Amsterdam can absolutely be eaten through on a tight budget. The Dutch are not a tipping culture, portion sizes are honest, and a thriving street-food and immigrant-restaurant scene keeps single meals at €5-12 across every neighbourhood. This complete guide to cheap eats in Amsterdam picks 30 sub-€15 places where actual locals eat — old-school herring stands, Foodhallen counters, the famous FEBO automat, Surinamese roti shops, sushi belts, frites, falafel, and the country’s best pancake breakfast joints — organised by category and neighbourhood.
How cheaply can you eat in Amsterdam? Comfortably for €15–25 a day if you lean on street food, markets and supermarkets, and still well under €40 if you add a sit-down lunch. Single meals routinely come in at €5–12: a herring or portion of fries for under a fiver, a Surinamese roti or food-hall plate for €8–12, a supermarket lunch for around €5. The expensive trap is location, not the city — eat one street back from the canals and the same food costs far less. Prices below are 2026 ballparks; check before you go.
| Cheap meal | Where | Rough price |
|---|---|---|
| Fries with sauce | Friteshuis / market stall | €3–5 |
| Raw herring | Fish stall (haringkar) | €3–5 |
| FEBO kroket from the wall | FEBO automat | €2–3 |
| Surinamese roti or broodje | Toko, Amsterdam-Oost/De Pijp | €6–10 |
| Falafel or kebab | Maoz, snack bars | €5–9 |
| Food-hall plate | Foodhallen | €8–14 |
| Supermarket lunch | Albert Heijn / Lidl | €4–6 |
This page is the budget end of my wider Amsterdam food and drink guide. If you would rather sit down, see the best restaurants by budget; for eating on your feet, the Amsterdam street food guide goes deeper on the snacks below.
Dutch Street Food Classics
The cheapest good food in Amsterdam is also the most Dutch. None of it needs a restaurant: you eat it standing at a window or a stall, usually for the price of a coffee. Fries come thick-cut and double-fried, served in a paper cone with a sauce of your choice — get them met mayo or, if you are feeling brave, oorlog (with mayo, peanut satay sauce and raw onion). A kroket or frikandel pulled hot from the FEBO automat wall is a rite of passage. And the herring stand is the great equaliser — bankers and builders queue at the same cart. Most of these snacks get fuller treatment in the street food guide.
- Vleminckx Sausmeesters (Voetboogstraat 33) — Amsterdam’s most famous frites. €5 for fries with mayo, peanut sauce, or 28 other condiments. Cash and Maestro only.
- Manneken Pis (Damrak 41) — second-best frites, shorter queue. €4.50.
- FEBO (multiple) — the legendary Dutch automat. Hot kroketten and frikandellen pulled out of little windows in the wall. €2-3 per item. Quintessentially Dutch.
- Stubbe’s Haring (Singel near Centraal) — Hollandse Nieuwe herring with onion and pickles served traditionally. €4.50. A local institution since 1934.
- Frens Haringhandel (Koningsplein) — another classic herring stand with the same prices and a view.
- Original Stroopwafels (Albert Cuyp Market stand 144) — hot, hand-pressed stroopwafel. €2.50. Mandatory.
- Poffertjeskraam at Vondelpark — tiny puffy pancakes with butter and powdered sugar. €5 for a portion.
A Word on Herring
Herring deserves its own note because it is the cheapest, most authentic thing you can eat in Amsterdam and the one most tourists hesitate over. The Dutch eat it raw and lightly cured — “Hollandse Nieuwe” when the new-season catch lands in spring is a genuine event. You will be offered it whole (pick it up by the tail, tip your head back) or, more gently, chopped into bite-size pieces with raw onion and little pickles, eaten with a cocktail stick. It is mild, faintly sweet, not remotely fishy when fresh. At €3–5 from a good stand, it is the best-value bite in the city — just buy from a busy cart with high turnover.
Eating raw Hollandse Nieuwe (new season herring) is a Dutch summertime ritual. The classic technique: pick the herring up by its tail, dip in the chopped onion and pickle, and lower it into your mouth. €4.50. Late June through early August is peak; off-season they sell saltier preserved herring. Best stands: Stubbe’s, Frens, Volendammer Vishandel.
Markets & Food Halls
Markets are the single best value in the city, full stop. You can build a whole meal by grazing — a herring here, a portion of kibbeling there, a stroopwafel for the walk home — and spend less than one sit-down main. They are also where you taste the most cuisines in the fewest steps. For opening days, the best individual stalls and how to work each market, see my dedicated guide to Amsterdam’s food markets.
- Albert Cuypmarkt (Mon-Sat) — Amsterdam’s biggest market. Stroopwafels, herring, kibbeling, Surinamese roti, Vietnamese spring rolls, Turkish kunefe. €4-10 per stall.
- Foodhallen De Hallen (Bellamyplein 51) — 20+ small kitchens under one roof in a converted tram depot. €8-14 plates. Order from multiple stalls, share with friends.
- Noordermarkt (Saturdays) — farmers’ market with hot food stalls; great organic kibbeling.
- Dappermarkt (Mon-Sat, Amsterdam-Oost) — cheaper and more local than Albert Cuyp, with the same mix of stalls.
- Westerstraat Market (Mondays) — Surinamese and Turkish food stalls.
- De Hallen Sunday Market — seasonal designer-and-food event.
- Bloemenmarkt — tourist-priced; skip for food, but the surrounding cafes are decent.
Cheap Asian Eats
Some of the best-value cooking in Amsterdam comes out of its Asian kitchens, partly thanks to the city’s deep Indonesian and Surinamese roots and a steady stream of newer Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese spots. Surinamese food in particular is the budget traveller’s secret weapon: a roti — flaky flatbread with curried chicken or vegetables, an egg and a long-simmered potato — is a genuinely filling meal for under a tenner, and the broodjes (filled rolls) are cheaper still. Look for tokos (small Asian-Surinamese shops) in Amsterdam-Oost and the southern stretch of De Pijp.
- Yumi Sushi (Reguliersbreestraat 33) — conveyor belt sushi from €2.75/plate. Easy to eat for under €10.
- Thaise Snackbar Bird (Zeedijk 72) — Laotian-Thai street food in Amsterdam’s Chinatown. Most mains under €15.
- Pie-Nong Thai (multiple) — Pad Thai, Keng Kai red curry, Pad Sieuw for around €10.
- Soo Khao (Zeedijk) — popular Indonesian-Chinese with sub-€12 mains.
- Bun Saigon (multiple) — Vietnamese bahn mi and pho around €10.
- Asian Bites at De Foodhallen — bao buns, dumplings and noodles €8-12.
- Wok to Walk (multiple) — build-your-own stir-fry from €10.
- Sumo Sushi & Grill — all-you-can-eat sushi from €20 (one-step above cheap eats but huge portions).
Kebabs & Falafel
Kebab and falafel shops are the backbone of cheap, fast eating in Amsterdam, and quality is generally high thanks to genuine competition. A döner or shawarma wrap runs €6–9 and will keep you going for hours; falafel spots like Maoz let you build your own with unlimited salad bar for a little less. These are also your most reliable hot meal late at night and on Sundays, when smaller kitchens close.
- Leeman’s Doner (multiple) — widely regarded as Amsterdam’s best kebab. Doner from €9.
- Maoz Falafel (multiple) — classic falafel pita with self-serve salad bar. €8.
- Falafel Tof (Eerste Sweelinckstraat) — top-rated De Pijp falafel.
- Pasha (Reguliersdwarsstraat) — late-night Turkish, open until 4am.
- Sir Hummus (Van der Helstplein) — best hummus in Amsterdam, €12 plates.
- Habibi Ana — Iraqi-Lebanese, generous mezze platters around €13.
Cheap Italian
Italian is the reliable fallback when someone in your group has decided they cannot face another kroket. Amsterdam has plenty of honest, family-run pizzerias and pasta spots away from the tourist drag where a wood-fired pizza or a plate of fresh pasta lands around €10–14. Skip the photo-menu places on the main squares; the good, cheap Italian tends to hide on residential streets in De Pijp, Oost and the Jordaan, often with a short handwritten menu and a queue of regulars.
- Spaghetteria (multiple) — fresh pasta from €14.50.
- Mastino V Pizza (Eerste Sweelinckstraat 41) — vegan Neapolitan pizza, queue at 6.30pm.
- Pizza Project (Tweede Schinkelstraat) — Roman-style pizza al taglio, €4-7 per slice.
- Numero Uno (Reguliersgracht 13) — Roman pizza by the slice.
- Mama Roma (Frederiksplein) — proper sit-down Italian with kids welcome.
Brown Cafe Lunches
The bruin café — Amsterdam’s wood-panelled, tobacco-stained neighbourhood pub — is an underrated lunch option. The food is simple and honest: a tosti (toasted ham-and-cheese), a bowl of pea soup in winter, an uitsmijter (fried eggs on bread with ham or cheese), or a plate of bitterballen to share. Prices are fair because locals would revolt otherwise, and you get to sit in one of the city’s most atmospheric rooms while you eat. It is the cheapest way to feel like you live here.
Amsterdam’s brown cafes (bruin cafés) often serve solid sit-down lunches under €12, with the bonus of the city’s most atmospheric interiors.
- Cafe ‘t Gasthuys — sub-€10 lunches, dinner around €15.
- Cafe Hoppe (Spui) — bar food & daily specials.
- Cafe Berkhout (Stadhouderskade) — classic Amsterdam breakfast and sandwiches.
- Cafe Chris (Bloemstraat) — beer-and-broodje setup, since 1624.
- Cafe Krull (Sarphatipark) — De Pijp’s local favourite.
- Cafe de Tuin (Tweede Tuindwarsstraat) — chill Jordaan brown cafe with daily specials.
Lunch Spots & Sandwich Shops
Lunch is where Amsterdam quietly saves you money, because the same kitchens charge far less at noon than at night. The Dutch lunch is famously modest — a broodje (filled roll), a tosti, or a bowl of soup — which keeps prices low at sandwich shops and bakeries across the city. Look for a broodje gezond (a loaded healthy roll) or a fresh-filled baguette for €4–7, and pair it with a coffee rather than a sit-down service charge.
- Singel 404 — beloved sandwich shop near the Spui. Lunch €10-12.
- Stach Food (multiple) — quick deli-style takeaway lunches.
- De Bakkerswinkel (multiple) — French-leaning lunch and high tea.
- Vinnies (Haarlemmerstraat 46) — fully plant-based daytime cafe.
- SLA (multiple) — fast-casual quality salads from €11.
- The Cottage (Westerstraat) — Jordaan breakfast and lunch.
- Toki (Binnen Dommersstraat 15) — Japanese filter coffee + pastries.
- Pluk (Reestraat) — bowls and smoothies, €9-13.
Diaspora & Ethnic Food Bargains
Amsterdam’s immigrant kitchens are where your euro stretches furthest. Turkish and Syrian grills, Egyptian and Lebanese spots, Ethiopian sharing platters and Moroccan tagines all turn up across the city, concentrated in Amsterdam-Oost, the Indische Buurt and west around De Baarsjes. Portions tend to be generous and prices stay honest because these places feed their own communities, not just tourists. If in doubt, eat where you see big family tables and a queue of locals.
- Roopram Roti (Eerste Van Swindenstraat) — Surinamese roti shop, €8-10 plates.
- Warung Spang Makandra (Gerard Doustraat) — Surinamese-Indonesian.
- De Tropische (Albert Cuypmarkt) — Surinamese roti and bakabana around €8.
- Café Toko Anda (De Pijp) — quick, cheap Indonesian.
- Habibi Ana — Iraqi shawarma.
- Cobra Cuisine — Eritrean injera platters around €15.
- Tongtong Festival pop-ups in summer — Indonesian street food.
Vegan & Veggie on a Budget
Eating plant-based and cheap is genuinely easy here. Falafel is the obvious workhorse — Maoz and the independent shops let you pile on unlimited salad for around €6–8 — but the markets, food halls and Asian tokos all do affordable veg-forward plates. Even the snack bar has you covered with a kaassoufflé or a cone of fries. For a sit-down treat, several pay-by-weight vegan buffets keep a full meal under €12 if you are sensible at the scales.
- The Lilac (De Vlinderboom) — pay-what-you-can vegan community kitchen (Mon, Tue, Thu).
- Robin Food Collective — vegan 3-course dinner €15 on weekday nights.
- Spirit Vegan (Westerstraat) — pay-by-weight vegan buffet.
- Vegan Junk Food Bar (multiple) — burgers and dirty-vegan plates €10-14.
- Meatless District (Bilderdijkstraat) — Buddha bowls €11-14.
- Mr. & Mrs. Watson (Linnaeusstraat) — slightly above €15 but excellent value.
Late-Night Cheap Eats
After midnight your options narrow to snacks, and that is fine — Amsterdam does late-night snacking well. The FEBO automat wall stays open into the small hours: feed it coins, pop the little door, pull out a hot kroket or kaassoufflé. Kebab and falafel shops around Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein run late and cheap, if a touch chaotic at closing time. Avoid the sit-down “tourist” places still touting at 1am; the honest late food is at the window, not the table.
- FEBO (multiple) — open until 4am; hot croquettes from a wall €2.50.
- Manneken Pis — open until 1am.
- Pasha (Reguliersdwarsstraat) — Turkish until 4am.
- Wok to Walk (Damrak) — open until 3am Fridays/Saturdays.
- Maoz Falafel — open until 1-3am.
- Mannetje & Co (Ceintuurbaan) — sit-down kitchen open until 2am.
Self-Catering: Albert Heijn & Supermarkets
Do not sleep on the supermarket. Albert Heijn is the ubiquitous one, but Lidl, Aldi and the Dutch chain Dirk are noticeably cheaper for the same staples. Beyond the obvious bread-and-cheese lunch, the chilled sections do decent ready meals, fresh stroopwafels, and a surprisingly good range of Indonesian and Surinamese components if you want to assemble something at your apartment. A useful trick: many supermarkets discount fresh items late in the day with a yellow sticker, so an evening shop can be cheaper still.
If your accommodation has a kitchen, Dutch supermarkets are excellent value. Albert Heijn is on every other street corner. Lidl, Aldi and Dirk are cheaper still. A €5 Albert Heijn lunch (bread + cheese + fruit + drink) feeds you for half what a cafe charges.
- AH To Go at Centraal: sandwiches €3-5, salads €4-6.
- Albert Heijn XL: full-size supermarkets in De Pijp, Jordaan, west.
- Lidl Centraal Markt: 30% cheaper than Albert Heijn for staples.
- Dirk van den Broek: Dutch budget chain.
- Picnic: app-based grocery delivery if you’re staying multiple days.
Cheap Eats by Neighbourhood
Cheap eating clusters in specific parts of town, so a little geography goes a long way. De Pijp and Amsterdam-Oost are the heavy hitters for value; the Jordaan rewards you with brown-café lunches; Oud-West has Foodhallen for all-weather grazing; and Noord, a free ferry ride from Centraal, is the up-and-comer. If you have not settled on a base yet, read this beside the Amsterdam neighborhoods guide — staying somewhere with good cheap food nearby quietly saves you a fortune over a week.
Centrum
Vleminckx, FEBO, Stubbe’s Haring, Yumi Sushi, Cafe Hoppe, Maoz.
Jordaan
Winkel43 (apple pie), Cafe de Tuin, Toki coffee, Pancakes Amsterdam.
De Pijp
Albert Cuypmarkt, Sir Hummus, Falafel Tof, Mastino V Pizza, Spirit Vegan.
Oud-West & De Hallen
Foodhallen, Vinnies, Bakers & Roasters, Vegan Junk Food Bar.
Noord
Pllek (beach bar), Pancake Boat, NDSM food trucks.
Practical Money-Saving Tips
- Lunch is half the price of dinner for the same dishes — eat your big meal at noon.
- Many cafes have a daily €10-12 lunch special (dagschotel) — ask.
- Tap water is excellent — refill any time, free.
- Service is included by law — don’t double-tip.
- Cash isn’t always king: many places are Maestro-only or card-only.
- The Fork app offers 30-50% discounts at midrange restaurants for off-peak slots.
- HEMA sells genuinely good Dutch hot sausage rolls (rookworst) for €3-4.
- Tony’s Chocolonely from supermarkets is the cheapest souvenir-able dessert at €3 a bar.
Cheap Eats to Skip
- Restaurants on Damrak and Leidseplein — 50%+ markup for tourist-grade food.
- Coffee shops on the main canals often charge €5+ for a basic espresso.
- "Authentic Dutch" tourist restaurants near Anne Frank House — overpriced bitterballen and pancakes.
- Steakhouses near Rembrandtplein — neon menus = tourist traps.
- Anything in a clipboard-touted brochure handed out at Centraal.
- Vegan and vegetarian restaurants — the best plant-based cooking in the city.
The pattern is simple: the closer a restaurant sits to a famous sight or a tram-stop square, and the more languages on its photo menu, the worse the value. None of this means the centre is off-limits — it just means you walk a few minutes further to eat. Building a rough food plan into your itinerary helps; the Amsterdam trip planning guide has more on pacing your days so you are never stranded hungry in a tourist trap at 2pm.
Cheap Eats Amsterdam: FAQ
What’s the cheapest meal in Amsterdam?
A FEBO hot croquette (€2.50) or a Stubbe’s Haring herring (€4.50). For a proper meal under €10: a kebab, falafel, or Vleminckx frites.
Where do locals eat cheaply in Amsterdam?
Albert Cuypmarkt, the Foodhallen, brown cafes (Cafe Hoppe, Cafe Berkhout, Cafe Krull), and the immigrant restaurants on Zeedijk, Westerstraat and the Eerste Sweelinckstraat in De Pijp.
How much should I budget for food per day in Amsterdam?
Budget €25-35/day for cheap eats only; €50/day for mixed cheap-eats and one mid-range dinner; €80/day if you want a proper sit-down dinner with wine.
Is street food safe in Amsterdam?
Yes — Dutch hygiene standards are strict. Albert Cuyp Market and Foodhallen vendors are inspected regularly.
What’s the best cheap eats neighbourhood?
De Pijp (around Albert Cuyp) for variety, Foodhallen Oud-West for variety under one roof, Chinatown/Zeedijk for Asian.
Do I need to tip in Amsterdam?
Service is included by Dutch law. Round up to the next €5 for good service; 10% for exceptional.
Final Thoughts
Eating cheaply in Amsterdam is not about going without — it is about eating like a local instead of like a tourist. The city’s best-value food is also its most characterful: a herring on a bridge, a roti in Oost, a plate shared across a food-hall table, a late kroket from a coin-operated wall. Spend your money on one or two meals that actually matter and graze happily the rest of the time. Prices and opening hours shift, so double-check anything you are crossing town for, then follow your nose.
Cheap eats are some of the most fun food in Amsterdam — the city was built around its markets, its harbour herring stands and its immigrant kitchens, and the local food culture has stayed grounded even as the centre gentrified. Build at least one meal a day around the Foodhallen, Albert Cuyp Market, a fresh herring stand or a FEBO croquette window, and you’ll eat as Amsterdammers do for half the budget you’d assume.
Keep exploring: the Amsterdam food and drink guide for the full picture, must-try Dutch foods for what to order, Amsterdam street food for snacks on the move, food markets for grazing, and the best restaurants by budget when you want to sit down.
