The Papeneiland Café in Jordaan

We visited this place as four girls during our Amsterdam trip to try their famous apple pie. The café was very crowded, but the staff member who greeted us immediately showed us an empty table upstairs. Since one of my friends didn’t want to try anything, the three of us ordered two apple pies to share so we could also taste other desserts. We weren’t planning to stay long anyway, as the place is quite small. In the middle of the crowd, the man who seemed to be the owner suddenly came up to us and shouted, “So you’re four people eating only two pies?” At first we thought he was being sarcastic, but it was simply rude. While we were still trying to understand if he was joking, the woman who had seated us came over with the pos machine, clearly wanting us to pay and leave. They basically didn’t like our order and asked us to pay right away. I told her that if they had mentioned at the beginning that we needed to order more due to the crowd, we would have happily done so. We paid quickly and left, and as we were walking out, we even heard them say “internationals ” behind us. Although the apple pie was delicious, their attitude completely ruined the experience. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

I'm going to eat the apple pie. The best in Amsterdam!! And the coffee is delicious too!!

Just as a brown café should be, with friendly bar staff and delicious apple pie.

A lively, local atmosphere with lots of regulars. A very friendly welcome. Since it's small, you share a table with strangers, which is nice. The tart is fantastic. In short, a place to visit if you want good, authentic food!

Super apple pie, very small and cozy, friendly service!

Cosy canalside cafe with great apple pie!

Simply the most beautiful pub in Amsterdam!

Fantastic bar/cafe with a great atmosphere.

There's nothing left to say: the apple pie was absolutely special. Soft, fragrant, and with that authentic flavor that makes it truly unique. It deserves all its popularity! The entire place is very cute; if you're lucky, you'll find a seat. If you have the chance, try it: you won't regret it!

Apple pie was the best! Such a nice place to get a bite to eat. Good local vibes.

We had high expectations after looking at a very positive review. Sadly the place is more like a run down pub with limited seats on the ground floor. When we asked for a pork dish, we got the mixed plate that had liver and beef tartar. Luckily we asked before eating. There is one thing though that is superb, and that is the apple pie. Worth a visit

Spectacular, the apple pie was amazing, the guy was very friendly and the atmosphere was warm.

Horrible service and rude staff! For 40 mins, we tried ordering through different staff but to no avail, while others were getting their Apple pie. When we confronted the staff, we were told there was a “minimum order” (which they did not mention before). And when we tried to fulfil the order requirements, we were told they weren’t “obligated to serve us”. It is a great disappointment as we were really looking forward to this! :(

The man (owner, I think) behind the counter is super friendly and funny. I like the apple pie, but it's not the best I've ever had. Honestly, I like it, but I just don't want to come back for the apple pie...

Jan is the BEST. Come for the Apple pie but stay for the service. This is always an absolute must when we visit Amsterdam 10/10 recommend

Easily the best apple pie in the world! And the beer pairing was also quite nice.

Lovely atmosphere and decor, but the “famous apple pie” was definitely not in the top 10 I’ve ever eaten. The coffee was tasty and the lovely woman and man working there were very accommodating, but very slow on preparing just 2 coffees and an apple pie on a day with just 4 people in the store. I will come back for just a coffee though

It’s damn true about the apple pie. I had three trips to Amsterdam and ended each day with apple pie at this place. You will not be disappointed. The rumours are true. Just go have the apple pie. Best in Amsterdam. Help the cause!

This is a very nice Cafe. The service was speedy and kind. The apple pie with cream was delicious.

Tasty apple pie with cream! The seating area outside had a lovely view (not the most comfortable, but still a vibe). The guy working was really lovely!

The apple pie itself wasn't bad, but the service was not good at all. Me and my friend ordered two apple pies, one beer and one coffee, and we were sitting upstairs. At some point some women came upstairs, probably tourists, and since we had space on our bench and table we offered them to sit with us and made some space. At some point a man who was working in the cafe came upstairs to take an order and he told us to squeeze ourselves more so the three ladies can actually have more space to sit with us. I really don't find it a nice way to talk to your guests. Even though we tried to be polite and offer the seat by ourselves, I believe that he could have at least asked us if we are okay with making more space instead of demanding us just to squeeze ourselves more (despite the fact that we offered this by ourselves to the ladies). I found it really disrespectful. I would not come here again as the waiter was very rude!

Best apple pie in-town bar none - perfectly spiced and seasoned, and the apples are cooked through just right with a tiny bit of crunch still. Absolutely mind-blowing; I wouldn't bother with other establishments around the area that serve the Dutch apple pie.

This is one of the, if not the best Apple pie going winkle 43 is similar but this one is more of a pie

Tired the apple tart it was amazing 10/10. The only problem I came at Saturday night was very busy that I ate while standing outside. Next time nead to pick a better time to enjoy the tart.

This was delicious! I recommend this place

This place was a big letdown all because of the service. I had to leave my table and go to the bar to get any drinks, and was told to wait at my table for drinks, only to wait another 15 minutes. After waiting 20 minutes for apple pie, I went to the bar and asked to just close my tab as I had waited long enough.

Food is excellent, excellent Dutch apple pie, super friendly staff.

A cafe since 1641, delicious apple pie filled with apples and excellent with whipped cream! Recommend to try, minutes from Noordermarkt.

The apple pie was very bad, not at all as praised.

Beautiful bar with excellent staff & service. That apple pie - 10/10

Super cosy bar/cafe with an amazing history like stepping back in time. Great in the evening as it’s candlelit. Incredible apple pie, the best I have ever had. Really reasonable price, friendly attentive service. 100% recommend

Not only for its APPLE pie that you are here for, visited by US President Bill Clinton and preserved as one of the early building of the city with its very own history, is definitely a hidden gem

Everything was 1€ more expensive than said in the menu.

Saw this place on instagram being famous for their apple pie, and had to try it out! It was really tasty and the service was super friendly. Small place but great vibes.

It's difficult to find a place in this dining room for a maximum of 4 people, the staff are neither welcoming nor concerned about the interminable wait.

Superb, warm place. The atmosphere is relaxed and the Dutch (servers and regulars) don't hesitate to have a chat with foreigners. Dutch beers and apple pie are highly recommended!

A Timeless Amsterdam Treasure! I stumbled upon this cozy canalside café and it instantly became one of my favorite spots in Amsterdam. The place has that authentic “brown café” charm, warm, welcoming, and full of character. Sitting by the canal, watching the endless flow of bikes go by, felt like being part of the city’s rhythm itself. But the highlight? The Dutch apple pie! Easily the best I’ve ever had in my life! Perfectly spiced, with a buttery crust and just the right amount of sweetness. I’m still thinking about it! The staff were friendly, the atmosphere truly local, and the history in every corner adds so much soul to the experience. If you visit Amsterdam, this café is a must. I’ll definitely come back for another slice!

Went there for the apple pie, totally worth it! Really good pie and great service. I sit outside and it was a great vibe

One of the OG brown bars of Amsterdam. Great service, great selection of beers and snacks. 10 out of 10

Best apple cake/pie ever. Its not a pie nor a cake, You have to try it if in Amsterdam

Apple pie is amazing. Worth taking a detour (and packing some in your suitcase).

The setting is very nice. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit the upstairs dining room because one of the servers said no twice, even though he allowed other people in while we were there! A shame.

A 400-Year-Old Gem with the BEST Apple Pie! ​This "brown café" is a must-visit spot in Amsterdam. Said to be the oldest pub on the canal since 1642, stepping inside is like stepping back in time. It's a historically significant place, known for its truly authentic atmosphere and traditional Dutch fare. ​We were lucky enough to grab a corner table on the canalside with great outdoor seating, perfect for watching the continuous bicycle traffic—a classic Amsterdam experience! ​The food was the real highlight. We paired a local favorite, bitterballen, with a celebratory 750 Anniversary beer. But the real star was the Dutch apple pie; it was, hands down, the BEST I have ever had! We loved it so much we took a slice to go. ​The interior is just as charming, decorated with beautiful Delft blue pottery and anchored by a beautifully antique bar. It’s frequented by a fantastic local crowd. Don't miss this piece of history!

Extremely rude waiter, service in general is horrible if not existent. There are way better options in town. The apple pie isn’t good.

Such a homey vibe and the apple cake is delicious - perfect for a rainy day

Absolute best little cafe! Friendly staff and customers, can get packed but people don't mind sharing tables with you. Cheap beer and absolutely unmatched traditional home-made apple pies

Terrible service. As I walked in to just ask about the apple pie, the guy started hounding me about how he won’t give me anything to go because its too busy. And that if we sat down he would force us to order so much more than we wanted and pretty much pushed me to leave. Rude man, doesn’t care about his customers, there is another place 200m down the road with respectful people working there.

Great local spot (from the 1600s!) with delicious local food, great drinks and lovely service. Outdoor and indoor seating. The cheese plate is perfection!

Good experience. Apple crumble was good

Typical Dutch cafe by the canal. Known for its apple taart met slagroom, which is quite good

Gorgeous canal-side spot for a Belgian beer and huge piece of apple tart.

The old server is very rude!! The pie is dry! This place unfortunately is a tourist trap

Great service great deal. Super the apple pie Super recommended

Not the best place to attend if you aren’t white. Heard good things about the apple pie from this place but we were so disappointed. Not only the fact that the apple pie was extremely disappointing, it was so bland and tasteless, and stale, but the service was appalling. We were served by an older man who’s face had sunken in from misery, who asked if we were American, my friend had a bottle of water and gave it a quick sip before he walked over and passive aggressively told him that’s very unusual to do that. Also questioned the food we ordered and rudely said ‘I think it’s too much’, and I think you should mind your business and take the order as the guest asks. Then proceeded to hear him gossip with colleagues about us behind the bar as we told them we were British, heard him imitating the word ‘British’. The worst experience we had in Amsterdam and clearly racially motivated.

I’ve never been treated so rudely. When we arrived, we were immediately snapped at and told to find our own table because they ‘weren’t going to do it for us.’ Then, just after we placed our order, we were kicked out a few minutes later to make room for a group of 11 delivered with a very dismissive, ‘sorry not sorry’ attitude

Full immersion dutch Apple pie best ever Good beer from Amsterdam Atmosphere nice Super welcoming from the staff

Incredible service. I wish I caught his name but the bartender came upstairs and when taking our order he sat down with us, asked how we were, answered all our questions, and gave us recommendations. Outstanding friendly staff! Great food too!

Very good food and fast service. The prices are fair. I got the fried balls and the pie, both were good. It's a grab whatever seat you can next to whomever and get served kinda place, so you need to be comfortable with that.

This is definetly the best Apple Pie in Amsterdam! The Apple Pie was excellent! Very attentive personel. If you are going to the Anne Frank house you should definetly stop by here. Its about a 10 minute walk from there.

Apple pie is really delicious with lots of apple slices. We also try bitterballen, crispy and creamy🤤 Staffs are friendly and welcoming.

Delicious apple pie and cozy atmosphere

The service was awful, we came with a group. At the end, we decided to just order 1 apple tart to share with 3 people, to which they responded they couldn’t give us a table for just one dessert. We were with some people, so we understood and we agreed to buy to take away. In the meantime we waited, we heard them talking about our group and annoyed that we just ordered 1 thing. They gave us the apple tart to take away with 2 forks, when we asked for the third one the man working there (probably owner) didn’t even look at us and replied very rudely “we don’t have more forks”, refusing to give us one more paper fork. The other customers noticed and we had a very unpleasant experience. The apple tart at the end was average, and definitely not worth the bad customer service.

Great atmospheric place. If you don't drink beer, and alcohol, you're at a bit of a disadvantage. But still nice.

We were reading all the reviews and decided to get here as it seemed a great place — well, it wasn’t. The first evening we came for a beer, and the barman was not friendly and hardly responded to our questions. The beer was nice, and we decided to give this place another chance — we came in a couple of days in the morning for breakfast. My husband was really looking forward to it, as a lot of people recommended the local Dutch mini pancakes. We ordered them together with the apple pie and some tea and coffee, but as the employee was bringing us the pie, she just said that they didn’t have any pancakes left. We came specifically for them, and had she told us earlier or before bringing everything else, we would have cancelled the order. But of course we couldn’t just do it with the other things prepared for us. She also was not too friendly to us. The place really disappointed us in that regard.

I came here because I wanted to eat apple pie. It was delicious! If I have the chance to go to Amsterdam again, I would like to eat their apple pie. The fresh cream was light and not too sweet, giving it a refreshing taste. It looks very large, but there are lots of apples inside, so you can eat it all in one go. Highly recommended.

Totally unsanitary. Dirty tables, utensils. I have never seen more disgusting service anywhere in Europe. After visiting this establishment, I ended up in hospital with an intestinal infection.

I don’t say this lightly…the absolute most delicious Dutch pancakes are here!! Would go back everyday if I could.

Stopped here for Apple pie and pancakes with Nutella while on a bike tour. Super friendly service. Phenomenal food. Highly recommend it! Will definitely return on future visits to Amsterdam!!

This place was cute! We went for apple pie and wanted to take it away. The woman behind the bar took our order and quickly put it together for us, complete with whipped cream on the side which she provided a lot of. She was extremely kind and went above and beyond for us. The apple pie was good, not the best I’ve had, but I would have it again. I’d definitely go back.

Just love this place. We were introduced by our guide Jan on a food tour last week on Amsterdam. We had a chance to sample the Apple Pie which I had with a local beer. Lol. Our last night for dinner in Amsterdam was a ni brainer. Find this place and eat that Apple Pie!! Oh the Bitterballen and Dutch Medium mixed plate was all top notch.

Incredible hospitality, kudos to the wonderful bartender. She went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed our visit. We had the Apple Tart and she even brought us a few bitterballen to try as this was our first and only day in Amsterdam. Great atmosphere just to grab a beer if you aren’t hungry!

Definitely the best apple pie in Amsterdam! Don't miss it! The owner is very kind and gave the children a candy necklace.

We sat on the second floor. The atmosphere was amazing. The staff took a while to come to take our order, but it was a busy time, so I guess that's understandable. Despite being a popular restaurant, the staff were friendly and even took photos for us, providing excellent service. The apple pie was by far the best I've had in Europe. I'd definitely like to go again. The prosciutto and cheese platter and beer were also excellent.

I enjoyed a latte with almond milk here while taking in the charming street views — easily one of the best coffees I’ve had in Amsterdam. They’re famous for their peach cobbler pie à la mode, and it’s well worth trying. Outdoor seating adds to the experience, though space along the street is limited, so snag a chair if you can.

The café has a charming, historic feel, with limited seating and tasteful wall decorations. We took an empty table upstairs, where we enjoyed their classic apple pie: thick, rich, and one of the best I’ve had in the Netherlands, while watching the flow of people passing by downstairs. The coffee was elegant and well-crafted, matching perfectly with the cozy atmosphere. If only they had air conditioning, it would be absolutely perfect 🤩

The restaurant is perfectly situated, at the end of a bridge, with the river on either side of the intersection, offering stunning views. It looks a bit historic, and the decor is unique. The food is good, but the signature meatballs are a bit too strong. The rest of the food is excellent. However, this restaurant is more of a place for drinks and snacks, not a place for a full meal. The outdoor seating is also popular with locals, while the indoor and upstairs seating areas are less crowded.

Cosy wee bar with fantastic apple tart. Really enjoyed eating it with a beer as a side!

The apple pie here is worth the trip to Amsterdam. 10/10. Highly recommend!

You MUST visit this café for a beer and a slice of apple pie! It came highly recommended by Those Dam Boat Guys (another amazing business) and it did not disappoint. The pie is the best we've had. Even better than Grandma's!!!!!

Best and most beautiful cafe in Amsterdam. The apple pie is fantastic and the shrimp croquettes from Holtkamp are delicious. Good service.

Original and tasty apple pie! I strongly recommend apple pie!

A very unique and charming “brown tavern.” Reportedly this tavern has a tunnel going under the canal to the Catholic Church so that parishioners would not come under scrutiny from the nearby Protestant cathedral. This is an incredible place to experience authentic Dutch apple pie that is so full of flavor. Also if you have not had “jenever” a Dutch created precursor to gin, this is the place to try it. I suggest the three year. The pour goes all the way to the brim of the glass, almost overflowing. The first sip is supposed to be consumed hands-free. 😂 I cannot emphasize how incredible the service was here. The bartend was quite insistent that he bring my drink and pie to me where I sat outside. He helped yo make it an experience for me. This is also a great place to try authentic ginger and/or mint tea.

Had a delightful visit in a charming, historic setting steeped in character and warmth. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, with classic décor that exuded timeless charm. The food and drinks were delightful—well prepared, flavorful, and presented thoughtfully. Service was friendly and attentive, making the whole experience feel personalized and relaxed. A lovely spot offering a memorable blend of tradition, comfort, and excellent hospitality.

The apple pie... AMAZING! Come hungry because it's huge!

Came for the apple pie, it came warm and tasty, not too sweet, plenty of apples, staff was nice to us, was fairly busy but found a spot outside on the benches they put outside, think it ended up costing us 14euros for 2 slices

What a fun, lively place! my wife and I and a friend found a spot inside on a bust Saturday afternoon and had a blast chatting with a couple locals and having THE BEST APPLE PIE EVER! Seriously. It's a huge slab with layers upon layers of thinly-sliced apples with homemade whipped cream. OMG. Along with a few pints and really friendly and efficient service, it's a super experience. Go!

Stopped by for a cup of tea. So cozy, calm and relaxing. Nice staff :).

Amazing apple pie!!! Much better compared to another famous one nearby

I visited this restaurant hoping for a good experience, especially because I had heard great things about the apple pie. Unfortunately, it was a letdown. The pie was served completely cold, which really took away from the experience since it was the main reason I came. The rest of the food was okay. We ordered simple dishes and they were prepared fine. What made the night uncomfortable was a comment the waiter made that felt inappropriate and off-putting. It put a damper on the meal and made it hard to fully enjoy the evening. We decided to stay and eat, but I wouldn’t return.

The waiter was extremely rude and totally not friendly at all towards especially asians. The food was ok but at that point I have totally lost all interest. There’s a reason why tourist spots are tourist spots!

Really gorgeous bar with a lovely outdoor seating area that wraps around the corner. Vaasjes are €3.50 which is super reasonable for this area. Staff are friendly and the interior of Papeneiland is so cozy and welcoming. Enjoyed several Amstel beers, watching the world go by on their terrace. Big thank you to the team for making it such a lovely afternoon.

Very friendly and authentic atmosphere!!! Recommended by a local for their (Dutch) apple pie, we weren't disappointed; it was truly homemade. We also opted for the Dutch pancakes, which were also delicious.

Another lovely classic Amsterdam old cafe

Funny service , only in Amsterdam , will you hear the waitress tell you, my apologies for the slow , bad service but my coworker has a HANG OVER !!!

Close to the river, beautiful scenery The apple pie is recommended online, the portion is actually quite large, and it is sweet, you can try it The clerk recommended the croquettes, which are delicious We sat outdoors, the table is a bit small, but it is quite down-to-earth The clerk said that President Clinton of the United States had been here

Great historic pub, cafe?, within Amsterdam Central a short walk from Centraal Station. It is a very historic building dating to the 16th century.

Wish I’d read the reviews about the old man with blonde hair before going here. He was extremely rude! I said I’ll have a prosecco and he went on about how I should be asking him for it. At that point I lost all interest and told him I don’t want one. I would go to Winkel 43. Just as cosy and nicer people!

Came here on a very busy Friday night and despite all the people, I was immediately served by incredible staff. I came here specifically for the Dutch apple pie and let me tell you, their pie is heaven on earth. Probably the best apple pie I’ve ever had in my life.

Great food, great service, first time trying bitterballen and definitely wasn't the last.

A very cool atmosphere along the canal and on a street corner that bustles at the end of the day. Perfect for a drink and a snack. Enjoy discovering bitterballens!