Amsterdam

Akbar

Indian restaurant, Muslim (halal) / Hindu (no beef). Good quality dishes from different regions of India.

Main courses €15-20

Albina

It's cheap and very good. If you arrive around dinnertime you probably have to wait for a table. The surroundings are depressing but the food is so good you will come back anyway.

€6

Biertuin

Oktoberfest-style biergarten, so expect long tables and a wide variety of bottled beers available. It has a nice atmosphere during warm summer evenings. Try the Hamburger Deluxe or chicken menus. And come early, as it is often crowded. Reservations cannot be made, but you can wait outside with a beer until seating is available.

Sun-Thu 11:00-01:00, Fri Sat 11:00-03:00·€15-20

Burgermeester

Yes, they serve burgers here. But don't expect a McDonalds wannabe. They are quality meat, fish or vegetarian burgers. The place is so popular that they opened 2 more branches in the city. Great if you want to have a quick and inexpensive bite. Order the 'mini trio' so you can taste three different small sized burgers.

Closed · opens noon tomorrow

CTaste

Dining in the dark. All waiters are blind, and serve you dinner in a completely dark restaurant. A very weird, but actually quite fun experience.

Cafe Kadijk

Cafe Kadijk is a small Indonesian restaurant that offers good food at a decent price. The restaurant has a coffee shop vibe and is located in a "trendy" area. Just outside Amsterdam's city centre, it is a bit of a walk away from the more touristy areas of the city. Patio dining and indoor dining are both available.

Main dishes range between €17 and €22

Café-restaurant Stork

A fish and seafood restaurant in an old factory on the banks of the river.

Damsteeg

They specialise in fish dishes, but they also have a wide variety of meat and vegetarian meals to choose from. With bar.

De Blauwe Hollander

Dutch restaurant with an extensive menu of hearty home-cooked dishes like herrings, pea soup and hutspot. Unlike most restaurants in this area, this one gets local diners too, and if it gets crowded enough you may have to share tables. Pancakes are served only until 17:00.

Closed · opens noon tomorrow·€20

De Pizzabakkers

Hip pizza restaurant, with good stone-baked pizzas. Suitable for children. Almost always busy, so reservation is recommended.

Sun-Thu 12:00-21:00, Fri 12:00-22:00

De plantage

Café-Restaurant de Plantage

Big restaurant with a nice terrace in the summer, open all day with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Mon-Fri 09:00-01:00, Sat Sun 10:00-01:00·Approx €25 for main course

Dosa

They specialise in traditional Southern Indian cuisine, especially the eponymous 'Dosa' (a rice and lentil pancake with a variety of fillings). The food is outstanding and well worth hunting out. The dosas are exceptional and a treat worthy of a visit by themselves.

€16+ per main

Elixer

2 Chefs Circular Restaurant

Restaurant dedicated to circular economy. Occupies a formerly derelict building, all furnishings are second-hand, and as much food as possible is home-grown or locally sourced. Profits are invested in local community initiatives, and the whole restaurant functions as a low-key gallery for local artists. Also, the food (surprisingly traditional French/European fare) is delicious.

Wed-Sun 12:00-23:00

Foodhallen

International food court with 20 food-stands housed in a large building that was once a tram depot.

Sun-Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri Sat 12:00-00:00·€10+

Gebr. Niemeijer

French-style bakery with pastries, croissants, breads, sandwiches all baked fresh on premises. Open for breakfast and lunch, eat-in or takeaway. Bring the kids and eat in the small playroom upstairs.

Tue-Fri 08:15-18:30, Sat 08:30-17:00, Sun 09:00-17:00·€6-11

Greetje

Traditional Dutch, alongside French classics. Located in an historic building on a quiet side street near Central Station; it's off the beaten track so most of the diners are local. Open 6 days a week (not Mondays); a reservation is usually necessary.

Hap Hmm

Traditional Dutch cuisine. The restaurant may be cramped, but it does serve some quality and rustic Dutch fare. This place is cash only.

Mon-Fri 17:00-21:15, closed Sat Sun·€12+ mains

Holtkamp

Best pastry cafe in Amsterdam. Much better than the Zeitan, which many recommend. Do try the "holdkampf" with fillings! The Sachertorte is famous as a favorite of the former Queen Beatrix.

Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00, Sat 8-17:00

Julia's

Italian cuisine, both eat-in and take-out; notable take-out item: Penne Bolognese with a tasty vegetarian sauce instead of a meat sauce.

Mon-Fri 07:00-22:00, Sat 08:00-22:00, Sun 09:00-22:00·€10-20

Kam Yin Chinees Surinaams restaurant

Surinamese and Indonesian cuisine. Very good Moksi Meti (marinated pork and sausages with noodles). Popular with the locals. Take-away.

€7

Kantjil & de Tijger

Great spices and meat dishes, Indian/Indonesian food. Try the Nasi Goreng Rames.

Kinnaree

Amazing Thai food. Good atmosphere, good service despite being quite busy, but the food is why you would come here. Highly recommended.

La Margarita

This Caribbean restaurant offers a huge range of plates, including three different vegetarian options. Every dish comes with ample sides of white rice, black beans, plantains, and vegetables. In addition to having great food, the restaurant is decked out with a range of fantastic and magic-realist art. If you like your food hot, then be sure to ask for the special homemade hot sauce. Reservations accepted.

Daily 17:00-23:00·€20-30 per person, with drinks

Lebkov & Sons

Sandwich bar. Mainly caters to office workers in surrounding buildings. Try the hummus & sun-dried tomato.

Drinks from €3.50

Letting

Indian-owned breakfast, brunch and lunch spot. Letting offers a range of soups, sandwiches and scones, and it's on a street which is packed with an ever-changing line-up of fun boutiques.

Lomnava Kenkey House

One of the few Ghanaian snack bars in Amsterdam. Specializes in Kenkey (a sort of sourdough dumpling), but has a wide range of West-African cuisine at very reasonable prices.

€7

Marmaris Grill & Pizza

Relatively up-market Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant in the fancy new building opposite station Bijlmer-Arena. Great food, presentation and service - definitely worth the price. On cold days, avoid sitting anywhere near the door as it frequently fails to close properly.

€14

New King

Slowly becoming an institution, this hugely popular Mandarin Chinese restaurant seems to have found a perfect balance between food, price and ambiance. The food is authentically Chinese, delicious, fresh and quickly served, and all of that for a bargain. Service is fast and rushed, but it doesn't feel like a snack bar. It has a stylish interior, and it's still one of those places you could bring a date to. The biggest problem is that everyone seems to know this place, so it's somewhat crowded and noisy, and you'll probably have to wait outside for a seat to become available. When you get in, order the oysters. They're a hit.

11:00-22:30 daily·€15-25

OCHA

This used to be just the little "Thai snackbar around the corner", but since a raving review in the local newspaper Het Parool, big crowds are waiting in line to get seated during dinnertime. The scenery is simple and the restaurant is very small and cramped. However, the hype is all about the food, which is absolutely mouth-watering. They have the usual Thai fare, but the dish to go for is the massaman curry, their specialty.

Tue-Sun 16:00-22:30·€10-20

Oma Ietje

Inevitably, hipsters have even found their way into the Bijlmer. Part-funded by crowdfunding. Very worthy 'Swedish style' coffee house. Coffee, biological lemonade and cakes. Also showcases art by local artists.

Sat-Wed 08:00–17:00, Thu Fri 08:00-20:00·€5