Back in November, we were fortunate enough to stumble upon a flyer that indicated the Amsterdam Food Festival was happening the weekend we were in town.
Vic and I chalked it down to a maybe on our to-do list, which turned out to definite yes when we realized the RAI convention center was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel.
According to their website, the Amsterdam Food Festival happens multiple times throughout the year. The latest festival started today, March 24, 2016 and ends next Monday, March 28, 2016.
The event is free on the first and last day (Thursday, and Monday), and every day until 6:00pm. After that, there’s an entrance fee of 5 euros. Check their site out for more information into days, and timings.
In addition to over 70 food trucks attending, the Amsterdam Food Festival also has a Food Market, a Wine Theater, Specialty Beer bar, pop-up restaurants, hosts workshops, and even has a kids section. When we visited back in November, there was even a Moët & Chandon champagne bar, which we loved!
I’m never one to turn down a food truck meet up especially when entrance is free and when it’s a chance to explore a city’s food scene all in one place.
Veggie and vegan options in Amsterdam are plentiful, which we were grateful for, especially after struggling to find them in Austria and the Czech Republic.
Here are a few food trucks we tried at the Amsterdam Food Festival that are veg-friendly, and oh so tasty!
Dikke Bertha
Dikke Bertha is a cute, vintage-themed coffee cart. They were parked right in front of the entrance to the convention center, which was so smart, especially on a Saturday morning.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee was so intoxicating, Vic and I had to order two coffees to go. It was just the energy boost we needed to explore the large convention center…seriously, the hall is massive!
Mister Maisguy
Mister Maisguy has one of the best trucks I’ve seen. Actually, all the food trucks at the festival were unique and quirky, very reminiscent of Amsterdam itself.
They serve freshly grilled corn on the cob and serve it in three styles: classic corn with butter, mexican corn or the jamaican version.
I chose the Mexican corn, and it did not disappoint.
Bulls and Dogs
I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a line to this food truck all weekend…they are poppin’! They have homemade hotdogs and sausages, and YES, that includes a vegan hotdog!
I’ve had some crappy veg-dogs in the US before, but trust me, this is not one of them. All their hot dogs are served in a pretzel bun, which doesn’t get soggy and is incredibly savory. Their The It’s Not A Dog hot dog is topped with a hummus sauce and popcorn…definitely not your regular ol’ hot dog, but it works!
In addition to their four food trucks, Bulls and Dogs has two brick & mortar locations, check out their site for more info.
We also had a hearty falafel salad from Puzzles Food Truck, a strong, yet fresh St. Germain-infused gin & tonic from The Fat Dog.
The Amsterdam Food Festival is a honestly a great way to scope out Amsterdam’s rich foodie scene when you’re only in the city for a short time. If you happen to miss this, don’t worry; IAmsterdam has a comprehensive list of upcoming food festivals happening in and around Amsterdam.
OTHER RECOMMEND AMSTERDAM CULINARY ACTIVITIES
Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! I don’t think it was a good idea to look at those food pictures when I haven’t had my lunch yet ? Especially that Mexican corn. Yum!!
I know, I have such a weakness for grilled corn!!
Nice photo diary. I never visited Amsterdam but hope to change that at one point this year. 🙂
You must! I’m so glad we ended up deciding to add on a couple of days in Amsterdam.
Those hot dogs looked crazy! What a fun experience to have such a variety of flavors in one place. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, they were! The flavors all worked together and made for some tasty bites.
Ooh, I saw this advertised, but didn’t end up going although it looks awesome. There’s usually one of these every 2-3 months. 🙂 (I live in Amsterdam)
How lucky are you!!! You should definitely catch the next one, I love how creative the food trucks get.
Your pictures are gorgeous and I can tell you loved this place as did I when I visited a few years back.
Amsterdam is so much more than regular tourist stuff. Loved the city
Some of my pics from there are at http://europe.iamvagabond.com
Your pictures are so stunning! There really is so much to do in the city than just the touristy things.
Salivating …. wish that was going on when we were there. But we did find a nice hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant. Must go back and time it for this.
Yes, love the Amsterdam restaurant scene as well. I found the Dutch take on Chipotle, which satisfied my much needed burrito bowl craving!
Wow, that looks like so much fun. I have to plan my visit to Amsterdam to make it there during one of those food festivals. And that veg-dog looks amazing <3
Hands down the best veg dog I’ve eaten! Amsterdam has some amazing food festivals, I want to go back to explore a few more.
What a great “taste” 🙂 Very nice pictures. The only taste I have of Amsterdam is sitting in the airport waiting for my connecting flight 🙁
The Amsterdam airport is pretty decent, but you should add the city on your travel list. It reminds me so much of Brooklyn!
Amsterdam is a definitely place on my list. I’m traveling by “continents” at the moment with Europe in the last bucket – is it weird to think that I’m not refined enough to enjoy Europe thoroughly? LOL
Haha, you have to master the art of pretense 😉
I want to go back to Amsterdam so bad! I only spent a day there and didn’t get to sample any of the foods. Maybe next time I can visit when the festival is happening and I’ll catch it 🙂 . Thanks for sharing your experience!
Yes, I highly recommend planning your visit around the festival…it was pure luck for us. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy Amsterdam, but I really liked it, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do when I go back.