Amsterdam’s food scene is ever-changing, and there are a whole host of foodie events popping up every month. Not to mention blogs to read, Instagrammers to watch, and new restaurants opening up… We’ve rounded up our favorite local culinary news and foodie tidbits for the season to help you make the most of your time in Amsterdam. Enjoy!

What to Do in November and December

With the festive season fast approaching, there’s a lot going on in Amsterdam in the next month or so. Here’s our pick of the best:

November 7: Museum Nacht

Every year on the first Saturday in November, museums all over Amsterdam open their doors to visitors in the evening from 7 pm until 2 am. With around 50 museums taking part in the 17th edition of the event, and plenty of food and drinks to go around, it looks set to be a wonderful evening. Book your tickets here for €18.50.

November 14-December 5: Sinterklaas

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Celebrations on the canals during Sinterklaas!

The biggest Dutch festival takes place at this festive time of year: Sinterklaas – the Netherlands’ answer to Santa Claus. On Saturday, November 14, Sinterklaas and his helpers (all, bemusingly, called Piet) arrive from Spain in a huge procession; they remain in Holland until December 5, during which time they visit the children of the Netherlands to place gifts in their shoes. Sounds odd? Check out our beginner’s guide to Sinterklaas.

November 15: NeighbourFood Market

The monthly NeighbourFood Market is back in the Westergasfabriek complex (in the Westerpark) on the third Sunday of the month. You can expect a huge range of international cuisines that you can sample for reasonable prices – entry is free!

(Photo credit: Amsterdam Foodie via Instagram)
Check out the Neighborfood Market in the Westergasfabriek for a foodie-filled day

November 21: Restaurant Day

For a unique food experience, visit any of the pop-up restaurants around Amsterdam that exist for one day only! Anyone can join Restaurant Day, from an aspiring baker with a folding table on the sidewalk to culinary student experiments lining blocked-off streets.

November 22-23: Bellavita Expo

If you’ve had enough of Dutch food, Bellavita Expo – the largest Made-In-Italy Benelux food and beverage trade show – is coming to Amsterdam! The Expo offers an exclusive platform to showcase the best products and discover new ones. A vast selection of authentic, Made-in-Italy food and wine will be available for visitors to taste, including organic wine, traditional Italian cheeses, pasta and Panettone.

Bellavita Expo
The Bellavita Expo is the largest Made-in-Italy food and beverage show!

November 26-29: Food Festival Amsterdam

South of the city center at the RAI exhibition hall is a huge 4-day food festival that promises to offer slow food, food trucks, pop-up restaurants, beer and wine, and plenty more. Keep an eye on the website for more details.

December 19-20: Neighbourfood Market Xmas Edition

Back for a bumper Christmas weekend edition is the Neighbourfood Market at the Westergasfabriek. Expect mulled wine – lots of it!

Local Blogger to Watch

If only for her comprehensive events calendar, follow Awesome Amsterdam to stay abreast of everything going on in the city – from food to film, and from museums to activities. She’s also an avid Instagrammer – keep an eye on @AwesomeAmsterdam for her latest pics and picks of all the awesome things going on in town!

Where to Eat Now

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Just one example of the beautifully creative dishes served at GIN Neo Bistro

This month’s hot new opening is GIN Neo Bistro, in the northern part of the Jordaan (a gorgeous neighborhood we explore on our Jordaan Food Tour). Based on the seasons, chef Jin cooks 6 new dishes per month for his menu – taking you on a culinary journey that fuses local ingredients with his Asian food roots.

In the News

  • Amsterdam was ranked at number 17 by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in their 2015 list of the Best Cities in the World.
  • Our resident restaurant reviewer, the Amsterdam Foodie, recently re-launched her website with a brand-new design and improved functionality. Try out her restaurant finder now!
  • Global food network Foodie Hub recently added a whole bunch of Amsterdam restaurant tips to its website – handy if you’re visiting the city.
  • What type of Amsterdammer are you? Find out with this handy Amsterdam Quiz – and yes, visitors count, too!
  • We were interested to read Skift’s report on the future of culinary tourism – food for thought for us here at Eating Amsterdam!

Blogged: Eating Amsterdam Food Tour

Amanda from food blog Lambs’ Ears & Honey recently took our Jordaan Food Tour, and was kind enough to say this about it: “The Eating Amsterdam food tour takes us on a gentle 3-4 hour walk through the streets of The Jordaan, stopping at some of the historic and significant food spots, meeting the locals in their stores – some of whom have been running family businesses on the same site for generations. We enjoyed everything from the delicious, tiny Dutch pancake-like treat called poffertjes, the very traditional pickled herrings to some surprising snacks from the ex-Dutch colony of Surinam and the best apple pie in the world which has a written endorsement from President Bill Clinton! And cheese – of course.” Read more here!

Day Trip: Edam

There’s far more to the Netherlands than just Amsterdam (no matter how much we love it). Just a short bus ride from the city, you’ll find yourself in Edam – home of the famous cheese (although the stuff you’ll get here is a lot better than the cheese that gets exported!). Expect picturesque Dutch houses, tiny canals lined with cobblestoned streets, and of course mountains of Edam kaas to take home with you… For more day trips from Amsterdam, check our blog.

Instagram of the Month

Yes, we love Amsterdam – so there’s nothing we enjoy more than taking photos of our beloved city and sharing them with the world. November’s “Instagram of the Month” is a little different, however, as our favorite picture this month is of an old-fashioned travel poster:

Instagram of the Month - we're loving this old school travel poster!
Instagram of the Month – we’re loving this old school travel poster! (Photo credit: Eating Amsterdam via Instagram)

We’ve also got our eye on By Sam – a Dutch blogger (bysam.nl) who takes stunning photos of food and more and posts them on her Instagram account @bysam.nl – be sure to give her a follow or a like and tell her we sent you!

(Photo credit: By Sam via Instagram)
Be sure to follow bySam on Instagram for tips on the Amsterdam West food scene! (Photo credit: bySam via Instagram)

Stay tuned for more local foodie links next time!

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