10 of the Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Until about a decade ago, fine dining in Amsterdam was a little thin on the ground. There were a few stuffy, formal, French restaurants with Michelin stars, but not a lot else. Fortunately, that’s now all changed and there are lots of creative, high-end restaurants displaying their international influences in new and innovative ways. I’ve selected 10 of my favourites, but there are plenty more that didn’t make this list – not because they’re lacking in quality but because I’ve not visited them recently enough to write confidently about them. Whatever you think about the Michelin Guide, it’s still a pretty reliable yardstick when it comes to fine dining – including in Amsterdam – so if you’re planning for a special occasion, I’d recommend taking a look at Michelin’s shortlist as well.

The first time I ate at WILS, it had not yet received a Michelin star; but I was unsurprised that by the second time, it had. In a spacious location on Stadionplein, WILS’s concept involves cooking over a combination of wood fire, smoking hay, burning embers and whatever else they can set alight (including beef fat!). Be sure to book a “kitchen table” (rather than a “classic table”) for the best views of the chefs in action. This is seriously accomplished cooking with big yet refined flavours. For the best experience, get the chef’s tasting menu with all the wine pairings – pricey but worth it. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).