Amsterdam in 2011 was a whirlwind of canals, culture, and unapologetic indulgence, perfectly suited for the rapid-fire format of The Layover Season 1. Bourdain hit the cobblestones determined to prove the city is far more than just its famous Red Light District and coffee shops.” The culinary scene here is deeply comforting and surprisingly diverse
Seattle in 2013 was a city buzzing with intense, hyper-local culinary energy, brilliantly captured during Season 2 of The Layover. Bourdain hit the ground running, determined to maximize every minute in the Pacific Northwest. The culinary scene in Seattle is fiercely defined by its access to incredible seafood, fresh produce, and a profound Asian influence, perfectly marrying rain-soaked grit with high-end refinement. Bourdain’s angle was to showcase the city’s incredible range: slamming back fresh oysters in Ballard, navigating the historic bustle of Pike Place Market, diving into authentic Vietnamese home cooking, and sipping well-crafted cocktails in dimly lit dive bars. He wanted to highlight Seattle’s unpretentious dedication to quality, proving it was far more than just coffee and grunge music. If you find yourself with only a few days in the Emerald City, this is the definitive, rapid-fire itinerary you need to follow.
When Anthony Bourdain visited Amsterdam on his show The Layover Season 1 Episode 7, he and his crew picked many restaurants. Here are all the addresses and the dishes showcased on The Layover – Anthony Bourdain Amsterdam, all in a convenient list:
READ MORE: THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF AMSTERDAM
DISH – Coffee
WHAT IS IT?
Brewed beverage made from roasted coffee beans.
WHERE IS IT?
Cafe Int Aepjen
Zeedijk 15-1
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Anthony Bourdain described Café Int Aepjen (‘t Aepjen) as “”possibly the oldest bar in the city, famously a watering hole and inn for sailors in the 1500s. They called it ‘The Ape” because the owner would often accept monkeys, apes or other exotic animals as payment.” Bourdain also suggested De Dampkring and Paradox Cafe, two of the many cafes in Amsterdam where you can buy and smoke weed. Bourdain likewise mentioned The Prince Cafe (Café De Prins) as a more traditional coffee shop.
READ MORE: BEST SHOPPING IN AMSTERDAM: 20 PLACES TO EXPLORE
DISH – Pancakes
WHAT IS IT?
Flat cakes of egg, butter and milk, topped with fruits, syrup, cream, cheese vegetables, meat or other ingredients. For example: bacon and apple, and rhubarbs mixed with apricots and homemade cream.
WHERE IS IT?
Upstairs Pancake House
Grimburgwal 2
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Anthony Bourdain shared that the Upstairs Pancake House (Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs) is “where the Beastie Boys were inspired to write their famous line: ‘When I’m in Holland, I eat the pannenkoeken.’”
DISH – Head Cheese
WHAT IS IT?
Cold cut of meat jelly or terrine made from the meat of an animal’s head, usually calf, pig, sheep or cow.
WHERE IS IT?
Gebr. Hartering
Peperstraat 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Gebr. Hartering (Brothers Hartering) is a place that Anthony Bourdain did not visit in this episode but recommended for their head cheese.
DISH – Jenever
WHAT IS IT?
Juniper-flavored Dutch gin.
WHERE IS IT?
Three Little Bottles
Gravenstraat 18
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Anthony Bourdain on Three Little Bottles (De Drie Fleschjes): “A perfectly fine venue” for jenever. He also suggested The Pilsner Club (De Pilsener Club – Engelse Reet) as a place for getting “swacked”, The Two Swans if you are looking for a brown café (traditional Amsterdam bar or pub), and Maloe Melo if you prefer a late-night dive bar with blues, punk and jazz.
READ MORE: CROATIA: ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED BY ANTHONY BOURDAIN ON NO RESERVATIONS
DISH – Pickled Herring
WHAT IS IT?
Herring cured in salt then pickled in vinegar.
WHERE IS IT?
Frens Haringhandel
Koningsplein
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Known as “the herring stand”, Frens Haringhandel is a popular spot for pickled herring in Amsterdam. It also offers eels, mackerel and salmon.
DISH – Stroopwafels
WHAT IS IT?
Warm, thin waffles with buttery, sticky syrup in between.
WHERE IS IT?
Albert Cuyp Market
Albert Cuypstraat
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
If you find pickled herring as too much for breakfast, Anthony Bourdain suggested stroopwafels from one of the stands at Albert Cuyp Market.
DISH – Bloody Mary and Wheat Bread Sandwich
WHAT IS IT?
Bloody Mary – cocktail of vodka, tomato juice, spices and flavorings; Wheat Bread Sandwich – sandwich made of wheat bread and fillings, like ham and cheese.
WHERE IS IT?
Cafe Noorderlicht
NDSM-Plein 102
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Anthony Bourdain suggested Spang Makandra, a Surinamese spot in the Old South of Amsterdam, as an alternative to Cafe Noorderlicht (Noorderlicht Café) that he found too vegetarian for his taste.
DISH – Beer
WHAT IS IT?
Alcoholic beverage brewed from malted barley, wheat, rice, maize and other cereal grains.
WHERE IS IT?
Café Soundgarden
Marnixstraat 164-166
Amsterdam, Netherlands
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
Anthony Bourdain on Café Soundgarden: “People come here, park their boats and grab a drink”. He also stopped by Wildeman Cafe – a bar in a former distillery – and had more beer with a platter of liverwurst and cheese.
DISH – Rijsttafel Istemewa – The Layover Amsterdam
WHAT IS IT?
A rice table with small portions of various Indonesian dishes, like chicken with coconut and tomatoes, pork with sweet soy sauce and spicy beef rendang.
WHERE IS IT?
Tempo Doeloe
Utrechtsestraat 75
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN AMSTERDAM NOTES
If you find Indonesian food too spicy for your taste, Anthony Bourdain suggested Blauw Aan De Waal, a Mediterranean restaurant in the red light district of Amsterdam.
READ MORE: ANTHONY BOURDAIN ST. MARTIN : ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED ON A COOK’S TOUR
This Layover episode in Seattle perfectly encapsulated Bourdain’s philosophy of fast, aggressive travel: eat well, drink heavily, and don’t waste a single meal. It was significant for highlighting the city’s incredible Asian immigrant food scene and its world-class, unpretentious seafood, cementing Seattle as one of America’s premier eating destinations. He championed the local chefs and bartenders who were quietly doing brilliant work away from the tourist traps. The episode remains a highly practical and deeply appetizing guide to the city. Grab a raincoat, order the Dungeness crab, and explore the true flavors of the Pacific Northwest.
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