Arriving in Amsterdam after what felt like a forever train ride on an uncomfortable sleeper train from Austria was like….

But we persevered and rode into the station early in the morning after little sleep. After a brief and unnecessary sleep deprived couple’s argument we left our bags in the storage area of the railway station and googled the nearest gluten free restaurant.

The seemingly simple task did not turn out as simple as we hoped. After about 45 minutes of running around looking for a place without a line (and another passionate hangry argument) we ended up at PIQNIQ which was the beginning of my culinary love affair with Amsterdam, of course my gluten free culinary lover affair.

Below is a list of some of our favorite gluten free spots we discovered over a week in Amsterdam and some suggestions on where to find more. Amsterdam is not intuitively a gluten free friendly city – like Germany or New York City – but everyone knows what gluten free means and everyone will tell you if there’s a chance for cross contamination. Most of the places we visited had the possibility of cross contamination with a few places who made certain not to cross contaminate.

PRO-TIP: The Dutch word for Gluten Free is Glutenvrij. Anything labeled as such is Gluten Free. 

Brunch/Breakfast

PIQNIQ –

A cute breakfast/brunch/lunch place that serves tapas style small lunch plates. They are able to offer customized gluten free dishes because they bake a few gluten free deserts (perfect for their Tea Time or High Tea Time menu items) and they also have gluten free bread. There is the chance for cross contamination so celiacs like my husband do take a risk. Severe celiacs may have a reaction but those who are lucky enough to not have reactions or who are adhering to a GF lifestyle will love the convenience of this place and the sandwiches and soups are delicious. I ate a non-gluten free meal of Roasted Summer Squash Corn Soup and Humus, whereas Christian had two sandwiches – a salmon and roast beef sandwich on gluten free bread.

Bakers & Roasters –

Delicious art on a plate. This place is known for it’s many Instagramable dishes, fun cocktails, and delicious brunches. It’s open until 4pm during the week and it offered a variety of gluten free options. Conveniently the menu lets patrons know which dishes are gluten free or can be modified to be gluten free. Christian ate the gluten free Eggs Royal (Salmon Benedict) while I enjoyed the healthy and beautiful Raspberry Coconut Bircher Muesli. Unfortunately the Muesli is not gluten free but there are plenty of breakfast items that are. We were informed of the risk of cross contamination so those with severe celiac disease may not be able to dine here.

Lunch/Dinner

Jacketz –

Is a Dutch chain restaurant dedicated solely to the potato.  Which is naturally gluten free 🙂 This place offers a delicious heap of crispy baked potatoes cooked in sea salt and oil and loaded with Vegan, Vegetarian, Fish, or Meat mains with a side sauce. You can get a whole potatoes which is equivalent to a pound or a half potato. Whole potatoes should ONLY be for sharing unless you are seriously hungry. But the flavors of the mains are to die for and the atmosphere of the place feels more coffee shop than restaurant. They even offer free wifi. Christian ate a “chicken melt” potato which was basically chicken with bacon piled on top and some cheese. I ate the Vegan option with green curry and humus. They also have a great selection of local beers and cider for celiacs. It’s located in a few places – with one being in the heart of the central area so you can tour the red light district or a coffee shop and eat to your hearts full at Jacketz.

Café Loetje –

This place is a redeeming steakhouse for all of Europe. I usually stay away from steaks while in Germany and Austria since I feel they can’t live up to New York steaks but the Dutch know how to cook a good medium rare steak and Cafe Loetje proves it. They have a few other items on the menu but the real show stopper is their sirloin steak. They cook the steak in it’s own juices which produce a gluten free gravy. You can have the steak one of three ways “Normal” “Bali” and “De Roode Waard”. Normal just comes with gravy and “De Rood Waard” comes with onions, bacon and liver. Christian had the normal steak and I had the De Roode Waard without the liver. They offer a menu with allergy information and they even cooked the French Fries we ordered in separate oil for Christian. You just need to inform the waiter of your allergy and then sit down for a magical steak experience.

Sweets

Sugar & Spice Bakery

This is a cute bohemian/ hipster like bakery that’s family run. It has regular hours but it’s open when they decided to open it. We can once during “opening” hours and it was closed. We came another time and it was open. They are cash only but they have a good selection of coffee, teas, and gluten free deserts. They also sell a packaged gluten free items like biscuits, crackers, and granola. They offer gluten free granola dishes, gluten free sandwiches, gluten free cookies, and desserts of the day. When we arrived Christian had the option of pudding or chocolate pie for desserts of the day. He opted for the pie.

Morning to 5pm – Markets

De Albert Cuypmarkt

It’s a fantastic market with shopping of all kind that was near the Airbnb where we stayed. They offer all kinds of food, clothing, souvenirs, and natural hair products. YES! I was able to get all of my black hair products at a market which allowed for me to take down my braids and wear my hair in a few protective styles while in Amsterdam. So my fellow sistas, feel free to not bring any products with you when you visit Amsterdam — you can buy them all. There are two beauty stores that supply everything including hair. But beyond that this market offers some gluten free options. Most of the outdoor stalls are connected to brick and mortar stores. There are a few bakeries that offer gluten free stroopwafels for under five euros. You can stockpile them here. There’s also a cheese and olive store, as well as a french fry stand. There are also about 3 surinamese restaurants.

After hours

J.D. William’s Whisky Bar –

This bar is a classic whisky bar with whisky cocktails and two knowledgeable and bit sassy bartenders. They offer whiskeys from all over and make a mean cocktail. They also have a menu which consists solely of tacos on “Taco Tuesdays” and a bit more variety every other day. It’s a place where it feels like locals and tourist meet sit down for a spirit delicacy. The menu leans toward Asian Fusion and the kitchen is open. They have two item that are gluten free: Korean Beef Tacos and Poke Bowls, both of which were delicious and light. We enjoyed our first visit there so much that we came back for a second time. It’s a great find in the city and it’s conveniently located – literally almost around the corner from the Anne Frank house. It does get busy in the evenings so if you have a large group reservations are recommended.

Other Gluten Free Options we didn’t get a chance to check out:

Grocery – Glutenvrije winkel Amsterdam

Breakfast –

• Omelegg
• Greenwoods – Keizersgracht 465

Dinner – Cafe Piazza 

A Great Resource for GF in Amsterdam: www.glutenfreeamsterdam.com