You can find a wealth of dining options in Venice of the North.

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The Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is a remarkably small city when compared with its global influence. It has enchanting canals and impressive town houses, making it one of the world's most recognizable cities. In spite of its smaller size than London, Amsterdam is home to some of the best and most innovative restaurants in the world. It has a population of just under 900,000 people.

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There is no surprise that the Dutch capital has become a culinary powerhouse in Europe with the UK just a stone's throw away and Germany just next door. While the Dutch may be more famous for their pancakes, stroopwafels, cheese and herring, there is no denying the fine dining available in the Netherlands.

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A city's fine dining selection has also grown as it has grown culturally, becoming a hotspot for the fashion and art world. Increasingly popular events, shops and art galleries have led to an increase in pop-up restaurants and experimental cuisine.

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There has been a significant change in the more traditional dining venues in the city as a result of this recent explosion of innovative eateries. Old-fashioned European restaurants, often located in the city's best hotels, have been modernized in recent years. As part of their mission to create a more experiential dining experience for customers, many of the city's brightest new chefs have taken on unconventional dining spaces.

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While many restaurants in Amsterdam still serve traditional Dutch cuisine, with a lot of fish dishes, more French and Scandinavian influences are becoming apparent, with more restaurants serving French and Scandinavian dishes.

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There will still be some of the city's most exclusive restaurants with a relaxed atmosphere, showing how the Dutch do it. Look no further than Rich Report’s list of the best restaurants in Amsterdam if you're looking for a formal or unusual evening out.

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Flore

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In just nine months of opening, Flore, formerly Bord'Eau, was awarded its stars. With passionate staff and locally sourced, carefully considered cuisine, this new version of the hotel's fine dining is a sustainable extravaganza. Using sustainability and creativity as their core values, Flore, formerly Bord'Eau, has reinvented fine dining.

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It may take you up to five hours to complete the experience, and you will get a few surprises along the way. As the menu changes weekly based on the foraged finds that the team collects during their regular trips into the picturesque Dutch hinterland, the website menu is purely illustrative and serves as a guide to what to expect when you visit.

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Spectrum

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At Amsterdam's Waldorf Astoria, Spectrum, formerly Librije's Zusje, serves Dutch cuisine with a hint of Asia thanks to Sidney Shutte, who worked at some of Hong Kong's top restaurants for four years.

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Using seasonal local produce, Schutte prepares artfully plated intricate dishes that surprise diners with a range of powerful, intense flavors. Vegetarian tasting menus feature a wide variety of unique but delicious combinations that feature seafood from the North Sea.

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Restaurant 212

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The stylish spot managed to strike a perfect balance between elevated cuisine and a laid-back ambiance thanks to chefs Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot.

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In the two-Michelin-star restaurant, diners watch as the chefs prepare culinary delights with only a few fine ingredients as they sit at the bar. Expect the unexpected at this inventive yet simple restaurant with dishes like smoked turbot jelly and caviar paired with oyster ice cream and hazelnuts. It shouldn't work, but it does.

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Ciel Bleu

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It used to be Ciel Bleu that was the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Amsterdam, but since four other Michelin-starred restaurants joined it recently, it remains one of the most coveted restaurants in Amsterdam. One of Amsterdam's finest eateries, Ciel Bleu offers stunning views and delicious dishes.

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With its elegant surroundings and sumptuous fare, the restaurant at the 23rd floor of the delightful Hotel Okura offers sumptuous meals with international influences. In his gastronomic masterpieces, Arjan Speelman uses local, fresh ingredients. In addition to impeccable service, the food on offer will be a highlight of your holiday, but be sure to book early; reservations are necessary due to the restaurant's popularity.

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Vinkeles

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Vinkeles, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant named after the Dutch painter, is located at the ultra-chic Dylan hotel in what used to be a catholic bakery.

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A delicious menu of delicate French cuisine that flirts between classic and contemporary is offered by head chef Jurgen van der Zalm, and the interior design still retains the restaurant's former life, including the original ovens. Vinkeles' fabulous views of the Keizersgracht and fine food attract many of the city's elite.

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Vermeer

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Located in the NH Collection Amsterdam Barbizon Palace Hotel, Vermeer is another eatery in Amsterdam named after a Dutch artist.

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Clean, powerful flavors await in the simple and elegant interior. Chef Christopher Naylor's menu, which is acclaimed for its fresh produce from local farms and organic vegetables grown on the roof garden, is inspired by the fresh produce he sources from local farms. In the same way that Johannes Vermeer, its namesake, was well known for his skill and precision in his art, the restaurant would have appealed to him, too.

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De Kas

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It boasts one Michelin star as well as a coveted Green Star, which recognizes restaurants that are environmentally conscious.

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This restaurant has an extremely natural ambiance thanks to its unique setting and contemporary interior design, which is enhanced by the light that pours through the glass ceiling. Chefs Jos Timmer and Wim de Beer develop the ever-changing menu of five courses, which uses organic greens and herbs grown on site or at the restaurant's own nearby farm. In Amsterdam, De Kas is close to the lovely Park Frankendael, a former country estate dating back to the 17th century.

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Yamazato

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The Hotel Okura boasts two Michelin-starred restaurants, and Yamazato is the foremost Japanese restaurant in Amsterdam, earning a Michelin star for the first time in the history of traditional Japanese restaurants.

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The Sukiya architectural style encourages diners to concentrate on the food on offer as the staff are dressed in kimonos, resembling a 16th-century Japanese tea house. The hotel has a variety of private rooms and a Japanese garden that diners can rent, as well as a traditional Japanese Tatami Room where they can enjoy a more classical meal. In addition to Japanese haute cuisine, the restaurant offers an extensive wine and sake list, as is often the case with Japanese restaurants.