20 Best Cheap Eats in Amsterdam That Locals Love

From herring carts to student-run bistros, the fastest way to eat well in Amsterdam without watching your euros disappear.

1. 1

   Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx

   Voetboogstraat 33, Centrum · Belgian fries with 27 sauces · €5.50 small portion, sauces €1–2.50 extra; Mon–Wed, Fri–Sun 11:00–19:00, Thu 11:00–20:00

   A two-metre hatch between Spui and Kalverstraat with no tables, no menu, one job. The fries arrive hand-cut and fried in small batches; the sauce boards alone—twenty-seven options running from mayo to truffle—justify the line that snakes out at lunch. Sauce is charged separately, always has been. Saturday at 15:00 is peak; arrive outside those windows and you'll eat in under four minutes.

   Source: Vleminckx official site
2. 2

   Yumi Sushi

   Reguliersbreestraat 33, Centrum · Conveyor belt sushi · Plates from €2.00; hours -

   Sit at the counter, plates rotate past you, pick what you want. Sushi at €2 is not fine dining but it is authentic and moving fast. The crowd is local at lunch, which tells you the price is real and the rice is fresh enough to risk.

   Source: Amsterdam Tourism
3. 3

   Herring stands (Frens Haringhandel)

   Koningsplein, Centrum · Raw herring with pickles and onion · €3.00–5.00 per portion; hours vary by stall

   The cheapest, most authentic thing you can eat in Amsterdam. Pick it up by the tail or ask for pieces. A good stand—look for the queue—sells the mild, faintly sweet Hollandse Nieuwe; raw and lightly cured, it is nothing like the smell. Best value bite in the city.

   Source: Amsterdam Tourism
4. 4

   Original Stroopwafels (Albert Cuyp Market stand 144)

   Albert Cuyp Market, De Pijp · Hot hand-pressed stroopwafel · €2.50; market hours daily

   A thin, crispy waffle filled with gooey caramel syrup. Buy it hot from the stall, eat it standing up. The butter and the wait—the stroopwafel softens the caramel—are mandatory.

   Source: Amsterdam Tourism
5. 5

   Poffertjeskraam

   Vondelpark, De Pijp · Dutch miniature pancakes · €5.00 per portion; hours vary by season

   Tiny puffy pancakes dusted with powdered sugar and topped with butter. Served warm from a cart in the park. The fluff is real; the price is fair.

   Source: Amsterdam Tourism
6. 6

   Maoz Falafel

   Multiple locations, Centrum and elsewhere · Falafel in pita with unlimited salad · €6.00–8.00; hours -

   Pile unlimited fresh salad—tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles—onto a falafel and pita. The plate is eaten standing at a high counter, fast. Vegan, cheap, the salad bar is the meal.

   Source: Amsterdam Tourism
7. 7

   FEBO

   Warmoesstraat 21-H, Centrum · Vending-machine fast food · €2.00–4.00 per item; 24 hours

   Dutch vending-machine culture: drop coins, glass door pops open, grab a kroket or frikkandel (minced-meat hot dog). Tasty snacks nobody admits eating until they've eaten one at four in the morning. Twenty-two branches across the city.

   Source: Budget Traveller
8. 8

   Pizzabakkers

   Multiple locations · Pizza and prosecco · Pizza from €9.90, prosecco from €2.90; hours vary

   The prosecco is the draw: less than three euros a glass. Pizza is decent and not expensive by Amsterdam standards. A quiet corner, a slice, a cheap glass of bubbles—the math is obvious.

   Source: Budget Traveller
9. 9

   New Fusion

   Amsterdam-Oost · Surinamese-Chinese fusion · Moksi meti €10.00 normal, €12.00 large; hours -

   Massive portions of Surinamese-Chinese hybrids—slow-roasted pork, crispy prawns, nasi rice and bami noodles on one plate. Normal size feeds you. The large is a dare.

   Source: I amsterdam
10. 10

    Fou Fow Ramen

    Multiple locations, Centrum · Noodle soup · Bowls €8.00–12.00; hours -

    A giant bowl packed with noodles, broth, and toppings. Hot, filling, enough to be dinner. Three locations mean you're never far from a bowl.

    Source: I amsterdam
11. 11

    Sir Pita

    Multiple locations · Middle Eastern streetfood · Sabich roll €7.00–9.00; hours -

    A soft pita stuffed with fried aubergine, hummus, fresh salad, pickles, onion-sumac, herbs and tangy pickled mango sauce. Drippy, messy, crunchy, fresh. Eat it standing or sitting; it will fall apart either way.

    Source: I amsterdam
12. 12

    Moeders

    Rozengracht 251, Jordaan · Traditional Dutch home cooking · 3-course meal €30.00; book ahead

    Stamppot, Dutch meatballs, herring salad served in a living room lined with framed pictures of mothers. Portions are generous. It is not the cheapest restaurant but it sits comfortably in budget territory and the food is authentic.

    Source: I amsterdam
13. 13

    Skek

    Centrum (near Red Light District) · Student-run eco-friendly cafe · Dishes €13.00 average; hours -

    No-frills organic menu of burgers (falafel and beef), soups, salads. Tasty, offbeat, student prices. Locals go. The fries are special, and they offer a student discount.

    Source: I amsterdam
14. 14

    Pie-Nong Thai

    Nassaukade, Westerpark · Thai street food · Dishes €8.00–12.00; hours -

    A tiny eatery, almost missable. Thai chef, Thai staff, proper Thai food at Amsterdam prices that won't shock you. One of the city's best-kept secrets.

    Source: I amsterdam
15. 15

    Nam Kee

    Zeedijk 111-113, Red Light District · Chinese · Main courses €6.50–19.00; Mon–Sat noon–23:00, Sun noon–22:00

    Cheap and terrific food has earned this Chinese joint a devoted following. The oysters in black bean sauce have achieved classic status. Busy at lunch and dinner; so is every good restaurant in this price bracket.

    Source: Time Out Amsterdam
16. 16

    Bee Alberto Pozzetto

    De Pijp · Italian sandwiches · €7.25 per sandwich; hours -

    Real Italian: mozzarella, mortadella, eggplant. Typical Italian sandwiches loaded with toppings. The coffee is also excellent. You're eating a corner of Italy for the price of a beer.

    Source: Barts Boekje
17. 17

    The Lilac (De Vlinderboom)

    Near Sloterdijk station, warehouse · Vegan community kitchen, pay-what-you-can · €2.50–14.50 for two courses; Mon, Tue, Thu evenings

    Volunteers cook and serve. You choose what you pay—genuinely choose, between €2.50 and €14.50 for a two-course vegan dinner. Unlimited refills. The homemade bread with aioli, baked fresh daily, is why you go.

    Source: Barts Boekje
18. 18

    Spaghetteria

    Multiple locations · Homemade fresh pasta · €14.50–21.50 per dish; hours vary

    Six types of pasta prepared daily in-house under an experienced chef. Each dish is a decent portion and the ambience is more upscale than the price suggests. It used to be cheaper but still sits in budget territory.

    Source: I amsterdam
19. 19

    Foodhallen

    Various locations (Kinkerstraat location main) · Indoor food market, multiple vendors · €8.00–15.00 per plate; hours vary

    High-quality street food under one roof: gourmet versions of Dutch classics like bitterballen, bao buns, tacos. Pick a vendor, grab a stool, eat quickly. Industrial design, multicultural, the best of Amsterdam in food form.

    Source: Eating Europe
20. 20

    Albert Cuyp Market (various stalls)

    Albert Cuyp Market, De Pijp · Multiple vendors, street food · €2.00–8.00 per item; daily, morning to evening

    A lunch assembled from stalls—herring, kibbeling (fried fish), cheese, stroopwafel—costs less than one sit-down main and tastes more like Amsterdam. Locals shop here; tourists eat here. The crowd tells you which stall to join.

    Source: Amsterdam Tourism