Dutch Cuisine for Cyclists

Cycling in Holland isn’t just about tulip fields and canal paths—it’s also a chance to taste the country’s simple yet satisfying food culture. Dutch cuisine is rooted in hearty, straightforward dishes designed to fuel active days, balanced with beloved sweets and iconic snacks that you’ll spot everywhere from village cafés to bustling markets.

Food here is more than fuel—it’s a reflection of daily Dutch life, with many dishes best enjoyed in relaxed cafés, roadside stalls, or even at outdoor markets along your cycling route.

In this guide, we’ll explore:

• What’s on the menu

• How to navigate dietary restrictions

• Introduction into the Dutch coffe culture

• Overview of the meals during your cycling trip

Let’s get straight into the hearty dishes that will help you refuel after a rewarding ride through Holland.

Savory & Hearty Dishes

These traditional Dutch meals are rich, filling, and the perfect way to refuel after a ride through Holland’s landscapes.

Where to Try on Tour:

On the Highlights of South Holland Tour, you’ll pass through Leiden and Delft, towns where traditional stamppot and winter stews are still popular. Rotterdam’s markets are also ideal for haring stalls.

Dutch Snacks

Dutch snack culture is simple, fun, and perfectly suited to a quick cycling break—whether you pause in a village square or refuel at a bustling city café.

Where to try on tour:

The Holland Family Bike Tour often routes along the North Sea coast and smaller towns in South Holland. Here, kibbeling stands and snack bars selling fries with mayo or toppings are everywhere — easy and family-friendly fuel.

Sweet Dishes

Desserts are central to Dutch culture too, offering cyclists the perfect excuse for an afternoon stop or an end-of-day treat. From market stalls to cozy cafés, these classics are everywhere along the routes.

Fun Fact about Stroopwafels!

Stroopwafels were first baked in Gouda in the early 19th century, made from leftover crumbs and sweet syrup. Originally a “poor man’s cookie,” they became so popular that by the late 1800s more than 100 stroopwafel bakers worked in Gouda alone. Today, they’re one of the Netherlands’ most iconic sweets, sold at markets, cafés, and even airports worldwide.

Where to Try on Tour:

On the Amsterdam to Bruges Cycling Tour, the opening days in Amsterdam are full of opportunities to try poffertjes in markets or appeltaart in canal cafés. Passing through Gouda also makes it easy to taste authentic stroopwafels at the weekly cheese and syrup waffle market.

Vegan Lifestyle in the Netherlands

Dutch cuisine is hearty and satisfying, but many traditional dishes lean heavily on dairy, meat, or fish — think cheese, herring, and fried snacks. That means cyclists following a vegan diet will need to plan a little more carefully.

That said, the Netherlands is one of Europe’s leaders in plant-based innovation. Open-air markets brim with fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains, and supermarkets in even small towns stock soy, oat, and almond products.

In larger cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam, vegan-friendly cafés and restaurants are easy to find, offering everything from dairy-free pancakes to modern twists on Dutch classics.

Cycling regions such as South Holland and North Holland also have plenty of international eateries, making it simpler to eat well without animal products.

With some preparation, it’s entirely possible to enjoy flavorful, plant-based meals throughout your ride. Mention it when booking, and we’ll happily help tailor your route with vegan-friendly stops so you can fully enjoy Dutch cuisine during your self-guided cycling holiday.

Coffee Culture in the Netherlands

Cycling and coffee go hand in hand in the Netherlands. From bustling city cafés to small village stops, grabbing a coffee mid-ride is part of the culture — often paired with a slice of appeltaart or a stroopwafel.

What sets Dutch coffee culture apart today is its embrace of alternative milks. Oat milk is especially popular, with soy, almond, and coconut widely available too. Even small-town cafés often list plant-based options, making it easy for cyclists with dietary preferences to enjoy a cappuccino or latte without compromise.

In Amsterdam and Utrecht, the “wielercafés” (cycling cafés) blend local cycling culture with specialty coffee. These spots are often decorated with vintage bikes, jerseys, and memorabilia — the perfect place to refuel, recharge, and connect with other riders.

Whether you take your coffee black, foamed with oat milk, or alongside a stroopwafel, it’s one of the small pleasures that make cycling in the Netherlands feel so easy and rewarding.

Food on Tour

Meals during a cycling holiday in Holland strike the balance between fuel and local flavor. You’ll find that food is never far away — from hotel buffets to village cafés and bustling markets.

Breakfasts

Hotel breakfasts are included and typically Dutch in style: fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, fruit, and coffee. Many places also offer eggs or pancakes, and cyclists who prefer plant-based options will often find oat milk or soy available.

Lunches

Lunch is not included, giving you the flexibility to stop wherever you like. Some riders pick up a picnic from a bakery or supermarket, while others pause at cafés along the route. Expect hearty soups, sandwiches with local cheese or herring, and seasonal specialties like pea soup in cooler months.

Dinners

Dinner is also not included, so evenings are free for you to explore local flavors. In South Holland, cheese and stroopwafels are classics; in Friesland, sugar bread and cakes appear on menus; and along the coast, seafood like kibbeling or mussels is common. Each stage of your ride offers the chance to sample something unique.

With your digital guidebook, you’ll receive curated suggestions for lunch stops, snack bars, and restaurants along your route — so you’ll always know where to pause without breaking the rhythm of the ride.

Taste Holland

Dutch cuisine is part of the cycling experience, offering simple, hearty, and sometimes surprising flavors that match the landscapes you ride through. From cheese markets to seaside fries, these tastes will become part of the memories you carry home.

Curious where to try each of these dishes? See our regional highlights on Holland tours or reach out, and we’ll help you plan a bike holiday enriched with the food you’ll love most.