7 Best Restaurants in Medieval Center, Amsterdam

Fans of fabulous nose-to-tail dining have faithfully been placing themselves in the experienced hands of chef Giel Kaagman and sommelier and host Bram Kortekaas since 2015. Their namesake eatery, which has been a leading light in the local bistronomy movement, sits along a medieval alley in the heart of tourist hell, where multiple levels arranged around a slightly sunken kitchen allow some diners to feel like they’re part of the action. Regularly changing four-, five-, or six-course chef’s menus keep things fresh, but there’s usually homemade charcuterie, plenty of traditional techniques and a few offal surprises—picky eaters, you’ve been warned!

One of the city's best-known grand cafés, Luxembourg has a stately interior and a view of a bustling square, both of which are excellent for people-watching. Lunch, when the restaurant fills with locals and tourists, is the best time to come. The classic café menu includes soups, salads, "Luxemburgers" and excellent croquettes (oblong-shape meatballs), here with a cheese, shrimp, lobster, or veal filling. Those with less interest in urban sociology can entertain themselves at the communal table, which is democratically packed with an assortment of Dutch and international newspapers and magazines.

With a dizzying array of recently opened restaurants offering so-called New Dutch Cuisine, it's looking like Dutch food has finally been given the makeover it long deserved. This Centraal Station-adjacent establishment gives brasserie classics a Lowlands twist, using seasonal ingredients fresh from a local organic farm.

The "Five Flies" is a rambling dining institution that takes up five adjoining Golden Age houses filled with densely evocative decor—complete with bona fide Rembrandt etchings, jenever barrels, crystal and armor collections, and an endless array of old-school bric-a-brac. The menu of Dutch-international cuisine emphasizes fresh (and often organic) ingredients in dishes from herring tartare to slow-cooked pork cheeks; there are also four-, five-, or six-course menus, which change quarterly based on what's in season. The wine list and the selection of flavored jenevers are—like the decor—epic in proportion.

Since its 2019 renovation, this Dutch brasserie has become a beacon on an otherwise uninspiring road; it's one of the few non–fast-food restaurants around packed Dam Square. The Dutch-international fare includes dishes like Zeeland mussels with fries and Dutch beef stew. It gets busy with passing tourists, but this restaurant is worth a stop if you're shopping at the nearby de Bijenkorf department store and need a pick-me-up.

Despite appearances, this precariously crooked building near the solid Round Lutheran Church is here to stay: it's managed to remain standing since 1614, and it should certainly last through your dinner of contemporary Dutch cuisine prepared by talented young chef Yves van der Hoff, whose father owns the place. Inside "The Silver Mirror," wood beams, Delft tiles, and candlelit tables create a romantic mood in which to enjoy local ingredients like Zeeland mussels and Dutch trout, and expertly prepared meat plates like dry-aged Dutch rib-eye steak with potato foam, shallot marmalade, and "grandma's gravy." To sample a little of everything, opt for one of the four- to eight-course tasting menus.

In a 1520 monument groaning with pewter tankards, stained glass, rich gold leather paneling, original Delftware and other curiosa, this restaurant's "Old Holland" vibe and matching menu attract lots of tourists. Expect simple, hearty old-fashioned Dutch fare such as pea soup and a selection of stamppotten (potatoes mashed with veggies and often meat). On cold winter nights, opt for the hutspot, a stamppot of mashed potato and carrot supplemented with steamed beef, sausage, and bacon.