Food in Holland

[Andy008]

I have just come back from 3 days in Amsterdam, which was great....apart from the food which, without exception was absolutely dreadful.

Why is this?

[Postdog]

I was in Amsterdam a few years ago, and I'd agree that some things (like the cheese, some of the processed meats, bread etc) was a little unpalatable, but on the whole I found the food very good. Burger king was as over here, I had to lovely meals in the evenings I was there, and - as I couldn't take what they classed as breakfast - I ended up having a very enjoyable full Irish (same as a full English) in the Irish pub by the canal. One of my nicest lifetime memories was eating that, reading the same day's English paper by the canal in the sunshine, and drinking coffee while the world went by.

[Gef]

I had a fews days in Amsterdam in October 2005. I ate in places recommended by the Rough Guide and the food was escellent and cheap. Admittedly it was Chinese, Spanish etc but you don't go there for Dutch cuisine.

Cheap hotel did a very good breakfast of ham, cheese etc with bread and jam.

[dzug]

I don't recall the food in Holland being dreadful - quite the opposite.

Maybe it wasn't to your taste or maybe you chose the wrong places or the wrong dishes.

[JoolsTwo]

I must say on my one trip to Holland I didn't find the food very good. We were staying somewhere near the German border - can't remember the name.

[nickmo]

As above I suppose - rijstafel - fantastic; Argentinian Steak - brilliant - etc etc.

Best Dutch things? Poffertjes - mini pancakes with icing sugar and a sauce; uitsmijter - fried ham, cheese and egg on toast, with a brandy of course - for breakfast; the licorice sweets; tomato soup with meatballs; Heiniken, Bols and anything from a brown cafe...; and I'll have nothing bad said about stroopwaffels, over a steaming hot coffee........

To avoid? - 'Special Fries' - chips with wet mayonnaise. Find a good one and stay with it. Bad ones are dreadful...; stuff in a Febo automatic food vending machine - just looking at the stuff makes you ill....; Burger King of course....; and anything advertised as the Tourist Special..

Traditional Dutch food didn't use many spices etc to jazz up food so it can be a bit bland, but Holland has really absorbed overseas influences through hundreds of years of trade, so if you go back, do look out for some of the options available.