Want to Eat Like a Dutchie, But Hold the Meat?
Amsterdam is a city where bicycles outnumber people and the rain comes sideways. Eating vegan here does not mean limp salads or falafel for the fifth time.
Finding plant-based food that leans into actual Dutch tradition, not global fusion or avocado art, takes a bit of local know-how. The veggie scene is booming, but meatless versions of the classic dishes you taste on our award-winning food tour? That is harder to track down.
We are talking vegetarian stamppot, plant-based erwtensoep, and golden bitterballen that never came near a cow. Here are the three restaurants we send guests to when they want Dutch food, done properly, without the meat.
1. De Waaghals: Dutch Classics, No Meat
Where: Frans Halsstraat, De Pijp
Best for: Classic dishes reimagined for vegetarians
Vibe: Candlelit, arty, endearingly stubborn
De Waaghals has been cooking vegetarian since long before it was trendy in this cheese-and-herring-loving country. The name means “The Daredevil,” and the place feels like where your plant-based Oma might have hosted family dinners. Wooden tables, a chalkboard menu, and staff who know their celeriac from their wild garlic.
Why we send people here
- Their vegetarian stamppot changes with the seasons. Kale in winter, endive in early spring, root veg medleys good enough to convert a die-hard sausage lover.
- Mushroom bitterballen with mustard that bites back. Crisp outside, molten inside, real Dutch comfort food.
- Big on organic local produce. If it is not in season, it does not go on the plate.
Pro tip: their fixed seasonal menu is a low-key steal. Three balanced courses, all Dutch pride.
2. Morris & Bella: For the Cultured Herbivore
Where: Westerpark
Best for: Dutch fine dining with a modern veg twist
Vibe: Chic, soft-spoken, surprisingly warm
This is not your grandmother’s stamppot café. Morris & Bella is a sleek little spot with minimalist interiors and some of the most thoughtful veggie dishes this side of the North Sea. The food still tastes like the Netherlands, just told through microgreens and fermented leek.
Why you’ll fall for it
- A tasting menu with a reworked erwtensoep (pea soup) made with smoked tofu and pickled celery.
- They lean on Dutch techniques, preserving, fermenting, poaching, but put vegetables center stage.
- Their celeriac-based vegetarian rookworst (smoked sausage) is so convincing we had to check with the waiter. It was not meat.
This is vegan fine dining without the “activated cashew foam” nonsense. Still hearty, still simple, still Dutch, just polished and animal-free.
Local tip: West Amsterdam is chill and full of locals. Book ahead. They do not take walk-ins on busy nights.
3. Betty’s: Homestyle Cooking in Zuid
Where: Rijnstraat, Amsterdam Zuid
Best for: Homestyle meals with serious Dutch roots
Vibe: Secret supper club meets gallery kitchen
Ask five locals about vegetarian spots in Amsterdam and four will say “Oh, you have to try Betty’s.” The fifth probably has a standing monthly reservation.
Betty’s is small. Three rooms and a cozy corner small. It does not post on social media, has no tasting menu, and does not chase trends. It is quietly one of the best vegetarian tables in the city if you want food that tastes of gezelligheid (coziness) with every bite.
What you’ll eat
- A fixed three-course dinner that changes with the weather, the market, and maybe the chef’s mood.
- Classics like kruidige stamppot, or a mustardy spin on zuurkool (sauerkraut) with oven-roasted potatoes and a dollop of horseradish cream.
- Proper appeltaart. Not Instagram-perfect, just homemade and right.
We once took a visiting vegan friend here who had resigned herself to side salads. Two bites into her carrot-ginger stamppot she closed her eyes and said, “This tastes like forgiveness.” That is Betty’s in a sentence.
Heads up: reservation-only. No menu. Sit down and eat what they give you.
Where to Look: Three Neighborhoods
The best plant-based Dutch food lives in the neighborhoods, not around Dam Square. Three areas we point guests toward:
- De Pijp is the beating heart of the food scene. Home to De Waaghals, plus warm stroopwafels straight off the press at Albert Cuypmarkt and vegan-friendly brunch at Beter & Leuk.
- Oud-West is quieter and more local. Try the vegan mushroom bitterballen at Café Lennep, savory Dutch pancakes at Moak, and the vegan Dutch snacks in the Foodhallen.
- Jordaan is all narrow lanes and brown cafés. A few spots now serve a vegan erwtensoep that still slaps, and the appeltaart at Winkel 43 is worth the queue.
Want the full plant-based map of the city, from cheese swaps to where to brunch? Read our fuller Amsterdam for vegetarians and vegans guide.
The Last Bite
Amsterdam does not shout about it, but it has been doing meatless well for decades. These three restaurants are not compromises. No sad tofu subbed in for meat, just proper Dutch food built to be vegetarian from the ground up, good enough to quiet the loudest carnivore at the table.
That is exactly why a private tasting route built around your group works so well for mixed eaters. One table, everyone happy, no one stuck with a side salad.
So, can you eat veggie and eat like a local? In Amsterdam, easily.
