Best dim sum and dumplings in Amsterdam

Full Moon Garden

Overlooking a bustling shopping street near Leidseplein, this Chinese restaurant has gained acclaim from The Hague to Hong Kong. Building on three successful locations in The Hague and a gold medal win for Cantonese Cuisine at the 2018 World Master Chefs Competition, the Kwok family brought their Cantonese concept to Amsterdam in 2019. Today, the menu features over 80 types of handmade dim sum. Highlights include har gau (prawn dumplings), BBQ pork rice noodle rolls, sesame prawn toast, scallion pancakes, and steamed scallops with glass noodles and garlic. Pair your meal with chrysanthemum, jasmine, tie guan yin, or pu-erh tea, and don’t miss desserts like crispy sesame balls with lotus seed paste and lai wong bao (egg custard buns).

Full Moon Garden | Leidsestraat 95, Centrum

Sichuan Taste

This chilli red eatery opposite the famous Dun Yong Chinese supermarket off Zeedijk boasts a bao station and a feisty Sichuan street food menu. Choose from homemade dumplings, wonton soup, pan-fried pot stickers, handmade xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and bao (a pillowy steamed yeasted bun with a savoury filling). Most dishes come in chicken, pork and veggie options. There are also Peking duck sandwiches, scallion pancakes with Sichuan salad, and noodle soup.

Tip: there’s a pot of homemade sweet-spicy Sichuan sauce on the counter if you like it hot.

Sichuan Taste | Stormsteeg 4, (Chinatown) Centrum

Sea Palace

The largest floating restaurant in Europe is a landmark in Amsterdam’s Eastern Docklands, next to Centraal Station. Sure, this three-story pagoda-style restaurant looks like a tourist trap, but it’s actually one of the best spots in town to grab an authentic Cantonese dim sum brunch on Sundays or until 16:00 daily. The interior is crammed with over-the-top Oriental ornaments, complete with dangling paper lanterns, dragon murals and live goldfish, but you can also rest your eyes on beautiful water views overlooking the old Centre if all that Eastern exuberance gets too much. They do keep up with the times, though. You’ll find plenty of contemporary cocktails on the menu and don’t be surprised if your food is served by a robot.

Sea Palace | Oosterdokskade 8, Centrum

New King

Affordable and unfailingly excellent Cantonese classics have earned this Chinese food mainstay a loyal following in Amsterdam. It’s situated on Zeedijk, home to the oldest Chinatown in mainland Europe. With its comforting broth and delicate wrappers stuffed with plump juicy prawns, New King’s signature sui kau dumpling soup stands out amid fierce competition. They also do great crispy fried wonton and all the popular types of dim sum, bao buns, mapo tofu, eggplant with fish and the chef’s speciality, duck pancakes with hoisin sauce. They don’t take reservations, so if it’s too busy, try Mandarin maestro Nam Kee (Zeedijk 111) next door, where the dim sum and dumplings are also dependably good.

New King | Zeedijk 115-117, (Chinatown) Centrum

Yan Yan Fly By Dumpling House

Run by three cousins, this jiaozi specialist takes its name from the family matriarch who inspired the kitchen’s inventive Northern Chinese fusion recipes. An array of handmade dumplings are steamed or pan-fried with a crispy lace skirt. Options range from classics like pork & chives, chicken & coriander and shiitake & tofu to creative specials like boeuf bourguignon with flat rice cake, a nod to the French upbringing of the China-born owners. Enhance your experience with mirin-soy marinated egg yolks for dipping and don’t miss the tangyuan, a delicate dessert of sesame-stuffed glutinous rice balls in warm ginger syrup with dried osmanthus flower -  imagine warm mochi. Tip: the flagship branch is in the Jordaan (Tweede Elegantiersdwarsstraat 12).

Yan Yan Dumplings | Rijnstraat 229, Zuid

Hoi Tin

Located next to the largest Chinese Buddhist building in Europe, the Fo Guang Shan He Hua Temple, this cherished Cantonese restaurant has a legacy of authenticity and excellence that goes back 45 years. The name, Hoi Tin – meaning between "heaven and sea" – reflects the Chinese community’s role in Amsterdam's 20th-century shipping trade. Now in its third generation under Ethan Lo, his mother Susan, and uncle Alex, Hoi Tin offers dim sum delights like unparalleled siu mai, tasty turnip cakes and steamed cha siu bao (barbecued pork buns) alongside wok dishes, roasted meats and its famed baked goods from an in-house bakery.

Hoi Tin | Zeedijk 122, (Chinatown) Centrum

Nanxiang Soup Dumplings

Indulge in xiao long bao, the ultimate comfort food, at this Shanghai-style dumpling house opposite Marie Heinekenplein. Steamed to perfection in bamboo baskets, each soup dumpling (served per six) boasts a thin, translucent skin encasing a flavourful pork or crab filling and a burst of rich, savoury broth. They’re served with vinegar and ginger to enhance their taste. Beyond soup dumplings, the menu includes other Shanghainese specialities, such as pork wonton in chilli oil, hot and sour soup, drunken chicken, smashed cucumber salad and sauteed Shanghai noodles.

Nanxiang Soup Dumplings | Ferdinand Bolstraat 12H, De Pijp

Dim Sum Thing

Located in the Foodhallen, this dim sum specialist is a good spot if you’re craving dumplings on the go. Order at the stall and lean against one of the tables – or the wall, if it’s rammed – to enjoy your selection of “sumthing” steamed or deep-fried. The crispy wonton is stuffed with chicken, shrimp and spring onions, while the glutinous rice sesame ball has a tasty red bean paste filling. There are also Shanghai dumplings, various gyoza as well as pork, chicken, veggie and custard buns and shareable dim sum platters with crowd-pleasers such as siu mai and har gau. A little further out west, at the entrance of Westerpark, there’s also the excellent Dumplings food stand (Nassauplein 60), where you can order freshly made Chinese dumplings, some of the city’s best jianbing pancakes, and more.

Dim Sum Thing | Bellamyplein 51, Oud-West

One Dim Sum

Known for its calm atmosphere, kind staff and generous portions of freshly prepared food, this dim sum specialist near Vondelpark is well worth considering whether you’re dining solo at the bar or grabbing a table with a group. Their deeply satisfying xiao long bao are a best-seller for good reason, though their crispy fried cuttlefish cake and salty-sweet lava egg yolk custard buns are good, too. They also serve various types of stir-fried noodles, soups and steamed buns.

One Dim Sum | Overtoom 109, Oud-West