When you’re in Amsterdam, you have to try bitterballen. This savoury Dutch snack is one of the city’s most famous food staples - and it’s one hell of a tasty treat. Loved by locals and tourists alike, bitterballen is a breaded meatball that’s been deep fried - a bit like a croquette but sphere-shaped. The inside of a bitterballen is flavour-packed with a thick creamy roux and a generous amount of beef or veal ragu. This is a meaty dish that makes for the perfect sharing starter or canape. If you’re looking for the best places in Amsterdam to try bitterballen, we’re here to help you out with our round-up of our favourite joints that serve our favourite Dutch finger food.
Top tip: Enjoy your bitterballen with a local Dutch beer!
De Ballen Bar
Head to Amsterdam’s trendy Oud-West neighbourhood to try some of the best bitterballen in the city. De Ballenbar is a food stand within a funky food market called Foodhallen that serves up authentic bitterballen with a culinary twist! This place offers different flavours of bitterballen with inventive fillings like shrimp, calf and truffle - as well as the traditional style of bitterballen which you can try too for those who don’t want to stray from the real deal. The sauce served with the bitterballen is also delicious here.
The great thing about Foodhallen is that you can sample food from all over the world at some other awesome stands while you’re there. That’s dinner plans sorted!
Winkel 43
While Winkel 43 is best known for its authentic Dutch appeltaart, the bitterballen here is also drool-worthy. This lively bar is a chilled out place to rest your legs and enjoy some tasty local cuisine. It’s good value too. You can order 6 pieces of bitterballen for €5,50 or for 14 pieces for €10. Located in the Jordaan, this cosy cafe is centrally-located and close by to some of Amsterdam’s main sights and attractions such as The Anne Frank House, the Sex Museum, the Amsterdam Cheese Museum and Madame Tussauds. Remember to order a slice of apple tart for dessert!
Café de Tuin
This local cafe in Jordaan is a favourite amongst Amsterdammers for its affordable lunch options. Serving up hearty sandwiches, great coffee and incredible bar snacks, we had to add this place as one of the best cafes in the city to eat bitterballen. Order yourself some crispy bitterballen for €6 with some olives, cheese and bread on the side, and there you have the perfect lunchtime pick-me-up. Café de Tuin boasts a good selection of local beers, too. With 11 Dutch beers on tap, you’re spoiled for choice.
Cafe Gent aan de Schinkel
After a pleasant walk through Vondelpark, make a stop at Gent aan de Schinkel, a quaint cafe next to the river that specialises in European food and Dutch classics. With a big outdoor seating area for the summer months, get yourself a table outside and order some of the fresh-out-the-fryer bitterballen. Costing €6,50, there are some cheaper options in the city to enjoy the savoury snack, but not many places boast a pretty street-side set up under the Dutch sunshine close to Vondelpark. Located on a peaceful street on the river, what better place to enjoy some good food and even better company?
Eetsalon Van Dobben
When walking through the Grachtengordel neighbourhood, you may stumble upon Eetsalon Van Dobben, one of our favourite bitterballen spots in the Dutch capital. A great place to sample a variety of traditional Dutch snacks, this place serves tasty food for fairly cheap (and you can’t get more Dutch than this). With your bitterballen, we also recommend ordering a traditionally Dutch meat roll and croquettes.
Article by Shereen Sagoo
