FEBO - late-night dining at its…latest

Dutch cuisine is not a big draw for visitors to Amsterdam. It's hard to even sort out what Dutch cuisine is, even for the locals. There are herring stands all over the country, but you'll find those all over northern Europe too. There are pancake restaurants, but some version of pancakes exists everywhere. One thing the Dutch do have that is entirely their own is a strange chain of snack shops called FEBO, where the food comes out of a wall.

What FEBO is

FEBO is an Amsterdam company. Johan de Borst opened it as a bakery in 1941 and named it after Ferdinand Bolstraat in De Pijp, where he had learned the trade. By 1960 it had turned into an automat snack bar, and it's still run by the De Borst family, now in the third generation, according to its Dutch Wikipedia entry. The snacks are made fresh every morning in FEBO's own kitchen in Amsterdam-Noord and trucked out chilled the same day, which is also the company's explanation for why you won't find a FEBO outside the Netherlands.

The FEBO store finder listed 61 branches when we checked in September 2026, 26 of them in Amsterdam, most run as franchises. The bright yellow, red and green signs stand out in a city that tends to be decorated in muted colors. By the way, the name is pronounced FAY-bo, not FEE-bo. The old slogan on the signs, de lekkerste, means "the tastiest."

Why you end up there at 2 a.m.

The irony of that slogan is that nobody goes to FEBO for fine food. FEBO provides a more important service: some branches stay open later than almost anything else in a city that closes its kitchens early. When we checked the store finder on a Thursday in September 2026, these central branches were listed as open late:

• Oudezijds Voorburgwal 33, in the Red Light District: until 3 a.m.
• Leidsestraat 94H, a short walk from Leidseplein: until 3 a.m.
• Nieuwendijk 50 (listed as FEBO Martelaarsgracht), near Centraal Station: until 2 a.m.

Hours change by branch and by day of the week, so check the store finder before you count on one. The branch at Reguliersbreestraat 38, just off Rembrandtplein, was showing daytime hours only.

How the wall works

Every FEBO is dominated by a large automat, a wall of little heated windows, each holding one snack. You pay, open the door, and it's yours. There's also a counter that cooks burgers and fries to order, but you've got to try something from behind the windows to get the full effect.

In 2007 the machines took coins only and gave no change, and every branch had a change machine next to it. That has changed. FEBO started putting in contactless automats in 2019, and by December 2020 several branches, including Stadionplein and Leidsestraat in Amsterdam, had gone fully cashless: bank card or phone only. Bring a card. Bring a coin or two as well in case you land at an older machine.

Prices have moved too. A kroket was €1.20 to €1.50 when this page was first written. In 2026 expect to pay around €3.30, and each franchise sets some of its own prices, so they vary a little from branch to branch.

What's behind the windows

Most of what's in the wall has been deep-fried beyond recognition, and most of it is some kind of kroket. A kroket is a thick ragout, basically a stiff meat gravy, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. They are delicious, even after sitting in the little compartment for an hour or so.

The signs are all in Dutch, so the hungry tourist usually orders blind. Here's the decoder, taken from FEBO's own product list:

• Kalfsvleeskroket: veal ragout, the classic
• Rundvleeskroket: beef ragout
• Satékroket: spicy satay ragout with beef
• Vitaaltje: vegetarian ragout made with vegetable stock
• Bami: a fried slab of noodles, vegetables and spices, Indonesian style, and now vegetarian
• Speciaaltje: beef and chicken with onions and hot spices
• Frikadel: a skinless sausage of spiced chicken and beef
• Kaassoufflé: puff pastry filled with melted cheese
• Kipcorn: chicken in a crunchy coating

The original version of this page complained that there was nothing for vegetarians except cheese and fries. That's no longer true. Besides the Vitaaltje and the bami, the counter does a plant-based Vega Grillburger.

One word of warning: like the Flemish-style fries sold all over the city, these things are core-of-the-sun hot when you bite in, even if they've been sitting in that window a long time. You'll forget this in the heat of the moment. Everyone does.

Is it any good?

Ask Amsterdam locals about FEBO and most will say the food is terrible and only tourists eat there. Stand outside one late at night and you'll see that isn't true. The pavement in front of a central FEBO after midnight is full of drunken Dutch guys, and a few women too. During the day it's bands of opportunistic pigeons, who seem to like FEBO food as much as I do.

Am I crazy for thinking these mysterious deep-fried bundles taste damn good after a dozen Heinekens? Maybe. Maybe FEBO really is de lekkerste. If you want a proper meal instead, start with our guide to what to eat in Amsterdam, the rijsttafel or Dutch pancakes, and see the nightlife section for where you'll be before you end up at the wall.

FAQ

Can I pay by card at FEBO?

Yes. Newer automats are contactless, and some Amsterdam branches don't take cash at all. A debit card or a phone with a contactless wallet is the safest bet.

Is FEBO halal or vegetarian-friendly?

FEBO's product list marks several vegetarian items, including the Vitaaltje, the bami and the Vega Grillburger. We couldn't find a halal statement from FEBO, so ask at the counter if that matters to you.

Where is the FEBO closest to Centraal Station?

Nieuwendijk 50, a few minutes' walk south-west of the station, and a second branch further down at Nieuwendijk 220.