I have heard an enormous amount of good things about food in the Netherlands. I had to chance to give it a try when I was Rotterdam. From wide selection in Rotterdam’s market hall to small spots in nearby Gauda and Dordrecht, I loved what they had to offer.
Recently, I met Melanie, a travel blogger for whom food is the main reason to travel. She told that her culinary experience in Amsterdam was the best in Europe. In this guest post, Melanie will tell about her favorite places to eat in Amsterdam.
From now on, Melanie:
My best experience in Europe – Amsterdam
My husband and I are such foodies! We honestly base our travels on which restaurants we would like to visit and this trip was no exception. We have loved eating in other European cities including Pairs, Barcelona, and Florence but fell in love with Amsterdam most of all. Why? Perhaps because it is a city that is weird, wonderful, vibrant and diverse. A city with endless cultural and culinary opportunities for a greedy couple like my husband and myself!
Pancakes Amsterdam
Arriving hungry, we start our food journey at a recommended spot- Pancakes Amsterdam. My husband orders the traditional combination of Dutch pancakes with Gouda cheese and ham, but I go American with the bacon, banana and maple syrup. Both are delicious, generous and set us up for plenty of sightseeing.
Some thorough research led us here and we felt thankful for spending that time. We did have a bit of a wait- it’s a popular choice, but we are in no hurry and enjoy the rewards. We are also presented with a tiny wooden clog keyring when we pay. I still have and use this!
Ron Gastrobar restaurants
In the evening we head for a meal at Ron Gastrobar Oriental. We booked here for our first night in the city, seeking somewhere casual to eat and this was perfect. A fun and relaxed atmosphere where we enjoyed good wine and delicious oriental food. Tasty noodles, spring rolls with soy dip and the most delicious crispy duck we have ever eaten.
We were pleased that we had saved a little space for a final treat- a mini cornflake ice-cream cone. We need another trip to Amsterdam to try another Ron Gastrobar premises I think as they all look amazing.
Van Stapele Cookies
We found Van Stapele cookies in the narrow streets, not by accident of course, we had read about these cookies before our visit and planned to go and try them. These gooey, rich chocolatey delights are known to be very popular with tourists and locals, so we were prepared to arrive early and wait our turn. It was completely worth it.
Oh, my goodness, rich chocolate heaven- we bought a box of 12 and ate them gradually throughout our trip. Sadly, not a crumb made it back to the U.K as they were just too delicious, and our wills were too weak- sorry friends and family.
Spectrum’s 7 course menu
The primary purpose of our trip was Michelin starred Spectrum which we saved for our final night in the city and we were pleased that we did. What a treat! We enjoyed an amazing 7-course menu including a couple of ingredients that we had never heard of or tasted before Sepia anyone? With exciting flavors and combinations in each course, the menu flowed and thrilled us throughout.
Highlights
A 24-hour slow-roasted beef short rib really is a stand out dish on this menu. The meat was picked from bone, crisped then served under thinly sliced carabineros shrimp. A roasted bell pepper with warm ginger added a good kick of heat. All of this was expertly cooled down by watermelon- what a simply sublime plate of food.
My favorite course was the duck- I seem to enjoy the duck cookery in this city! Perfectly cooked, pink with crispy skin, it was artistically plated with aubergine, coriander, tulip (yes tulip, we are in Holland after all), pomegranate and black olive. A perfect balance of flavours with a twist of the unexpected.
Mystery surrounded the table decoration at this restaurant. An interesting looking ‘table decoration’ caught our eye on arrival. Pale and fluffy, very sponge-like in appearance; it sat there unassumingly, unusual but unusually beautiful. A tarragon oil was added to our table guest as we moved through the courses, which turned its pale tone to a vibrant green. Arriving at the dessert course, the mystery was revealed. This was tremella, a Chinese fungus. A section of tremella was sliced and placed proudly on our plates to complete a fabulous dessert- tremella, tarragon, peppercorns and BBQ white chocolate. What amazing theatre and taste. We were very happy diners and talked about this for a long time after.
I must mention the chocolates at the end of the meal as they were just amazing. They were designed to repeat the flavours of the whole tasting experience, so took you right back through the menu. Some unusual but delicious flavour combinations – they were also incredibly beautiful. See our full Spectrum Tasting Menu review here.
Amsterdam is unmached
The atmosphere and culture of the city added to our wonderful food experience in Amsterdam. I felt very calm and at home here, and extremely well fed. With so many food opportunities left to try, we really must go back and enjoy this wonderful city again soon.
Author’s Bio
Melanie Varey from Twoplusdogs. A lover of exercise, fresh air and finding beautiful places to enjoy in the company of my family- my husband and our two cheeky whippets. Food is an important part of our family life; in fact our friends say we are eating, planning what or where to eat, or cooking our next meal! We love eating out and really value quality food and restaurants. A teacher and Reflexologist, I am passionate about health and wellbeing.
Follow them on their blog: Two Plus Dogs or social media: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
Further reading
If you look for a place to stay – check out this list of Amsterdam’s hostels by a fellow travel blogger.
Join my community!
I love working on Engineer on tour, but it is a time-consuming thing to make. I am always improving and trying to bring you the best from photography and travel.
Currently, my main platform is my Facebook Photo Page. I will be happy to see you among my followers’ families and engage in a friendly discussion. Let me know how I’m doing and feel free to suggest some topics to write about.
You can also find me on other social media:
FACEBOOK 2 (blog updates only) / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / INSTAGRAM 2 (only Finland) / PINTEREST
Pinterest:
