Amsterdam French Restaurants

Top Amsterdam French Restaurants

Essentially Amsterdam Reader's Choice 2026

Arles

4.6★★★★★

(1112 reviews)

Essentially Amsterdam Reader's Choice 2026

Govert Flinckstraat 251, 1073 BX Amsterdam

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French restaurant
Bistro
European restaurant
Fine dining restaurant

Arles is a modern French bistro in a quiet side street in Amsterdam’s De Pijp, shaped by the Parisian bistronomie style. The kitchen serves creative dishes at accessible prices in an informal, artistic setting, with...

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Vinkeles

4.7★★★★★

(395 reviews)

Essentially Amsterdam Reader's Choice 2026

Keizersgracht 384, 1016 GB Amsterdam

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Fine dining restaurant
French restaurant
Mediterranean restaurant

Vinkeles at The Dylan Amsterdam offers fine dining with a French and Mediterranean focus, led by executive chef Jurgen van der Zalm. The restaurant is noted for its Chef’s Signature Menu and two Michelin stars,...

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WestCord Fashion Hotel Amsterdam

4.3★★★★★

(3937 reviews)

Hendrikje Stoffelsstraat 1, 1058 GC Amsterdam

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Restaurant
Cocktail bar
Conference center
Haute French restaurant

WestCord Fashion Hotel Amsterdam combines a restaurant, cocktail bar and conference setting in Amsterdam, with a haute French restaurant among its dining options. The hotel highlights a broad culinary offering, from fresh fish to Italian...

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Black and Blue

4.3★★★★★

(3719 reviews)

Leliegracht 46, 1015 DH Amsterdam

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Restaurant
American restaurant
Cafe
Continental restaurant

Black and Blue is a busy Amsterdam restaurant with a broad American and continental menu and daily service from late morning until 11pm. It has gathered more than 3,700 Google reviews, and the review split...

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The Happy Pig Pancake Shop

4.5★★★★★

(3719 reviews)

Rosmarijnsteeg 12, 1012 RP Amsterdam

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Creperie
Breakfast restaurant
Brunch restaurant
Coffee shop

Pancakes, crêpes and brunch are the focus at The Happy Pig Pancake Shop in Amsterdam, which also serves coffee. It’s open daily from 9am to 6pm and has a strong online following, with more than...

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Café Restaurant De Ysbreeker

4.2★★★★★

(3281 reviews)

Weesperzijde 23, 1091 EC Amsterdam

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Restaurant
Cafe
French restaurant
Brasserie

Café Restaurant De Ysbreeker is an Amsterdam café, brasserie and French restaurant open daily from 8am to midnight. With more than 3,000 Google reviews, it is one of the busier places in the area and...

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Pancake Company Amsterdam

4.6★★★★★

(2906 reviews)

Singel 492A, 1017 AW Amsterdam

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Pancake restaurant
Breakfast restaurant
Brunch restaurant
Creperie

Pancake Company Amsterdam is a busy pancake restaurant in Amsterdam, also serving breakfast, brunch and crêpes. Open daily from 9am to 8pm, it has attracted nearly 3,000 Google reviews, making it one of the more...

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Fa. Cafe-Bistro Hansel and Gretel

4.1★★★★★

(2845 reviews)

Spiegelgracht 27, 1017 JP Amsterdam

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Restaurant
Bar
Cafe
Diner

Fa. Cafe-Bistro Hansel and Gretel is a long-running café-restaurant in Amsterdam’s Spiegelkwartier, dating back to 1876. It has a sunny terrace and views of the Rijksmuseum, and serves lunch and dinner.

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Loetje Amsterdam ZuidAs

4.2★★★★★

(2628 reviews)

Parnassusweg 1021, 1082 LZ Amsterdam

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Restaurant
Bistro
Carvery
Chophouse restaurant

Loetje Amsterdam ZuidAs is a busy chophouse-style restaurant in Amsterdam’s Zuidas, known for its bistro and carvery format. With more than 2,600 Google reviews and a strong stream of daily traffic, it’s a familiar spot...

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Bar Lempicka

4★★★★★

(2585 reviews)

Sarphatistraat 23, 1018 EV Amsterdam

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Brasserie
Mediterranean restaurant
Restaurant
Tapas restaurant

Bar Lempicka in Amsterdam combines a brasserie, Mediterranean restaurant and tapas bar, with a strong following for hummus and small plates.

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Café Restaurant Dauphine

4.1★★★★★

(2561 reviews)

Prins Bernhardplein 175, 1097 BL Amsterdam

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Brasserie
Bar
Cafe
Club

Café Restaurant Dauphine is a brasserie, bar and café in Amsterdam, with a club side to the business as well. Open Monday to Friday from 11am to midnight, it draws a busy crowd and is...

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Pancakehouse Upstairs

4.6★★★★★

(2456 reviews)

Grimburgwal 2, 1012 GA Amsterdam

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Pancake restaurant
Creperie

Pancakehouse Upstairs in Amsterdam specializes in pancakes and crêpes, with a strong local following.

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How to choose a French restaurant in Amsterdam

Amsterdam's French dining ranges from all-day brasseries to formal tasting-menu restaurants, so decide which one you want before comparing listings. Bistro-style rooms tend to run a shorter menu of unchanging classics, while fine-dining kitchens often build a set menu that changes monthly and pair it with a longer wine list.

Regional variation matters here more than the name suggests: some kitchens lean toward Alpine winter cooking, built around raclette and fondue and a ski-lodge interior, while others take their cue from northern France and Flanders rather than Paris. For a side-by-side look at the French and Dutch-French approach, see our guide to Amsterdam Dutch-French restaurants.

Location shapes the experience too, since a number of these restaurants sit along the Amstel or open onto a canal-side terrace worth checking if outdoor seating matters to you. If French is only one of several cuisines you are weighing for the night, our wider guide to eating out in Amsterdam and the full Amsterdam restaurants directory cover the rest of the field.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a French restaurant and a Dutch-French restaurant in Amsterdam?

A French restaurant serves French-only cooking, from bistro classics like steak tartare and moules marinières to formal tasting menus. A Dutch-French restaurant blends French technique with Dutch ingredients or dishes, a category covered separately in our Amsterdam Dutch-French restaurants guide.

Does French dining in Amsterdam mean classic Parisian food, or are there regional variations?

Both. Alongside Parisian staples such as escargots, steak frites and crème brûlée, some kitchens focus on Alpine Savoie-style cooking like raclette, fondue and tartiflette, or on northern French and Flemish dishes rather than the capital's repertoire.

How far ahead should I book a table at a French restaurant in Amsterdam?

Popular spots with a chef's tasting menu or a well-known signature dish can book out weeks or months ahead, especially on weekends. For anything running a fixed multi-course menu, book online or by phone as soon as you have a date rather than counting on a walk-in table.

What should I expect to pay at a French restaurant in Amsterdam?

Pricing varies widely between a casual bistro and a formal tasting-menu restaurant and is not standardized across the category. Check the specific restaurant's own menu or website for current prices before booking, since à la carte and fixed-menu formats are priced very differently.

Are French restaurants in Amsterdam open for lunch, or just dinner?

Many brasseries follow the French toute la journée model and run a continuous menu from late morning through evening, rather than closing between lunch and dinner service. Others, particularly fine-dining rooms, open for dinner only, so check hours before planning a lunch visit.

Can I find a French restaurant with canal or riverside seating in Amsterdam?

Yes, several sit directly on the Amstel river or open onto a canal-side terrace, and these fill up quickly in warm weather. If waterside seating is the priority, check a listing's address against a map before booking, since not every French restaurant in the directory has outdoor seating.