Since Dutch dinnertime usually falls well within the earlier hours of the evening, most restaurants in Amsterdam tend to close their kitchens around 9pm. However, there are a growing number of excellent late-night eateries in the city that will gladly serve patrons after regular business hours.
Be it a burger and fries joint, kebab shop, or something slightly less greasy, check out Culture Trip’s line-up of where to find food in Amsterdam when you’re out way past your bedtime.
Amsterdam’s most ubiquitous pizza chain has a special late-night branch on Spuiplein that is open until 4am on weekends. This modest takeout joint is strategically located on Amsterdam’s most central plaza, allowing barflies and night owls to chow down on delicious, American-style pizza before finally heading home.
Located in Amsterdam’s bustling De Pijp neighborhood, this hotspot for Japanese bites such as gyoza and sushi also boasts a kitsch dessert offering for anyone with a sweet tooth. A vegan affogato – prepared with coconut ice cream – and apple pie gyoza are perfect for a late-night pick-me-up. Should you fancy washing it all down with something tart, De Japanner’s selection of yuzu cocktails, including ‘You Yuzu Call Me On My Cellphone’ made with vodka, yuzu soda, wasabi simple syrup and grapefruit bitters, will do the trick.
Despite being a relative newcomer to Amsterdam’s culinary scene, Kauffmann Falafel & Beer has already won over legions of fans, thanks to its devilishly simple approach to dining. As its name suggests, the bar has two specialities: authentic, crispy falafel and delicious Dutch craft beers – a particularly enticing combination, especially during the late hours of the evening.
Two out of the four Burger Bars in central Amsterdam stay open past 2am every night of the week, while the remaining pair keep their kitchens humming until similar hours over the weekend. Unlike most fast-food joints, Burger Bars allow patrons to design their own meals and choose between a wide range of patties, sauces and toppings. They also sell Heineken by the pint.
This massive, old-school arcade in Amsterdam-West certainly knows its clientele and encourages hungry gamers to fill up on delicious ramen-based dishes while enjoying coin-op classics such as Time Crisis 3, Street Fighter IV and Bishi Bashi Special. Besides noodle soup and burgers, TonTon also serves up an impressive selection of Japanese street food, including edamame and katsu chicken.
This aptly named restaurant caused quite a stir when it opened a few years ago in central Amsterdam, and has since launched two more branches in the city. Its menu is cleverly geared towards meat and cocktail connoisseurs, with a special emphasis on ‘prehistoric’ delicacies such as flatiron steaks or tender rib roasts. For obvious reasons, the restaurant is particularly popular among Amsterdam’s carnivorous population.
A few years back, the Butcher opened a small burger bar in De Pijp, which quickly amassed a large following due to its down-to-earth sensibilities, hard-hitting menu and flexible opening hours. Although the company has now grown into a veritable international brand, with branches in Ibiza and Berlin, its original restaurant in Amsterdam is still among the coolest hangouts in the city – partly due to its secret, invite-only cocktail lounge.
Considering Bazar’s outstanding reputation, it is a small miracle that their menu has remained within affordable limits. The sheer number of high-quality North African dishes on offer at Bazar is truly astounding, and the restaurant serves some of the finest couscous available in the Netherlands. These incredible platters are presented within an equally remarkable setting, as Bazar’s two-story dining area is contained within the main hall of a beautifully decorated, renovated church.
Lily Niu contributed additional reporting to this article.