The 5 most classy but casual restaurants in Amsterdam

A classic when it comes to Italian restaurants. Toscanini has a fanatical fan base in Amsterdam. Some customers have been coming here for decades and are handing down this tradition to the next generations. It’s a friendly neighbourhood restaurant where you can sit down for hours, eat six courses of Italian slow food, drink three bottles of wine, and, after that last glass of grappa, find out that it’s already way past your bedtime. 

If you know where to look, it’s hard to miss this fiery red building, not far from Central Station. In it, you’ll find a restaurant where veggies are the stars of every dish and not mere garnish on the side. Choose à la carte or a fixed menu, paired with surprising and very tasty natural wines.

This elegant but affordable restaurant opened in summer 2016 in the former naval area to the east of the city centre that will be completely revitalised. The menu features several dishes – you choose a raw dish, a vegetable dish and a meat or fish dish followed by dessert. Watch the chefs as they carefully prepare your food in the extremely open kitchen. 

Subtly balanced, rich flavours… that is what you get at Café Modern. Like sweetbread with chorizo, or a Jerusalem artichoke soup. The fixed five-course menu changes weekly though. This restaurant is located in an old bank building, therefore the acoustics can be challenging. Spot the old safe in the basement. Upstairs, you can stay the night in boutique hotel Sweet Dreamz. 

Located in the former Werkteater - a cooperative improv theatre - Coulisse calls itself a promotor of ‘easy fine dining’. The fixed diner and lunch menu is served in a casual theatrical environment but the food is first-class and carefully prepared. Ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced.