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New in town: Best of 2024

That’s a wrap on 2024 but many of Amsterdam’s recently opened restaurants are set to be plating up excellent fare well into the future. To celebrate, we’ve picked 12 of our favourite new eateries from the past year.

RESTAURANTS & BARS

Pasta heaven at BRIO

The brainchild of the same people behind Little Collins, BRIO  is conveniently located just next door. A contemporary Italian restaurant with a dash of Aussie panache, it packs a punch for ambience and inventive fresh pasta dishes (the burrata and honey combo is a must-try). Stop by for long, languid dinners or hearty brunches on the weekends. And after one bite of their trademark tiramisu, expect to linger in BRIO’s retro-feeling space long after the lights are dimmed.

BRIO | Eerste Sweelinckstraat 23, De Pijp

French-Chinese fare at Cafe Wu

French and Chinese food may not be the most obvious pairing, but that’s exactly what makes Cafe Wu so inventive and enticing. A new addition to the market street known as Dapperstraat, this bistro combines the best of Chinese food with the haute cuisine of French gastronomy. Here, you’ll find a gorgeous open kitchen, walnut tables and organic lined furniture, topped with a selection of wine bottles (there are over 170 to choose from), a chef’s and à la carte menu filled with some of the prettiest plates of food you’ll find in Oost. Peking duck gets a facelift in a dish of duck breast, Russian cabbage and wrapped in puff pastry, while bone marrow serves as one of the bistro’s flagship dishes, com boned with veal tongue, crispy onions, chilli oil and rice. And there’s even entertainment after the food come 10pm, where vinyls help set a more intimate mood. 

Cafe Wu | Dapperstraat 1, Oost

Waterside wine at zomer bar

Noord’s reputation as the neighbourhood for effortlessly cool, quality places to eat and go out only continues to grow, much of it down to places like zomer bar. An indoor/outdoor pop-up bar with a focus on wine, it was dreamt up by natural wine importer Sebonsa. You’ll find all manner of whites, reds, rosés and orange wines, mainly from France, on offer. There’s food too; zomer bar works with guest chefs at bigger events, but there’s always bread, cheese, and charcuterie on offer, plus more warm snacks like breaded saltfish, and chicken/veggie balls. And while the bar is named ‘The Summer Bar’ for a reason – a hideout that sits along the canal complete with its own personal pier – it morphs into the winter bar in the cooler season, swapping pierside hangouts for bunker-style chats and warming wines (and snacks).

zomer bar | Papaverweg 13, Noord

All-day style at turbo

Midcentury decor, ambient lighting, teak furniture, and a gourmet croquette are just some of the things you’ll find at all-day café turbo. The sister venture to Buurtcafé De Tros next door, turbo (which takes its name from the owner’s favourite Saab car), is the more low-key sibling of the two, a place for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. As a result, the menu is far-reaching, with popular choices like steak tartare, tuna, and chicken legs, all made with seasonal ingredients. There are sandwiches for lunch, too, ranging from meatball subs to katsu fish sando. But the star dish is the “broodje kroket,” a Dutch classic given a new twist. An oxtail croquette topped with remoulade sauce on a brioche bun, this is arguably Amsterdam’s most luxe take on an old favourite. Beyond the food, you’ll find great coffee from Friedhats roastery in Amsterdam and an extensive wine list, too (the orange wine dubbed Little Fluffy Clouds is a must).

turbo | Reinwardtstraat 1, Oost

Cosmopolitan comforts at Bennies

Modern design interiors and chefs working at Bennies restaurant
Image from Verity Seward

One of the hippest additions to the southern hemisphere of Amsterdam, walking into Bennies feels like entering a retro Scandi-chic design showroom. The luminous space is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh casual lunch, choosing from their selection of brioche sandwiches or a sumptuous a la carte selection. The evenings are buzzier, with live DJs, an expertly curated wine list and global influences peppering the Franco-Italo-Dutch-inspired menu. With Bar Dancing Multipla right down the street, this corner of Zuid is fast becoming a go-to hotspot. 

Bennies | Helicopterstraat 28, Oud-Zuid

Sunshine cuisine at Café Soleil

Sunshine food is in – and for a low-key, relaxed eatery that worships at the altar of Helios, look no further than café Soleil. Located in the cavernous building restaurant Taverno once called home, café Soleil’s washed orange exterior is an immediate and bright departure from its predecessor. Its food is equally Vitamin D-fuelled: a blend of Italian, Portuguese, Turkish and Lebanese cuisine. Here, grilled chicken, fish and octopus off the barbecue, Greek salad and tagines all combine to sunny and delicious effect. It’s just as good in the winter, where wine and grilled meats bring some sun-flecked flavour to the cold. 

Café Soileil | Papaverhoek 31, Noord

Argentinian twists at Juana La Dama

A restaurant and wine bar located in the leafy Da Costabuurt, Juana la Dama pays homage to the home-cooked comforts of Argentina while bringing a European twist to every dish. Quality meats, quality wine and hearty food – think lamb instead of beef and corn and pumpkin humita (a corn husk dish) with goat’s cheese – that bring an original touch to Argentinian fare.  Juana La Dama has an easy, low-key atmosphere that is a pull for locals who flock to its 25-person space, which spills out to the streets when the sun is out. 

Juana La Dama | Potgieterstraat 16 | Oud-West

Terrace life at Badhuis

Every neighbourhood has a spot that everyone considers the spot. In the east of Amsterdam, that place was long considered the Badhuis, a former bathhouse on the Javaplein that functioned as a place for the predominantly working-class locals to wash, meet and get together. Now it's reopened as an all-day café and brasserie, serving up international fare for the community. The space is arguably the major draw, but then so is the menu, from coffee and croissants in the morning and sandwiches in the day to classic bistro mains like mushroom ravioli and steak frites all paired with wine, cocktails or a custom Badhuis beer.

Badhuis | Javaplein 21, Oost

CAFÉS & BAKERIES

Minimalist magic at Nook

Nook is a welcome addition to De Pijp’s flourishing café and coffee scene, as much for its gorgeous and minimal interior as its (very) good coffee. Part coffee shop, part wine shop, Nook is split across three levels – it takes its name from the word ‘nook’ – with the communal seating and workspace on the top floor, the barista and coffee machines on the ground floor and the wine shop down the stairs selling Argentinian wine.

Nook | Sarphatipark 24H, De Pijp

Vietnamese coffee at Bonjour Càphê

Some things are touched by a little fate. That’s at least how Kevin Le feels about his Vietnamese fusion café, Bonjour Càphê, which launched in the Jordaan. It started out as a pop-up for Vietnamese coffee – essentially coffee served over ice and condensed milk (it’s delicious) – but its popularity – coupled with Kevin’s impromptu ‘homecooked dinners’ organised for regulars – made it clear people wanted more. Now it’s a fully-fledged café, complete with an all-day deli menu offering Bahn mi and rice paper salad, coffee and a variety of special experiences including a secret Sunday brunch menu (customers need to request it if they’re in the know) with off-menu dishes.

Bonjour Càphê | Eerste Lindendwarsstraat 1, City Centre

Francophone finesse at Farine

Bos en Lommer has made a name for itself for its sweep of excellent Turkish bakeries. But a French bakery has long evaded its grasp. Until Farine. Here, you’ll find a gorgeous array of golden baguettes, pain au chocolate and some of the city’s best croissants. Better yet, the coffee’s good too courtesy of Amsterdam roastery Uncommon, which supplies Farine with a number of unusual and special blends, perfect for washing down a buttery croissant with.

Farine | Bos en Lommerweg 96, Bos en Lommer

Pastry divinity at Olaf Brood

Inconspicuously located off the Dappermarkt, Olaf Brood has plenty of small-scale charm. A minimal set-up with a bakery in the back, complete with a team of bakers, and a front-of-house that includes a small bar and, most importantly, a large display of just-baked pastries and sourdough bread. The bread, which includes rye, spelt and oat, focaccia and classic sourdough loaves (prices vary), is just the beginning. There’s proper (good!) coffee here, served in gorgeous blue ceramic cups, and there’s even a market sandwich on weekdays (Tues-Thurs) where owner Lex and the team source ingredients from the Dappermarkt and make a sandwich. But the highlight is probably the pastries: brown butter-glazed krentebollen (raisin buns), buttery madeleines, swirling cinnamon buns and treacle-laced bolus (a type of brown sugar-covered pastry from Zeeland province), all priced at around €2-€5.

Olaf Brood | Dapperstraat 42, Oost