Amsterdam Street Food: Exploring the Best Local Eats

Amsterdam boasts a vibrant street food culture that blends traditional Dutch treats with global flavors. This guide will help you discover the city’s best street food dishes and markets as well as how to integrate them into an Amsterdam food tour.

Must-Try Amsterdam Street Food Dishes

Amsterdam is filled with must-try street foods offered in markets and street food vendors throughout the city.

Stroopwafels

These are thin, crispy waffles filled with gooey caramel syrup and best enjoyed warm from a street market vendor. The Albert Cuyp Market has several great options.

Poffertjes

These miniature Dutch pancakes are exceptionally fluffy and buttery. They’re usually served with powdered sugar and a dollop of butter. You find them most often at street markets in wintertime.

Herring

In Amsterdam, eating raw herring with pickles and onions is a Dutch delicacy. For an authentic experience eat it by holding the tiny fish by the tail as you nibble it.

Bitterballen

Deep-fried, crispy meatballs filled with a creamy, savory beef ragout and served with mustard. They’re a perfect snack at local pubs and street stalls.

Patat

These are essentially thick-cut Dutch-style French fries served in a paper cone. Most markets and street food vendors offer a variety of sauces, with patat met mayo or the peanut-sauce-based patat oorlog being the most popular.

Kibbeling

Are deep-fried battered fish, typically served with garlic or tartar sauce. They’re a street food staple found at fish markets and seaside stalls throughout Amsterdam.

Oliebollen

These are basically Dutch doughnut holes fried to golden perfection and dusted with powdered sugar. They’re traditionally eaten during New Year’s celebrations but available at food stands in winter.

Kaassoufflé

This is a crispy, deep-fried pastry filled with melted cheese, popular at street food vending machines. Yet I think the best ones can be found at one of Amsterdam’s many snack bars.

Surinamese Broodjes

Emblematic of Surinamese cuisine, these soft sandwiches are filled with flavors like spicy chicken broodje kip kerrie or slow-cooked beef. 

Top Amsterdam Street Food Markets

Amsterdam is loaded with tons of markets offering amazing street food opportunities. You’ll find an authentic taste of Dutch snacks at the following.

Photo credit: Albert Cuyp Market

Albert Cuyp Market is the largest and most famous street market in Amsterdam, offering everything from fresh stroopwafels to Surinamese sandwiches. Located in De Pijp, it’s a must-visit for an authentic taste of Amsterdam’s multicultural street food scene.

Photo credit: Foodhallen

Foodhallen is a trendy indoor food market featuring high-quality street food from various cultures. Here, you can sample gourmet versions of Dutch classics like bitterballen from De BallenBar as well as enjoy international dishes like bao buns and tacos.

Photo credit: Dappermarkt

Dappermarkt is Amsterdam’s most affordable food market. Vendors offer a tasty mix of Dutch and international street food. It’s a great spot to try kibbeling fried fish or Turkish gözleme while browsing fresh produce and spices.

Nieuwmarkt is a historic square that hosts various food markets throughout the week. Their most popular is an organic farmers’ market held on Saturdays. It’s a great place to sample fresh herring and poffertjes.

Ten Katemarkt is a lively neighborhood market in Oud-West. You’ll find a staggering array of street food options from Dutch snacks to Middle Eastern delights. It tends to draw fewer tourists than Albert Cuyp Market, making it a great spot for an authentic local experience.

Unique Street Food Experiences in Amsterdam

Photo credit: Taste of Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s street food scene is about more than just grabbing quick snacks and tasty bites as you explore the city. It’s a culinary adventure in itself that gives you the chance to taste Amsterdam’s past and present one bite at a time.

From herring stands where you can experience the Dutch tradition of eating raw herring with onions and pickles to food trucks serving gourmet burgers and vendors selling plant-based delights. There’s something for everyone.

Amsterdam also has vibrant food festivals that showcase global flavors and celebrate the city’s international connections. Timing your trip to coincide with Taste of Amsterdam or the Amsterdam Kookt Festival gives you the chance to sample local street food delicacies to international fusion dishes.

Amsterdam’s Global Street Food Scene

 

Amsterdam’s street food culture is a melting pot of international flavors that reflect the city’s diverse population and international culinary influences. Indonesian cuisine is particularly prevalent and touches on Dutch colonial history. This shines through in dishes like satay skewers and lumpia crispy spring rolls.

Middle Eastern cuisine is also widely popular in Amsterdam’s street food scene. You can easily find falafel, shawarma, and manakish flatbread throughout the city’s bustling street markets.

Surinamese roti and spicy peanut soup are also popular street foods in Amsterdam. They’re a nod to the country’s vibrant Surinamese community.

You might also be surprised to find Latin American dishes. Many food trucks and street food markets in Amsterdam have menus with arepas and tacos on them.

Asian street foods like bao buns and Japanese takoyaki have also started to grow in popularity, representing Amsterdam’s status as a truly international city.  

Tips for Exploring Amsterdam Street Food

An adventurous spirit and a bit of local insight will take you deep into the culinary underbelly of Amsterdam’s street food scene. I think the best place to start is by exploring popular markets like Albert Cuypmarkt or Foodhallen. The vendors there can give you a quick taste of what’s best. It’s easy to include these stops in an Amsterdam food tour to give you an authentic taste of Dutch street food.

You can usually avoid tourist traps by looking for stalls with long lines of locals. These street food vendors understand that quality is the key to repeat business. Whereas vendors with flashy signs or overpriced menus are usually trying to turn a quick profit. They tend to play fast and loose with the quality, knowing that they’ll likely never see you again.  

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, keep an eye out for falafel, stroopwafels without butter, and plant-based options at food trucks or specialty vendors. Many of Amsterdam’s markets, cafés, and street food vendors cater to dietary preferences.

It’s also wise to carry some cash or Euros with you in the food markets. Not all vendors accept cards.

Sources:

Albert Cuyp Market. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://albertcuyp-markt.amsterdam/?lang=en

Foodhallen. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from http://www.foodhallen.nl/

Amsterdam.info. (n.d.). Nieuwmarkt. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.amsterdam.info/nieuwmarkt/

Dappermarkt. (n.d.). Home page. (If no official website is available, reference in-text instead.)

Ten Katemarkt. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/tenkatemarkt/?hl=en

Amsterdam Kookt. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://amsterdamkookt.nl/

Taste of Amsterdam. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/tasteofamsterdam/?hl=en

Eating Europe. (n.d.). Amsterdam. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.eatingeurope.com/amsterdam/