Helling 7

You dine among dry-docked ships here — Helling 7 sits inside a working yard on the northern IJ bank, and the setting alone justifies the trip. The kitchen cooks over fire: charred pointed cabbage that upstages the mains, well-handled beef and fish, plates that flirt with fine-dining precision without the ceremony. Views run straight across the water to the city. Evenings only on weekdays, lunch from noon at weekends, and — almost unheard of in Amsterdam — parking is free nearby from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. Book ahead; the secret is out.