Amsterdam: Dutch Bitterballen and Croquette Tasting

Step into Amsterdam’s railway past. This one-hour tasting takes place in Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas, a handsome former first-class waiting room inside Amsterdam Centraal. I like the setting, with its 1885 railway architecture and views toward the old city center, and I like the chance to compare six Dutch snacks rather than ordering one familiar plate. The main drawback is value: at $15, the food is reasonably priced, but drinks cost extra, and the tasting can feel brief if you are expecting a full meal.

The food is served with a simple explanation sheet, and staff describe the different fillings as they arrive. Service is often warm and helpful, though the welcome can feel uneven at busy times. If you want a quick cultural stop with plenty of atmosphere, this is a smart choice. If your main goal is a large lunch, you may want to order additional food from the restaurant.

What makes this tasting worth your hour

• A first-class railway room from 1885: Eat in one of Amsterdam Centraal’s former waiting rooms, restored with period details and old waiting-time signs.
• Six Dutch snack varieties: Sample veal bitterbal, Peking duck bitterbal, Thai green curry bitterbal, cheese and arugula croquette, chicken satay croquette, and shrimp croquette.
• Platform 2B’s secret corner: Find Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas above the station’s main flow, with a view toward Amsterdam’s old center.
• Pierre Cuypers connection: Learn about the architect who designed Amsterdam Centraal and the Rijksmuseum.
• A drink can turn it into a proper break: Table water is included, while Heineken, wine, and soft drinks are available at an additional cost.
• Easy to fit into a sightseeing day: The tasting lasts one hour and ends where it begins, inside the station.

Finding the former first-class waiting room at Amsterdam Centraal

Amsterdam Centraal can feel confusing at first. It is a large working station, with commuters, trains, trams, bicycles, and several levels of foot traffic. For this tasting, head to the Cuyper Hall and use the staircase to reach Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas at platform 2B.

The address is Stationsplein 15. Once inside the restaurant, ask for the floor manager. Arriving on time matters because the tasting is planned as a one-hour sitting, not an open-ended food crawl.

The location is the first major part of the experience. You are not eating in a generic café beside the station. You are sitting in a former first-class waiting room, in a monumental building dating from 1885. The room has been renovated, but it keeps enough of its old railway character to make the setting feel special.

You might notice the restored sign showing waiting times. Details like this help you picture the room as it once functioned, when first-class passengers waited in greater comfort before boarding their trains. The setting gives the snack tasting a sense of place that a modern food court cannot match.

One practical point deserves attention. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible, but the meeting directions specifically mention a staircase in the Cuyper Hall. If step-free access is important for you, confirm the best entrance and route with the restaurant before arriving.

Why Pierre Cuypers matters here

The building is closely tied to Pierre Cuypers, the architect who designed Amsterdam Centraal between 1881 and 1889. He also designed the Rijksmuseum, so you will see a clear architectural link between two of Amsterdam’s major landmarks.

Cuypers is often credited with helping revive architecture in the Netherlands. At the station, his work combines the practical needs of a busy railway terminal with decorative details suited to a national monument. You do not need to be an architecture expert to appreciate the effect. Look up, slow down, and give yourself a few minutes to notice the brickwork, grand proportions, and carefully restored interior details.

This is also why I would not treat the tasting as only a food purchase. Part of the $15 pays for the chance to sit in a historic room in a central location. If you are already visiting the Rijksmuseum, the connection adds another small thread to your day.

The restaurant has been praised by The Guardian as one of Europe’s top station restaurants. That recognition is not the reason to book, but it helps explain why this particular dining room attracts attention. It is an unusual place to eat, and the old railway setting does much of the work.

What bitterballen and croquettes actually are

Bitterballen are small, round Dutch snacks with a crisp fried coating and a soft filling. Croquettes are similar in spirit, but usually larger and shaped differently. Both are common in Dutch cafés and bars, often served with mustard or enjoyed alongside a drink.

The name bitterballen can confuse English speakers. These snacks are not normally bitter. The name is linked to their traditional connection with bitter aperitifs, not to an unpleasant flavor.

The appeal of this tasting is comparison. A standard order might give you one filling and one texture. Here, the flavors move from classic to international:

• Veal bitterbal
• Peking duck bitterbal
• Thai green curry bitterbal
• Cheese and arugula croquette
• Chicken satay croquette
• Shrimp croquette

The selection shows how a familiar Dutch snack has been adapted with fillings from different food traditions. You get the old-fashioned veal version, then more modern combinations such as Peking duck and Thai green curry. Cheese and arugula offer a vegetarian option, while chicken satay brings a flavor associated with Dutch-Indonesian cooking.

The written gastronomic notes are useful because the pieces may look similar from the outside. Without some explanation, it can be hard to remember which filling you are eating. The information sheet gives you something to refer to as you taste, and staff explain the dishes at the table.

The six-part tasting, from classic to creative

The veal bitterbal is the logical starting point. It represents the traditional side of the Dutch snack, with a familiar savory filling inside a fried shell. Begin with this one if you want a baseline for the rest.

The Peking duck bitterbal changes direction. Its filling brings a more strongly seasoned, internationally inspired character. It is a good example of how the tasting moves beyond the classic bar snack.

Thai green curry adds another clear shift in flavor. If you enjoy dishes with pronounced seasoning, this is likely to be one of the more memorable pieces. It also shows why the tasting works better than simply ordering six identical bitterballen.

The cheese and arugula croquette provides a meat-free choice. It is a useful part of the selection for anyone who prefers vegetarian food, though the available information does not specify whether the recipe meets any other dietary requirements. If you have allergies or strict dietary needs, ask before eating.

Chicken satay brings a Dutch connection to Indonesian flavors. The Netherlands has long been influenced by Indonesian cooking, and satay is now familiar across Dutch menus. This croquette gives you a small taste of that broader food story.

The shrimp croquette completes the set with a seafood filling. Together, the six varieties create a compact introduction to a snack that is both traditional and adaptable.

The portion is best understood as a tasting rather than a substantial meal. The food is quick to serve and easy to sample, but one hour and six varieties do not amount to a long lunch for most people. If you arrive hungry, consider ordering soup or another dish from the regular menu. Additional food has been praised for being tasty and affordable, so you are not limited to the tasting plate.

Drinks, table water, and the true cost

The advertised price is $15 per person. That includes the six varieties and table water, but not a beer, wine, or soft drink. You can order a Heineken draft beer, house wine, or a nonalcoholic drink separately.

This pricing is fair if you care about the room and the chance to try several fillings in one sitting. It is less compelling if you judge the experience only by the amount of food. One tasting gives you a useful introduction, but it may not replace lunch.

A drink makes the stop feel more like a traditional Dutch café visit. Bitterballen are closely associated with social drinking, so a beer or glass of wine fits the setting. Still, check the menu prices before ordering if you are trying to keep the visit close to $15.

There is also a practical advantage to the format. You do not need to spend hours on a food tour or cross the city for a specialized snack. If you are arriving by train, leaving by train, or sightseeing around Damrak and the old center, the restaurant makes an easy one-hour pause.

The atmosphere: history, views, and a little character

The room is the strongest feature. It feels more formal than an ordinary station café, with old-fashioned railway details and a period atmosphere. You can enjoy the architecture while watching people move through one of Europe’s busiest central stations.

The view toward Amsterdam’s old city center adds to the appeal. It is not a panoramic sightseeing viewpoint, but it gives you a useful sense of place. You are sitting directly inside the city’s transport hub, looking out toward the historic center.

The restaurant also has an amusing bit of personality: Elvis, a cockatiel, has entertained some diners. This is not the reason to book the tasting, and you should not count on a particular performance, but the bird adds an unexpected touch to an otherwise grand setting.

The best atmosphere comes when you are not in a rush. Give yourself time before or after the tasting to look around the old waiting room. The food is served quickly, so the architectural details may become the main memory of the visit.

Service can be friendly, but allow some patience

The staff have received praise for being professional, friendly, and engaging. Some diners have enjoyed especially warm service from individual waiters, including a charming Filipino waitress. Staff explain the tasting and provide written information, which makes the food more interesting than a plate delivered without context.

Service is not always perfectly consistent. The welcome on arrival may feel less warm than expected, and busy periods can slow things down. One useful attitude is to allow a little patience and remember that you are eating inside a working restaurant, not attending a private cooking demonstration.

If you need to change your time, the restaurant has shown flexibility in accommodating schedule changes. Still, it is wise to arrive promptly and ask for the floor manager as directed. That simple step should help you get settled without confusion.

Who will enjoy this Amsterdam food experience?

I would recommend the tasting to you if you enjoy small portions, historic buildings, and food with a local connection. It suits first-time visitors who want to try bitterballen without guessing at a menu, and it works well for couples or friends looking for a relaxed break in the middle of sightseeing.

It is also a good choice for architecture fans. The Cuypers connection gives the visit extra meaning, especially if you plan to see the Rijksmuseum during your stay.

Families may appreciate the short one-hour format, though the flavors are varied and some children may prefer a simpler croquette. Vegetarians have one clearly identified option in the listed selection, the cheese and arugula croquette, but anyone with allergies should ask the staff for detailed ingredient information.

I would be more cautious about recommending it as your only lunch. The tasting is compact, and the drinks are extra. Add soup or another menu item if you need a fuller meal.

Timing, cancellation, and planning tips

The experience lasts one hour, with starting times dependent on availability. That makes it easy to place between museum visits, a canal walk, or a train journey, but do not schedule it so tightly that a delayed train leaves you scrambling through the station.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option also lets you hold a place without paying immediately, which is useful when your Amsterdam schedule is still changing.

Because this is inside Amsterdam Centraal, allow extra time to find the correct hall and staircase. The station is familiar to locals but can be disorienting if you are carrying luggage or arriving for the first time. Keep the address, Stationsplein 15, ready on your phone.

The tasting ends back at the restaurant. You do not need to arrange a separate return transfer, and you can continue directly into the station or toward the old center afterward.

Should you book the bitterballen tasting?

Book it if you want a short, atmospheric food stop rather than a full meal. The restored first-class waiting room, Cuypers connection, six different fillings, and central location give the experience real value beyond the snacks themselves.

Skip it if you are focused only on quantity or want drinks included in the headline price. You may be able to order bitterballen directly at a café, and the tasting itself is simple. Its strength is the combination of food and setting.

My practical choice would be to book it during a sightseeing day, order a drink if your budget allows, and treat the hour as a small piece of Amsterdam history with something tasty on the plate.

FAQ

Where does the bitterballen tasting take place?

It takes place at Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas inside Amsterdam Centraal, at platform 2B. Use the staircase in the Cuyper Hall and ask for the floor manager when you arrive.

How long does the tasting last?

The tasting lasts one hour. Starting times depend on availability.

What food is included?

The tasting includes six different types of croquettes and bitterballen. The listed varieties are veal, Peking duck, Thai green curry, cheese and arugula, chicken satay, and shrimp.

Are drinks included in the price?

Table water is included. Beer, wine, and soft drinks are not included and must be purchased separately.

Is the experience wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. The arrival directions mention a staircase in the Cuyper Hall, so confirm the most suitable access route if needed.

Can I cancel my booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.