The best restaurants with a view in Amsterdam

Right on the riverside, the terrace at Brasserie Marie delivers a kind of old-world glamour rarely found in modern Amsterdam. Overlooking the Amstel and Muntplein from the storied De L’Europe Amsterdam hotel, this spot even had a starring role in Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent. Striped parasols sway in the breeze as boats drift by, and sharply dressed waiters ferry oysters, veal sweetbreads and generously sauced langoustines between tables. Inspired by the brasseries of the French Riviera, it feels more like a grand European hotel terrace than a trendy Amsterdam hotspot, which is precisely its appeal.

Time Out tip: In warmer months, there’s also a riverside bar, Marie sur l’Eau, serving French wines and bar snacks.

Address: Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14, 1012 CP, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Monday-Friday, from noon-9pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 12.30pm-9pm

Expect to pay: €19-€22 for starters, €29-€79 for mains, €11-€15 for desserts or €55 for the Bib Gourmand menu.

Set in a former shipyard canteen at the NDSM-wharf in Noord, Helling7 is a striking restaurant built from scrap metal and glass, with a bold industrial character that nods to its working-harbour past. Inside, the kitchen centres around open-fire cooking, with dishes ranging from charred vegetables to grilled meat and fish. Outside, the vast rooftop terrace is a showstopper, offering dockside views across the IJ. It’s a place that still feels tied to the rhythms of the harbour, where ships pass close by, and Amsterdam’s skyline stretches out in the distance.

Time Out tip: Thanks to its elevated, open position, the terrace is bathed in sunshine through to late evening.

Address: tt. Melissaweg 57, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 5pm-1am; and  Saturday to Sunday, from noon-1am

Expect to pay: €13-€18 for starters, €22-€28 for mains, and €14-€18 for desserts

Housed in a beautifully restored 17th-century Rijksmonument with an iconic gablestone featuring a gold coin that once served as international currency, Tannay combines canal-house charm and Art Deco flair with seriously good Gallic food and French-inflected service. Chef Thomas Demuth’s refined menu draws on his Burgundian roots in the village of Tannay and experience in top Paris kitchens, and the French-focused wine list includes several bottles from his family’s estate. A small terrace overlooks the wooden Petemayen drawbridge and the Zoutkeetsgracht, which once served as a hub for salt storage and food production.

Time Out tip: Go on a Wednesday or Thursday evening for the excellent-value Le Menu du Marché: a three-course seasonal menu for €53.

Address: Zandhoek 14, Westelijke Eilanden, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, from 6.30pm-midnight; and Saturday to Sunday 12.30pm-midnight

Expect to pay: €92 for a five-course menu

Perched at the point where the Herengracht and Brouwersgracht intersect, Restaurant De Belhamel pairs one of Amsterdam’s most scenic canal-side settings with a romantic Belle Époque atmosphere. The restaurant and bar are filled with original Art Nouveau details, while outside, the terrace catches the morning sun and evening lights. The menu leans French-Italian, with dependable classics such as French onion soup, classic Dutch asparagus (in season), wild mushroom gnocchi and tournedos Rossini.  

Time Out tip: Go for the Belhamel breakfast (€20): a luxe Continental spread of yoghurt, brioche or a croissant, egg, fresh orange juice, preserves, coffee or tea – with the option to add a glass of Taittinger Champagne.

Address: Brouwersgracht 60, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Open daily, from 9.30am-10pm

Expect to pay: €5.50-€15 for breakfast, €5-€21 for starters, €29-€49 for mains, and €11-€18 for desserts 

Restaurant Merkelbach is hidden inside the former coach house of Huize Frankendael, one of Amsterdam’s last remaining country estates. The elegant terrace overlooks landscaped gardens and the surrounding park, alive with birdlife including grey herons and rose-ringed parakeets. Owner and chef Geert Burema, founder of the Slow Food Chefs Alliance in the Netherlands, builds his menu around seasonal, regional ingredients and the Slow Food philosophy of ‘good, pure and fair’ cooking, including plenty of vegetable-led plates showcasing Dutch produce.

Time Out tip: The excellent-value three-course lunch menu (€32) is one of the best ways to experience the kitchen, especially on sunny afternoons. Visit on the last Sunday of the month, and you can also browse Pure Markt, the much-loved farmers’ market in Frankendael Park.

Address: Middenweg 72, 1097 BS, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Open daily, from 9am-6pm

Expect to pay: €5.50-€8.50 for starters, €16–€19 for mains, and €4-16 for cakes and desserts

In a century-old former car ferry moored in the Houthavens, Restaurant Ferry offers sweeping views of the IJ River. The terrace, which wraps around the stern and the north-facing side of the vessel, makes the most of the evening sun. It’s an atmospheric place to watch light shift over the water while sipping cocktails made with local spirits, or enjoying local craft beers and wines from a thoughtfully curated list, alongside internationally influenced dishes like pasteis de bacalhau and beef tataki with kimchi mayo.

Time Out tip: Come early in the evening to secure a prime spot to catch golden-hour light on the water.

Address: Haparandadam 50, 1013 AK, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, from 4pm-midnight; clsoed Monday to Wednesday 

Expect to pay: €11-€14.75 for bar bites, €16-€19 for starters, €24-€32 for mains, €9-€10 for desserts 

Right next to the city zoo, Café-Restaurant de Plantage boasts quite the setting. There’s a spacious bar area serving beer, wine and nibbles, while the restaurant proper sits in a cavernous 19th-century conservatory. Contemporary European dishes – some available in small and large sizes – sit alongside sandwiches and lighter lunch plates. If the weather permits, grab a table on the spacious terrace, where the tables overlook an aviary and flamingo pond beneath plane trees strung with fairy lights.

Time Out tip: Order the Hemelse Modder (‘heavenly mud’ chocolate mousse): sounds dirty, tastes divine.

Address: Plantage Kerklaan 36, 1018 CZ, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Monday, from 10am-6pm; and Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am-midnight

Expect to pay: €4.25-€8.50 for breakfast, €9.75-€14.75 for starters, €24.50-€27.75 for mains, €8.75-€14.75 for desserts

The views of the medieval city centre are quite literally on another level at this award-winning sky bar on the 11th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station. Cocktails at LuminAir take their inspiration from light refraction and shifting skies. The cloud-like interior feels suitably surreal, while drinks arrive with theatrical flourishes including smoke-filled bubbles and vibrant colours rivalling that of the city’s sunsets. Equally polished bar snacks range from oysters topped with kalamansi pearls to lobster brioche, and shrimp tempura with spicy mayo.

Time Out tip: Even on warm days, the breeze rolling off the IJ can catch you off guard up here, so bring an extra layer.

Address: Oosterdoksstraat 4, 1011 DK, Amsterdam

Opening hours: Monday and Tuesday, from 5pm-midnight; Wednesday, from 5pm-1am; Thursday, from noon-2am; Friday and Saturday, from noon-3am; and Sunday, from noon-midnight  

Expect to pay: €13-€48 for bar bites, and €15-€24 for cocktails