You know when you’re watching your favorite TV series and one of the characters goes conspicuously absent only to return several episodes later without any explanation of where he/she went?
Well that’s exactly what happened to us. But now the travel season is over, the sand is finally removed from our toes and we’re back and settled in our gezellig autumn homes. One thing we were up to this summer was hitting up several of Amsterdam’s food festivals. In order for you to be prepared for next year, we break down all right here: the good, the bad and the downright delicious.
This one takes place in Amstel Park, which would seem like a nice big open space, but the area reserved for the festival seemed to be a bit constrained. The other caveat here is there is a fee just to get in and then you still have to buy tokens to get food, so it can very quickly become a bit pricey.
But let’s focus on the positives. There are a variety of vendors, including Amsterdam staples such as Loetje. There’s something there for everyone, including a children’s area, live music and cooking competitions.
If you’re hoping to attend next year, don’t be fearful of missing the notice. This seemed to be one of most marketed festivals with advertisements plastered all around Amsterdam several months before the event.
In all, this seems like a good option for families because of the reserved children’s area and surrounding park (if the little tykes get a bit rambunctious and need some space).
Amsterdam Kookt
This one was a personal favorite. First off, it’s held in a super cool location at NDSM Werf in North Amsterdam. The converted shipyard makes for the perfect hipster location, something of which that would have our Berlin readers feeling right at home. Just hop on the ferry behind Central Station, enjoy the view and you’ll be there in a matter of minutes.
Beyond that, there are more vendors than you could actually manage to visit, including themed areas such as: beers and bites and a grilled meat section. There’s everything from kangaroo meat and tacos to clams and fresh pasta.
Pro tip: If it’s getting a bit crowded and you feel that you need a break from everyone, we suggest going to the middle area connecting the two sides for a bit more relaxed atmosphere.
In addition to the vast variety of food, there is a large stage with a number of musical acts performing throughout the weekend. This will definitely be a festival we hit up again next year.
This one isn’t exactly a festival, but does make for a nice weekend activity. Pure Markt takes place about 2 Sundays a month a moves around various locations in Amsterdam. Be sure to check in with the folks at Awesome Amsterdam to see where and when the next occasions are.
This is much more low key and the vendors are very friendly. If you have a family it makes for a nice outing. There are a few options for ready made food, but the real takeaways here are the quality products to take home such as wine, olive oil and cheese.
Looking for something different to do with your Tinder date? We recommend take a stroll here, collecting a few ingredients and then going back and cooking a nice Sunday afternoon meal together. Hey, at least it’s a bit more original than Netflix and chill 😉
If Amsterdam Kookt is number one, Rollende Keukens is a close second. This one has all kinds of variety. You can find anything from Italian, Spanish, French or Dutch to oysters, champagne and even insects on a stick! The food is a bit pricey, but it’s all good quality stuff.
The location in Westerpark is also great and the most central out of the bunch, but just enough off of the beaten path to attract the usual hipster crowd.
In addition to the delectable eats, there’s also live music, a tent with dance music if you’ve indulged in enough tasty beverages and plenty of green space if you need to escape from the crowd.
Ohh and one of the best benefits is that there’s no annoying token system. No need budget or do excruciating math, just pay with cash! This is another festival we’re eager to get back to.
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