Finding an accessible restaurant in Amsterdam is quite a challenge. Amsterdam houses over 3800 catering companies; approximately 1300 restaurants, 700 fastfood restaurants, 900 cafés and 200 coffeeshops (OS Amsterdam, 2008). Even though this enormous unique number of catering companies, just a small number offers good spatial access for all.

When it comes to restaurants, Amsterdam has a very small offer of restaurants which are accessible without stairs or steps and have a wheelchair accessible toilet. Locals might know where to find a suitable place to enjoy a drink or dinner without too much hassle. However, for visitors it could be more complicated to find an accessible restaurant. Below we listed a few accessible restaurants.

Accessible restaurants without barriers with wheelchair accessible toilets

• College Hotel restaurant, Roelof Hartstraat 1 – near Museum Square
• De Waag café restaurant, Nieuwmarkt – city centre
• Edel café restaurant, Postjesweg 1 – West
• Hotel Grand Krasnapolsky, Dam 9 – city centre
• Hotel The Grand, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197 – city centre
• Nieuwe Café, de Dam – city centre
• Parkcafé de Hop, Amstelpark 12C – South
• Rosarium, Amstelpark 1 – near RAI conference centre, South
• Sea Palace chinees restaurant, Oosterdokskade 8 – city centre
• SkyLounge, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Oosterdoksstraat 4 – city centre
• Stanislavski, theater restaurant – Leidseplein
• Studio K, Timorplein 62 – Oostelijk Havengebiek (East port area)
• Vapiano, Oosterdokskade 145- city centre
• Vapiano, Rembrandtplein – city centre
• Wagamama, Max Euweplein 10 – Leidseplein
• Witteveen, Ceintuurbaan 256 – de Pijp

Accessible café’s and clubs
The Dutch so called ‘brown cafés’ are very popular amongst locals and tourists and as such, accessibility should be an important issue. Nevertheless, Amsterdam has a small number of cafés which are accessible for all. Below a number of accessible café’s and clubs.

• Café Edel, Postjesweg 1 – West
• Café Zilt, Zeedijk – City Centre (no accessible toilet)
• Café restaurant de Waag – City Centre
• Paradiso, Weteringseschans 6-9 – Leidse Plein
• Pacific Parc Polonceau-kade 23 – Westerpark

Fastfood and coffeeshops
Fastfood restaurants are often located in very small buildings and mainly focus on take away food. As such, it would be nice if the entrance is barrier free, but an accessible toilet won’t be available. Often, these kind of restaurants don’t have toilets at all.

When it comes to accessible coffeeshops, these are very hard to find. One accessible coffeeshop which has no steps or stairs is the Bulldog Coffeeshop at the Bulldog Hotel on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal 220. Unfortunately, it does not have a wheelchair accessible toilet.