Food Checklist: Amsterdam

In Search of Carbs and Joy
4 min readApr 6, 2022

We spent just over a week in Amsterdam, which allowed for extensive sampling of all kinds of foods. What was clear in almost every instance was the pride the chefs we encountered took in what they were creating. Big or small, busy or deserted, each restaurant and cafe we went to shared this trait, and that passion for food, which we share, came through in nearly every dish.

Dutch Pancakes (7.5/10)

This one was difficult to pin down, because there seems to be some disagreement on what constitutes a true “Dutch” pancake, and what is actually an “American” pancake (we saw the latter designation on a lot of menus and each time the corresponding pancakes were different from the last).

That said, pancakes are generally delicious and the Dutch did not let us down. Their pancakes were available in literally every size from enormous to petite, and if there was a topping you had in mind, sweet or savory, chances are you could get it on a pancake. All the pancakes we had were perfectly baked and contained just the right amount of sweetness. They didn’t quite live up to the Belgian waffles, but they made a pretty good showing.

Stroopwafel (8.5/10)

Listen, these cookies are hard to screw up. They’re thin waffle cookies encasing sweet, chewy caramel. They’re great fresh, warmed over coffee, or just in a bag from the store (don’t worry, we tried all 3 just to make sure).

The freshly made stroopwafel, which we got at a street market for just 2 euros, gets an honorable mention. Any dessert baked fresh before your eyes is a treat, and this was no exception. The caramel was warm and stretchy, and the cookie bent as you held it in your hand. Messier than the omnipresent packaged stroopwafels that had already set, to be sure, but absolutely worth the sticky fingers.

Cheese (9/10)

Have you ever been scolded by a Dutch cheese salesperson wearing an authentic dairy farming costume for putting too many different free cheese samples on one toothpick? Because I have, and I do not regret it. (I understand this makes me sound monstrous, but it was an effort not to waste toothpicks, not to cheat the system!). Also, the cheese was fully worth the embarrassment.

The Dutch know what they’re doing. We tried a lot of cheeses, primarily gouda which is one of their specialties, and one of the standout features was their grasp of what each cheese needed in terms of flavor. There were versions that allowed the cheese’s natural flavor to stand on its own, while others were flavored with everything you could imagine, from simple garlic and herbs to less obvious choices like cumin and asparagus (both surprisingly tasty!). The care and consideration that goes into their cheese comes through in every bite.

Herring (5/10)

Full disclosure: I do not eat much fish. I had seen on many travel shows that Amsterdam’s offering was different, but ultimately I was underwhelmed. The herring was very mild, not fishy at all, and the pickles and onions were great compliments, but it lacked a sauce to provide a flavor and moisture. The highlight was the texture; the herring was soft and delicate, and practically melted in your mouth.

International Foods (9/10)

This for me is where the Amsterdam food scene really shines. As more than one of our tour guides admitted, “traditional” Dutch food is not particularly exciting or unique. Fortunately, Amsterdam has a large and varied immigrant population who have more than picked up the slack by opening fantastic restaurants serving a range of global fare.

Many of these warrant more detailed praise, and I think we’re going to do a separate post highlighting the best meals, so we’ll leave you with some teaser images for now:

Next Time: Some Non-Food(!) Trip Highlights

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