Amsterdam Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Behind the brick facade of a 1908 university building beside Oosterpark, soaring ceilings and herringbone floors frame a collection of spaces: chef Floris van Straalen's VanOost delivers Indonesian-influenced langoustine and Anjou pigeon Rossini with foie gras and black truffles, while the Champagne Rooftop Terrace pours bubbles alongside oysters and caviar. Fitz's Bar revives 1920s cocktails in a dim, wood-paneled setting, and gardens planted with the city zoo shelter meadow birds.

The 17th-century Palace of Justice on Prinsengracht now houses 134 rooms and suites designed by Piet Boon, with over 1,000 original artworks lining its interiors. Flagship restaurant Eeuwen anchors the culinary program, alongside the Indian-accented Advocatuur and a courtyard lounge. The spa delivers hammam, jacuzzi, and sauna treatments, while top-tier Houses add butler service for extended-stay residents seeking a residential canal-side footprint.

This former 17th-century admiralty building and city hall—originally a convent from 1400—balances historic gravitas with contemporary interiors: Jugendstil windows, Art Deco bathrooms, and 178 spacious rooms, 30 with dedicated butler service. The two-floor spa features an indoor pool, sauna, and hammam; Bridges restaurant specializes in Dutch organic seafood with French inflections, earning acclaim as one of Amsterdam's finest fish destinations.

For a century and a half, this riverside landmark has hosted royalty and rock stars beneath its iconic façade on the Amstel. Waterside terraces frame the hotel's acclaimed restaurant, La Rive, where executive chef Rogér Rassin serves haute cuisine with approachable elegance. Guests can explore the canals aboard vintage 1920s electric skiffs restored for private tours with champagne service, then unwind in a heated pool overlooking the water.

A 23-storey tower in De Pijp bringing Tokyo-caliber refinement to Amsterdam, complete with minimalist public spaces and five restaurants. Yamazato earned the first Michelin star for traditional Japanese cuisine outside Japan, while Ciel Bleu's two-star modern Dutch cooking commands the top floor. The Nagomi spa features the city's largest hotel pool at 18 meters, and Sazanka serves teppanyaki with kimono-clad staff.

Perched on the Okura Hotel's top floor, Ciel Bleu delivers two-Michelin-starred Japanese cuisine through a French lens. Chef Arjan Speelman layers Asian seasonings into technically precise dishes—his marinated bluefin tuna tartare with yuzu, horseradish cream, and caviar remains a signature—while maître d' Francesco Simonelli orchestrates one of the Netherlands' finest dining rooms. Spectacular skyline views and an extensive wine program complete the experience.

Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot's two-Michelin-starred table occupies a historic canal house where an open kitchen stages their technical virtuosity. The duo balances inventive transformations with classical technique—their sauces are particularly accomplished—as in a signature dish of crispy Jerusalem artichokes filled with Belper Knolle, North Sea grey shrimp, and garlic vinaigrette. A Dutch cheese board and curated wine list complete the intimate, meticulously orchestrated experience.

Jurgen van der Zalm commands the kitchen of this two-Michelin-starred address occupying an 18th-century almshouse bakery, where original wood and stone anchor a refined contemporary dining room. His signature glazed turbot with artichoke textures, mustard seeds, and potato millefeuille demonstrates the master saucier's gift for bold innovation within classical technique—the smoked lime sauce, built on a robust fish fumet, exemplifies his layered, precise approach to premium ingredients and complex flavor construction.

Chef Tim Golsteijn's one-Michelin-starred table inside Hotel TwentySeven commands a striking view of Dam Square, pairing historic architecture with luxurious bronze-toned interiors. His modern cuisine fuses East and West with technical precision—Thai green curry and za'atar balanced against delicate French notes—while signature turbot arrives basted in cauliflower béchamel, layered with black garlic cream and morel-stuffed Jerusalem artichoke. An exceptional cellar amplifies each course in this intimate, romantic setting.

Dennis Huwaë's Michelin-starred table combines neon-lit street art aesthetics with Mediterranean cooking inflected by his Indonesian heritage and broader Asian influences. Dishes such as seared langoustine paired with cauliflower cream, yuzu and miso gels, kefir foam, and bisque demonstrate his appetite for contrast and precision. An open cooking stage puts technique on full display, reinforcing the chef's commitment to surprise and generosity in equal measure.