{"id":357024,"date":"2026-07-09T22:16:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/amsterdam\/12-of-the-best-turkish-middle-eastern-restaurants-in-amsterdam\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T22:16:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:16:37","slug":"12-of-the-best-turkish-middle-eastern-restaurants-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=357024","title":{"rendered":"12 of the Best Turkish & 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, Israel, Lebanon and many more were once part of the Ottoman Empire, while Iran developed alongside it as an independent Persian empire. Despite their different political histories, these regions have influenced one another\u2019s cuisines for centuries through trade, migration, and cultural exchange. Their food cultures are 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 and Turkish restaurants in Amsterdam, but these are some of my favourites.<\/p>\n

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

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Best Turkish Restaurants in Amsterdam<\/strong><\/h2>\n

esra<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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 Turkish-ish restaurant esra<\/a>, which 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

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

With a gorgeously decorated interior and canal views, Ali Ocakba\u015f\u0131<\/a> is a classy establishment for a night out. Their mezze selection 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. But everything else was equally delicious, from the ali tarator<\/em> (black garlic yoghurt with carrot and caramelised onion) to the kopoglu <\/em>(fried aubergine, potato and green pepper). Try to leave room for one or two of Ali Ocakba\u015f\u0131\u2019s kebabs \u2013 they\u2019re famous for them, and you can see the chefs grilling the meaty skewers over open flames downstairs. Plus, don\u2019t forget to try the Turkish wine!<\/p>\n

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

Orontes\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\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

Maydanoz<\/h3>\n

An unassuming Turkish restaurant on the Ceintuurbaan in De Pijp, Maydanoz<\/a> has an extensive mezze selection that\u2019s worth working through before moving on to the grilled meats. On the mezze menu the night I visited: cacik<\/em>\u00a0(yoghurt with cucumber and dill), hummus and\u00a0baba ganoush<\/em>\u00a0(both of which were very accomplished versions of themselves), cheese \u201ccigars\u201d, fried meaty \u201ctorpedoes\u201d, and my favourite:\u00a0ispanak<\/em>, braised spinach with pepper, tomatoes, pine nuts and raisins. If you have room after all that, their grilled meats are good too: perfectly cooked and with a tasty BBQ char.<\/p>\n

Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Amsterdam<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bar Bachrach<\/strong><\/h3>\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><\/h3>\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

Mitts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Med-led 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. 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><\/h3>\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

Hummus Bistro d&a<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With two locations (one on the Jordaan, the other in Zuid), 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><\/h3>\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<\/h3>\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

Editor\u2019s note: I was invited to eat at NENI 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

Lebanese Sajeria<\/em><\/h3>\n

With a few locations in Amsterdam, the Lebanese Sajeria<\/a> does an industrious line in manoushe<\/em>: a type of flatbread that\u2019s rolled and eaten with your hands. I tried one of the vegetarian versions featuring za\u2019atar<\/em> and halloumi \u2013 the latter of which was not what you\u2019d expect, being grated and melted rather than sliced and fried. The za\u2019atar<\/em> was rich in sesame seeds and dried herbs (and don\u2019t worry \u2013 it comes with pretty much whichever version of\u00a0manoushe<\/em> you choose), while the flatbread itself was flavourful from the whole wheat. The entire thing was wrapped up with mint, cucumber and tomatoes and served in paper for around a tenner. Bargain.<\/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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