It has been about a million years, (no literally it’s been 5 years), since I last wrote one of these. I’m a bit rusty, but it feels so good to get my inner restaurant critic fired up again and give you all tea on places I ate at during my little Amsterdam trip.

I hadn’t heard the best things about Dutch food. According to the people I spoke to, there wasn’t much to it aside from fries and waffles. Even the fine dining restaurants that serve up traditional Dutch food were described as serving ‘pub food’ – nothing wrong with it, but not something I felt I needed to chase during my trip. So, whilst you won’t find anything traditional in this round-up, you’ll find something tasty for sure.

Dante Kitchen and Bar – When we arrived at this Italian/general Mediterranean restaurant, it was buzzinggggg, so we knew we’d made the right choice. Entering through the revolving door, the first thing your eye is drawn to is the bar and the double height wall of bottles behind it. How they get the bottles down from the very top, I have no idea, but it is a truly a beaut detail. We arrived late for our booking, (classic!), so we ordered a drink at the bar but another table was ready for us before it arrived. The restaurant spans across two levels with date night couples, friends catching up and larger groups all chowing down. The food was delicious, (order the bruschetta!), but the service was excellent. Friendly and attentive waiters helped us the whole night and gave us great recommendations. We got 2 starters, 2 mains and shared a dessert. We also got 4 cocktails in total and it came to around £55 each. We managed to book around 1hr before heading over on a Saturday night. Although we missed our original table, we managed to get seated very quickly so I wouldn’t say that booking is essential. It’s located within walking distance of the Royal Palace and the Anne Frank Museum. Find them here.

Moak Pancakes – I feel like I’m that generation who Googles important stuff, but TikTok’s the slightly more frivolous stuff. Finding things to do and places to eat in Amsterdam fell into the latter and you cannot search Amsterdam on TikTok without Moak Pancakes coming up a big winner. We rocked up at about 12.45pm to find a fairly long queue outside in the Arctic conditions. Nevertheless, we hadn’t planned anything specific for the day so we waited. I can’t remember how long the wait exactly was, but to my impatient ass, it felt like an eternity. Eventually, we were seated in the super cool, (and pretty large!), restaurant. Despite its size, it still has a cozy vibe to it – there are blankets dotted about if, (like me), you were unprepared for the weather. Their menu has fun names for all their dishes and they do actually sell more than just pancakes. We ordered a set of pancakes each and a scrambled egg on sourdough just to try. When I tell you, the olive oil this bread is soaked in must be infused with the tears of the Virgin Mary herself, I am not being the slightest bit dramatic. This was the best scrambled egg on toast I have ever eaten in my life so I would highly recommend branching out from just the pancakes if you visit. The pancakes themselves aren’t too sweet so all the fun is in the toppings which makes sure they’re not too sickly. It was about 1hr from the time we arrived to the time we got food so the wait in line and for food probably wasn’t that bad. 2 pancake stacks, a heavenly plate of scrambled eggs on toast and a pot of tea came to approx. £16 each. There are actually a few Moak Pancakes around the city which might be less busy as booking a table is not allowed. Find them here.

Pluk – after we visited the Anne Frank Museum, we had wanted to go to Chun – another TikTok find. However, when we arrived the queue to get in spanned across the street. We had flights to catch so waiting wasn’t an option. Instead, we walked a little further up the road and found a cute café which we decided would do just fine. Walking in, the first thing you see is a table full of cakes, croissants, cinnamon rolls and other delicious baked goods. It’s called the ‘sweetcorner’, and it’s like a bake sale at the boujiest and preppiest of prep schools. We picked our table upstairs among the foliage and decided what to order. The menu has something for everyone and the café itself has a very feminine, chill and cozy vibe to it. I got the french toast, (the presentation of which was gorgeousssss), with a latte and it all came to approx. £16. They are a short walk from the Anne Frank Museum and the Royal Palace. Find them here.

I’m going to try and better plan the restaurants I visit when I go on shorter trips like these. If I’m going to reach my goal of going to Brazil next year and do up h’enjoyment this year, I need a better grasp on what I’m going to be spending and maybe head to less touristy places. Tell me though, is there anywhere else I need to try the next time I head to The Netherlands? (Other than Foodhallen – I know I fucked up by not trying the food there!).