The Six Things Worth Trying
Volendam's food culture grew out of the IJsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) fishery and the dairy farms of North Holland. Most of the harbor's food stalls sell variations on six staples. The list below ranks them by how distinctly local they are - the higher up, the harder it is to get an equivalent version anywhere else in the Netherlands.
1. Hollandse Nieuwe (raw herring)
Salt-cured young herring served whole or chopped, eaten with raw onion and pickle. The June-to-July first catch ("Nieuwe") is the version Dutch people travel for. Full herring guide →
2. Gerookte paling (smoked eel)
Hot-smoked eel from the IJsselmeer - the signature Volendam delicacy and the dish that gave both the football club and the local music scene their nicknames. Sold by weight at harbor stalls; expect €8-12 for a small portion.
3. Kibbeling
Battered and deep-fried chunks of cod or pollock, served in a paper cone with garlic-mayo (knoflooksaus) or remoulade. The everyday harbor snack: cheap, hot, and hard to mess up. €6-8 a portion.
4. Stroopwafel
Two thin waffle layers glued together with warm caramel syrup. Buy them straight off the iron at a stand on the Dijk - the gap between a fresh one and a supermarket pack is enormous.
5. Edam & Gouda cheese
Edam (the red-rind ball) is from the next village over. Most Volendam cheese shops let you taste a dozen aged varieties - jong (4 weeks), belegen (4 months), oud (10+ months) and seasonal cumin or mustard versions.
6. Poffertjes
Small puffy pancakes cooked in a dimpled cast-iron pan, dusted with icing sugar and served with butter. Found at fairs across the Netherlands but a fixture of the Volendam waterfront in summer.
Where to Eat What
| Dish | Best at | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Raw herring | Haringkraam stalls along the Haven (harbor stalls) | €3-5 per fish |
| Smoked eel | Smit-Bokkum (Slobbeland 17, since 1856) · harbor visviswinkel | €8-12 per portion |
| Kibbeling & lekkerbekjes | Any harbor visstal; portions are similar | €6-9 |
| Stroopwafel (warm) | Stroopwafel stand on the Dijk near the Spaander | €2-3 each |
| Cheese tasting | Henri Willig Alida Hoeve (Zeddeweg 1) - free entry, free tasting | Free / €5-15 per cheese |
| Sit-down seafood | De Lunch, Restaurant Spaander, Hemingway's on the Dijk | Mains €18-32 |
Prices are typical 2026 ranges; harbor stalls take card but smaller cheese shops sometimes only accept Dutch debit (Maestro/V Pay).
Eating on a Budget
Under €15 lunch
- Kibbeling cone (€7) + stroopwafel (€3) + coffee from a bakery (€3)
- Two raw herrings with onions (€8) + a Heineken on the terrace (€5)
- Broodje haring or broodje paling - same fish, on a soft white bun
Walk past the front-row terraces directly on the Dijk; identical food is €3-5 cheaper one street back.
Splurge dinner
- Restaurant Spaander - hotel restaurant in a 1881 dining room hung with original artist-payment paintings
- Hemingway's - waterfront seafood with eel and herring tasting boards
- De Dijk fish menus - 3-course around €40-50
Dietary Notes
Vegetarian
The Dijk is fish-heavy but every restaurant carries pasta and salads. Stroopwafels, poffertjes and most cheeses are vegetarian. Look inland one block for broader menus.
Gluten-free
Plain raw herring, smoked eel and cheese are naturally gluten-free. Skip kibbeling (battered) and stroopwafels. Some ice-cream shops on the Dijk stock GF cones.
Halal/kosher
No certified halal/kosher restaurants in Volendam itself. Closest options are in Purmerend (10 min by car) or Amsterdam Noord.
What's Not Worth It
Two things to skip if you want a representative meal:
- "Pancake houses" advertising in five languages. Pancakes (pannenkoeken) are Dutch but not specifically Volendam, and the harbor versions are tourist-priced.
- Vacuum-packed herring sold in cheese shops. Buy it fresh from a fish stall the day you eat it - the cured-but-cool product loses most of its texture once sealed.
Related
Detailed herring guide
How to eat it without looking lost, what season matters, and which stall the locals trust.
Read guideCheese factory visit
Free demonstrations and tasting at Alida Hoeve, just outside the village.
Cheese factory