Restaurants and bars in Noord
Gone are the days of true grit and grunge, as Noord has evolved into a growing hub for nightlife and gastronomy. Trendy eateries in former factories and hangars redefine industrial-chic just as casual fine-dining options and pop-ups cater to a variety of international cuisines. Along the waterfront, you’ll find a range of cosy cafes, bars and foodie hangouts, offering impeccable riverside views and some of the most memorable dining experiences in Amsterdam.
Metro
If you plan on visiting the recently opened NXT Museum, the Netherlands’ first dedicated to new media art, do make a reservation at the adjacent Café-Restaurant Metro. Situated in a converted warehouse, it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but you can also stop by for brilliant bar snacks, such as garlicky razor clams, moreish maritozzo (brioche buns) filled with quince and creamed chicken liver and sticky grilled aubergine garnished with lemony gremolata. Or pizza fritta, an ancient, almost doughnut-like street food version of the Italian staple: deep-fried, split and stuffed with creamy burrata and salted anchovies. So good!
Chateau
Pair excellent Italian food with Amsterdam-made wines at the sleek new 3000 m2 location of urban winery Chateau Amsterdam. Inside you'll fin an Italian restaurant, wine bar and shop adjacent to an impressive glass-walled production space. Here, you can enjoy over 25 Amsterdam-made wines and upcoming chef Joey Baas’ brilliant bar snacks such as panisse (chickpea fries), polpette di baccalà (salt cod balls) and tarte de Menton (onion and Taggia olive tart). Or linger longer over steaming bowls of spaghetti with spicy nduja-doused mussels or pappardelle with saffron butter and ragu of slow-cooked beef shanks. Delicioso!
Pelusa
One of the latest hotspots to grace the streets of Noord, Pelusa is a gastropub with a difference. The seasonal menu makes use of an Argentinian parilla smoker to deliver a delicious twist on familiar ingredients. You can choose from a daily-changing selection of main dishes that are possible to share between two to three people. Whilst beer lovers will be impressed by the selection of wild-fermentation beers and local breweries such as Kromme Haring, Walhalla and Butcher's Tears.
Dar al Yemen
Tuck into a beautiful selection of fahsah - street food from Yemen and Ethiopia at new restaurant, Dar al Yemen, on Buikslotermeerplein. This might be beef in red sauce with fenugreek mousse and moulawah (a flat bread that is freshly baked). The meat is simmered for so long that it almost melts in your mouth. For vegetarians/vegans, the injera (fermented flour pancake) is delicious. Injera is slightly sour, but you won't taste it if you eat it with the lentil stew, red spicy sauce or citrusy spinach served with it.
Coba Taqueria
You haven’t tasted Mexican food until you’ve been to Coba Taqueria where the salsas are out-of-this-world and the margaritas get the party started. Indulge in sublime tacos and intriguing tequilas in a cheerful, unpolished interior with wicker stools and cactuses positioned here and there. The menu features a daring array of tacos: one tortilla is stuffed with soft-cooked pork neck and grilled pineapple, and another contains pulpo, brown beans and peanuts.
Corner Store
Corner Store is not a shop as the name might suggest, but a wonderfully vibey restaurant/cocktail bar with a great terrace in Noord. Inside, the decor is spacious and light and music (courtesy of the DJ booth) plays a central role. The menu carries predominantly Japanese-inspired dishes such as raw halibut with fennel and kosho (a chili-citrus marinade), cucumber with seaweed and dashi or spicy fried chicken. The cocktail selection is knockout and you’ll also find some superb sakes and wines on the drinks list.
Hotel de Goudfazant
The name might suggest an old-fashioned family hotel but actually, de Goudfazant is a hip restaurant on the water’s edge where the chefs are cooking up a storm. In this gigantic 1200m2 shed, the menu is as unfussy as the decor is rugged. Original rust-brown pillars and unpainted walls contrast with the mega-chandelier made from glass bottles, red canteen chairs and linen tablecloths. During the summertime, this is where you can rub shoulders with Amsterdam’s creative in-crowd eating outside.
Lowlander
An excellent spot for group dining, Lowlander Botanical Bar & Restaurant offers a plant-led, seasonal menu centred around fresh takes on familiar classics, such as jackfruit rendang, aubergine steak or potato terrine. Every dish is prepared using herbs, spices and techniques that pack a flavourful punch. Their creative list of botanically brewed beers (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), botanical sodas, fresh teas, all-natural juices and cocktails is also well worth shouting about.
Europa
With heaps of new trendy concepts - listening bars, clubs and urban wineries - popping up along the Gedempt Hamerkanaal this pocket of Noord is fast becoming one of the most exciting places to eat and drink in the city. Restaurant Europa is no exception, a counter restaurant with 26 seats offering two delightfully inspiring tasting menus, including a veggie version. The drinks menu is small but punchy with natural wines, speciality beers, kombuchas and choice cocktails.
Moon
It is not often that you get to see Amsterdam from above. At Moon, a restaurant located on the 19th floor of A’DAM Lookout, you get to enjoy the views of Amsterdam from all sides. The restaurant revolves (literally!) so all guests can enjoy at 360-degree view of the harbour, city centre and the horizon. Lunch patrons can dine à la carte; dinner guests can select one of the set menus of the evening. Using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients — mixed with a few exotic ones, like the Japanese dashi and miso — Moon takes you on a culinary and literal adventure.
Papa Thang
A relatively new addition to Amsterdam Noord, Vietnamese bistro Papa Thang, is already a firm favourite for many. Chef Thang Pham takes inspiration from his roots, mixing traditional Vietnamese food with the irreverence of the street, a touch of international flavour and a lot of creativity. The result is a colourful menu of delicious, playful dishes that will get your tastebuds tingling in new ways. And if you happen to have a boat, you can also sail by to pick up a takeaway picnic basket.
