Where to Eat Mexican and Latin American Food in Amsterdam

Essentially Amsterdam Life · July 21, 2026

Amsterdam’s Latin American food scene has grown far beyond the token taco, and today you can eat your way from a Mexico City street stall to an Argentine steakhouse without leaving the ring of canals.

For anyone missing the bold flavors of the Americas, or simply hungry for something with real fire and generosity, the city has quietly become a rewarding place to look.

Mexican and Latin spots to try first

Three Mexican kitchens lead this list, then one each from Argentina, Colombia and Peru, because Latin American is not a single cuisine and a grill will not do if you came for tacos.

Two of the six are on the same West street, the Willem de Zwijgerlaan, where the choice comes down to whether you want a table or a delivery.

Sombrero Mexico Restaurant

Sombrero runs the full Mexican card of tacos, burritos, quesadillas and fajitas, and sets Argentinian beef, fish and vegetarian plates beside it, from Nieuwezijds Kolk in the old centre.

Noon to eleven every day and 3,233 reviews at 4.6 make it the central default when a table of people cannot agree.

Tres Amigos

Delivery and takeaway are the point of Tres Amigos, at the low-numbered end of the Willem de Zwijgerlaan, and it keeps by far the longest hours here: eleven in the morning to half past ten, and through to one in the morning on Friday and Saturday.

Its 1,195 reviews come in at 4.6, a solid figure for a kitchen most of its customers never sit down in.

LUPE

Lupe builds its Mexican food to share, further up the Willem de Zwijgerlaan, so it suits four people better than one person eating after work.

It opens evenings only from Tuesday to Friday, at noon on Saturday and stops at three on Sunday, with 82 per cent of its 605 reviews five-star.

Saint Morris

Nothing else here matches the reach of Saint Morris on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, whose 7,335 reviews at 4.7 outnumber the other five on this list put together.

It grills Argentinian, sits in the middle of the old centre, and is the only name below that is never shut.

Tropico Latin Flavors

Colombian cooking, with empanadas and arepas named on the menu, from the Hoofdweg in West, and it files itself as a gastropub as well as a restaurant.

Weekdays start at four in the afternoon and weekends at noon, with 1,603 reviews putting it at 4.6.

Moche

Peru gets its entry through Moche on the Linnaeuskade in Oost, which trades five days a week and shuts on Sunday and Monday both.

Dinner starts at six midweek and noon on Friday and Saturday, and its 552 reviews at 4.7 are the smallest count here on one of the higher averages.

From tacos to asado

The umbrella of “Latin” covers enormous ground here, from Mexican antojitos (little cravings, the small plates that anchor a taqueria) to the slow-grilled asado (Argentine barbecue) that turns a dinner into an evening-long event.

Portions tend to run generous, and sharing is very much the point.

Because the cuisines are so varied, it pays to know what you are in the mood for before you book.

A quick, punchy taco lunch and a three-hour grill dinner are worlds apart, even if both happen to fly the same broad flag.

Argentine steak and grills

Argentine kitchens are especially well represented, and they take their beef seriously.

Saint Morris Argentinian Restaurant and Salmuera are the kind of places to go when you want a proper cut cooked over open flame, paired with a robust Malbec and no reason at all to rush.

Expect chimichurri on the table, plenty of charred vegetables alongside the meat, and staff happy to steer you toward the right cut for your appetite.

It is a style of dining that suits a celebration or a long, unhurried catch-up with friends, the sort of meal that unfolds over several hours.

Beyond the taqueria

Look a little wider and you will find Peruvian ceviche, Colombian arepas, Venezuelan snacks and Brazilian comfort food scattered across the city.

Each brings its own staples and traditions, so a curious eater can spend months working through the map without ever repeating a country.

If you are building a run of international meals, the neighborhoods that hold these kitchens also brim with the city’s restaurants of every other stripe, and casual spots that shade toward American burgers and diner fare when you want something simpler after a big night out.

Flavors worth seeking out

Part of the fun is discovering ingredients that rarely make it onto a Dutch menu, from smoky chipotle and fresh tomatillos to plantain, yuca and dulce de leche.

Many kitchens import these directly, so the flavors land closer to the real thing than you might expect this far north.

A good margarita or a glass of pisco rounds out the experience, and staff are usually delighted to explain an unfamiliar dish if you ask.

Where to find them

De Pijp and the streets around it are a dependable starting point, mixing lively taquerias with sit-down grills.

Amsterdam-West and the canal belt hold a scattering of well-loved spots too, and many keep buzzing late, so a Latin dinner can roll comfortably into drinks.

For a lazy weekend, some of these kitchens overlap with the city’s brunch scene, serving huevos rancheros and strong coffee well into the afternoon.

Others come alive after dark, when the music turns up and the cocktails start flowing, and a simple dinner drifts happily into a longer night.

Ordering and practical tips

Spice levels are often milder than you might expect by default, so ask for the heat turned up if you like it fierce, most kitchens are glad to oblige.

Grills and popular weekend tables book out, so reserve ahead, and bring an appetite, because sharing plates arrive fast and keep coming.

Groups do especially well here, since the whole style of eating is built around passing dishes around a crowded table.

It is worth arriving hungry and curious, ready to try a dish you cannot pronounce, because that willingness is often what separates a good meal from a memorable one.

When you want to keep exploring the city’s global tables, the neighboring Chinese restaurants round out a satisfyingly varied week of eating.

Hungry already?

Explore the full guide to Amsterdam Mexican and Latin restaurants to find your next table.