Ten years of Shortlist Amsterdam, all addresses.
Amsterdam has matured as a food city, and Shortlist Amsterdam has grown alongside it over the past ten years. Sisters Famke and Floor van Praag are celebrating the anniversary of their cookbook series about great restaurants with a brand-new edition full of simple, successful recipes. Classics with character, recipes that any home cook can attempt, and restaurants that guard the soul of the city.
For this festive edition, they once again called on their regular team: photography by Petrovsky & Ramone and design by Vanessa van Dam. For the cover, they collaborated for the first time with graphic designer Karel Martens, who gave the series a new look with a playful, timeless pattern.
To complete the picture, we collected all the Shortlist addresses from the past ten years and divided them by neighborhood, creating a culinary guide to Amsterdam today. Text: Broersma.
1017 KS Amsterdam
Buffet van Odette
Odette Rigterink started Buffet van Odette in 1994. She loaded pans full of homemade food into a crate on the front of her bicycle and served a daily menu to young and old Amsterdam at the Enfant Terrible crèche. Since 2011, the restaurant has been located at Prinsengracht 598, on the corner of Weteringstraat. They serve their regular classics and also cook with the season and have an extensive (natural) wine list. From Monday to Friday they serve both lunch and dinner.
1017 VM Amsterdam
Ceiling (*)
In an accessible setting (in the spirit of an Amsterdam café), the cuisine here is (now truly) Michelin-star quality. The kitchen serves casual dishes to share, and the now famous wine selection is divided into a menu of "affordable" wines and an extensive menu of 800 different bottles. Zoldering is very popular, so book well in advance. You can also try walking in on the day itself for a glass of wine at the bar. The owners have now opened a wine shop (Lof, de wijnwinkel) and a second restaurant, Boon en de Koot.
1017 SM Amsterdam
Watergang Restaurant
Since early 2019, Watergang has been located in a charming 17th-century building in the pleasant Weteringbuurt neighborhood, which previously housed the Spanish restaurant La Cacerola for decades. From the small kitchen on the second floor, Chef Tim van Grootheest (formerly a pastry chef at Bord'Eau for many years) conjures up surprising dishes. Watergang serves a surprise menu that changes regularly and navigates between French and Italian as well as Eastern flavors.
1016 VL Amsterdam
Bar Parry
Bar Parry is the younger brother/sister of Restaurant Balthazar’s Keuken. At Bar Parry, they have been serving delicious small dishes, charcuterie and cheese with a nice glass of wine since 2018. They have been working closely with De Wijnwinkel (Runstraat 23) for almost 25 years. A large part of the assortment is on the menu in the bar. Special: they use a fixed surcharge on the store price so that they can also serve the more special wines for a good price.
1012 NJ Amsterdam
Kaagman en Kortekaas
After the culinary paths of Giel (Kaagman) and Bram (Kortekaas) crossed at Bordewijk, they opened their own restaurant in 2015. The menu is seasonal and changes regularly. Dishes are based on what Available fresh and Available at that moment. Wine plays just as important a role as the food: the wine list is carefully curated, often featuring characterful wines from winemakers who work with respect for nature and tradition.
1011 TL Amsterdam
Gebroeders Hartering
Under the leadership of owner Paul Hartering, a new generation of chefs cooks pure, authentic, and refined dishes, with origin and craftsmanship as the core. Paul was awarded 'Craftsman of the Year' by Gault Millau in 2019, while his brother Niek lovingly manages the service and wine list. The atmosphere feels like a combination of an old-fashioned pub and a contemporary French bistro. White linen tablecloths contrast nicely with the warm, brown wooden walls.
1016 VA Amsterdam
Balthazar's kitchen
This small family restaurant has been located on Elandsgracht since 1995. Seasonality, provenance, and tradition are central to Balthazar's cuisine. The menu features a fixed three-course menu that changes every other week. It consists of five small starters to share, meat or fish as the main course, and a surprising dessert. Wooden tables, white tablecloths, beautiful tableware, and excellent service: Balthazar's cuisine is authentic.
1018 AD Amsterdam
Entrepot Restaurant
This restaurant is (unsurprisingly) located on the Entrepotdok. One of the most beautiful parts of Amsterdam, with stunning canals that are virtually untouched by tourists. The restaurant is located in one of the old warehouses and much of the food on the menu is prepared over an open fire. The wine list is also excellent and the restaurant is spacious and very cozy. Good service and delicious food and drinks.
1015 CA Amsterdam
Max restaurant
Max, born in Jakarta, learned the basics from his mother, who was a cook. Don't expect Indonesian nostalgia, but his own, light-footed interpretation of Indonesian cuisine. The interior is homely but not fussy. MAX feels like a tribute to the chef's family history, but also as a restaurant that is fully in the here and now.
1015 ST Amsterdam
Eatery De Reiger
Eetcafé De Reiger in the Jordaan neighborhood is still that neighborhood café where you can easily pop in for a good meal and a nice glass of wine, but behind the scenes, something has changed. Since 2025, De Reiger has been run by the same entrepreneurs you may know from Entrepot, Metro, and De Druif: young hospitality entrepreneurs with a keen eye for atmosphere, simplicity, and quality. They haven't changed much about the café; the wooden floor still creaks like it used to, and the Amstel signs are deliberately hung upside down, but in the kitchen, just that little bit of extra attention has been added. Think simple but well-prepared classics at a reasonable price and always something tasty on tap. A café where the past is cherished, but where the future is served up at the table.
1015 DD Amsterdam
Café De Klepel
In 2013, owner Maureen transformed Café de Klepel from a classic brown bar into a wine bar where French wine takes center stage. Chefs Ewout Lindenhovius and Rudolf Brand serve a daily changing menu of 3 or 4 courses. The wine list is entirely French and is accompanied by a strong team of sommeliers who know the list in detail. There are more than 300 different bottles on the list, and every evening they pour around 25 different wines by the glass, which are constantly changing.
1011 AC Amsterdam
Choux pastry (*)
Chef Merijn van Berlo is one of the pioneers of cuisine where vegetables play the leading role. The cuisine is versatile; it involves fermentation, preserving, smoking, and salting, and has a distinct Northern influence in the use of sought-after ingredients and light, fresh flavors. Figo van Onna, co-owner and sommelier of restaurant Choux, is an unconventional thinker with strong opinions about natural wine and the wine world. Choux has had a Michelin star since 2025.
1015 MR Amsterdam
Café Parlotte
Fine wine, delicious food, but above all the pleasure of spending an evening together in a pleasant setting. That's Café Parlotte, as they say themselves. You can sit down for wine, oysters, charcuterie, cheese, and other delicacies, but they also serve a weekly changing three-course menu. The wine list is one of the best in town. Margot Los, sommelier of the year 2023, is just as happy to pour a house wine as she is to serve the most exceptional bottle.
1015 MV Amsterdam
Domenica
Domenica means Sunday in Italian. THE day to come together and dine extensively, but of course that is also possible the rest of the week! Chef Flavio Carestia (formerly chef at Toscanini) cooks Italian classics here with super fresh ingredients, but also other dishes from European cuisine. The wine list is also of exceptional quality. The location of this restaurant, on the Noordermarkt (the former location of Bordewijk), is of course unsurpassed.
1018 JA Amsterdam
Ship camel
Scheepskameel is located in a former navy cooking school (on the waterfront!) on the former naval base. Chef and co-owner Tijs Jeurissen and the two other owners, Pieter Smits (also from Rijsel) and Bob Kaasenbrood, have created a timeless establishment with excellent food and an equally excellent, idiosyncratic wine list, composed exclusively of German wines. The wines are also available For Sale the (online) store Wijnkameel. The service is excellent, just like at its sister restaurant Rijsel.
1015 KD Amsterdam
Toscanini
After Maud Moody started Toscanini 40 years ago, the restaurant has become an indispensable part of the list of best restaurants in Amsterdam. The restaurant is spacious, cozy and also light. Here you will find a changing menu of high quality, an extremely extensive wine list and excellent service. Chef Leonardo Pacenti likes to simplify the dishes, without sacrificing refinement and taste. Only the very best ingredients, not too much done with it, except well prepared.
1015 KM Amsterdam
ô bistro
ô bistro on Lindengracht is one of those places where you immediately sense a subtle balance between craftsmanship and warmth. The restaurant is run by a French-Italian duo: chef Pierre Buffard, who brings classic French bistro cuisine to the table with attention and precision, and sommelier Daniele Gaudiello, who, with his Italian background, provides a wine list that goes just a little further than the expected Burgundy or Bordeaux. The result is a carefully curated menu full of French favorites such as terrine, côte de boeuf, Location mille-feuille, accompanied by wines that make you curious Location drink on autopilot Location .
1013 CR Amsterdam
BAK
Restaurant Bak is beautifully situated on the water in Amsterdam's Houthavens, on the third floor of warehouse Het Veem. They work with fish from sustainable fisheries, meat from local producers, but with vegetables in the leading role. The menu changes daily with the seasons and the supply from the producers. The wine list contains a nice selection of wines from France and Italy.
1072 BS Amsterdam
Café Caron
Café Caron was born from the inspiration of Alain and Roeltje at home. Their sons Tom and David wanted to start a restaurant that felt like sitting at their own dining table, where top-quality dishes were served without fuss in a homely setting. The menu is compact and changes according to seasonal availability. The wine list is firmly rooted in France. The family business has now grown to four establishments.
1073 CM Amsterdam
Badcuyp
A great location (a former bathhouse loved for years as jazz cafe De Badcuyp and formerly Escobar) combined with a super young team. Former chef of Bar du Champagne, Joep Hermans, opened his own restaurant with Martin de Nes (ex Rijsel) and Tobias Kuyt (ex Troef) on the corner of the Albert Cuyp, where cooking is done on an open fire. Tobias compiled an extensive wine list with a concentration on France and Italy.
1072 VE Amsterdam
Brut de Mer
The decor of Brut de Mer is lively and urban, fitting for the dynamic oyster and fish bar in De Pijp. The interior is informal and exudes the atmosphere of a French Riviera bar, where you can enjoy fresh seafood such as oysters and fruits de mer. The space is compact and cozy, giving you the feeling of being in an authentic, bustling fish shop. In good weather, the terrace offers a popular place to eat outside.
1071 DJ Amsterdam
Sandberg
Café Restaurant Sandberg is named after Willem Sandberg, the innovative former director of the Stedelijk Museum, a name that Immediately says something about the ambitions behind this restaurant. It was set up by the same young Amsterdam hospitality entrepreneurs who are also behind Entrepot and Metro. During the day, the bakery works together with the kitchen to provide sweet treats to accompany coffee, sandwiches to take away, or an extensive lunch. For dinner, the curtains close and the young team serves creative, but recognizable and classic dishes.
1071 BG Amsterdam
Brasserie van Baerle
The French brasserie van Baerle has become an indispensable part of the Amsterdam cityscape. With a lifespan of 41 years in Amsterdam-Zuid, it is a familiar place. The compact lunch and dinner menu consists of classic dishes from the predominantly French brasserie cuisine and innovative contemporary dishes. In season there are always oysters, asparagus and lobster. In addition to à la carte, there is a changing 3-course choice menu for both lunch and dinner that has been awarded a 'BIB Gourmand' annually by Michelin since 2010. Grootspraak, the restaurant guide for wine lovers, has ranked Brasserie van Baerle as one of the best 'wine restaurants' in Amsterdam for years.
1018 CZ Amsterdam
De Plantage
At De Plantage, you come for the classic, stately Amsterdam grandeur. At this special place next to/in Artis, you can go for everything and more: a great cup of coffee with breakfast, a quick or leisurely lunch, or an extensive dinner. The place feels large upon entering, but the decor is intimate. Let yourself be surprised by the Plats de Plantage from the chefs, or choose from the many à la carte options. Be sure not to miss the Hemelse Modder as a dessert.
1091 AH Amsterdam
4850
During the day, it's an excellent coffee bar with homemade pastries and sandwiches. In the evening, it transforms into a wine bar and restaurant. The kitchen describes itself as Nordic with pan-European flavors. The dishes (to share) are special. Sourdough bread with whipped comté butter combined with your choice of chicken liver mousse or anchovies in charcoal oil. A potato mousse with chanterelles and egg yolk. The menu is compact but varied. They have a huge (natural and classic) wine selection. The list, compiled by owner Daniel Schein, is in the Star Wine list. The current chef, Ciaran Naughter, has a passion for cooking over fire.
1091 TK Amsterdam
Lille
Restaurant Rijsel is named after the French city of Lille, which is called Rijsel by people from Flanders. Like Lille, Restaurant Rijsel has an industrial character. In the building that used to serve as a domestic science school, delicious dishes with French and Flemish influences are now served every day. There is a wide choice of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. Classics such as poussin rotie, Russian salad, côte de boeuf with béarnaise sauce, fish soup, etc. have been on the menu for years, to the satisfaction of a large group of regular guests. The extensive wine list has a slight focus on France. The restaurant is located right next to the Weesperzijde, so after dinner you can also enjoy a walk along the Amstel or a beer at Café Hesp.
1093 BK Amsterdam
Café Wu
Café Wu is a modern bistro inspired by Chinese cuisine and culture. Timo de Beurs (formerly of Slagerij de Beurs) serves exciting dishes ranging from classic Chinese cuisine to free interpretations thereof using European techniques and products. Chi Ling Wu's wine list (formerly of Scheepskameel, among others) features European wines with an emphasis on France, Germany, and Italy. Café Wu offers both a five-course menu and a concise à la carte menu. In addition to good food and fine wine, there is also a special focus on music, with an important role for elegant vinyl and tape.
1092 CP Amsterdam
The Cottage
Comfort is the keyword at The Cottage. In the cozy, old bar, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all kinds of snacks. The Cottage is all about classic British comfort food, such as the classic English breakfast and sweet scones. They also offer a variety of coffee, cider, beer, and wines. On Sundays, they serve a real Sunday roast, including vegetarian options.
1018 NE Amsterdam
VRR
Restaurant VRR, together with Stadsbakkerij As, is located in the historic building dating from 1895, which was used as a staff canteen and laundry room by the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij (Dutch Shipbuilding Company). Chef and owner Sander Overeinder, formerly of restaurant AS, among others, has always been a pioneer. Here, too, the biodynamic fruit and vegetables come from his native region of Beemster. Many of the dishes are prepared over an open fire. The delicious bread (from As, of course) is also available For Sale in the adjacent shop. The wine list has been compiled with great care, knowledge, and love. It features biodynamic and, above all, natural wines from France, Italy, and Germany, among other countries.
1097 DE Amsterdam
Restaurant de Kas (*)
Since 2001, De Kas has been growing around 300 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and fruit in its own gardens. Its motto is "harvested in the morning, on your plate in the afternoon." The gardens in Amsterdam and Beemster are the heart and soul of the restaurant and its menu. They dictate the seasons and surprise us time and time again. De Kas works with fixed menus. At lunch, you can choose between a 3- or 4-course menu, and for dinner, a 5- or 6-course menu. There is no à la carte, and the menu always features surprising, creative dishes prepared by chefs Wim de Beer and Jos Timmer. They now hold a 'normal' Michelin star and a green Michelin star.
1097 BS Amsterdam
Merkelbach Restaurant
Restaurant Merkelbach is located in one of the oldest mansions in the city, situated in Frankendael Park. The carefully cultivated vegetables come from the cold soil and many of the herbs come from the restaurant's own park. Owner Geert Burema is closely involved with Slow Food and the Slow Food Youth Network. He is co-initiator of the Slow Food chefs alliance in the Netherlands. The signature fish soup made from bycatch from De Goede Vissers (which you can visit every Saturday at the Noordermarkt) is not to be missed. Restaurant Merkelbach is named after the city architect Ben Merkelbach andis located in the coach house of the 18th-century Huize Frankendael.
1095 CJ Amsterdam
Wild Boars Restaurant
Restaurant Wilde Zwijnen serves modern Dutch cuisine. They describe their approach as follows: 'For us, modern Dutch cuisine means using ingredients grown in the Netherlands, and the closer to home, the better. We cook with seasonal ingredients, including vegetarian options, and use sustainable products as much as possible.' Wilde Zwijnen serves a set menu consisting of three, four, or five courses. On Mondays and Tuesdays, guests can dine à la carte.
1052 NE Amsterdam
Stacks Diner
American homestyle cooking. A modern take on a classic American diner in Amsterdam. Executive chef and owner Kevin Kearney also works as a creative director in advertising. When he moved to Amsterdam in 2017 for his wife's job, he missed having a restaurant 'in the middle'. Having worked for well-known chefs in New York in the past, he decided to open this 'diner'. Now there is also a 'deli' and even 'merchandise'. Everything (except the 'merch') is made in-house.
1053 CE Amsterdam
Bar Central
Bar Centraal is located on the lively Ten Katemarkt in Oud-West. A former BBQ restaurant on Ten Katemarkt proved to be the perfect location for a second wine bar for the people of Glouglou. Bar Centraal consists of two parts: one where you can eat at the bar of the open kitchen, and a larger part where the wine bar is located. The passageway between the two areas features a large wine refrigerator. The wine list consists of natural wines (listed in the Star wine list!), and most of the delicious dishes are meant to be shared.
1031 GG Amsterdam
Modern Café
Since 2012, the former Twentsche Bank building has been transformed into Café Modern. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of this charming building, where a varied chef's menu (5 or 6 courses) is served. You are welcome to enjoy a glass of wine, oysters, cheese, or other delicacies at the bar. The chefs work exclusively with seasonal products from local and small-scale suppliers. It is interesting to note that the old vault of the bank building offers the possibility to enjoy a private dinner. The upper floors of the building serve as a boutique hotel with three Rooms.
1021 KP Amsterdam
Europizza
Don't be fooled by the name. In addition to excellent, surprising pizzas, they also offer a variety of snacks and dishes with a focus on local products. In addition to the excellent food, the friendly staff can also tell you everything you need to know about the fantastic (natural) wines they serve here. Under the creative leadership of Rein op 't Root (together with his partners), the 'Euro world' has now expanded to include Restaurant Europa, Benelux Bar, and Euro Pizza Bakery.
1031 HP Amsterdam
Metro Café Restaurant
From morning to evening, the bakery and kitchen work together to prepare simple dishes with an emphasis on quality ingredients and vegetables. Chef Rients de Jong (formerly of As, Toscanini, and Entrepot) cooks seasonally and sustainably using familiar preparations. You can enjoy a very affordable three-course daily menu, or you can choose from a number of à la carte dishes, preceded by a few snacks. There is always room for a drink or snack at the large concrete bar. The wine list has a pure and high-quality style with many naturally made wines.
1031 HT Amsterdam
Bacalar
This taqueria is housed in a former garage on an industrial estate in Amsterdam-Noord. In a raw setting, Belgian chef Joachim de Buck cooks original Mexican dishes. There is a wide and varied selection of tacos, tostados, and other savory and spicy delicacies. Combined with 90s music, ciders, mezcal, sour beers, and natural wines, this is an exciting night out.
1021 KB Amsterdam
FC Hyena
FC Hyena is a charming combination of cinema, bar, and restaurant. You can watch cult films here in the two cozy cinema theaters. The menu is compact and good, and most of the dishes are prepared in a large wood-fired oven. In the summer, you can also go to the outdoor cinema or sit at one of the large picnic tables overlooking the IJ. This is almost as entertaining as a film, as from the terrace you can see the entire Amsterdam skyline, including all the boats and large cargo and cruise ships passing by.
1021 KB Amsterdam
Barracuda
Barracuda is located in Amsterdam North, in a 600-square-meter warehouse with an interior built by the owner himself, where fish and wine play the leading role. You mark what you want to eat on a piece of paper with a pencil, and you order your drinks and pick them up at the bar. In the summer, you can eat outside on a terrace that is just as huge. The fresh fish and shellfish are served with French fries.
1021 KB Amsterdam
Hotel de Goudfazant
The restaurant is located in a huge industrial warehouse on the waterfront in Amsterdam North, which, despite its size, has excellent acoustics and is very well and stylishly decorated. Every evening, it is filled with regular customers who keep coming back for the (pickled) poussin and the dessert 'heavenly mud', among other things. In summer, you can sit on the terrace and enjoy the view of the IJ river. Goudfazant now also bakes its own bread! The 'group' now also includes other businesses such as Café Modern and (in collaboration with Sander Overeinder) restaurant VRR.
Find, Collect, Live. A selection of exceptional interior design addresses in Amsterdam. From traditional workshops to minimalist design stores, and from vintage classics to unique objects you won't find anywhere else. In every neighborhood, you'll discover places where interior design meets architecture, materials, and atmosphere. This guide brings together the best addresses.
