Let\u2019s set aside ramen for a moment, about which I\u2019ve written an entire separate article<\/a> (that evolves continuously) and instead focus on the rest of Japanese cuisine in Amsterdam. There\u2019s sushi of course, plus Izakaya-style casual dining, the whole shebang of the Omakase experience, plus various forms of Japanese street food. All of this and more is represented in Amsterdam \u2013 below is just a short, curated list of some of my favourites.<\/p>\n Before you can sample the city\u2019s Japanese food, you\u2019re going to need to get here! Below are a few trip essentials, but my Amsterdam travel planning guide<\/a> covers everything from transport to the best time to visit.<\/p>\n Close to the Nieuwmarkt, you\u2019ll find Kyo: an Izakaya-style Japanese restaurant<\/a> with an extensive selection of fresh sashimi, traditional gyoza, grilled things on skewers (if you like eel, you\u2019ll love the unagi<\/em>), delicately fried vegetable tempura and chicken karaage<\/em> with Japanese mayo, thick udon<\/em> noodles with umami-rich chicken and veg, and lots, lots more (the menu goes on for pages). If all that doesn\u2019t represent enough choice, get stuck into the sake list and you\u2019ll be busy for days: I only tried two out of the dozens on offer (and I can no longer tell you which they were) but they came in a curious little shot glass, inside a wooden box, into which the sake overflowed for later drinking. I\u2019d never seen that before and found it quite charming!<\/p>\n Izakaya-style dining at Kyo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In the spot formerly occupied by ramen restaurant Fou Fow in de Pijp enters Japanese restaurant TSUNARI\u00c9<\/a>. An intimate, 10-seat counter restaurant offering a kappo<\/em>-style Omakase experience, the chefs prepare the dishes right in front of you and the kitchen feels like a screen on which you\u2019re watching the action unfold up close. Unlike a purely sushi-focused chef\u2019s table, this is a broader exploration of Japanese cuisine. There\u2019s exquisite sushi, of course \u2013 from rich tuna belly to smoky hamachi<\/em> to sweetly umami eel. But TSUNARI\u00c9 is also exceptionally proud of the quality of its wagyu beef (A5 grade, if that means anything to you!) prepared every which way. Raw in tartare format; thinly sliced and just-poached in a shabu-shabu<\/em> style broth; fried with matcha, taro and shiso in a tempura roll; and grilled over burning hay with egg sauce, black truffle and rice. It\u2019s a veritable celebration of wagyu in all its opulent glory.<\/p>\n Opulent wagyu and sushi at TSUNARI\u00c9<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are other dishes too, of course, and well thought-out sake pairings. The menu changes monthly, and differs depending on which tier you choose (my experience is based on the \u20ac125 mid-tier menu). But either way, you can expect exquisite ingredients, simply yet imaginatively prepared, using a range of techniques and with a story to match.<\/p>\n Before I visited Omakase Amsterdam<\/a> on Ferdinand Bolstraat, I had it in my head that the word omakase<\/em> was essentially synonymous with Japanese fine dining. But in fact, it just means you leave your menu choice to the chef. As such, it doesn\u2019t have<\/em> to be a rarefied, chef\u2019s table experience that costs the earth; it\u2019s perfectly possible to sit at a regular table for two and enjoy something altogether more casual.<\/p>\n Marinated tuna and quail\u2019s egg gunkan \u2013 a masterpiece by Omakase Amsterdam!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This \u2013 plus a borderline insane obsession with tuna \u2013 is what seems to drive Omakase Amsterdam. Sashimi comes neatly sliced up on a long, skinny plate \u2013 contrasting the light, clean flavour of kingfish with the umami, soy-ginger marinade of sea bream. Next, a plethora of sushi (nigiri<\/em>, gunkan<\/em>, temaki<\/em> and more) appear one by one on a small wooden board in front of you, including iron-fresh lean tuna and butter-rich fatty tuna and quite a lot in between. If you opt for it, there\u2019s also a sake pairing that moves from sparkling to sweet to dry over the course of the 15 or so mini-dishes (don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re not expected to drink 15 glasses of sake). Plus some upgrades and add-ons if you\u2019re feeling fancy and\/or still hungry. The pace is, well, pacy: we arrived at 17:30 and were finished before 19:30. But there\u2019s a second (and slightly more expensive) sitting at 20:00 that focuses more explicitly on tuna that perhaps invites more time for reflection. Either way, the quality is unmistakeable and the service approachable: Omakase Amsterdam manages to take its food seriously, without taking itself too seriously.<\/p>\n Buried in the vault beneath the Beurs van Berlage (the old, and rather grand, stock exchange building by Dam square), House of Noa<\/a> exudes seductive boudoir. Plush red velvet banquettes, opulent cushions with gold tassels, romantic lighting \u2013 it\u2019s more bedroom than dining room. But don\u2019t let that fool you, because the food and service are definitely restaurant quality. If you have deep pockets, order the premium sashimi: melting wagyu beef and equally fatty otoro<\/em>, silky salmon with pops of caviar, crispy wasabi-flavoured fish skin. Luxury on a plate. We also loved the sweetly glazed unagi<\/em> (eel) temaki and the black cod with miso-caramel \u2013 the sweet-savouriness of which went well with the top-shelf sake we drank.<\/p>\n The opulent interior of House of Noa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The cocktails were also a picture: glimmering with gold and edible flowers, they looked as good as they tasted. Of course, all this comes with a price tag to match and (unfortunately) the risk of TikTok wannabes conducting a noisy photoshoot at the table next to you. The staff do their best to contain the disruption, but House of Noa\u2019s interior does attract a certain type of clientele who are there more to be seen than to eat.<\/p>\n No article about Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam would be complete without at least one recommendation for traditional, high-quality sushi, where every authentic piece is crafted by hand. That\u2019s what you\u2019ll find at Sushi Fanatics, where they are (as the name suggests) fanatical about sushi. If you eat upstairs, you\u2019ll even get to sit at a traditional low-slung Japanese table on a cushioned bank on the floor \u2013 although people with knee problems would be advised to sit downstairs. You can order individual pieces of nigiri or rolls of 4-8 pieces from\u00a0Sushi Fanatics\u2019 menu<\/a>\u00a0(also available for takeaway and delivery). But to get a broader taste experience, go for one of three \u201ccombo\u201d options made up of 13 pieces of sushi \u2013 one being more traditional, one more creative, and one vegetarian. Sushi Fanatics also has an extensive sake list featuring sakes in a range of different styles \u2013 ideal for the sake newbie wanting to try a few options.<\/p>\n Sushi Fanatics: fanatical about sushi<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Although\u00a0De Japanner<\/a> calls itself a street-food concept, it\u2019s not actually a food truck or a market stall out on the street. Although its first branch does occupy a venue along the Albert Cuypmarkt, so perhaps that kind of counts? The style of food, however, is definitely small bites that you can eat with your hands (or perhaps a pair of chopsticks). Think kimchi gyoza, herring sashimi, beef tataki and chicken katsu. For the price and the atmosphere, it\u2019s a good-value, fun night out. Plus, it\u2019s open till midnight. Now with four locations in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n OTEMBA<\/a>\u00a0were first known in Amsterdam for their ramen, but in February 2024 they opened a second branch in de Pijp \u2013 this time specialising in gyoza. And who doesn\u2019t love a dumpling? They serve them three different ways \u2013 naked with a slick of mayo, \u201csoaked\u201d in a dressing, and swimming in broth \u2013 and we tried all three. I absolutely loved the chicken gyoza in\u00a0tonkotsu<\/em>\u00a0broth, not least because it\u2019s like a mini bowl of ramen and gyoza in one. But the hoisin veggie gyoza soaked in\u00a0cha siu<\/em>\u00a0dressing was a flavour bomb as well: sweet, savoury and silky. Try them all!<\/p>\n Chicken tonkotsu gyoza at OTEMBA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yes, really \u2013 one of the best quick Japanese bites in Amsterdam is tucked inside Wibautstraat metro station. Wagaya<\/a> specialises in onigiri<\/em>: hand-pressed triangles of sushi rice filled with everything from pork belly to shrimp mayo to unagi<\/em> (eel), wrapped in crisp nori<\/em> (seaweed) just before eating. They recommend two to three per person \u2013 so I bought four. Ideal for a quick, satisfying lunch while on the go. Since this article was first published, Wagaya has branched out \u2013 now occupying locations at Waterlooplein metro station and De Pijp as well.<\/p>\nPlanning your trip to Amsterdam<\/h2>\n
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What are the best Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
For casual Izakaya-style dining: Kyo <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nFor fine-dining Omakase: TSUNARI\u00c9<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TSUNARIE-Japanese-restaurant-Amsterdam.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFor informal Omakase: Omakase Amsterdam<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nFor date-night Japanese food: House of Noa<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nFor top-notch sushi: Sushi Fanatics<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nFor Japanese street food: De Japanner <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
For gyoza every which way: OTEMBA-gyoza <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nFor onigiri in a metro station(!): Wagaya<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Want to eat more than Japanese food in Amsterdam? <\/em><\/strong> Download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide<\/a>:<\/em><\/h3>\n
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