What to Eat in Netherlands in 2026: The Best Food and Drink

Dutch food is better than its reputation, which is not high, but the specific things it does well are worth seeking out. Stroopwafel — two thin waffle biscuits sandwiching caramel syrup, best eaten when placed over a hot cup of coffee to soften the caramel — is one of the great Dutch food inventions and a genuine pleasure. Haring (raw herring, salt-cured, eaten with raw onion and pickle by holding it by the tail and tilting the head back) is the Dutch street food experience that divides visitors cleanly into those who become regulars and those who never try again. Dutch aged cheese — specifically Gouda at 18 months or Beemster XO — is a seriously underrated raw milk product that the Dutch export young and eat old. The Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table), the legacy of colonial-era cuisine from the Dutch East Indies, is present in almost every Dutch city and produces some of the best Indonesian food outside Indonesia itself. Jenever (Dutch gin, the ancestor of London dry gin) and the Trappist beer from La Trappe brewery complete the drinks culture. Take your time.