When traveling in Amsterdam, food and scenery are often inseparable. This city surrounded by water, with charming canal scenery and rich historical heritage, is not only a palace of art and architecture, but also a meeting point of European food culture.
When you walk into a restaurant with a view, you may see an ancient bridge with sunshine outside the window, or the reflection of a canal with dim lights; and on the table, you can enjoy exquisite cuisine that combines creativity and tradition.
When the satisfaction of taste buds and the shock of vision are intertwined, it is not only a meal, but also a journey of senses, memory and emotions. Every bite is a landscape, and every glance back is a story.
1. Moon: 360-degree rotating sky table
A brief history of the restaurant
Located on the 19th floor of the iconic building “A’DAM Tower” in Amsterdam, Moon is one of the most prestigious revolving view restaurants in the city. Since its opening in 2016, Moon has been popular for its 360-degree rotating view and New Dutch cuisine. The restaurant rotates slowly once an hour, allowing customers to overlook the entire cityscape of Amsterdam inadvertently.
Food features and taste
Moon’s dishes focus on “New Dutch cuisine”, a modern interpretation of traditional Dutch ingredients. The chef attaches importance to local catches and seasonal agricultural products, emphasizing that every dish must show the gifts of the Dutch land. The appetizers in its classic three-course set menu are mostly pickled herring with beet puree, which is a sweet and sour combination and refreshing. The main course is often slow-cooked venison with white truffle mashed potatoes, which has a delicate taste and tender meat, blending the mountain and urban feel. For dessert, we recommend caramel fig tart, which is warm, sweet and rich in layers.
Restaurant location and reservation platform
The Moon restaurant is located in A’DAM Tower on the north bank of Amsterdam, with the specific address being Overhoeksplein 3. It takes about 5 minutes to take the free ferry from Central Station. You can make reservations in advance through platforms such as TheFork or OpenTable, especially in the evening to enjoy the sunset on the canal.
Cost per person
A three-course dinner costs about 75 euros, a five-course dinner costs 95 euros, and drinks are not included. The lunch set is slightly cheaper, starting at about 45 euros.
Recommended crowd
Suitable for couples’ anniversaries, high-end business banquets, and also very suitable for tourists visiting Amsterdam for the first time as a panoramic city welcome ceremony.
2. Restaurant De Kas: A Green Feast in a Greenhouse
Brief History of the Restaurant
De Kas was originally a municipal greenhouse built in 1926. It was transformed into a restaurant by the famous Dutch Michelin-starred chef Gert Jan Hageman in 2001. De Kas not only retains the greenhouse structure, but also grows its own organic farm next to it, advocating “picking the same day, serving the same day”.
Food Features and Taste
The restaurant offers a five-course menu that changes daily, designed entirely based on the fruits and vegetables picked that day, supplemented with a small amount of meat or seafood. For example, a pan-fried cod with lemon foam and carrot puree, the fish is tender and the foam is light, and the overall freshness is elegant. There is also a signature salad called “Greenhouse Green Leaf Platter”, which is a mixture of a variety of self-grown lettuces, radish sprouts and herbs, with a crisp taste and progressive aroma.
Restaurant Location and Booking Platform
De Kas is located in Frankendael Park, Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, a quiet corner full of greenery. It is directly accessible by metro or tram. It is recommended to make a reservation through TheFork. Booking a few days in advance can ensure a window seat.
Cost per person
The lunch set is about 60 euros, and the dinner set is between 85 and 95 euros. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available.
Recommended crowd
Suitable for tourists who pursue healthy eating, organic life supporters, and diners who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse themselves in a green atmosphere.
3. Ciel Bleu: City lights under the Michelin starry sky
Brief history of the restaurant
Located on the 23rd floor of the Okura Hotel, Ciel Bleu has won the honor of two Michelin stars since 2005 and is one of the few high-end restaurants in Amsterdam. The name means “blue sky” and also symbolizes its vision and pattern.
Food characteristics and taste
Ciel Bleu is famous for its “world fusion cuisine”, combining French exquisite techniques with Asian flavors to create a dramatic table experience. For the appetizer, we recommend the smoked trout tartare with mustard foam, which is fresh and rich, and melts in your mouth; the main course, such as the braised beef ribs with black truffles and sea urchin cream sauce, is fragrant and smooth. The cherry sorbet with dark chocolate mousse in the dessert part is unforgettable, sweet but not greasy.
Restaurant location and reservation platform
Ciel Bleu is located at Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, which can be easily reached by subway or taxi. Reservations must be made through OpenTable, and it is recommended to make reservations at least two weeks in advance, especially during peak holiday seasons.
Cost per person
The chef’s recommended menu starts at around 215 euros, and wine pairing is not included. Special holiday packages are also available, with slightly higher prices.
Recommended crowd
It is very suitable for couples celebrating special holidays, proposals, anniversaries, and high-end travelers who pursue a luxurious dining experience.
4. Restaurant Zoku: Global small plates in the rooftop garden
A brief history of the restaurant
Zoku is not a restaurant in the traditional sense, but an urban integrated space that integrates hotels, apartments, shared offices and catering. Its top floor restaurant has been operating since 2016. With innovative cuisine and the concept of “social sharing”, it has attracted creative people from all over the world.
Food Features and Taste
Most of Zoku’s dishes are “global bites”, that is, small dishes from all over the world, which are very suitable for sharing. For example, Thai green curry chicken with lemongrass coconut milk sauce has a strong flavor without covering the original taste of the ingredients; Japanese teriyaki eggplant is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and salty. For dessert, we recommend vanilla soy milk pudding with caramel orange peel, which is moderately sweet and has a refreshing aftertaste.
Restaurant Location and Booking Platform
Zoku is located at Weesperstraat 105, close to Amsterdam Municipal Theater and Hermitage Museum, with convenient transportation. The restaurant is located on the top floor, and the terrace overlooks the city’s roof lines. Reservations can be made through TheFork.
Per capita consumption
The per capita consumption ranges from about 35 to 55 euros, depending on the number of dishes ordered and the combination of drinks, and the overall price is affordable.
Recommended crowd
Suitable for young travelers, digital nomads, and backpackers who like to communicate with people. This is not only a place to eat, but also an extension of the city lifestyle.
5. REM Restaurant: A feast of industrial aesthetics in a lighthouse
A brief history of the restaurant
REM was once a broadcasting platform off the coast of the Netherlands in the 1970s. It has now been transformed into an independent floating industrial restaurant. It will be open to the public after a comprehensive renovation in 2022. It combines a sense of technology with retro ship elements and has become the most talked-about water restaurant in Amsterdam.
Food characteristics and taste
REM focuses on modern European cuisine, emphasizing both visual and taste. In the common five-course menu, the first cold appetizer is often smoked foie gras with plum sauce, which is rich in fat; the main course is charcoal grilled octopus legs with sweet bean paste, which has a combination of seafood and smoked aroma, and is salty and fresh. Desserts recommend grapefruit mousse cake, which is sour, sweet and refreshing, and is a double decompression for vision and taste.
Restaurant location and booking platform
The restaurant is located in the Houthaven area, and you have to take a boat to land, which adds to the mysterious atmosphere. The specific address is REM Eiland, Haparandadam 45. You can make reservations through OpenTable or TheFork, and you can choose whether to use a dedicated shuttle boat.
Cost per person
The set menu costs about 95 euros, including a five-course meal. Drinks and transportation are not included.
Recommended crowd
It is very suitable for travelers who love to explore alternative architectural spaces, and it is also suitable for small parties and celebrations. Couples can enjoy more private space and unique sea breeze experience on dates.
In Amsterdam, enjoying a meal is no longer just an experience of taste buds, but also an immersion in the landscape. From overlooking the city lights to being in a green greenhouse, from the lonely aesthetics of industrial towers to the noisy sharing of hotel rooftops, these restaurants represent the diversity and creativity of Amsterdam’s dining space.
Whether it is a short stop on the journey or a deliberately arranged romantic night, it is worth making this memory of food and scenery intertwined, and become your most beautiful memory in Amsterdam.
