a Saturday, you can spend a very long time queuing at this café on Noordermarkt. What makes Winkel 43 so popular? The best apple pie of your life. The generous slices fly over the counter like—well, like hot apple pie. They understand here that the crust is the best part of the pie, so there’s no messing around with lattice patterns; the entire top is covered in crust. Add a generous squirt of whipped cream and, in winter, a hot chocolate for the ultimate comfort feeling.

Van Dobben

Van Dobben croquettes are sold all over the country, but the one and only snack bar is right in the centre of Amsterdam. In a little alley near Rembrandtplein, you can eat the best croquette sandwiches in the city. Not because the croquettes suddenly taste better, but because you’re sitting in a noisy place where, alongside the tourists, lots of regulars come in to read the newspaper by themselves. Naturally, while enjoying a croquette sandwich—or a half-and-half or steak tartare sandwich. Whichever sandwich you choose, always order a glass of milk with it.

Patisserie Holtkamp

Walk a little further and you’ll come across another croquette giant. At Patisserie Holtkamp, you can buy their famous (prawn) croquettes frozen to take home, or fried so you can eat them right away. Bonus: the focus here is actually on pastries, so be sure to fill your bag with lemon meringue pie, pear slices, filled cookies, chocolates and cheese butterflies. You really can’t make a bad choice here.

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Patisserie Kuyt

A few hundred metres further on is Patisserie Kuyt. You can also find chocolates, pastries and sweets here, but what they’re best known for is their appelschnitt. A thin ‘slice’ of apple pie with an exceptionally crispy base, flaked almonds and cinnamon sugar on top. So addictively delicious that whenever I’m within 500 metres of the bakery, I always cycle around the block to get a piece. I prefer to eat it at home, with freshly whipped cream flavoured with vanilla and just a tiny bit of sugar.

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Stroopwafel

The quintessentially Dutch cookie that’s so touristy it’s sold in every tourist shop at Schiphol. Because of that, you might forget that a fresh, warm stroopwafel is insanely delicious. At Lanskroon on the Singel, they sell the very best ones (I also always get my granola here, but that’s beside the point). They’re so big that you’ll think you can share one, but do yourself a favour and get a whole one. Not in the area? You can also get delicious stroopwafels at the Albert Cuyp market.

Poffertjes

Since you’re at the Cuyp anyway, stop by the poffertjes stall right away. Once again, you can join a queue made up entirely of tourists—but tourists who will be blissfully happy all day because they’ve just eaten a portion of soft poffertjes with lots of icing sugar and a knob of butter. Don’t you want to be part of that too?

FEBO

Around the corner from Albert Cuyp, you’ll find the very first FEBO location. Don’t go out of your way for it, because there are many more locations throughout the rest of the city. For tourists, our snacks from the vending wall are a real attraction—where else do you find that? You can take a wide detour around it, but you can also simply collect your change and grab a diagonal snack. I’d always go for the latter.

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De drie graefjes

My homemade red velvet cake is a recipe I’m very proud of, but every time I’m at De Drie Graefjes, I still get jealous of whoever developed this recipe. So moist, flavourful and covered in plenty of frosting, this cake is out of this world. Are there two of you? Get one slice of red velvet and one slice of carrot cake, which is also genuinely excellent here. I don’t really rate the rest of the cakes, so stick to these two classics.

Van der Linde

On Nieuwendijk, a street you’d rather skip as an Amsterdammer, you’ll find the famous pastry shop Van der Linde. In summer, there’s always a queue for the divine soft serve with pieces of whipped cream mixed through it. Honestly, you won’t believe what you’re tasting. The rest of the pastries are also more than worth the queue; at the very least, take a portion of chocolate truffles home.