From tiny garden eateries specialising in home-grown fare to trendy cafés specialising in the latest culinary trends, these unique restaurants in Amsterdam are definitely worth visiting!
I love Amsterdam! The vibrant capital of the Netherlands offers a delightful mix of cultural richness and picturesque beauty. The city’s intricate canal system and charming cobblestone streets make it a great destination to explore on foot, boat or bike.
Amsterdam is full of places that showcase its unique character. A trip to Anne Frank House provides a poignant insight into the life of Jews people during World War II, while the Rijksmuseum (one of the best museums in Europe) and the Van Gogh Museum house extensive collections of legendary masterpieces.
Beyond its cultural offerings, Amsterdam’s dining scene is a true gastronomic delight. From traditional Dutch cuisine to international flavours, the city has something for everyone. I’d recommend visiting some of the city’s vibrant food markets, such as the Albert Cuyp Market or the Foodhallen, where you’ll get the chance to sample a wide range of delicious street food and local delicacies.
There are also tons of unusual restaurants in Amsterdam. You’ll find a range of innovative and trendy places where talented chefs create culinary experiences that fuse traditional cuisines with modern techniques. So let’s go for a stroll and check out some unique restaurants in Amsterdam.
Oh, and if you’re deciding what else to do in the city, don’t miss my guide to spending the ultimate weekend in Amsterdam.
Planning your trip to Amsterdam? Here are a few quick highlights:
14 Unique Restaurants In Amsterdam
The Albert Cuyp Market
Let’s kick off with one of my favourite places to wander in Amsterdam: the Albert Cuyp Market. Located in the heart of Amsterdam’s De Pijp neighbourhood, this vibrant and bustling open-air market has been a local favourite since 1904.
With nearly 300 stalls, the market is a kaleidoscope of colours, scents and flavours. There’s everything from fresh produce and flowers to clothing, accessories and, of course, street food. Its lively atmosphere, friendly vendors, live music and diverse range of products make the Albert Cuyp Market a great place to work up an appetite.
De Kas
I’ll never forget the first time I visited De Kas, a restaurant located in a set of 1920s greenhouses that were once part of the Amsterdam Municipal Nursery! The produce used in the dishes is all grown on-site (as you’d expect in a greenhouse!) and the menu changes according to the seasons.
The setting is divine, with plants and herbs surrounding you. The glass walls frame views of the city and the surrounding green spaces too. It’s particularly good for vegetarian travellers in Amsterdam.
On the menu you’ll find tasty things such as wild garlic, fig leaves, turnip (yes, turnip…and it tastes amazing) and sea lavender. If you only try one of Amsterdam’s many unique restaurants, make it this one!
REM
Imagine dining on a former North Sea pirate radio station platform, surrounded by water in the heart of Amsterndam’s industrial area. Well, REM is just that! Constructed in 1964, this steel island was used as a communications platform before being decommissioned by the Royal Marines and relocated to Amsterdam.
Its three floors include a restaurant, dance bar and rooftop terrace with “winding down hammocks.” The REM Eiland dishes combine all sorts of flavours in experimental and traditional ways. You can snack on delicious tofu, yakitori and oysters or dive into the 6-course Chef’s menu.
Kattencafekopjes
There are plenty of fun restaurants in Amsterdam and lovers of felines will certainly adore this cat café. Grab a “catuccino” (yes…you read that right) and settle in to play with the local moggies.
There’s a selection of juices and sodas to compliment the excellent coffee, pastries such as salted caramel brownies and a lunch menu that includes goodies such goodies as sourdough bread with pumpkin spread.
After lunch, you can curl up in a corner with a kittie and doze!
The Avocado Show
With two locations in Amsterdam, lovers of all things avocado are well catered for in this city of fun dining experiences and delicious food.
The menu includes panko-crusted avo fries (perfect for dipping in truffle mayo) and nachos heaped with guacamole and jalapeños. Moving on to more substantial fare, try the Shakshuka with avocado or the V.A.E, a veggie take on the BLT but made with avocado, leek shoots and sauteed spinach. Every dish is made to please the Instagram gods too, so don’t forget to take a photo before you eat!
Café-Restaurant Amsterdam
Soak up the atmosphere of the Industrial Revolution in this superb restaurant housed in the former engine room of the Amsterdam water-pumping station. Built in 1897, the dining room’s big windows let in natural light and as you dine you can imagine the big diesel engines (now replaced by electric motors) pumping fresh water around the city’s 23 kilometres of cast iron pipes.
On the menu are the sort of dishes you’d expect a hard-working water engineer to enjoy such as asparagus with ham and eggs, North African Merguez lamb sausages and grilled sea bass!
Restaurant Moon
This stunning restaurant is one of the most unique restaurants in Amsterdam. Located on the 19th floor of the A’DAM tower, Moon revolves slowly through 360° while you dine, giving you a complete panorama of the city. You can have lunch up there and see the city turning slowly before you while you sample sirloin steak or traditional Dutch aardpeer (artichoke), accompanied by a delicious bottle of wine.
After dark, however, is when Moon really shines! With the lights of the city spread out below like a giant circuit board, you’ll have the best view as you work your way through an array of dishes including oysters with cucumber and ponzu, North Sea crab and barbecued leeks.
Pampus
This is one of the more unusual restaurants in Amsterdam. At least, its location is something out of the ordinary. Pampus itself is an artificial fortified island set in the middle of Ijmeer Harbour. It was built in the late 1880s to defend the approaches to Amsterdam, and is now a popular day trip from the city
With a seasonal menu, Pampas is pretty laid back, with trestle tables for you to sit at while you dine, and some relaxed grassy areas for picnicking. During winter, candle-lit dinner settings pop up on various parts of the island while in summer you can feast on food grown in the island’s vegetable garden at the Pampas Pavilion.
Nela
This is one of the coolest places to dine in Amsterdam…or is it really hot? You decide! Nela is a “live fire” restaurant where dishes are cooked over open flames which bring out all sorts of new textures and tastes in the ingredients.
It’s the urban equivalent of sitting around the campfire cooking your own food in the wild, but with a distinctly modern setting. In fact, there are so many delicious things on the menu here that I’m not even going to attempt to choose a favourite. Just go there and experience the flames for yourself!
Ctaste
Give your senses a boost by dining in the dark at Ctaste. This fun dining experience takes place in total darkness, with visually impaired staff on hand to guide you to your table and assist you to choose from the selection of delicious Dutch food.
With several different set menus available, you can leave your sense of sight at the door and let your senses of smell, touch, taste and hearing come to the fore. This truly is a unique and memorable way to experience food. I went to Dans le Noir in London (the same concept) and absolutely loved it. It’s not something you’d do over and over again, but wow was it an experience to remember. It made me appreciate what I was eating even more.
Ton Ton Club
Fancy a night out with food, drinks and tons of iconic video games to play? If you love video games such as Pacman and Mario Kart Racer, along with games such as UNO, Jenga and Hit List, this is the place to combine playtime with some great food and cool music.
On the menu are snacks such as Japanese Katsu sandwiches, all sorts of milkshakes and “multiplayer” dishes such as lamb stew that you can share with your crew. And the best thing about the Ton Ton club is that you don’t need to bring a pocket full of change… these days it’s all electronic!
Eye
Film and movie buffs will love this place. Eye is Amsterdam’s National Museum for Film. It is located in a stunning, ultra-modern building on the IJ Harbour and houses over 54,000 films! They’ve got everything from classics to cult favourites here and whatever genre of film you’re into, you will find it at Eye. But it’s not just about the past; this museum is all about staying current too. The museum organises new film acquisitions, programs, and debates.
And best of all, their Eye Bar Restaurant is a super cool place to be for a drink or a bite. You won’t find a better view of the IJ Harbour and its continuous stream of passing ships than from their spacious terrace. A meal or a drink at Eye is a cinematic experience in itself!
Grand Café Restaurant
Also known as Restaurant 1e klas, this grand restaurant is a quiet oasis amid the hustle and hubbub of Amsterdam’s Central Railway Station. It’s one of my favourite hidden gems in Amsterdam. When you step into this restaurant you feel like you’ve travelled back in time to the romantic days of railway travel.
The restaurant attracts a diverse crowd, from busy commuters to curious tourists. Elvis the Cockatoo adds an extra touch of fun with his merry cackling as you peruse the menu which includes hearty traveller’s fare such as omelettes, soups and salads.
Cannibale Royale
Top of the list for meat lovers, this restaurant combines the elegance of a chic French brasserie with a macabre man cave where you unleash your inner carnivore!!
With several locations across Amsterdam, Cannibale Royale is the go-to spot for succulent ribs, burgers, steaks, and even a few soulful salads if you can’t face more meat! This a popular place for locals to go for a boisterous birthday celebration and you’ll often hear groups singing along to live music as they dine. Not for the faint-hearted but definitely a unique Amsterdam restaurant to enjoy a night at.
Amsterdam is a destination filled with unique places to dine. From the bizarre experience of eating in total darkness at Ctaste to the relaxed, al fresco dining experience of Pampas, a food tour of Amsterdam is guaranteed to be memorable.
The city is one of the coolest destinations in Europe and the many fun restaurants in Amsterdam just add to the experience of visiting. And like all big cities, there are going to be lots of other places yet to discover. So if you have found any other unique restaurants in Amsterdam, please let me know so I can go and try them out next time I’m there!