Pllek
Container-built city beach where the vegetables outshine the sunset. Almost.
Yes, it's on every list, and no, that doesn't make it a trap. Pllek is a heap of shipping containers with a man-made beach on the NDSM wharf, and it earns its crowds honestly: the menu is at least three-quarters vegetarian, much of the produce is grown by the team in Amsterdam, and the meat and fish that do appear come wild or from the North Sea. The day runs long, breakfast from 09:30, lounging on the sand all afternoon, vegetable-led plates until the kitchen closes at 22:00, films on the beach in summer and DJs after dark on weekends. The cooking is better than any beach bar needs it to be, the sunset over the IJ is the best free show in the city, and on weeknights locals still comfortably outnumber the day-trippers. Take the NDSM ferry and stay too long.
Build a table of the vegetable sharing plates and time it for sunset over the IJ.
What to order
Full menu- Falafel platter
The standout on a menu that's 75% vegetarian; Mediterranean and North African leanings.
- Mackerel sandwich
Lunch review favorite, sustainable fish is the house religion here.
- Grilled marinated portobello
Frequently mentioned by the plant-based crowd.
If you like this, also worth a table
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Noord's fish kiosk where cod kibbeling justifies the Saturday queue.
Restaurant Barracuda
A 250-seat seafood hall running like an Italian beach shack on the IJ.