A fresh stroopwafel dipped in chocolate
Van Wonderen Stroopwafels
Kalverstraat
The line is forA fresh stroopwafel dipped in chocolate
Stroopwafels made to look good on camera.
Worth the waitExpect: Steady lines
Beat it: Go in the morning
What's this line for? · Netherlands
What's this line for in Amsterdam?
The 11 food lines you'll walk past in Amsterdam, and what the people in them are waiting for. For each: what to get when you reach the front, how long it usually takes, whether it's worth it, and how to beat it.
See a line? Ask Chef.Take a photo of any line, anywhere, and email it to food@chefamazing.com. Chef writes back with what it's for, what to order, and whether it's worth the wait. Keep Location on so he knows where you are.
Vleminckx
Spui
The line is forFries with the satay or war (mayo, satay and onion) sauce
A fries hatch with lines since 1957.
Worth the waitExpect: 10 to 20 min
Beat it: Go mid-afternoon
Fabel Friet
Nine Streets
The line is forFries with truffle mayo
A newer fries shop that took over the feeds.
Worth the waitExpect: Steady queues
Beat it: Go before noon
Van Stapele Koekmakerij
Centrum
The line is forThe one cookie they make: dark chocolate with white chocolate inside
A shop selling a single cookie, and Amsterdam's most famous line.
Worth the waitExpect: 15 to 40 min
Beat it: Go at opening, or later in the afternoon
Café de Klos
Grachtengordel
The line is forThe spare ribs, a huge rack
A brown café known for ribs since 1971.
Worth the waitExpect: 45 to 90 min, walk-ins only
Beat it: Go at 5pm opening
Bakers & Roasters
De Pijp
The line is forBanana nutbread French toast and the eggs
A Kiwi-Brazilian brunch spot with weekend queues.
Worth the waitExpect: 30 to 60 min at weekend brunch
Beat it: Go on a weekday
Café Papeneiland
Jordaan
The line is forApple pie with whipped cream
A 1642 canal-side café with famous apple pie.
Worth the waitExpect: 20 to 40 min for a seat
Beat it: Go in the morning
Manneken Pis
Damrak
The line is forFlemish fries with oorlog (mayo, satay and onion)
The fries stand on the main street from the station.
Worth the waitExpect: Short but constant
Beat it: Any time, it moves fast
The Pancake Bakery
Grachtengordel
The line is forA Dutch pancake with apple, bacon and stroop
Dutch pancakes in a 17th-century warehouse near the Anne Frank House.
Worth the waitExpect: 20 to 45 min at lunch
Beat it: Go at 9am opening
Patisserie Holtkamp
Grachtengordel
The line is forA shrimp croquette and the pastries
A royal-warrant bakery whose croquettes are in the best restaurants.
Worth the waitExpect: Queue at the counter on Saturdays
Beat it: Go on a weekday
Winkel 43
Jordaan
The line is forApple pie with whipped cream
The apple pie every Amsterdam list mentions.
Worth it, with a catchThe apple pie deserves its fame, but a very long line doesn't. Walk inside to check for a bar stool, or come late: it's open well into the night.
Expect: Saturday crowds during the Noordermarkt
Beat it: Go on a weekday
Waits are what people usually see, not live times, and lines move and vanish: check hours before you go. Picked from Chef Amazing's Long lines lists (checked open Oct 23 2026) and checked against the press on 2026-11-12: smaak.substack.com · doeatbetterexperience.com.