Netherlands

5 of the best Amsterdam cheese tasting experiences

by Paul Stafford  |  Published August 14, 2020

The Dutch have a phrase about a person who doesn’t know anything about a given topic: they are said to have eaten no cheese of that something. While Amsterdam is well known for many things, its canals, its dubiously named coffeehouses, its culture and for its self-righteous cyclists, there’s another common sight peppered around the capital of the Netherlands: cheese shops. They’re filled with giant yellow wheels of the delicious stuff and while catering mostly to tourists, it’s difficult to imagine just who is buying them to take home with them, cheese not being particularly known for travelling well. But tastings are a different matter entirely. Hopefully, with a little help from our list below, by the time you leave Amsterdam, you will have eaten your cheese of the Dutch cheese world, in both senses.

One of the great things about cheese tastings in Amsterdam from an adult’s perspective, is that the Dutch understand the rule that no good cheese tasting should exist without wine. Thus, the following selection of tours and tastings all add a mildly bacchanalian component to the proceedings. We selected these best cheese tasting experiences based on multiple factors such as value for money, duration and the amount of cheese and wine that one is allowed to quaff in that time, which naturally affects the ratings left by previous participants.