3 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!

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.

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.