Barts Best of: The nicest and tastiest bars and restaurants in Amsterdam North
Enjoy the ferry, place on the terrace, something a bit different scenery, just, slightly different from what the center of Amsterdam has to offer. Correct. Leave Amsterdam North, gigantic Amsterdam North, which has exactly that something different to offer. Our favorite places in the district? This. From restaurants to the best bakers, a message and coffee to go. Although it may happen that this list will be expanded. But for now: many times our favorite bars and restaurants in Amsterdam-Noord. Oh, and the order is random.
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It's no secret that we're fans of Euro Pizza. What many people don't know is that Euro Pizza was born as a creative interim solution during the COVID pandemic by the men behind Restaurant Europa, then still in Zaandam. Fortunately, this proved not to be so temporary, and Euro Pizza has become a staple on many people's "Amsterdam favorites" lists. Back to Restaurant Europa, where you can enjoy a (self-proclaimed) "tasting menu": an amuse-bouche, six main courses, and a friandise. A black for your next special night out. Also fun: before or after your dinner you can join us at Benelux Bar, also from the top hat of these creative entrepreneurs.
The men behind Barracuda thought it was high time for good fish with cold, delicious wines in a simple yet stylish building. Voilà, you quickly find yourself in Amsterdam Noord and was no time A favorite of many. Ours too.
You order at the bar, check the menu for your dishes, give it to the waiter, and when it's ready, it arrives at the table. This means a slightly longer wait for some dishes, while others arrive within a few minutes. The house wine is excellent, and you can tell from your bill that the costs are kept down wherever possible – great! That's why we come here at least twice a month, and we're not the only ones. Fans!
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At Café Restaurant Metro on Asterweg, you're welcome (almost) all day, seven days a week, for truly good food and drinks. From Monday to Sunday for breakfast and lunch. And from Wednesday to Sunday also for dinner. On the menu: dishes that, let's be honest, sometimes sound a bit complicated, but which, on your plate, turn out to be perfectly logical (and above all, delicious). Lots of original ingredients and quite a lot of vegetables here. The wine list? Many from natural sources.
The men of Inland fisherman together with Michael Coehorst and Max and Ward from Pizzeria Klaproos, among others, opened a new place with music in Amsterdam-Noord. Hereby Corner store, eat Asian-inspired dishes, drink the best natural wine and listen to vinyl. Check.
It all started with a trip to Japan where Bob (the one from Binnenvisser) became charmed by the typical listening bars. In these tiny bars with a high end sound system and a good vinyl collection, the bartender takes care of both the drinks and the choice of record. Bob and Maarten saw potential in implementing this in a dining concept in Amsterdam. And so it happened.
The music system – , music studio sound – was collected, the record collection was already at home, the location was found and the menu was already created. We cook with local, seasonal – if possible biodynamic – vegetables. With Asian seasonings. Again, mainly a lot of vegetables and sometimes some fish and meat. Spicy, fresh, lots of umami, oil, soy and fermentation. The dishes are for sharing, but you can also order them for yourself. Read more
Amsterdam Noord is flourishing, and Café Modern is one of the gems that has earned the district its increasingly positive reputation. The café, or rather the restaurant, is from the creators of Hotel de Goudfazant, just down the road in Noord. Like Café Modern, it's a restaurant, not a hotel. Housed in a former bank building, the interior feels like a canteen—a very handsome canteen with tablecloths and Heineken-green paneling. Fancy a leisurely meal? Opt for a four-, five-, or six-course menu. The food and the atmosphere are what will keep you coming back.
Located on the quiet Veldbiesstraat in an undiscovered part of Amsterdam Noord, V12 is a restaurant. Housed in a former metal workshop, right on the water (where the sun shines all day!), it's open for lunch, dinner, and drinks. The interior still screams workshop; the red iron pillars are unmistakable. Simple, basic, yet incredibly delicious—that's the essence of this place. They serve a monthly changing three-course menu, where you simply specify whether you'd like meat or vegetarian. The dishes that come out of the kitchen are based on European cuisine, with a twist of influences from around the world. Pure enjoyment, right there in Amsterdam Noord.
We were already smitten op Coba Taqueria, also in North (of course), opened 'on the other side' of North Taqueria Bacalar. The comparison with Coba is not strange; the chef who is cooking delicious Mexican food here, started at Coba. But this is now his own business and let's be honest: Joachim de Buck took the magic of Coba with him to his own Taqueria Bacalar, and improved it. The vibe is nice and rough and dark, the tacos are what you call it to die for. Classics such as tacos al pastor gone super duperwell, just like the tacos cochinita. Oh well, we can actually be very brief about it. Our Mexican table companion said this: “this was the first time I had really good Mexican food outside of Mexico that actually tasted Mexican.” And we can do it with that. And: don't forget to order coffee from your table companion: the chili truffle that comes with it is a gift!
One of our favorite terraces in North Amsterdam is IJver, right in the middle of the iconic NDSM shipyard, where you can choose from as many as 80 different beers, 19 of which are on tap (or something else tasty from the extensive menu). Too much choice? The staff are happy to help! But you can come here for everything (yes, really, everything!). On the sunny 400m² terrace, you can take a seat for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between. Bad weather? Then you can head inside all year round in the industrial and unique building or onto the covered and heated indoor-outdoor terrace. IJver has a distinct cuisine where the charcoal BBQ and Hibachi BBQ (a Japanese grilling method) play an important role. From innovative flavor combinations to comfort food and classics. Oh, and preferably homemade too, made with top-quality ingredients. IJver is always a good choice.
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You will find it between water, ships and steel Slope 7. A fierce restaurant with refined food. Well, as they say themselves “none fine dining but not very casual either.” In an old steel wharf canteen you eat dishes prepared over real fire and served on white table linen. A restaurant with a rough edge, a great view and a tasty menu. This is really an outing - category of date night material. And tasty too.
Create a family style A restaurant, which simply means you can share dishes. You're also welcome for a drink or a small dish at the bar, and in the summer, the terrace by the water is a great place to relax. They cook with ingredients from Amsterdam markets, focusing on what's in season at the time, and working with small, local suppliers. A lovely, ever-changing menu featuring seasonal produce fresh from the market. A great spot!
Let us first look back at this freshly prepared list of the best artisanal bakeries with the tastiest (sourdough) bread from Amsterdam? Yes! That list - of course - also includes Kometen Brood, one of those more than fine bake-them-brown initiatives that - coincidence or not - at the time of the Corona lockdowns arose. Keepers, those bakers, if it were up to us! And luckily the bakers themselves think so too... In fact, they are expanding! The former home bakers of Kometen Brood now have a real one Comet Bread Café. A spacious café in a – to be fair – still somewhat windy street at the back of it NDSM terrain. Worth it? 100%.
On the other side of Amsterdam, on an industrial estate in North, you will find the successful restaurant for over 19 (!) years Hotel de Goudfazant. Not a hotel, but a restaurant in a rough warehouse of which only part is in use. The rest of the space is empty, left there on a motorcycle (perfect place for a party). The level has been the same for years and that is good, very good. Especially a tip for those who go by car or on a boat on summer days. And, provided you make a reservation, you can still have dinner here after 23 p.m.!
Café Restaurant Amsterdam (the one in West) meets De Ceuvel (around the corner from here) – that's the best way to describe the young Café Soleil on Papaverhoek in Amsterdam (a prime spot in the summer months!). A bit spartan, but with love, especially a lot of love from the staff towards the guests, and a lot of love in the food. As far as we're concerned, Café Soleil is a keeper, even when the sun isn't shining, although the terrace out front is fantastic (nicely sheltered, so also great with kids, although we're guessing that's not necessarily Café Soleil's focus group). Cafe Soleil
Papillon is Amsterdam-Noord's new hotspot, open from morning until night. Freshly baked bread, homemade viennoiserie, and brunch dishes come straight from the open kitchen, while you enjoy the warm, inviting atmosphere. Perfect for a relaxed start to your day or a leisurely lunch with friends. Choose the coffee shop with delicious pastries on the left, or tuck into the restaurant on the right for a more elaborate experience.
Amsterdam-Noord has another one: Camarat. The new addition makes its debut in the old Chateau Amsterdam, the kind of place where you walk in for dinner and end up dancing at the bar. Because yes, when the DJ starts, the tables just get pushed aside.
Expect dishes to share, but with a twist. Plates that are almost too beautiful to touch, and a menu full of surprises, including a wine tasting with the neighbors from the winery.
Behind Camarat stand Beau and Ruben: best friends, bon vivants, and the type of people you want at the table when there's a party. Their mission is a place where friendship, good times, and good food come together. No frills, just character.
More goodies? The best liquor stores, cheese shops and caterers of Amsterdam we have listed. And the tastiest artisan bakers throughout Amsterdam here..
The terrace is open when the weather is nice, here they find nice weather from 17 degrees and dry. And sometimes an occasional splash of rain isn't a problem, there are cozy parasols to take shelter under, because there is no indoor location, but there is room outside for everyone. Lots of nice seating areas, picnic tables and hammocks all overlooking the IJ, picture-perfect. Tasty daily snacks, snacks, good coffee and... homemade cake. And also very nice staff.
We thought we’d seen it all in North Amsterdam by now, but no way! There is definitely more to discover, and this little gem is not to be missed: Bar-Restaurant Van de Werf. If you take the ferry to NDSM, you’ll see the restaurant appear as soon as you step off the ferry; with just a few somersaults, you can roll right in. It’s right in the heart of the NDSM shipyard, and if you love views over the IJ, then you’re in luck! A cocktail in one hand, a snack in the other, the sun slowly setting – you know exactly where we’ll be spending the coming weeks. From breakfast to dinner to drinks, you can hang out here all day long. Oh, and let’s not forget the menu: classics with a quirky twist, such as freshly topped focaccia, steak tartare, kingfish crudo, BBQ bavette, or a kimchi risotto. Vegetarian, vegan, fish, or meat – there’s something for everyone. All conceived by chef Vilmos Dohnal, also known from Restaurant Vermeer – culinary, yet accessible to everyone. If you prefer Thursday or Friday afternoon drinks, the iconic 9-meter-high, round bar is the perfect place to hang out. There is plenty of room for your colleagues, friends, family, or sports team. And as a final tip, they have a few great special offers: a coffee every morning between 09:00 and 10:00 for €1, or Oyster Sunday every Sunday for €1 each. Prefer surprises? Then join De Tafel van De Werf on a Monday. No fuss, just whatever's on the menu, a long table with 20 people, and lots of good times.
Bar-Restaurant Van de Werf is open all week!
Pizzeria Klaproos started as a temporary pizza joint Where everything was good, old-fashioned and uncomplicated: delicious (really delicious!) pizzas (not too many choices, but the right ones), a laid-back atmosphere (at least, that's what we got the impression it was only friends of owner Max in the house), a pool table in the corner, and if you look a little further, you'll see the temporary exhibition. Klaproos had to leave its spot and quickly found a new, future-proof address a few doors down in a corner where almost all the coolest shops in Amsterdam (North) are located. And then it works.
Point 1: Van der Pekstraat is a party place. You'll find tons of wonderful little shops there (including Fromagerie Kef). There's a market. And it's home to Café Keppler, a perfectly cozy café where you can relax. all day long Sit down for exactly what you'd expect in a cozy (brown) café. Hearty dishes that are simply excellent and delicious. Good coffee (so good that Café Keppler also has its own coffee shop). Great music. Friendly service. Top-notch service. A fantastic terrace (in the sun, of course). Cozy atmosphere. Oh? You're already gone? We get it.
White Label Coffee has found a great location, because—let's be honest—there's still plenty of space in Noord. The tables are spread out on the sidewalk outside, and inside there's plenty of room for several cozy seating areas. Children haven't been forgotten either.
The food was sublime, the wine delicious, the setting beautiful, and the staff more than friendly. And what you might not expect, with all those resounding names, the bill at the end of the evening was surprisingly reasonable. A neighborhood restaurant with allure, that's Lazuur. Highly recommended. You do have to search a bit, though – as mentioned – Lazuur is a neighborhood restaurant and is located in a residential area a bit further out in Amsterdam Noord.
For a one-way ticket to Italy (with the kids), we go to Il Pecorino. It's a restaurant where only Italians cook. The food is good and the atmosphere even better, and has been for years. In the summer, it's on the terrace, and in the winter, it's incredibly cozy inside.
Dive into the colored (picnic) tables of FC Hyena, on the one hand a (cult) cinema (tip tip tip), on the other hand 'just' a very nice address for the best selection (okay, besides GlouGlou of course) natural wines in Amsterdam, they have a changing menu and cook it preferably with high-quality and seasonal ingredients. Almost everything is prepared in the wood-fired brick oven.
Hangar is an address where you know exactly what to expect, and especially in the summer the tastefully decorated restaurant and fantastic terrace are not to be missed. On the grounds of Hangar, there's a safari tent where two friends cook their BBQ every Thursday evening. We can't think of a cozier place in Amsterdam, especially when the weather's not so great, thanks to the fireplace.
So, hands together and the middle of summer for Aambeeldstraat. Favorite spots just a few meters away: Barracuda, De Goudfazant, FC Hyena and Hangar + By the Fire
It's cozy inside, first and foremost. No (ridiculous) Amsterdam and urban arrogance, just friendly staff who want to give you a wonderful afternoon or evening. That, as we often say, is a plus. No matter how good the food is, if it's not right, we'll never come back. So. Fred's kitchen is spot on when it comes to hospitality, so we went back and tasted a lot.
Skate Café, yes: inside you will find a large half pipe (We're not skaters, but I think that's what you call it) It's central, but it's a real treat for non-skaters too. Large dishes, low prices, and friendly service. Karin & Yvonne offer an à la carte menu, while Dick & Dick offer delicious pizzas.
The cheeses from kef have been a favorite of every Amsterdam cheese lover for years. And in North there is also its own brasserie with cheese tasting and terrace in Amsterdam, the party is complete.
