– This post was written by Callum Tyler –
The Van Gogh Museum is home to the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world, including some of the artist’s early work, like Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette and The Potato Eaters. While spuds are still a staple of the Dutch diet, you’ll find them served with more style than in Vincent’s day at the restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum.
In fact, you’ll find every kind of menu you can imagine, and some of the finest food is just footsteps away.
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Restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum: Budget choices
Go for gold at FEBO
Central | Leidsestraat | 1 kilometre from Van Gogh Museum | 12-minute walk
De Pijp | Ferdinand Bolstraat | 1.1 kilometre from Van Gogh Museum | 14-minute walk
It’s all about the experience at FEBO. This is a true Dutch icon and there’s something infinitely fun about grabbing deep-fried, golden-brown goodness from a tiny hole in the wall.
There are classic burgers-to-go in here, but if you’re looking for something more Dutch, try a croquette! Inside these deep-fried dough sticks, you’ll find traditional fillings like chicken and beef, as well as interesting combos that are worth a try, like satay and bami (Indonesian noodles).
Stay close at the Museumplein Sunday Market
100 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 1-minute walk
Every third Sunday of the month, the market traders pop up for business in Museumplein. While the majority of the stalls are filled with art and homemade trinkets, there are also several sellers who conjure up smells so divine, you’ll be lured straight over. They might not be restaurants, but if you’re looking for something quick to eat near the Van Gogh Museum, this could save you in a pinch.
Takoyaki – octopus balls
Octopus balls might not sound like your usual go-to snack, but the spectacle of a chef flipping multiple cooked doughballs with precision will hypnotize you into giving them a go. Once you’ve popped this savoury, salty snack into your mouth, you could be a convert. If that doesn’t sound appealing, there’s always the option to go Dutch and give raw herring a go…
A meat-lover’s delight – BBQ
While the end result of succulent meat in a soft white bun may seem simple, getting there is anything but. Tender and packed with flavour, the BBQ experts at Museumplein will leave a memory in your mouth as you roam around Museumplein with a snack in your hand. Just remember to grab a few napkins!
Bagels and Beans
Ferdinand Bolstraat | 950 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 12-minute walk
The concept behind this Dutch franchise is simple, but they execute it well. The menu’s packed with classics like BLT, salmon and cream cheese, and one of Amsterdam‘s best tuna melts. But they also offer daring new combinations that will fill your stomach and bring you back for more if you’re looking for another quick fix as you hop around the city.
Head to Albert Heijn for supermarket savings
220 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 3-minute walk
Prices might be jacked up a bit, owing to its location next to three major museums, but Albert Heijn is cheap and reliable if you’re looking for a sandwich or salad on the go.
If it’s summer, then picnicking on the grass of Museumplein is a perfect plan. Surrounded by some of the city’s finest architecture, the Rijksmuseum, Concertgebouw, the Stedelijk Museum, and the Van Gogh Museum, there is no better place to be.
Restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum: Mid-range bites
Try one of the city’s best steaks at Cafe Loetje
Johannes Vermeerstraat | 550 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 7-minute walk
An Amsterdam classic: white bread and a good cut of steak. It might sound simple, but combined with lashings of homemade gravy it results in some serious mouth-watering goodness. If you’re looking at the menu and wondering what ossenhaas is, it’s a beef tenderloin (US) or fillet steak (UK). Any Dutchie will agree it’s one of the most best restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum.
Visit veggie Valhalla at Yerba
600 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 7-minute walk
Yerba bases its menu on the finest vegetables and edible plants of the season, with plenty of what ends up on your plate being grown in the restaurant’s garden. They also partner with local producers, farmers and fishermen.
Yerba also offers a seasonally changing a la carte tasting menu – if nothing tickles your fancy, the inspired chef can even create your meal on-the-fly. The menu can be served vegan or otherwise.
There’s a set dinner menu with 4 courses for €39.50, 5 courses for €46.50, and 6 courses for €52.50.
Open for dinner: Thursday-Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) from 17:00 until close
Open for brunch: Saturday and Sunday from 11:00-15:00 (last brunch orders 14:30)
Embrace your inner carnivore at Cannibale Royale
Ruysdaelkade | 900 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 11-minute walk
Steaks, chicken wings, ribs, burgers. If you feel like feasting, Cannibale Royale promises greasy fingers and good times. There’s also a decent selection of Dutch beers waiting to be popped open, so thirsty culture-seekers can make the most of dubbels, trippels, and flavour-filled IPAs.
Veggies fear not, there are options here for you too.
Make the most of the Dutch coast at The Seafood Bar
Ferdinand Bolstraat | 850 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 11-minute walk
Half of the Netherlands’ borders are surrounded by water, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that seafood plays an important part in Dutch cuisine.
Check out the menu, but if you’re a fan of seafood in general, this is a safe bet. If you feel like going all out, then The Seafood Bar serves up des fruits de mer in style on crushed ice. You’ll get a combination of cold crustaceans and shellfish; mussels, cockles, razor clams, unpeeled shrimps, vongole (clams), periwinkles, shrimps, crab salad, Tourteau crab and oysters.
Michelin Starry Nights: Special Restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum
If you look at Michelin’s recommendations for where to eat in Amsterdam, you’ll notice the area just east of the Van Gogh Museum has contracted virtual chickenpox – it’s littered with red pins, each one representing the best of the city’s fine dining.
Most are located in De Pijp, which is also where you’ll find the Heineken Experience. A lot of the area’s restaurants take inspiration from modern French and Japanese cuisine. You’ll find some Michelin star locations, but most spots are up-and-coming. Some already boast a Bib Gourmand.
These restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum fill up quick, so make sure to book in advance on the restaurants’ website to avoid disappointment on the day.
Go French at Auberge Jean & Maire
900 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 11-minute walk
French classics: escargots, pâté maison, steak tartare – they’re all here at Auberge. If you want fine dining without breaking the bank, Auberge serves a Bib Gourmand menu for €43. C’est bon.
Spoil yourself at 101 Gowrie
Tram 3 (or use Google Maps) | 12 minutes from Van Gogh Museum
If you really want something special, you’ll be doing yourself a favour with a table at Gowrie 101. The talented chef, Alex Haupt, won the Michelin Guide’s Young Chef of the Year Award in 2021, and for good reason.
Their set menu is a feast of 10 courses served in izakaya-style (small dishes). The plates get bigger as you advance towards the main course, so don’t worry about walking away with an empty stomach.
Of all the places on this list, this is the priciest. But, if you’re looking for an experience, then this small restaurant is it.
Photo by @101gowrie on Instagram.
@_alexhaupt101 wins Young Chef of the Year Award by the @michelinguide
Go to Graham’s Kitchen for a great chef
Tram 3 (or use Google Maps) | 13 minutes from Van Gogh Museum
A seasonal menu with a British twist. There are a number of menus to choose from, each with a series of delicious combinations. This Amsterdam hot spot makes the most of local produce too, and they’ll pair it with an affordable wine if you ask.
The price of a three-course menu starts at €48.
Where to get coffee near the Van Gogh Museum
If you’re craving good coffee outside of the museum’s own cafe (which also serves a pretty decent brew), there are two cafes not far from the Van Gogh Museum that you should check out.
Cafecito
500 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 6-minute walk
Cafecito might be new to the Amsterdam coffee scene, but it’s certainly made an impression. Its minimalist design and clean white walls – with every trinket you need to replicate their coffee at home yourself, excluding industrial-sized coffee roasters – make it feel more like a boutique store. As soon as you taste their product, you’ll realise their talent does the talking. This is not style over substance.
Back to Black
700 metres from Van Gogh Museum | 9-minute walk
Back to Black’s interior is practically the polar opposite of Cafecito’s. The small cafe, located beside a quaint canal and just a stone’s throw from the Rijksmuseum, has a quintessential Amsterdam feel to it. It even has those steep, adrenaline-pumping stairs down to the toilet!
The coffee is some of the best you’ll find in the city and if you’ve ever considered making the switch to oat milk with your flat white or cappuccino, this is the place to convert you. Keep an eye out for the local cat – he sometimes pops in to chill with customers! Then take a wander through the network of cobbled streets that surround the cafe and remind yourself just how beautiful Amsterdam is.
So, with a starter of world-class art already lined up during your actual Van Gogh Museum visit, there’s no need to worry about what to have as your main. As you can see, the museum has prime real estate in Amsterdam’s Museumplein, with De Pijp in one direction and the city centre in the other, so you’re never far from restaurants near the Van Gogh Museum.
