Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis brings Belgian fries culture to Amsterdam with multiple locations across the city, the most visible on Damrak near Centraal Station. Named after Brussels' famous 17th-century statue — a boy urinating, which has become a symbol of Belgian irreverence — the chain serves frites made in the Belgian double-fry tradition alongside a roster of sauces that extends into Flemish specialties not typically found at Dutch fry stalls. The fries are thick-cut, cooked at a lower temperature first to cook through, then finished at high heat to achieve the crisp exterior and soft interior that distinguish Belgian from French frites. The sauce range is wide: mayonnaise, andalouse, stoofvlees (Belgian beef stew as a topping), curry ketchup, samurai (a spicy mayonnaise), and a number of house combinations. The stoofvlees-topped frites is the most distinctively Belgian preparation: tender braised beef in a dark ale and herb sauce spooned over the fries, a preparation that has its roots in Antwerp and Bruges brauwhuis culture. The Damrak location caters to a high volume of visitors from Centraal Station, while other locations across Amsterdam serve more residential and local crowds. The experience is quick and unpretentious — counter service, paper cones, and eating while walking or at the counter. For visitors who have eaten in Brussels or Ghent and want a reliable version of the Belgian frites experience in Amsterdam, Manneken Pis is the obvious choice.