I was lucky enough to live in Amsterdam for two years, and in my opinion, the Dutch capital is one of the best cities in Europe for frites, sitting just behind Brussels. That probably has a lot to do with the Belgian influence and the number of places selling Vlaamse frites, or Flemish fries, across the city. So whenever I return to Amsterdam, one of the first things I want to do after dropping off my bags is head straight out in search of a paper cone filled with hot, crispy fries. Unless I am visiting in October or November, of course, when my attention is usually distracted by seasonal Dutch treats like kruidnoten and banketstaaf.
Like most popular food in a busy city, Amsterdam frites can be brilliant, disappointing, or clearly aimed at tourists who may never return. With that in mind, I decided to taste some of the city’s most talked-about friteries and compare them properly. The goal was simple: find the best frites in Amsterdam, judging them on freshness, texture, sauce coverage, flavour, value, and whether they lived up to the hype.
You can thank me later, preferably while eating a cone of perfectly crisp, sauce-covered fries by a canal.
