Café Waterloo (also called Lunchcafé Waterloo) is a casual café-restaurant at Waterlooplein 181, right next to the Mozes en Aäronkerk. It serves breakfast, sandwiches, lunch, simple dinners and drinks, and its sunny terrace faces the Waterlooplein flea market. According to the café’s website, it’s open Monday to Saturday from 07:00 to 20:30 and on Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00.
The café says its guests are a real mix: neighbours, day-trippers, opera-goers, market traders and tourists. That makes sense for its location, between the flea market, the Stopera and the Rembrandt House Museum.
| Café Waterloo at a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | Waterlooplein 181, 1011 PG Amsterdam (next to the Mozes en Aäronkerk) |
| Opening hours | Monday–Saturday 07:00–20:30; Sunday 09:00–18:00 |
| Phone | +31 20 624 9831 |
| Serves | Breakfast, sandwiches, soups, salads, pancakes, Dutch snacks, steak, beer, wine and cocktails |
| Dietary options | Separate vegan section; gluten-free bread available |
| Seating | Indoor and outdoor terrace facing the market |
| Nearest transport | Metro 51, 53 and 54 and tram 14, all at Waterlooplein |
| Website | cafewaterloo.nl |
What’s on the menu
The menu is broad rather than specialised, more like a traditional Amsterdam lunchroom than a trendy café. Prices below come from the menu PDF on the café’s website and may have changed since.
- Breakfast: Croissants, Greek yoghurt with granola, uitsmijters (fried eggs on bread) and a full English breakfast (€14).
- Amsterdam sandwiches: Local classics such as halfom (liver and salted beef), filet americain, and a meatball in gravy with Amsterdam pickles.
- Deluxe rolls: The house Pistoletje Waterloo (€11.50) with roast beef, aged cheese, truffle mayonnaise and pine nuts, plus hot rolls like pastrami and Philly cheesesteak.
- Snacks: Van Dobben croquettes, frikandel, fries, and bittergarnituur platters of fried snacks to go with drinks.
- Warm meals: Steak (€21.50), the Biefstuk Waterloo special with chestnut mushrooms and sweet sambal (€23.50), and chicken satay.
- Soup and sweets: Soup of the day, pea soup (erwtensoep) in winter, homemade apple pie and brownies.
Vegans get their own section, with Oma Bob’s vegan croquettes, a hummus-and-avocado sandwich, a vegan burger and vegan soup. Any sandwich can be made with gluten-free bread for a small extra charge. The menu asks guests to tell staff about allergies.
On the drinks side, there’s coffee and tea, fresh orange juice, smoothies, Heineken and a Waterloo Blond on tap, beers from Brouwerij ‘t IJ, wine by the glass, spritzes and cocktails.
Good times to visit
The café opens at 07:00 on weekdays and Saturdays, so it works for an early breakfast before the flea market opens at 09:30. The market runs Monday to Saturday, and the terrace faces it directly. The café stays open until 20:30, so it’s also convenient for a drink or a steak before a performance at Dutch National Opera & Ballet across the square. The market is closed on Sundays, when the café opens later, at 09:00, and closes at 18:00.
What’s nearby
Café Waterloo is next door to the Mozes en Aäronkerk, a neoclassical Catholic church built between 1837 and 1841. The church says it is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 12:00 to 16:00. The Stopera, which houses the city hall and the opera house, sits beside the square on the Amstel.
Rembrandt’s former home on Jodenbreestraat is a few minutes’ walk away; see our Rembrandt House Museum guide for tickets and visiting tips. To the south, on Weesperstraat, is the National Holocaust Names Monument, which lists more than 102,000 Dutch victims of the Holocaust. For more ideas, browse our list of Amsterdam tourist attractions or the Centrum neighbourhood guide.
How to get there
Take metro 51, 53 or 54 from Amsterdam Centraal to Waterlooplein. It’s the second stop and takes about two minutes. Tram 14 also stops at Waterlooplein. The café is on the square beside the white church.
Frequently asked questions
Are Café Waterloo and Lunchcafé Waterloo the same place?
Yes. The business is registered as Lunchcafé Waterloo, and its own website calls it Café Waterloo. Both names refer to the café at Waterlooplein 181.
Can I make a reservation at Café Waterloo?
Yes. The café’s booking page asks guests to phone +31 20 624 9831 to reserve.
Does Café Waterloo deliver?
Yes. Lunchcafé Waterloo is listed on Uber Eats and Thuisbezorgd, and delivery hours may differ from the café’s opening hours. Takeaway is also available.
