{"id":25814,"date":"2025-01-13T12:29:30","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T12:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/amsterdam\/10-of-the-best-middle-eastern-restaurants-in-amsterdam\/"},"modified":"2025-01-13T12:29:30","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T12:29:30","slug":"10-of-the-best-middle-eastern-restaurants-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=25814","title":{"rendered":"10 of the Best Middle Eastern restaurants in Amsterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"


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If I were to pick one region\u2019s cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, it would likely be the Middle East. Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Israel, Lebanon \u2013 all these countries were once part of the Ottoman Empire and all have similar climates, which probably explains the similarities in their cuisine. It\u2019s varied, full of herbs and spices, and with a great balance of sharing dishes (meze, mezze, mazzeh, mazze<\/em>, spell it how you will) and grilled meats and fish. Plus, due to immigration from these parts of the world to the Netherlands, it\u2019s a cuisine that\u2019s well represented here. There are literally hundreds of Middle Eastern restaurants in Amsterdam, but these are some of my favourites.<\/p>\n

Want to eat more than Middle Eastern food in Amsterdam? Download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide<\/a>:<\/em><\/h3>\n

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Reserving a table at Amsterdam\u2019s Middle Eastern restaurants<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reservations are crucial in most Amsterdam restaurants. Many of the restaurants below have their own reservation systems that use platforms like\u00a0Formitable<\/a>\u00a0to book your table, but there are also sometimes good discounts via TripAdvisor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

esra<\/strong><\/h2>\n


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You know it must be good when two friends who don\u2019t even live in the Netherlands are telling you to go. That was the case with new Turkish-ish restaurant esra, which I visited in early 2025 and (spoiler alert) was a triumph all round. Picky eaters beware: there\u2019s no choice, just a sharing menu for the whole table that\u2019s set by the kitchen. First, you\u2019ll be treated to a couple of mezze dishes \u2013 in our case, a tangy feta, yoghurt and mint dip, plus a caramelised onion, walnut and pomegranate number \u2013 served with pide<\/em>. Next came an array of tasty brassica, cooked in various ways and accented with grated aged ricotta. Then cod with a Turkish take on beurre blanc<\/em>, followed by a meaty mixed grill with beef-fat chips. There was dessert, too, but by then we\u2019d ordered (ahem) four bottles of wine between five of us and I struggle to remember much about it other than that it was good. In fact, the whole experience was more than good. It was exactly what dining out should be: surprising dishes that you wouldn\u2019t cook at home, interesting wines that you don\u2019t find in many shops, perfect service that can be hard to come by in Amsterdam restaurants.<\/p>\n

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Turkish dining at its best at esra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bar Bachrach<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ever since it opened to much critical acclaim, Bar Bachrach<\/a> has been serving up some next-level Israeli stuff, featuring flavours I\u2019ve not tasted before in Amsterdam. Especially impressive were the beef tartare that was singing with preserved lemons, silky-smoky aubergine from a kamado-style BBQ in the kitchen, and a stunning dish of raw langoustine, pickled cabbage, crispy bulgar and sweet-sour pomelo. These were all small, shareable dishes, but there are larger dishes like whole grilled fish and sticky ribs as well. To taste the full gamut of Bar Bachrach\u2019s impressive skills in the kitchen, order the chef\u2019s menu for a little bit of everything. I loved the Alsatian pinot blanc and the Valencian tempranillo that we ordered, too. Food this good is matched by the price tag but it\u2019s well worth every cent. Simply stunning.<\/p>\n

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Foreground: beef tartare at Israeli restaurant Bar Bachrach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Night Kitchen<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s hard to categorise Night Kitchen<\/a>, as they dabble in the general Mediterranean area as well as the Middle East. Yes, you\u2019ll find plenty of za\u2019atar<\/em>, labneh and sumac, but you\u2019ll also find Italian-style gnudi<\/em>, French-style mussels and Portuguese-style octopus. Luckily for us, they do all these things (and more) extremely well. Night Kitchen is a cosy spot to prop up the bar with a perfectly mixed cocktail, and then wander through to the restaurant with its dark split-tone walls, copper pots and hanging plants. Your best bet is to order the shareable \u201cdinner with friends\u201d, and relax while dish after dish appears on your table. My favourites were possibly the celeriac with feta, za\u2019atar<\/em> and pistachio, as well as the octopus with spinach, potatoes, smoked paprika and yoghurt. But fish lovers will also highly rate the grilled sardines and the seabass sashimi. The excellent natural wines are easy to pair with the dishes, too.<\/p>\n

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Night Kitchen\u2019s industrial-zen interior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor\u2019s note: I was invited to eat at Night Kitchen as a journalist, and I didn\u2019t pay for my meal. Obviously I try to be as objective as possible, but I always disclose when I\u2019ve had a freebie. <\/em><\/p>\n

Bar Mitts<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bar Mitts<\/a> is a cosy little place on the Javastraat, with natural fabrics covering cushioned benches and greenery adorning the walls. The mezze-style menu is designed to be shared, and the dishes are split into a longer list of veggie options and a shorter list of meat ones, of which we tried what felt like a representative sample. Roasted beetroot with burrata and pistachio nuts was creamy and wintry, while grilled broccolini with tahini and za\u2019atar<\/em> tasted fresh and healthy. Meanwhile in the meat department, two small kofte-style lamb kebabs were possibly my favourite dish: served with a spicy tomato and herb salsa and more tahini. Pulled chicken with hummus, pecan nuts, pomegranate seeds and herbs was also delicious, especially when piled onto pillowy pitas. Bar Mitts\u2019 cocktails are also excellent.<\/p>\n

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Bar Mitts. Foreground: broccolini; background: lamb kebabs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

De Aardige Pers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Warning: do not eat for at least four hours (more if you can manage it \u2013 I can\u2019t) before stepping foot inside De Aardige Pers<\/a>. There\u2019s no way you\u2019re getting out of there anything other than food-baby full. With the fasting out of the way, start by ordering the trio of starters \u2013 the chef\u2019s selection \u2013 all top notch. Then move onto the grilled meats: simple but perfectly cooked kofte kebabs, chicken thighs, lamb loin and so on \u2013 all served with fragrant saffron rice and grilled tomatoes. De Aardige Pers isn\u2019t fancy looking, but the food is more than decent and the prices very reasonable.<\/p>\n

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Mixed grill at De Aardige Pers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ali Ocakba\u015f\u0131<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With a gorgeously decorated interior and excellent service, Ali Ocakba\u015f\u0131<\/a> is a classy establishment for a night out. Their selection of starters is brought around in a giant basket from which to make your choice. My favourite was the \u00e7i\u011f k\u00f6fte<\/em>: finely minced raw beef with bulgur wheat and chilli, hand moulded into sort of knobbly cylinders. Eat them wrapped in lettuce leaves with a squeeze of lemon. Delicious. But the rest is great, too!<\/p>\n

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Dozens of dishes in the mezze selection at Ali Ocakbasi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orontes\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With two locations in Amsterdam, Orontes De Pijp on the Albert Cuypstraat and Orontes West<\/a> on the Hugo de Grootplein pay homage to the Antakya region of Turkey. They import hard-to-find products from the area and cook them up into excellent dishes, including succulent lamb skewers, aromatic aubergine, and mixed grills cooked over charcoal. Nesip Can\u2019s wine selection is wonderful, too.<\/p>\n

Hummus Bistro d&a<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Now with three locations, Hummus Bistro d&a<\/a> serves officially the best hummus in Amsterdam \u2013 in variations involving falafel, chicken, siniya<\/em> (minced lamb) and many more. In addition to the hummus, I also loved their shakshuka<\/em>, stuffed aubergine, and a plethora of little side dishes that were either spicy or pickled or both. The service was friendly and the prices reasonable.<\/p>\n

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Hummus Bistro d&a in Amsterdam Oost<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyrouth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Its name a riff on the Lebanese capital, Beyrouth<\/a> has been a favourite Amsterdam restaurant for as long as I can remember (owner Kamal Estephan opened it in 1990 when I was just 10). The range of mezze\u00a0here is huge \u2013 you can pick from separate dishes or order a selection of as many as 10 or 15 \u2013 so I usually fill up on those alone. Their tabbouleh was perfect: green and grassy with oodles of fresh herbs.<\/p>\n

NENI<\/h2>\n

NENI\u2019s<\/a> enormous premises in the converted Citro\u00ebn garage on Stadionplein make it ideal for group dining. But even if you\u2019re having dinner for two, or flying solo, the size of the space doesn\u2019t detract from the quality of the food. NENI\u2019s owners have Israeli, Romanian and Spanish roots, so you can expect an Eastern Mediterranean party on your palate. The hummus is silky smooth, the aubergine smoky and grassy with olive oil, the seabass crudo<\/em>\u00a0laced with pomegranate \u2013 even the olives are outstanding. The veg-led dishes were definitely the highlight: try the\u00a0sabich<\/em> \u2013 think the Israeli answer to focaccia, studded with aubergine, eggs, tahini, a tangy mango sauce and a fresh, fragrant, herb-rich salsa. Try also the generous fish cakes with char-grilled vegetables. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere buzzing.<\/p>\n

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Charcoal-roasted aubergine (photo courtesy of NENI Amsterdam)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Want to eat more than Middle Eastern food in Amsterdam? Download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide<\/a>:<\/em><\/h3>\n

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Also worth a mention\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For excellent, affordable manouche<\/em> (stuffed and rolled flatbreads), try the Lebanese Sajeria<\/strong>, now at three locations in Amsterdam. For Turkish mezze and grilled meats, try Maydanoz<\/strong>, and for its Kurdish equivalent, try Zagros<\/strong> \u2013 both in de Pijp. And for Syrian food, try Sham<\/strong>, now with locations in both West and Oost. You can also search for Middle Eastern restaurants by location and price via my restaurant finder<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On your travels and want to use\u00a0this article offline with GPS-guided navigation? Download the travel guide app via\u00a0GPSmyCity<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n