Nino Bergese

Another sunny weekend has gone by and Amsterdams outdoor cafes have once again been invaded by beer and coffee drinkers. Amsterdamers love their coffee or beer in the sun just as much as any south european. Let's hope that there are a few more sunny weekends like this one before the cold season comes. Does anyone have any good recommendations for outdoor dining in Amsterdam? I would prefer a place where you can have a nice lunch since it is probably to cold to sit outdoors by dinnertime.

Since it already is September I might be to late for your trip. But I will try to give my suggestions anyway. I think the people above me on this page covered the 2 and 3 star restaurants very well so I will stick to local treasures. If you are in the touristy area and visiting places like Grand Place and the peeing boy then you have a nice restaurant within walking distance called Ogenblik. It is a very relaxed restaurant with friendly staff that serves good traditional Belgian food. The restaurant is very cosy as well. To get you away from Grand Place you can always visit another square called Place Sablon. On this square all the restaurants are ok. I would go to Lola on the west side of the square. You should be able to get a very traditional Moules Frites in a modern environment there. From Place Sablon it is not far to the parliament of justice where you have a good view over the city. This area is off the tourist track, but well worth a visit and within walking distance from the more common tourist areas. Let us know where you ended up and what you thought about the city and it's restaurants. Most good restaurants in Bruxelles (even without stars) are busy so the best thing is to book a table in advance. http://www.ogenblik.be/ http://www.sensum.be/guide-english/restaurants/lola.php

Hi and thanks for welcoming me to eGullet. Some of my favourite restaurants in Amsterdam are Oriental City I think their seafood and relaxed atmosphere makes this place a winner. I can't get enough of their scallops with green asparagus while I watch the crazy mix of people in the red-light outside their window. Cafe Roux I always leave this place with a smile. The food is very good and so is their wine selection. I can especially recommend their cheese selection coupled with one type of wine for each cheese. Life simply doesn't get much better than that. Cinema Paradiso The food there is good, but I mostly go there for the busy atmosphere and because it is somewhat different. Regarding Hanos. I used to borrow a friends company card and go there. It was a small plastic card with a magnetic strip on it that gave me access. My friends company did not have anything to do with the food business so I think you will be ok. Call them up and asked before you go if you are not sure. It is definitely an experience to go there.

Hello I just found this thread and must say that it is great! In my view Amsterdam has ok restaurants for a city it´s size, but not exceptional. What I do find very exceptional in Amsterdam is the excellent supply of cooking raw material from all parts of the world. The meat, fish vegetables and wine in Amsterdam is really excellent. Here are some of my favourite places where you can find great food products. http://www.vishandeltel.nl/ Next to Nieuwmarkt. An excellent place to find all sorts of sea creatures including live lobster all year round. Be aware of the staff at this place. Stay out of their way when they are carrying fish or you might become sliced into a file your self. http://www.fishes.nl/ On Utrechtsestraat. Very refined seafood products. Not very big selection, but perfect items of very high quality for sashimi or sushi. Be there early in the day to pick the best and freshest fishes. Fred de Leeuw Butcher next to fishes on Utrecthsestraat. An incredibly small shop, but with a great selection of meats of all kind and friendly and helpful people. Nord Wijn (Not exactly sure about the name) In a small cellar in the middle of bloemenmarkt, right across from the flower stands. Wine with spectacular price/quality ratio. I have never bought a wine there that I wasn't happy with. A somewhat quirky, but knowledgeable owner. I have seen him scare of tourists a couple of times by insulting them, but don't let your self be intimidated because the wines here are well worth their price. http://www.hanos.nl/ Only for those lucky enough to be registered at the Dutch chamber of commerce or happens to be the professional buyer of their company. An awesome place with more food than I have ever seen at one place before. Eet smakelijk!