Cheap eats*
The best bites in the city for the money, from market counters to corner canteens. Eat well, pay little, tip anyway.
nNea Pizza
Europe's number seven pizza, fermented two days, fired in a yellow dome.
Vleminckx Sausmeesters
Amsterdam's fries window since 1957; the queue moves faster than your sauce decision.
Nam Kee
Steamed oysters in black bean sauce, famous since 1981, queue and eat.
Massimo Gelato
De Pijp's gelato line, worth it for the pistachio alone.
Fort Negen
Every weekend De Baarsjes queues for a kaassoufflé on brioche. Correctly.
Switie Poort (Deli Company)
The broodje bakkeljauw of Amsterdam lives here, on Bijlmerplein, for pocket change.
Warung Spang Makandra
The 1978 Javanese-Surinamese warung every De Pijp lifer swears by.
Restaurant Barracuda
A 250-seat seafood hall running like an Italian beach shack on the IJ.
Winkel 43
The appeltaart against which every Dutch apple pie is measured, served warm.
Toko Bandung
An Indonesian toko running since 1963; the rames here outclasses most restaurants.
Roopram Roti
The city's benchmark roti, worth every minute of the Dapperbuurt queue.
Tokoman
Amsterdam's best broodje pom, handed over a counter at Waterlooplein market.
Terang Boelan
Tiny Jordaan counter, grandma-grade Indonesian takeaway, sells out most evenings.
Bird Thai Restaurant
The Zeedijk's Thai anchor: proper curries, teak everything, zero concessions to timid palates.
Konya Etliekmek
Meter-long Konya flatbread from a family oven; De Baarsjes' best cheap lunch.
Frens Haringhandel
Raw herring at the flower market corner, the cheapest great lunch in Centrum.
Pide BKRY
Reddit's favourite lahmacun, stretched and blistered all day by the Oosterpark.
Van Kerkwijk
No menu, no reservations: the waiter recites, you choose, everyone wins.
Café Loetje
The original Loetje: butter-soft biefstuk, legendary gravy, zero pretension since 1977.
La Perla
Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza across two facing shopfronts; the Jordaan's consensus cheap dinner.
Klaproos
Pizza, good wine and dancing on a half-built Buiksloterham corner.
Frites uit Zuyd
One family, twice-fried frites, homemade mayo, gold tray, honest queue.
Small World
A tiny deli making the Haarlemmerbuurt's best sandwiches since 1999.
Restaurant Beyrouth
The Estephan family has run Amsterdam's best mezze since 1990.
African Kitchen
Nigerian-leaning kitchen on the Bijlmerdreef doing serious egusi, suya and grilled tilapia.
Albina
No-frills Surinamese-Chinese roti canteen feeding the Albert Cuyp since forever.
Rudi's Original Stroopwafels
Hot stroopwafel off the iron at Albert Cuyp, syrup still running.
Renzo's
Oud-Zuid's Italian counter: heaped trays, proper sandwiches, and no seats worth fighting over.
Semhar
Injera, spiced stews and family warmth on the Jordaan's western edge, for pocket change.
Pllek
Container-built city beach where the vegetables outshine the sunset. Almost.
Vishandel de Zeemeeuw
Noord's fish kiosk where cod kibbeling justifies the Saturday queue.
Eethuis Ricardo's
Old-school Creole home cooking from Ricardo himself, now settled on Javastraat.