Thaise Snackbar Bird

Thaise Snackbar Bird is a small, loud, cash-friendly Thai counter at Zeedijk 77 in Amsterdam’s Chinatown, open since 1993 and still trading under the word “snackbar” even though it long ago outgrew the description. Before you go, know this: there are two Bird establishments facing each other on Zeedijk. The snackbar at number 77 is cheaper, faster, has no alcohol and takes no reservations. Bird Thai Restaurant at numbers 72–74 is the larger sit-down version across the street. Both are good. They are not interchangeable, and choosing wrongly is the single most common mistake visitors make here.

Snackbar or restaurant: which Bird do you want?

	Thaise Snackbar Bird	Bird Thai Restaurant
Address	Zeedijk 77, 1012 AS	Zeedijk 72–74, 1012 BA
Phone	+31 20 420 6289	+31 20 620 1442
Format	Narrow counter and a handful of tables	Two-floor restaurant with table service
Reservations	No — walk in and wait	Yes, and advisable at weekends
Alcohol	No	Yes
Price level	Budget	Mid-range
Typical stay	30–40 minutes	90 minutes or more
Best for	Solo diners, quick lunch, pre-drinks dinner, takeaway	Groups, a proper sit-down meal, wine or Singha with dinner
Not for	Long conversations, large groups, a quiet room	Eating in under an hour

They share a name and a kitchen philosophy, which is why review sites and even some guidebooks merge the two listings. If a page tells you the snackbar has a wine list or accepts bookings, it has crossed the wires. This guide covers the snackbar at number 77.

Why it is called a snackbar when it isn’t one

The business opened in 1993, when Zeedijk had a very different reputation and was still largely the territory of the city’s drug scene. It genuinely started as a snackbar, selling Thai snacks and soup, with two slot machines in the corner. As the street cleaned up through the 1990s and 2000s and trade grew, the slot machines were pulled out to make room for two tables, and the menu expanded into full dishes. The owners simply never bothered to change the name.

That history matters for one practical reason: the space was never designed for dining. It is narrow, the tables are tight, the kitchen is open and audible, and the turnover is brisk. That is not a flaw to be apologised for — it is the actual product. If you want atmosphere, cross the street.

What to order

The kitchen’s strength is the soups and wok dishes rather than the crowd-pleasers, and the regional specialities are where it separates itself from the generic Thai restaurants elsewhere in the centre.

Order these

• Tom yum — the dish the place built its early reputation on when soup was most of the menu. Sour and genuinely hot rather than sweetened down.
• Yam kai jang — a regional speciality that rarely appears on tourist-facing Thai menus in Amsterdam and a good signal of what the kitchen can do.
• Red or green curry with tofu — the strongest of the four vegan-friendly options on the menu.
• Fried noodles with vegetables — reliable, generous, and the safest budget order.
• Anything with Thai basil — the wok dishes get the aggressive, fresh-herb finish that defines the style.

Order these with lower expectations

• Pad Thai — competent but not the reason to come here. It is the dish every Thai kitchen in the city does, and this one does not distinguish itself.
• Spring rolls — fine, filling, unremarkable. Spend the money on a second soup instead.

On spice levels

Heat is adjustable, and the default sits closer to Thai calibration than most Dutch-Thai kitchens. If you are not confident, say “mild” explicitly rather than assuming the standard version is tempered for a Northern European palate. Asking for extra heat is taken seriously and delivered accordingly.

Vegetarian and vegan diners

There are around four dishes that work as vegan, built on tofu in red or green curry plus the vegetable noodle dishes. The important detail most listings omit: ask for the egg to be left out, since it appears in noodle dishes by default. Fish sauce is standard in Thai cooking generally, so confirm this at the counter if you are strict about it rather than relying on the menu marking alone.

Getting there and when to go

Address: Zeedijk 77, 1012 AS Amsterdam. Zeedijk is one of the oldest streets in the city, running from Nieuwmarkt up towards Centraal Station along the edge of Chinatown and the Red Light District.

• From Nieuwmarkt metro (lines 51, 53, 54) — about a three-minute walk north along Zeedijk. This is the easiest approach.
• From Centraal Station — roughly a seven-minute walk, though the route through the Red Light District edge is busy in the evenings.
• By tram — trams 4, 14 and 24 stop at Dam or Rokin, leaving a five-to-ten-minute walk east.
• By bike — Zeedijk is partly pedestrianised and crowded. Park at Nieuwmarkt and walk.
• By car — do not. This is the middle of Amsterdam’s centre; there is no parking and the street is barely navigable.

Opening hours (verify before travelling)

Published hours for this address conflict across sources, which is common for small independent kitchens. The Zeedijk business association currently lists 13:00–21:00 Monday to Wednesday and 13:00–21:30 Thursday to Sunday, while Google and Tripadvisor list an earlier midday opening and a 21:00 close daily. Delivery hours run separately, from around 11:45. Treat 13:00 as the safe assumption for walking in and phone ahead on +31 20 420 6289 if you are planning a late meal.

Timing your visit

• Best window: just after opening at 13:00 on a weekday, or around 20:00 once the early dinner rush clears.
• Worst window: 18:00 to 19:30 on Friday and Saturday, when the room is full and there is nowhere to wait comfortably.
• No reservations — the queue is the system. With only a handful of tables, a group of more than four should not attempt it.
• Takeaway is the underrated option. Nieuwmarkt square is two minutes away and works well in decent weather.

Practical details

• No alcohol. Soft drinks and Thai iced tea only. Plan drinks before or after — Zeedijk and Nieuwmarkt are full of options, and In ‘t Aepjen at the top of the street is a short walk.
• Cards accepted, but carry a little cash as a fallback, as small Amsterdam kitchens occasionally run card-only or cash-only depending on the terminal.
• Delivery is available through Uber Eats and the restaurant’s own ordering site.
• Accessibility is limited — the entrance and interior are narrow, so call ahead if you use a wheelchair. The restaurant at 72–74 spans two floors and is not a straightforward alternative on this point either.
• Not a long-dinner venue. Expect to be in and out inside 40 minutes.

Is it worth it?

Yes, if you want a genuinely good Thai soup or curry for a low price in the centre of Amsterdam and you do not mind eating quickly in a cramped room. It has survived on Zeedijk for over three decades, which in a district with this much tourist churn is a meaningful signal — a place trading purely on foot traffic does not usually last that long.

Skip it if you are a group of five, if you want wine with dinner, if you need a quiet table, or if you want to linger. In every one of those cases, walk across the street to number 72–74 instead. Same family of cooking, entirely different evening.