Fries in Amsterdam are one of the simplest, yet most enjoyable experiences to be had while visiting the Dutch capital. Patat, or frites, as locals call them both, are Amsterdammers’ favorite street food. Crispy outside and fluffy inside, Amsterdam fries are traditionally served in a tall paper cone with toppings and eaten with mini wooden forks to prevent a mess. Patat are the perfect portable snack.
Beyond the practicality of patat for on-the-go life in the Netherlands’ largest city, there is a much deeper meaning for the local culture. Across Amsterdam, hundreds of friteshuizen, or fries establishments, create connections between people in a place that’s long been defined by comings and goings.
These are the best ways to try fries in Amsterdam, including the most popular sauces and toppings and where the locals love to order them.
What Makes Amsterdam Fries Special?
Sauces and Toppings
Frites
What sets fries in Amsterdam apart are their heavy sauces unique to Dutch tastes. Every friethuys has about 10 of the most standard sauces found around the Netherlands. Some common ones include a light mayo, ketchup, peanut sauce, Andalouse—a concoction of tomato paste, mayo and peppers that’s a little sweet and a little spicy—and samurai sauce made from mayo and chili paste.
A lot of friethuizen make their own signatures, promising unique experiences from vendor to vendor. The variety has wide-ranging flavors, from savory to spicy and sweet. The Dutch capital of Amsterdam is especially known for having the most experimental saus culture.
What makes the experience of Amsterdam fries most special is trying different ones, even mixing and matching by ordering one of the classic combinations or creating an order entirely your own.
Preparation and Cooking Technique
Fries
The best Amsterdam fries are made according to a traditional cooking approach perfected over centuries. First, patat are thick-cut by hand and then they’re double-fried. The first round of frying is done at a low temperature, typically 285 to 320°F, to cook them through the inside without browning. The fries are then left to rest, sometimes refrigerated or held at room temperature, helping the potato starch set, which later enhances the crispy texture.
On the second round of frying, frites go back into the basket at a slightly higher temperature, around 345 to 375 °F, to ensure outer crispiness and soft, fluffy interior. The crunchy exterior shell is more important than you think. Without double-frying, Amsterdam fries would get soggy fast with all their heavy toppings.
Frites
Overall, you can think of Amsterdam fries as being special in a few ways: their thick-cut preparation differentiates them from thinner, traditional French-style fries, while the double-frying gives them more bite than their American-style counterparts. Last but not least, Amsterdam fries shops tend to more commonly fry with plant-based oils while the Belgian-style tradition uses beef tallow.
Before you order at a friethuys, how can you tell if they make them in this proper, handmade style? If you see potatoes being freshly cut, that’s always a good sign; it means that fries are hand-cut and not frozen, and likely cut as needed so they don’t sit out for too long and lose their crispness. But, even more importantly, avoid any friethuys where you don’t see frying-to-order.
The History of Amsterdam Fries
Fries
Fries in Amsterdam take after the Belgian-Flemish tradition of being twice-cut and double-fried.
Belgium is often credited with inventing fries in the 17th or 18th century, although the French may dispute this. Either way, the tradition of frites most likely crossed the border to the Netherlands within the next couple centuries. Amsterdam, particularly, was a port city which was always open to trends and international cuisines; regional similarities between Belgium’s Flanders region and the Netherlands also fostered cultural sharing and probably helped frites catch on.
In the Dutch capital, frites became an integral part of bustling urban port life; a quick, portable, filling, and affordable snack for workers on-the-go.
The Best Sauces to Try
Frietsaus
Frietsaus
This is the default mayo-like sauce in the Netherlands; it’s what you’ll get when you order frites met, or simply “fries with”—you needn’t say anything more.
Frietsaus, also spelled fritessaus, is lighter, sweeter and less fatty than real mayo. In fact, most friteshuizen in Amsterdam don’t carry real mayo unless they make Belgian-style fries. You’ll find that frietsaus also makes the base for most other sauces in more adventurous flavors, for example, Andalouse and Joppiesaus.
Satay Sauce
Satay Sauce
Satay is a thick, creamy peanut sauce that’s super popular. Emerging out of Dutch colonial history, it’s an Indonesian-style sauce sometimes available with sambal chili paste for heat, or as a sweet-sour, chutney-inspired variation. Essentially, it’s peanut butter in a spicy, liquid form.
Joppiesaus
Joppiesaus
This is a mixture that’s unique to the Netherlands containing frietsaus, curry powder, and onion powder—tangy, slightly sweet, and bright yellow. Pronounce it like a Dutch local with a soft “h” sound rather than a “y” sound so it comes out like “hoppie-sows”.
Knoflooksaus
Knoflooksaus
Knoflooksaus is a creamy garlic frietsaus sometimes mixed with tangy yogurt; you could tell yourself this is a healthy option were it not for the fact that it’s served on a mountain of twice-cooked fries.
Curry Ketchup
Curry Ketchup
Curry ketchup is, as the name suggests, ketchup spiked with curry spices including paprika, coriander, cloves, and just the slightest hint of chili.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to Amsterdam’s Street Food Scene
The Best Combos to Try
Oorlog
Oorlog
Oorlog is a combination of satay sauce, frietsaus, and raw onions. Translated from Dutch, “war fries”, is an unlikely yet delicious flavor combo. It combines satay sauce and frietsaus sprinkled with finely chopped raw onions on the cone of fries. The name itself comes from such different, competing flavors at play.
Speciaal
Speciaal
Speciaal is an Amsterdam dish that’s sweet, piquant, and creamy. Finely chopped onions add crunchy texture. Speciaal fries can also usually be upgraded to a Deluxe version with more toppings. Sambal and shallots are the most popular choices, but you can really get anything you want.
Kapsalon
Kapsalon
This Rotterdam invention, which is also very popular in Amsterdam, comes with kebab meat, cheese, salad, garlic sauce, and sambal. Some friteshuizen have it, but you’ll most likely find it at döner and shawarma shops.
Where to Find the Best Fries in Amsterdam
Vleminckx, Centrum
Vleminckx, Centrum Photo by
Jeremy Keith on Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Serving up fries since 1887, Amsterdam’s most famous friteshuis has been occupying the same tiny, hole-in-the-wall since 1957. Vleminckx has over 20 different sauces, including the classics and some more creative ones too including apple and green pepper. There’s usually a long line, but it tends to move quickly.
FabelFriet, Centrum
FabelFriet, Centrum
This cult favorite in Amsterdam’s city center is known for hand-cutting fresh potatoes throughout the day and making their own sauces. It also has a few unique rotating creations including a highly popular truffle mayo, smoky chipotle mayo, and basil-garlic mayo.
Freddy Fryday, Oosterpark
Near Oosterpark, Freddy Fryday has a unique spin on Amsterdam fries. They come in a box or a cone piled high with gourmet combo toppings from pulled pork to parmesan and truffles, or cheesy mushrooms. Order some to go and make a picnic to enjoy in Oosterpark, canals framing up the park on both sides.
Pont Neuf, Amsterdam Noord
When you get off the free ferry shuttle from Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord, you’ll find this kiosk conveniently located right next to the IJ River ferry dock at Buiksloterweg. Frites here are hand-cut from organic potatoes and are uniquely cooked with a non-traditional twist, baked in soybean oil rather than deep-fried for a less-heavy, more digestible version. Pont Neuf stocks an excellent range of sauces; the kiosk does frites oorlog to perfection.
Vlaamse Frites, Amsterdam Noord
Vlaamse Frites, Amsterdam Noord
If you want to try Belgian-style fries, from which the Dutch tradition draws its inspiration, head to this friethuys, appropriately named “Flemish Fries”. Located near the Buiksloterweg ferry terminal, you can find frites, made from locally sourced potatoes, sharing the thick-cut, double-fried Dutch tradition, as well as sauces which include your choice of Belgian-style mayo or frietsaus.
The only non-traditional aspect of how they are prepared is that instead of being fried in beef tallow, as Flemish fries usually are, the shop uses vegetable oil so they’re suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Vegan Junk Food Bar, De Pijp
As this restaurant’s name suggests, everything is vegan here—and their plant-based menu of Amsterdam fries with sauces and other toppings is very good. The fries here are made according to the tried-and-true method of hand-cutting and double-frying in sunflower oil; they are served with a range of homemade plant-based sauces such as truffle mayo, sambal, or other toppings like vegan cheese and fresh chili.
Tips for Enjoying Fries Like a Local
Order Fries With Frietsaus
Frietsaus
You can’t go wrong with this traditional topping. Despite the wide array of frites sauces available in Amsterdam, you will see around the city that most locals don’t get too experimental with their orders, instead preferring a timeless—and admittedly, much easier to consume—classic.
Order a Classic Combo
Oorlog
In trying different sauces and toppings, there’s a lot of fun to be had but not every combination is going to work. Sticking to classic combos like Oorlog and Speciaal is usually a safe choice for the taste buds.
Order Sauces or Toppings on the Side
Fries
If you’re not sure whether you’d like a sauce or a topping thrown onto your cone, ask for a little plastic container serving on the side. Also, put any more than two to three toppings, including sauce, on a cone and the fries tend to get soggy and messy.
Enjoy as a Late-Night Snack
Fries
Friteshuizen usually open around midday and stay open until every other dining establishment has closed. Amsterdam fries are a popular staple of the Dutch capital’s busy nightlife, so share a cone after dinner as your “dessert”.
Enjoy Amsterdam Fries Slowly While Sharing
Fries
Fries are a prime example of the Dutch cultural value of gezelligheid, or the cozy feeling one gets from socializing, so the best way is to savor them slowly and while sitting comfortably—preferably, with a nice view.
In Amsterdam, you’re never too far away from public seating, whether it’s at benches placed around the downtown canals or in abundant public city parks. While frites are made for on-the-go consumption, eating them while walking still gets a little messy.
FabelFriet
Sharing is also an integral part of the experience—especially against the backdrop of Amsterdam. The Dutch capital, a historically busy port city, is now one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The art of Gezelligheid, and cozy togetherness while sharing food and moments, becomes even more meaningful in a place where human connections can be fleeting and temporary.
Read: Amsterdam Travel Tips
Amsterdam
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