Late night*
Kitchens that keep going after the sensible city has gone home. For the second wind and the post-gig appetite.
Bar Centraal
Glou Glou's Oud-West sibling: serious natural wine, unserious atmosphere, killer sharing plates.
CUE
Michelin-starred wood-fire cooking upstairs, a vinyl listening bar in the basement, one very good evening total.
Oaxaca Amsterdam
A genuine Oaxacan kitchen and one of Europe's best mezcal rooms, hiding in a Spuistraat cantina.
Goldcoast Restaurant & Loungebar
Ghanaian institution near the Arena, serving jollof and waakye until deep night.
Lucius
Amsterdam's seafood classic since 1975: oysters, Dover sole, zero gimmicks.
De Japanner
Amsterdam's original izakaya: sake, skewers and noise on the Albert Cuyp.
Bar Bonnie
Goudvisch's all-day cafe on Amstelveenseweg where a double smashburger quietly outscores every dedicated burger spot in town.
Kebapçı Amsterdam
Gaziantep charcoal in Slotermeer; the weekend wait is part of dinner.
NELA
Live-fire glamour inside the Valley building; Zuidas finally learned to have fun.
De Willem
Jef van den Hout's fine-dining half of the Haarlemmerpoort gate: French technique run through kombu, sake and laksa curry.
Rondo
Cookbook author Bloeme Burema's first bricks-and-mortar spot, two toques within a year and open till midnight.
Amice
Wolf Atelier's chef duo goes a la carte: one ingredient, two preparations, prices that behave.
FC Hyena
Boutique cinema on the IJ where the kitchen deserves top billing too.
Van Kerkwijk
No menu, no reservations: the waiter recites, you choose, everyone wins.
Cannibale Royale
Charcoal-grilled thick-patty burgers and a canal-side terrace, the long-running De Pijp brasserie serious carnivores keep coming back to.
Cabron
Six-plus years of solid tacos and mezcal on the Albert Cuyp market, with its own stall for the walk-up crowd.
Café de Reiger
The Jordaan brown café that actually cooks, ribs, classics, open till one.
Moche
Christian Motte's weekly-changing ode to ceviche, tucked into a quiet corner of Amsterdam Oost.
Roest
The De Kopgroep team's second act for the old techno palace: a waterside hall, family-style plates, a serious Asian streak.
Klaproos
Pizza, good wine and dancing on a half-built Buiksloterham corner.
Mesa Mesa
Proper Spanish tapas and vermut, rescuing Marie Heinekenplein from mediocrity.
Bon Burger
Bottleshop's canal-side smashburger and natural wine counter in Oud-West, walk-in only and worth the wait.
Silk
Modern Asian small plates in Oud-West from the Salvo Bakehouse and nNea team, Silk Road flavors without the fusion cliché.
Chez van Rijn
Parisian bistro swagger in art-nouveau De Kroon, the rare Rembrandtplein table locals actually book.
African Kitchen
Nigerian-leaning kitchen on the Bijlmerdreef doing serious egusi, suya and grilled tilapia.
Fiona
A Mexican dining room and cocktail bar on Warmoesstraat, menu built by chef Zahie Tellez, kitchen run night to night by Jef van Hout.
Dame aan de Kade
A 1970s glass-block bar on the Ruysdaelkade doing unfussy Mediterranean plates and serious natural wine.
Woodstock '69
The boho institution of Bloemendaal: barefoot brunch by day, live music as the sun drops.
Camarat
Wine-forward French-Nordic cooking at the old Chateau Amsterdam site, a Noma-trained chef and a room that turns into a dance floor.
Bar Botanique
A rainforest-green corner bar off the Dappermarkt that cooks better than it needs to.
Bar Basquiat
The Javastraat corner bar where the whole Indische Buurt eventually washes up.
Bar Baarsch
De Baarsjes' living room: smash burgers, pub quiz, drag queen bingo.