Frens Haringhandel was my favorite stop for food on a recent trip to Amsterdam. On my first visit I…read moretried the Herring Sandwich. Soft bread was filled with soft tender fresh herring (which had no fishiness in its flavor), crisp onions and tangy pickles. I understand why this is a popular street food. On my second visit I had the Fried Cod. Meaty and flakey nuggets of Cod were coated in a perfectly crisp breading with a nice saltiness and flavorful spices. The side of tartar sauce was heavenly creamy, sweet and tangy. Frens Haringhandel is a must visit.

This place is ALL OVER social media, but is it worth the hype? Absolutely…read more We stopped here in October 2025, after an already filling late lunch. But we knew we had to try it, and life is short. It is a tiny stand located along a central canal in the heart of the city. Business is hopping here. We got the picked herring and kibbeling, which are the main staples here. The pickled herring was, well, something you either love or don't. It has somewhat of a gelatinous texture that can be off-putting, but when you take a bite with the sides of sweet pickles and onions, it shines. The Kibbeling was out of this world. Perfectly fried with a crunchy batter that had a hint of, hmmm, curry, maybe. It was amazing. Although the batter was thick and tasty, it didn't outdo the delicious cod. The staff here was friendly, and having this Dutch food along a canal in Amsterdam made for a memorable experience. There are plenty of places to sit near the stand - enjoy this tasty food and watch the world go by.

One of the best things I ate during my entire 3-week trip to Belgium and the Netherlands is a…read morefreshly-made stroopwafel I got at a farmer's market in Delft. The business has been making stroopwafels from a homemade recipe since 1951. Three generations have been selling stroopwafels in farmers markets across the Netherlands. They have a fixed schedule on which markets they sell on which days. Since it's market day in Delft on Thursdays, they set up shop in Delft on Thursdays. They have various stroopwafels at different price points. Most of them are made the day before and are packaged for later consumption or for gifts. However there is a person also making fresh stroopwafels and you can get this for €1.30. Cash only. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND HAVE A FRESH STROOPWAFEL. Trust me, that shit's life-changing. (Apologies for the lack of pictures as I ate the entire thing within minutes of purchase. It's really that good. No need to warm it over a coffee nor does it taste of preservatives like the ones you can get at Costco.) Well worth the penance of walking 376 steps climbing the tower of Nieuwe Kerk!

This was my first in the Albert Cuyp Market on a rainy Saturday morning and, at first, I was sure I…read morecould stomach a raw herring sandwich so early in the morning, but one bite of the sandwich with the herring, pickle, and chopped onions changed my mind quickly! It was delicious! The herring was pickled, I believe, so it wasn't really "raw". I shared the sandwich with my travel companion, but I could've easily finished one by myself! Definitely worth the stop and would make this a must-have again!

This particular food stand is located towards the beginning/end of the market…read more Herring is extremely fresh, and not what I expected. Not fishy and can be served alone or with bread. I had it with bread; I love my carbs! The herring is placed between a hog dog bun, with a pickle, and white onions. Simple. Delicious. Inexpensive. Convenient for on-the-go goodness!

I genuinely think poffertjes should be a required food worldwide…read more We got some at Albert Cuyp Market and honestly... perfect. Super fluffy, warm, covered in plenty of powdered sugar, and exactly what I wanted after walking around Amsterdam all day. People add toppings and sauces and all kinds of extras, but these didn't even need it. Just give me the pancakes and the sugar and leave me alone for a minute. I would happily eat a billion of them.

These were the tastiest poffertjes i have ever had, they truly do "melt in your mouth" and I grew…read moreup eating these from my Dutch step-mother. Watching them being cooked was fun and fast. The Albert Cuyp Markt has a lot of vendors, make sure to stop here.

This antique poffertjes stand is erected at in the spring every year and taken down at the end of…read morethe summer. A tree stands in the middle of it. It's hard to describe in words just how charming the poffertjes stand was! Too cute. And the poffertjes were good - and the beverages were delicious (mint tea, cappuccini, etc.). A very charming place - I'll definitely go again if I'm ever in Laren again.

Contrary to one of the previous reviewers, I've had the pleasure of trying poffertjes in many…read morelocations, so if not an expert, I'm at least an experienced enthousiast. I can say that these are the best I've ever had (although I may be biased; I come here since the age of 4, or thereabouts). The menu is not long, basically it is poffertjes (plain, wirh rum, ginger or Gran Marnier), dutch waffels (thinner and more crunch than Brusselse or Luikse) and drinks. That's all you will need, though. The enormous poffertjes hob is impressive, the waffel oven is beautiful. As is the "kraam" itself (at least from the front and inside). Worth a visit in itself. It is correct this place is not open all year round, between april and september you are in the clear, though (summer, basically). I believe they open mid april and close mid september.

The best haring place in Amsterdam! Great food and easy easy. Take time to learn the short menu…read morebefore just guessing. Go with cash or Dutch bank card. The long time customers tell me it's "The best haring in Amsterdam" too. Always fresh and consistent. Prices are so low it's easy to go often. Fast and Lekker! Many different options and they prepare most of them quickly for you while you wait! Took them a few weeks to warm up to me but they were always professional and pleasant. Worth a trip if you're in Amsterdam! Located in the lovely oud-west area - a close walk from Jordaan or Leidseplein.

This open air stand seemed very sus at first glance, however this isnone of those diamonds in the…read morerough I love to stumble upon. The fries are wedges, but then cut down the middle of the back so they fry up crisp and are actually seasoned including with salt (a rarety in Amsterdam). The star was the double fatboy burger though, two nice sized patties with great texture and flavor oozing hot grease and living up to the name. The real cheddar cheese was nicely melted and the bun was so toasted the edges were crisp. The thick cut bacon was plentiful and brought the salt. Lettuce, tomato and pickle complemented the whole packacge nicely and brought variety to the flavor and texture of the burger. This was a much better burger than I expected, but be warned its for the meat loving American and is sized and seasoned that way. Service was friendly and fast.

Had a single fat boy burger as a little snack. We also had wedges. Very good! There was plenty of…read moreseating under covered umbrellas. Highly recommend! The bun is so soft. Delish! The worker was friendly and the burger was ready quickly!

Vleminckx is supposedly the "best" place to get friets in Amsterdam but that simply is not true…read more They do have a very interesting selection of sauces but the fries are standard. Standard food bathed in good sauce is still standard food. De Kale Man has the best friets I've had anywhere. This unsuspecting little friet stand at the beginning of the Javastraat is truly a hidden gem. The regular customers know it and the newcomers are confused that they didn't already know. You WILL NOT find better friets in Amsterdam or Brussels or Paris or.......

I enjoy food halls, especially when I'm on vacation. Market 33 was a short walk from my hotel. It's…read morelocated in the Business District not too far from Station Zuid. There's 10 food vendors and they offer a nice variety of cuisines. I was on a mission to try bitterballen and discovered that a vendor called Snackbear had it. The bitterballen was good, but I couldn't eat all of it (the order came with 6 pieces). All drinks (including non-alcoholic) are ordered at the bar. They have two bars. I found that to be a little different from the food halls that I've been to in the U.S. The building is split level. They have a patio at the front entrance. There's plenty of tables throughout the building, however if you have mobility issues, you may have difficulty. I only recall one or two vendors being on the bottom floor. I'm not sure if they have a lift. I visited on a Tuesday afternoon during lunch so it wasn't terribly busy. They have live music on Fridays as well as other events like sports watch parties. If you're in the Business District, check it out!

So much fun and great food! We are a group of 6 people and everyone enjoyed something different. We…read morehad burgers, pizza, sushi, dim sum and ramen from the different food places. The bar is great for a variety of gin and tonic drinks. Service was quick and staff is very efficient with cleaning tables. The atmosphere is fun with great music.

Another popular Amsterdam snack but it's not for everyone. Our group was no exception, with less…read morethan half of us enjoying the sandwich. Cash only and they serve more than just the sandwiches! So it's a very simple sandwich with pickles and onions to balance out the strong fish flavors. It's also a nice crunchy contrast to the soft fish. I enjoyed the first bite but then it got progressively worse for me and I couldn't handle the fishiness anymore. It's a good thing we didn't order a sandwich per person! I do wonder if there's variation between the herring shops and if what we had was the best quality. We also ordered some fried fish nuggets which was definitely more up our alley. It wasn't that crispy but the batter was flavored well and the fish was nice and flaky. It's nice that they have alternatives for people who haven't acquired the taste for raw herring.

The set up is a stand at the corner of one of the busy intersections in the area. The service was…read morequick and we ordered the cod, which was delicious and they prepared it in an easily shareable and to-go way with the silverware. Can't wait to return and try the other menu options!