DIY Street food tour in Amsterdam

Food isn’t the first thing people think of when they think about Amsterdam, but you’re ready this post, which means YOU do. Yay, you! Me, too. No matter where I am, I’m always curious which foods I should try.

If your sweet tooth is taking over, then head on over to my sweets tour of Amsterdam to satisfy it, but if you’re looking for the typical on-the-go snacks, then this is the right place. These are the things to eat when you’re out and about and getting a bit snacky, or even worse, HANGRY! Don’t let it take over! Be like a local and pop by some local shops and take care of yourself. Nobody wants to go sightseeing when they are hungry. Nobody. Am I right?

I’ll put my video at the bottom of the post if you want more commentary. In it, I’m enjoying summer in Amsterdam in this video of street foods, so it’s worth a watch!

Herring – The #1 street food to try in Amsterdam

Jessica with Herring

Let’s start with the one thing that may weird you out the most–”raw” herring. This is typically left in a brine or pickling liquid, so it’s not actually raw and is perfectly safe to eat. There is debate on how to eat it, both how you put it in your mouth and what you eat it with.

The Amsterdam way to eat herring is cut up in bits and eat it piece by piece, while the Rotterdam way is to hold it by the tail and drop the fish in your mouth and take a bite. You’ll find herring served with pickles and onions and I love to get a little bit of everything in one bite, while others say the pickle isn’t traditional. Try it how you want it!

We picked up our herring from Frens Heringhandel on Koningsplein, right in the center of the city. There are a few others that are also good, but most herring stands are delicious, so give it a try!

Other options: Stubbe’s Haring, Haring & Zo, and many stalls and shops on the Albert Cuyp Market.

Planning your stay in Amsterdam? Find the perfect activity to have a unique vacation!

Fries

Jessica with fries

Let’s get you back to something that may be a bit more familiar. It’s fry time! I love fries. They are one of my favorites foods, ever. That means that moving to Amsterdam was a VERY good idea 😉

While my friends and I disagree on the best fries in the city, I’m going to recommend Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx. It also happens to be right down the street from Frens herring! Typically I get my fries with mayo or apple sauce. Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but it’s surprisingly satisfying. Or you can order patat oorlog which is fries with satay sauce, mayo, and raw onions. It’s very popular here.

Other options that my friends love: Fabel friet in the Nine Street (a great shopping area and near my favorite Boba shop) is recommended by my friends over at No Destinations and my friend who lived here for many years loved Manneken Pis which is right near Centraal Station.

Stroopwafel

Stroopwafel

Now, my favorite stroopwafel is along the Albert Cuyp Market and is part of my list of foods to try there (it’s a great spot to try lots of goodies at once!). But, if you’re in the center and want to keep on with your DIY food tour, head to one of the van Wonderen Stroopwafels shops (one is around the corner from the fries) or more of a cookie version at Lanskroon Bakery which is about 2 blocks away.

This is a delicious treat that looks a little like a cookie but is typically made from a super-thin waffle sliced in half lengthwise so that a syrup can be added to the middle. Hold it flat and eat it warm for the most incredible experience!

Kroket, Frikandel, Kaassouffle

Jessica with Kroket

Fried foods are an excellent to-go snack, so it’s the perfect street food! All of these can be found at snackbar but mostly, it’s fun to go into FEBO and get these goodies from the wall. Yes…the wall! Put in your money or tap your card, then pull out your goodies. These are made for eating while heading to your next destination or just sitting around and talking. My favorite is the kaassouffle. It’s a rectangle of melty cheese wrapped in dough and fried. Doesn’t that sound amazing?! Though, FEBO is also known for their Kroket (Croquette) which is how they got famous in the first place. And the Frikandel is similar to a hotdog and I’d suggest going to the counter for this one so you can ask for suggestions on what to put on top.

If you are worried about eating food from a wall, don’t be. It’s all fresh and the staff are always working to keep the wall full of food for hungry passersby!

Find locations near where you are!

Doner

kebab in a hand

I feel like, all over the world, Doner is a go-to street food and Amsterdam is no exception! People love it here and you can easily find options all over the city. Just Google “Doner” or “Snackbar” for lots of little map pins to pop up. There’s even a restaurant in Amsterdam Centraal Station dedicated to the Doner! I can’t pick a favorite here, so I’ll leave that up to you and the reviews on Google 😉

Watch the full YouTube video


This little self-guided street food tour in Amsterdam won’t take you too long to do and gives you a quick insight into some of the favorite foods in the city. I hope you enjoy it and take pictures and tag us on Instagram!

Jessica Cutrufello wearing a green floral dress, glasses and pink lipstick

Hi! I’m Jessica, an American who made Amsterdam her home in 2014. I share European gems through food and memorable experiences. Want to know more? Head to my about page or check out my YouTube channel.