Gluten-free in A’dam

A running list of places I’ve found to be friendly to those of us whose bodies cannot tolerate the beautiful breads and pastas of this land. Here is a map, in case location is of the essence. If you are interested in all the cool places to check out no matter their stance on gluten, please visit my husband Tom’s Cool Amsterdam Spots list.

Note: I do not have celiac disease, so I frequently eat at places where gluten contamination is possible (or even likely). So please know your own limits and eat at your own risk!

De Belhamel

https://www.belhamel.nl
Reservations recommended
Neighborhood: Center (northwest side)

The server at this sweet French-Italian (Fretalian?) spot didn’t miss a beat when I said I couldn’t eat gluten and even modified the classic beef tartare with a GF wafer of some kind, instead of whatever gluten-tastic bread or cracker they usually use.

Restaurant Domenica

https://www.restaurantdomenica.com/
Reservations recommended (especially for outdoor seating)
Neighborhood: Jordaan (north end)

Lovely little Italian spot. The servers can tell you which plates contain gluten AND offer you GF bread and pasta. They even gave me my own olive oil for bread-dipping, so I didn’t have to contaminate with the gluten-eater’s carbs.

Troost

https://brouwerijtroost.nl/
Reservations aren’t a bad idea
Neighborhoods: De Pijp, Westergas and Oud-West

Gluten-free beer!!! They have a Mexican-style cerveza that’s GF, and they label GF items on their menu. I got a quesadilla that I will admit was not quite the type of quesadilla I’m used to (rice? unmelted cheese?) HOWEVER I was so stoked to drink a beer that I didn’t mind. Tom had the jackfruit tacos, which he said were amazing and were also GF, so there are good options.

Spaghetteria Pasta-Bar

https://www.spaghetteria.com/
No reservations permitted (except at Rijpgracht location)
Neighborhoods: A bunch (seven locations)

Do not be thrown off by the cliche name. This place makes great pasta dishes and has fun ambience. It also offers almost all of its pasta dishes as GF. (Not the ravioli, I get it.) Be strategic about the location you choose; on a weekend night, the De Pijp location is PACKED and you will have to wait (but they pour you wine to make it worth the wait).

PANCAKES Amsterdam

https://pancakes.amsterdam/nl
No reservations required
Neighborhoods: A bunch (six locations)

Great attention to allergens! The GF pancakes have a plastic chip on them so you know you’re getting the right one. Great hangover cure; can recommend the apple-and-cheese one. Not all locations have the same toppings available, so check before you go if you have your heart set on something.

De Japanner

https://dejapanner.com/
Reservations recommended
Neighborhoods: Strandeiland (northeast), De Pijp, Oud-West

Didn’t get any pictures of the food here because we ate it too fast.

Usually Japanese food is pretty GF-friendly, as long as there’s tamari. I was impressed at De Japanner because we ordered the tasting menu, and they were careful with each course to explain what was in the dipping sauces and how they made it GF.

There is also a really nice drink menu at this spot, and the vibe is great.

Thrill Grill

https://thrillgrill.nl
Reservations recommended
Neighborhoods: De Pijp and Oud-West (and Haarlem!)

I jumped into eating my burger here and didn’t get a pic! I did snap a photo of my cider … served in a glass with ice. Eek. But the GF story here is simple: GF buns!

De Plantage

https://www.caferestaurantdeplantage.nl/
Reservations recommended

Neighborhood: Jodenbuurt-Marken

The staff was super-attentive once I told them I couldn’t eat gluten, checking and double-checking to make sure what I ordered had no gluten items in it. They also brought me my own GF bread and olive oil for dipping! Bonus: This is a good spot for bringing your parents or your boss. Very nice setting, and familiar menu items.

Arles

https://www.arles-amsterdam.nl
Reservations recommended
Neighborhood: De Pijp

Gorgeous French tasting menu where they could modify almost anything (the one exception was a pasta dish) to be GF. Very nice about it, too! Without me even asking, they brought me GF bread, which was key for soaking up the delicious sauces. Everything from the apps to the dessert was fantastic. An overall lovely experience.