Where to Have a Proper Lunch in Amsterdam: The Best Spots

This classic French brasserie right beside the Museumkwartier is one of Amsterdam's most reliable addresses for a proper lunch after the museums. Open weekdays for lunch and dinner, it is known for a serious wine list and a quiet garden terrace. As a long-standing institution, it is a place where you can order the classic brasserie plates with confidence. Ideal to settle into after the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum.

Café Loetje is a much-loved keeper of the classic Dutch steak-café tradition and a genuine city institution. In an unfussy, easygoing atmosphere it serves lunch and dinner daily. A local favourite for a relaxed midday meal, with the menu's star being the classic steak served in its sauce. The Oud-Zuid address for anyone after a simple but satisfying Dutch classic.

On the canal in the Negen Straatjes, Jansz. brings modern Dutch cooking to a spacious, design-led room. Open every day from 12:00, it is a natural choice for a proper lunch in the centre. The all-day kitchen is known for both lunch and dinner as well as its terrace. An ideal pause between shopping and wandering the Nine Streets.

Café George is a design-led French brasserie in the Negen Straatjes, open every day from 11:00 until 01:00. With a continuous menu running from brunch into lunch and on to dinner, it serves a proper meal at any hour. The lively, classic brasserie atmosphere suits both a quick lunch and a long midday stay. Ideal for anyone after a reliable, all-day address in the centre.

Samuel's is De Pijp's all-day brasserie, serving from morning until late at an easy pace. Lunch is one of its strengths, an everyday meal in a neighbourhood setting. You can sit down at the same table for a coffee, a glass of wine, or a proper lunch plate. The address for anyone after an unhurried, local lunch in De Pijp.

The Seafood Bar's Van Baerlestraat branch serves fresh seafood in a bright, lively room in the Museumkwartier. Open daily from 12:00, it is a natural choice for a seafood lunch after the museums. It is known for oysters, shellfish and platters of fruits de mer. Ideal for anyone after a light but stylish midday meal in Oud-Zuid.

Inside the De Hallen cultural complex in Oud-West, Foodhallen is an industrial market hall set in a former tram depot. Dozens of stalls, open daily from 11:00, let you taste from very different kitchens in a single meal. Ideal for grazing, drinks and especially larger groups in the middle of the day. Made for anyone after a flexible lunch where everyone can choose something different.

Stork in Amsterdam-Noord, with its spacious terrace on the water, is one of the most enjoyable addresses for a seafood lunch in the city. Open daily from 11:00 and known for fruits de mer and fish platters. With a spacious interior and a terrace overlooking the water, it suits both a relaxed lunch and a long waterside meal. A natural stop when you head into Noord and want to sit down in the middle of the day.

Pllek on the NDSM wharf, with its waterfront setting and creative, sustainable spirit, is one of Amsterdam-Noord's landmark places. The kitchen is open all day and the waterside terrace is ideal for a relaxed lunch. The atmosphere of the old shipyard turns lunch into an outing in itself. The address for anyone who takes the ferry across to Noord and wants an unhurried midday spell by the water.

De Kas in Park Frankendael is an Amsterdam legend, set in a former municipal greenhouse and working on a garden-to-plate principle. Open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday, it stands out above all as a destination lunch thanks to its daylight-filled glass room and the seasonal produce from its own garden. The menu is shaped by that day's harvest. Ideal for a long, special lunch in a green setting, away from the bustle of the city.

At the point where the Brouwersgracht meets the Herengracht, De Belhamel looks out over one of Amsterdam's loveliest canal views, known for its art-nouveau interior and romantic atmosphere. Open every day from 09:30 and with a seasonal French kitchen, it is ideal for a long lunch. The tables by the canal are made for anyone who wants to slow the middle of the day down. The address for a lunch with a view and a sense of calm in the centre.

In the Plantage, De Plantage, set inside a former orangery, is one of the city's airiest lunch addresses with its glass conservatory and green terrace. With a Mediterranean and Levantine-leaning menu, it is a pleasure to sit down to in the middle of the day, in this leafy corner next to the zoo and the botanical garden. The bright, design-led room suits both a relaxed lunch and a long meal on the terrace. Ideal for a quiet pause during a cultural walk through the Plantage.