This Dutch Sandwich & Milk Bar Needs to Be on Your Amsterdam Bucket List

I’m not entirely sure why but the older I get, the less milk I drink. Granted, I don’t want to end up like that one woman on My 600-lb Life who would have her boyfriend funnel her gallons of chocolate milk to start each morning. But the point is, my bones are beginning to crumble and some calcium is much-needed these days. 

So, after landing in the Netherlands for the first leg of my 3-month Europe stint, I jumped at the chance to go throw back a couple of cold glasses of milk and croquette sandwiches (‘broodje krokets’) with my soon-to-be-betrothed Dutch buddy (and reason for my journey to his home country) at a popular Amsterdam sandwich and milk bar (and certified institution) that had been around since 1945 - Eetsalon Van Dobben. 

Here’s why this Dutch croquette-fueled canteen and milk bar needs to be on your Amsterdam eating and (milk) drinking bucket list. 

A Dutch Milk Bar Primer

Disclaimer: I’m going solely based off of what my Dutch buddy referred to Eetsalon Van Dobben as, ‘a traditional croquette sandwich and milk bar’. 

Now, I need to dispel a few myths before we begin. 

First, I’m using the term “Dutch milk bar” somewhat loosely here. It’s more of a canteen and sandwich shop serving up traditional Dutch sandwiches and fare rather than a “milk-centric” refuge.  

Second, No. A Dutch milk bar isn’t code for anything. You’re not going to find busty, scantily clad milk maidens with bonnets lugging pales of milk back and forth while you smoke Dutch blend tobacco from a Briarwood pipe and ogle them. 

Third, it’s not an establishment where you throw back milk-based alcoholic cocktails and can ring the (cow) bell to buy the whole bar a round of rim-salted shots of milk. 

Fourth and final, it’s not a small little shack in the middle of rolling green hills, where cows roam freely and people only communicate in song and dance. I don’t know why but I first pictured a scene out of The Sound of Music, even though that’s set in Austria. 

Simply put, Dutch milk bars are affordable, no-frills traditional canteens and diners offering simple, hearty fare, such as croquette sandwiches (along with countless other popular diner sandwiches), soul-warming soups, and snacks - with ice cold milk to boot.  

Pale Ale Travel Tip: Make sure to check out my post breaking down the best thing that I ate in the Netherlands for further reading. 

Eetsalon Van Dobben: a Legendary Croquette & Calcium Canteen in the Centrum of Amsterdam

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.eetsalonvandobben.nl/ 

• Location: Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat 5-7-9, 1017 BH Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Menu: https://www.eetsalonvandobben.nl/Bestellijst.pdf 

• Price: $ - Croquette sandwiches range from € 3 to € 6.

There’s no sandwich shop and milk bar more famous than Amsterdam’s very own ‘Eetsalon Van Dobben’, located (almost) smack-dab in the middle of the city (Centrum). Although slightly hidden between Rembrandtplein and Muntplein, you’ll know you’ve arrived after spotting its unassuming white tile exterior guarded by white parasols and foldable standing tables. 

It’s so unassuming and plain that your eyes can’t help but wander, searching for some sort of life and breakup to the monotony of it all. And then you see it. 

Through the metallic cased double doors, adorned with the red and black (with three gold ‘X’s’) flag of Amsterdam, your eyes make contact with the black countertop stools cozied up to transparent display cases filled with assorted deli meats and bread - seemingly illuminated by the faint glow of reddish-coral orange ceiling. 

A veteran sandwich matriarch in a lab technician’s coat bobs and weaves amongst calcium confrères, chopping it up with local Amsterdammers who have been coming since they were “yay high,” tourists, and everyone in between, occasionally throwing her head back in uproarious laughter as she hits bumbling tourists with sarcastic yet endearing quips. 

There’s a controlled chaos to Eetsalon Van Dobben. You order at the counter but because of the coziness and familiarity among staff and patrons, it’s not uncommon to hear orders being shouted and negotiated from across the restaurant. 

It’s my type of place.

Pale Ale Travel Note: Eetsalon Van Dobben isn’t known only in Amsterdam, it’s nationwide. In 1992, they were approached by a snack manufacturer wanting to bring their croquettes to homes across the Netherlands. You can now find Van Dobben snacks (croquettes being their specialty, of course) on supermarket shelves everywhere. 

Broodje Krokets (Croquette Sandwiches) & Other Assorted Sandwiches For Days

The menu is simple and straightforward. Sandwiches galore. Twenty-plus sandwiches that omit anything other than the core ingredients. Roast beef on white bread. Check. Tomato on white bread. Check. And, of course, fried croquettes on white bread. Check, check, check.

Customization comes in the form of chucking a dollop of mayonnaise or mustard on top and crackling some supermarket pepper to taste.  

There’s classic Dutch pea soup, bitterballen (get you some of these), and milk (including chocolate milk) to wash it down. 

It’s not Michelin-star dining. It’s good, old-fashioned, working-class cafeteria dining. I love it. I grew up on it. 

When you make your way to Eetsalon Van Dobben, the signature ‘Broodje Croquet’ is required. What’s not to love about a beef and meat ragu coated in breadcrumbs, deep fried into golden brown perfection, and tucked away between two white bread hamburger buns? 

Slather it with the tableside spicy mustard and you have a simple, meaty, creamy snack that can now stand on its own as a meal (thanks to the white bread). It’s like biting into a meaty mozzarella stick sandwich. 

Follow it up with a veal broodje croquette (‘Fricandeau’ on the menu) for a more intense, and in my opinion, buttery flavor. This was hands down my favorite of the bunch, so much so that I worked my way through two of these. 

What especially brought me back to my early days was Eetsalon’s grillworst suffused with little pockets of cheese. Picture a mix between one of the best hotdogs you’ve ever eaten and a slightly sweet ballpark sausage. 

Now, add little booby traps of sharp cheddar that explode in your mouth after biting through the soft white bread and snappy sausage casing. Don’t take this Big Body out to the ballgame. Take him out to Eetsalon Van Dobben. 

Look at this ground pink paste above that looks like what McDonald’s chicken nuggets look like before frying. That’s what’s referred to as the ‘Americain’ on Eetsalon Van Dobben’s menu. It’s ground sirloin that is turned into a paste and mixed with mayonnaise. If you’ve read any other posts on Pale Ale Travel then you already know that mayonnaise is my kryptonite. 

I can’t comment too much on the taste of this as I tossed the entire thing back in two bites to get it down as quickly as possible, chasing it quickly with my first of several glasses of milk.

Did I Really Almost Forget the Milk?

What’s there to say about milk that hasn’t already been said? I like it. I don’t crave it. But I wouldn’t be opposed to drinking more of it. The whole milk I drank at Eetsalon Van Dobben was probably the first glass(es) I’ve had in over a year. 

It was ice cold, rich, creamy, and slightly sweet, a perfect drink accompaniment for nostalgic classics that remind you of your best playground days. 

My dawg ordered some variation of this milk which I’m unsure of what it actually was. It was slightly sour, a bit more viscous, and felt like a hybrid between yogurt and milk. If you know what this is, please let me know!

From a Milk Boy to a Milkman: Eetsalon Van Dobben is Dutch History in a Glass & Sandwich

Sometimes, it’s tough not to be skeptical when a friend from a different country takes you to a restaurant or watering hole when you visit as I’ve often found that many people far underestimate the deliciousness of their home country, city, or town’s cuisines (myself included). 

They just assume that the friend or family member in town won’t enjoy it and opt for some hybrid, diluted version of their cuisine made more palatable for foreign tastes - ultimately having you question whether or not you actually got to experience authentic cuisine.

Eetsalon Van Dobben is unapologetic, authentically Dutch, and doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is - an unpretentious, old-school sandwich and milk bar built for feeding the working-class at an affordable price. 

Several days after eating at Eetsalon Van Dobben, my mind was put even further at ease that I had truly stumbled upon an authentic local gem when renting a car from the good ole boys at Europcar. After chatting with two of the guys renting my dawg and me our sleek new, compact Lynk & Co SUV, they both suggested that I try a spot they had just gone to for lunch (and regularly patronize) - Eetsalon Van Dobben. 

If you have any questions about finding Eetsalon Van Dobben or some of my favorite restaurants I enjoyed during my week-plus in Amsterdam, please feel free to reach out here or via email ([email protected]). 

Eat well everyone,

Big Body