Japanese food in Amsterdam has changed beyond recognition in recent years. The number of serious omakase restaurants has increased tenfold, there are two Michelin stars in the Okura Hotel, and in Noord someone has opened a real listening bar. Here's the list, from gourmet to just really good.
Yamazato - Hotel Okura, De Pijp
Yamazato is the first traditional kaiseki restaurant outside Japan with a Michelin star, and has had one since 2002. Chef Masanori Tomikawa cooks seasonal multi-course menus consisting almost exclusively of ingredients flown in from Japan. The decor is warm Japanese wood overlooking a quiet Japanese garden. Waitresses in traditional kimono. No a la carte, only set menus. Reserve far in advance. - Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, De Pijp
Sazanka - Hotel Okura, De Pijp
Sazanka is the Okura's teppanyaki restaurant and also has a Michelin star. Chefs prepare meat, fish and vegetables à la minute on a hot griddle at the table. Wagyu, lobster, scallops, raw strawberries on the grill. It's cooking performance and dinner at the same time, in an intimate table setting. - Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, De Pijp
“Sazanka is the only teppanyaki restaurant in Europe with a Michelin star. That says enough about the standard here.” - Michelin Guide Netherlands (2024)
Umeno - Old South
Umeno has been around since the late 1970s, making it the oldest Japanese restaurant in the Netherlands. Chef Atsuhito Hosono cooks a set nine-course omakase menu for 115 euros per person, with no variations or adjustments. Top-quality sashimi, tuna with avocado puree and quail egg, an array of nigiri at the end. Sake takes center stage on the menu. Reservations via WhatsApp, at least two weeks in advance. - Agamemnonstraat 27, Old South
Sushi HANABi - Center
HANABi sits above Leidseplein and is the best place for Edo-style omakase sushi in town. Chef Shunsuke Okada has mastered the classic Tokyo sushi technique and will let you taste everything from niboshi to otoro in the right order. Ten seats at the bar, three menus: 45, 65 and 90 euros. Ingredients partly flown in from Japan, partly local. Always make reservations. - Leidseplein 10-1, Center
“The omakase at HANABi is the closest I've come to Japan in Amsterdam. The fish melts away.” - Shunsuke Okada, chef HANABi (Instagram, 2025)
Ikkoku - The Pipe
Ikkoku is hidden behind a curtain in a matcha tea room on Ceintuurbaan. The kitchen runs on the concept of shokunin: the artisan who does the same thing every day out of reverence, not habit. Omakase around A5 wagyu or bluefin tuna, grilled on the irori grill. Gault-Millau recognized. Wednesday and Sunday lunch for 40 euros is one of the best deals in town. - Ceintuurbaan 246H, De Pijp
De Japanner - De Pijp / West / Zuidas
The Japanese is based on the Japanese izakaya: small pub where you relax after work with beer, sake and finger food. Edamame, gyoza, kara-age, sushi, Japanese cocktails. Four branches in the city, including on Albert Cuypstraat and in West. Affordable, approachable, consistent. - Albert Cuypstraat 228, De Pijp | Bilderdijkstraat 203, West
Hakata Senpachi - Riverside Neighborhood
Hakata Senpachi has been around for more than twenty years and is the best yakitori-ya in Amsterdam. Chicken skewers grilled on charcoal over a traditional hibachi in the center of the store, à la minute and in front of your nose. Kimchi, shiitake, miso ramen, sashimi. No fancy decor, just very good and authentic Japanese. Gault-Millau recognized. - Wielingenstraat 16, Rivierenbuurt
“Hakata Senpachi does not chase trends but builds on continuity. Exactly therein lies the charm.” - Gault-Millau Netherlands (2025)
The Japanese restaurant scene in Amsterdam now covers almost the entire spectrum. Those who want to spend a big evening on kaiseki go to Yamazato. Those who want to see how a chef cooks: HANABi or Ikkoku. Those who just want to drink and eat: The Japanese. And those who want the best ramen in town: Hinata on Westerstraat, and a sake afterwards.