Seven unmissable halal restaurants in Amsterdam

Photo: One of the many canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands. April 23, 2015 / Nenad Maric / CC0 1.0 / Pixabay.com

If you’ve been to the tourist centre of Amsterdam, you’ve probably noticed that the Dutch are more than a little partial to kebab. You will see several cafes, food stalls and restaurants that serve falafel, the Turkish doner kebab and shawarma, especially within the canal rings. However, not all of these are halal-certified, as many of them serve alcohol even if their meat is halal. If you aren’t sure, just ask.

After a morning of sightseeing, if you can’t find a suitable restaurant, you can look out for one of the many fish stalls around the city. Most of them offer batter-fried fish, fish sandwiches and smoked fish.

Photo: AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND - AUGUST 21, 2017: Three young Muslim women in white hijab in busy city street outside Kabab Falafel Halal food shop using mobile phones. / Brian S / Shutterstock.com

But in East and West Amsterdam, ethnically mixed neighbourhoods with prominently Muslim residents have a much wider choice of halal food. Areas such as de Baarsjes and Nieuw West are good options if you want to go scouting for a good halal meal. As a large majority of Dutch Muslims are of Turkish or Moroccan origin, you will find plenty of Turkish restaurants and Moroccan lounges and bakeries.