Amsterdam Food Tour Review & Foods to Try in Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Eating Europe

There is far more to Amsterdam than what pop culture feeds us so forget the cliches and be fed the real deal by Eating Europe Amsterdam! For food tours Amsterdam is probably not the first city you think of, but this food tour in Amsterdam delivers in terms of specialities and surprises.

This Amsterdam food tour review is my honest experience of a foodie-indulgent tour with sprinkles of stories, facts and Dutch from a knowledgeable local guide and trainee on an early Spring Saturday morning. Spoiler: I loved this tour.

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Jordaan Food Tour Amsterdam by Eating Europe

This Amsterdam tour review is not giving away everything that is on the tour (because you need some surprises and far more better explanations from the Amsterdam tour guide than me) but will give you the basic information for what you will need, tips to prepare for the tour, directions and of course, the best foods to eat in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Walking Tour by Eating Europe

Where is Jordaan?

The neighbourhood of Jordaan is one of the best features of this walking tour because getting there and discovering Jordaan with a local provides you with an insight of local life, history hotspots and an Amsterdam area away from the coffee shops and Red Light District. 

To join the Eating Amsterdam Jordaan food tour, Jordaan is located to West of Amsterdam and is the area with the diagonally-lined streets and is easy to reach by any tram, bike or foot from your Amsterdam accommodation. Even if you only have one day in Amsterdam, check out the neighbourhood of Jordaan and the culinary delights it offers!

Tip: Jordaan is pronounced as ‘yor-dan’ and sometimes referred to as ‘The Jordaan’.

Directions for Where To Meet – Amsterdam Day Tour

Even on your way to meet at the first stop of the tour is a treat as you’re wandering through the charming neighbourhood of Jordaan and later on the tour you discover the history of the area including why the streets are diagonally-lined and why there were such things as poop-carts (I guess you can figure the latter out for yourself but it’s still an interesting story from the guide)!

The meeting spot for this Amsterdam local tour is at Cafe Papeneiland which is on the corner of two canals and usually has customers sat outside. If you’re early there are benches surrounding the area for you to enjoy the views. Just before the tour starts, you will find your tour guide with an ‘Eating Europe’ sign as below.

Address: Prinsengracht 2, 1015 DV Amsterdam, Netherlands

About Eating Europe

Their mission is ‘to leave travelers with an unparalleled, non-touristy, food-related experience in undiscovered neighborhoods of the most fascinating cities in the world.’ They did this for me on the Jordaan Amsterdam Food Tour, which is, what I think, is best Amsterdam food tour due to the local guide, neighbourhood of Jordaan and of course scrumptious food!

To read more about the Eating Europe story and to join one of the best Amsterdam walking tours and food experiences, visit their website here.

Walking Food Tour Amsterdam Highlights

• This is one of the Amsterdam tours by locals so you get insider tips, unique personal stories and anecdotes about their home city. It is like having an Amsterdam private tour guide!
• They do not scrimp on the food provided so you definitely get your money’s worth. There are lots of foods, the portions are big and almost always some leftover.
• This is one of the best things to do in Amsterdam whether you’ve had dozens of weekends here or you’re an Amsterdam first-timer.
• Every stop on the tour is at family-run businesses and frequented by Amsterdam-ers.
• You learn the Dutch word you use when you enjoy something and once you learn it, you’ll start hearing it everywhere!
• You get to see a sophisticated side of the city that may change your perspective on notorious Amsterdam.
• Once you learn about the popular Dutch food, you can take your knowledge with you on day trips from Amsterdam.
• The food is rather delicious!

Amsterdam Foodie Tour Info & Tips

• The tour is 3.5 hours (this time flies by with snacks, stories and steps).
• Bring comfortable shows as this is an Amsterdam package tour: an Amsterdam city walking tour as well as an Amsterdam Jordaan food tour.
• There may be other Amsterdam tour operators so look out for the Eating Europe sign.
• You get a lot of food so come hungry and enjoy!
• Click here to go to the Eating Europe website for the latest Amsterdam tour cost.

Best Foods To Try in Amsterdam

Amsterdam Sausage

We tried two types of sausage: Grillworst, a pork meat served warm and Ossenworst, a cured beef sausage made by the same family for 150 years! I’ll be getting these for every picnic I have in The Netherlands.

Our guide and trainee told us their personal stories and opinions on Amsterdam sausage as well as more recommendations for types which was a lovely addition to the tasting.

Apple Pie

Apple pie is special in Amsterdam.

Our guide gave us information about Apple Pie that makes it unique to The Netherlands and differs from other parts of the world including a special time of the year that it’s eaten in The Netherlands. This was our first tasting of the tour at Cafe Papeneiland and on the tour you can discover why this is the cafe Eating Europe has chosen to be the place for Apple Pie and the start of the tour.

Bitterballen

These are small balls that have a croquette-like look/texture and are paired well with Jenever (hence the ‘bitter’ in the name). Bitterballen are deep-fried, gravy-filled snacks and served with pickles. I really enjoyed the experience of trying Bitterballen and Jenever together, along with hearing the stories behind it, and is definitely a top food to try on food tours in Amsterdam.

Croquettes

These snacks are great takeaway bites to grab if you’re on the go or if you want to sample the popular Dutch fast food, FEBO. Croquettes of all flavours can be found in vending machines in FEBO branches across Amsterdam or you can order some from the till.

Dutch Cheese

Okay, The Netherlands has soo many cheeses to choose from and pretty much any stall or Delicatessen you visit, you’ll be getting a delicious cheese. Just think of the cheese named after Dutch places like Goud and Edam. So of course cheese tasting is on the Eating Europe Amsterdam tour plan!

We sampled three types of cheeses and advised on the combinations to eat them. One cheese had a special ingredient that we tried and we were told that there were many cheeses around Amsterdam that contain secret spices/ingredients. Book on this tour to find out the special additions for yourself ;).

Herring

Every food tour Amsterdam has available will include sampling raw Herring and Eating Europe delivers one of the best of all the Amsterdam food tours! The Herring is served raw and cured in its own juices so has a fishy aroma as soon as it comes out! You are given a little stick with The Netherlands flag on the end to hold your Herring and add onions and pickles for the full experience.

If you’re a seafood/fish lover, this is right up your street. I even went for seconds because I enjoyed it so much.

Indonesian Rijsttafel

One of the best things to try is Indonesian Rijsttafel (Rice Table) and what you must do is go to one of the many Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam and ask for a Rijsttafel for however many people you are with.

Tip: Ask your Eating Europe tour guide for some Indonesian restaurant recommendations!

Jenever

This is the one that warms your insides. It’s a very strong alcoholic drink and very much like Gin. I prefer mine with a tonic for sure. I sipped my drink so it wouldn’t spill and it made me hack my throat (if you know what I mean by ‘hack’).

At the cafe (which was owned by Mr Heineken), we were given another option of a lemon brandy which looked more mild by the reactions of my fellow tour-goers. If you don’t drink alcohol or are underage, there are soft drinks/coffee/tea available. This was paired with Bitterballen (see above).

Kibbeling

Kibbeling was a big hit on the tour. It is small white fish bites in batter with a secret sauce that the fishmonger makes themselves. It reminds me of fish served at seaside towns like Barry Island in the UK. The fish is hot, the batter is thin and the fact that’s it deep fried means it’s going to be tasty.

Liquorice

I’m not sure whether you’re aware but the Dutch seem to have a major sweet tooth. And I’m here for it all: the pancakes, Stroopwaffels (see below), cookie sandwiches, chocolate sprinkles on bread (if you’re wondering why there are chocolate sprinkles on your hotel buffet table) and windmill cookies. It’s also why you almost always get served a cookie with any hot beverage you order in Amsterdam.

Liquorice, however, is not something I’m personally on board with but is extremely popular in The Netherlands and definitely a Dutch food Amsterdam has to offer. In the Jordaan area, there is a sweet shop that your guide will point out which sells over EIGHTY types of liquorice. Wow.

Oliebollen

Although not on the tour, Oliebollen or an Oliebol is a must for snacks to eat in Amsterdam. It’s translated as ‘oil ball’ but is essentially a deep-fried, mini doughnut to devour especially at fairgrounds or on New Year’s Eve. It reminds me of a snack you’d get such as candy floss at funfairs.

Satay

Did you know that Satay, one of the best South East Asian dishes can be found in Amsterdam?! For not-so-great reasons but Satay and other Surinamese and Indonesian dishes have become part of the Dutch cuisine and there are some fantastic spots in Amsterdam to eat. Satay is usually chicken served on a skewer in a peanut-based curry sauce. And it’s delicious. Don’t leave Amsterdam without trying Satay.

Stroopwaffel

Probably the most famous snack of The Netherlands, the Stroopwaffel is the caramel-filled, soft biscuit adored by locals and yearned for by tourists. On the tour we were taken to a family-run cafe in Jordaan and enjoyed these freshly made goods. Stroopwaffel is a must-eat in Amsterdam at any market or street stall where they are served warm.

All the stops on the tour were at local places which is what makes this one of the best food tours in Amsterdam.

How To Book The Street Food Tour Amsterdam by Eating Europe

Of all the Amsterdam tour companies, I can personally recommend going with Eating Europe for their efficiency, easy-to-book process, value for money and invaluable experience. To join the same food tour of Amsterdam that I did, click this link to book through Viator or head to the Eating Europe website here.

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Thanks for reading my Amsterdam Eating Europe food tours review!

Tell me, which food are you most looking forward to eating on an Amsterdam walking food tour?

Please note: As is common in the travel industry, I received a complimentary tour from Eating Europe. The opinions, pictures, perspective and words in this review, however, are all mine!

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