Battle for the Best Frites in Amsterdam

I was lucky enough to live in Amsterdam for two years, and in my humble opinion, the Dutch capital is the second-best city in Europe for frites after Brussels. This is likely because of the Belgian influence and the sale of Vlaamse Frites (Flemish fries) in several spots across the city. So it should come as no surprise that when I return to the city these days, one of the first things I do after arriving and setting down my bags (with Amsterdam-inspired custom luggage tags …yes, I am that cheesy) is to set out and visit some of my favourite frites spots. Unless I’m visiting in October or November, of course, because then I’m searching for kruidnoten and banketstaaf…but that’s a post for another time.

As with anything, there are some hits, some misses and some downright tourist traps so, much like my research in the Belgian capital, I took it upon myself to taste test some of the most popular and well-known friteries in the city to discover which ones are the best frites in Amsterdam.

You can thank me later, when you’re chowing down on crispy frites.

Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx

I’m going to start with the most popular and often referred to as “best” frites in Amsterdam. With an enviable location in the city centre, these boys were always going to draw a crowd for hot, fresh frites. I have eaten here several times and never been disappointed, however the fries aren’t as pillowy soft as I would like. Sauce coverage is good but not overwhelming, but some of the fries can taste overcooked. I fear they are a bit of a victim of their own success and that means that the fries don’t always taste as freshly cooked as they could, but, depending on what time of day you go and the crowd coverage, you can sometimes get a cracking cone of fries here.

Chipsy King

I had to put Chipsy King in there as there are a few locations around the city that I know draw in the drunk and hungry at all hours of the day, simply because of convenience. A cone of fries here is €2 and, although that isn’t that much less than other friteries (most places charge around €2.50 before sauce), you are getting what you pay for here. The fries are overcooked and tasteless, which I wasn’t sure was even possible with fries. We tried the Joppie sauce, a Dutch speciality which is almost like a sweet curry sauce, but here it just tasted like something sickly you’d find on a McDonald’s Big Mac. There wasn’t enough sauce, it was very thin and the cone left us very thirsty by the time we’d finished. A definite miss, unless it’s 1am and you have no other option.

Manneken Pis

Named after the ever-so-adorable-and-yet-slightly-creepy naked peeing boy statue in Brussels, Manneken Pis claims to create the “Best Fries in Holland” (their words, definitely not mine). Located on the overly-touristed Damrak, there’s often a queue of both people and pigeons in front of the shop which probably serves to make people think their lofty claims are true. But with this kind of location and turnover, these are never going to be the best quality frites. Many were overcooked (to the point of being burnt) and weren’t pillowy inside. Plus, despite the big dollop of tartare sauce that I ordered with them, I ended up with an overly dry mouth; whether this was due to too much salt or just shriveled potato, I’m not sure. Having said this, the portions here are huge – unless you haven’t eaten in several days, you’ll never need to order a large for yourself – so if you’re looking for the convenience of an average meal for a decent price, then you won’t be too disappointed.

Ten Kate friet, Ten Kate Market

This is a relatively unknown frites stand, at my neighbourhood market of Ten Kate. Unassuming, there is simply a sign advertising “verse frites” (fresh fries) and the guy that runs the stand is proud to say that he hand peels and slices every potato, as well as cooking every batch of frites fresh. I’m going out on a limb here, but in my opinion these are the best fries I’ve eaten outside of Belgium. They are soft and pillowy, but with a slight crunch on the outside. There is always plenty of sauce (mostly from bottles, but that’s the case in most places here so I don’t hold it against him) and you can choose between either a cone or a tray (dependant on whether you want your sauce slathered over the top or not). The quality of the potatoes and the fact that they’re cooked fresh really shines through in the taste of these little clouds of potato. Yes, I called them clouds. They’re that good.

Frites uit Zuyd

This is a friterie located within a cafe bar in the Oude Pijp neighbourhood. I had high hopes before going here, as it looked like they had gotten everything right: decor, chequered cones, homemade sauces and fresh-faced staff willing to cook you up a batch of fresh frites. The setup is a bit awkward (we sat on the terrace of the cafe bar eating what was essentially just a takeaway) and I have to say I was disappointed. I wanted to love it, I really did, but the fries were dry and overcooked and there just wasn’t enough sauce. I had run out of the tartare sauce I ordered before I got to the end of my cone of fries (which is a big no-no in the Belgian frites world) and because they were dry, I really needed that extra sauce. If you like your fries crispy, then this place would be perfect for you, but I prefer mine fat and soft with only a slight crunch.

Frietsteeg

Another great location in the 9 Streets means that this place is often never empty. Usually run by one or two young guys (perhaps students?), you would expect the fries here to be subpar at best. And yet, they’re not. Over the course of two years, I’ve eaten here more than a handful of times and even though I’ve had a couple of cones that weren’t perfect, they consistently deliver fresh, hot fries with plenty of sauce that are soft in the middle, well seasoned with salt and have a crunchy exterior. I also noticed on a recent trip that they do home-make a couple of their sauces. And with a location close to the canal belt, you can’t go wrong eating a cone of these by the waterside. 

Update September 2015: Frietsteeg now have a second shop on Stadionkade in the Oud Zuid neighbourhood which offers frites no where near the quality of those in the centre. Fries here come in a plastic tray – not the trademark cone that they’re known for – and are greasy and overcooked. Unless you like your fries this way, I’d steer clear of this location.

The overall winner? Ten Kate friet for overall quality and fluffiness of the fries. Tied for second place would be Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx and Frietsteeg, simply because of central location and consistency of price, size and sauce coverage.

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