A long-running favourite on Mauritskade, east of the Amstel, that has become the kind of place Amsterdammers recommend without hesitation. The food is modern French-Belgian — brasserie classics done with care and without fuss: steak tartare, moules, grilled fish, a few thoughtful vegetable dishes. The room is warm and unpretentious, the wine list reasonable.
Book well ahead: Rijsel fills every night and does not take walk-ins. It is not in the tourist centre, which is part of the appeal — the clientele is almost entirely local, and the atmosphere is of a neighbourhood restaurant that has somehow remained very good for a very long time.