The city is elegant: Life slows down, and quality takes precedence. Beyond its canals, museums and historic streets, there’s no shortage of some of Europe’s loveliest parks and green spaces. They are not just parks for peace, but rather they're a necessity in the Amsterdam life, including walking, cycling, picnicking and reading – as well as reconnecting with nature.
But we know the second we've spent a day outside: It's all about what you eat at the end of it. For genuine, authentic Indian food in the city of Amsterdam, visit the Indian Gandhi restaurant at Damrak 54, 1012 LL Amsterdam.
We profile Amsterdam’s 7 most famous parks – Vondelpark, Westerpark, Rembrandtpark, Sarphatipark, Oosterpark, Beatrixpark and Flevopark – and explain why a meal at the Indian restaurant Gandhi is a great choice for your perfect day in Amsterdam.
Why Parks and Food Go Hand in Hand in Amsterdam
Balance is definitely greatly appreciated in the way of life of Amsterdamers. It’s not that time spent outside is rushed in its absence, or that a walk in the park isn’t seen as the time between things, but as something to do. And it’s all-or-nothing leisure, sunshine paired with a serious nap or inner-tube beer on the grassy green and, preferably, also followed by a good meal shared with your friends or family members or colleagues — a rhythm that is not difficult for any of us to adopt whenever we visit the city.
After you have strolled a few kilometres in the cool shadows of trees, ridden down open lawns or basked on a green carpet of grass to give your body respite, it looks for warmth and nourishment. Time spent outside exhilarates the brain as much as it tires the body, and for that, we need comforting, appealingly nourishing food.
Indian food is perfect for this moment. Aromatic spices, long-cooked dishes, warm flatbreads and lightning flavours provide that sense of generosity and warmth after time outside. It’s food that will put some fellas back in your pas or dames back in your bag, and you won’t rush eating because of it — welcome properties post-park day, or a longer walk.
And that’s why a venue like Gandhi Restaurants is such a great dinner option for anyone who wants to make the most of their day in one of Amsterdam’s many beautiful parks before heading back into the city centre. Located right in the middle of it all - a great spot to escape nature or simply put your feet up following a round of golf, you can return feeling relaxed and fulfilled after an active day outdoors… Such is an ideal way to make the most out of Amsterdam!
Vondelpark: Amsterdam’s Iconic Green Heart
Vondelpark The most famous and well-liked park in Amsterdam, really doesn't need an introduction. Near the Museum Quarter, it draws millions of visitors yearly and is intertwined with daily life in the city. It is surrounded by several winding paths that joggers and cyclists crisscross in the early morning. By midday, musicians perform in open-air squares; locals gather for makeshift picnics, and travellers make a pitstop between museum visits.
What makes the park unique is its variety of living things. Tree-shaded paths, little grassy pockets, ponds and cafés lure visitors into sticking around. A meander through Vondelpark can easily consume half a day, particularly with the people sitting around, things to look at, and the sounds gently changing in slight not-quite-silence.
Most tourists linger a bit longer, wandering the shopping streets or cultural areas nearby, before gradually making their way back to central Amsterdam. This movement is natural, from green tranquillity to the rhythm of the city, without a disturbing sensation. Vondelpark is a balanced way to start the day when there’s a long one ahead and helps set the feel-good tempo, which turns into afternoon-and-night-time bliss.
By day’s end, walking back to downtown is a pleasant way to conclude. The contrast between the park’s wide greens and Amsterdam’s historic streets adds body to the journey flow, so that you feel like the night has been an earned progression rather than a jarring change of scene.
Westerpark: Culture, Creativity, and Community
One of Amsterdam’s best green spaces, Westerpark has much more than lawns and walkways. Built on a defunct industrial zone, the park combines open green space with cultural venues, art studios, cafes and event spaces. Together, it creates a cool, creative atmosphere that draws locals and students, creatives and visitors.
Exhibits, pop-up markets, festivals and community events happen in the park all year long — meaning no two visits are ever the same. On quieter days, people sit on the grass or walk along shaded paths, while others take refuge in nearby cultural buildings that have been transformed into hubs of art and design. The vibe here is low-key and easygoing — a space where creativity and community happen organically.
There are plenty of people foraging the open fields at Westerpark or attending an event at its facilities that stop in as they start to filter back into the centre. The transition from creative, open Westerpark to the cobblestone streets of historic Amsterdam Centrum seems like a natural and intentional one, perhaps signalling that it’s time for day trips around town to turn into evenings out on the town.
And there are times you need to go to the Indian Gandhi Restaurant for dinner, like right now. Inside, it is peaceful and welcoming; a soothing counterpoint to the park’s energy, with food that’s deep and rich in flavour for comfort. The creative vibe and a relaxed dinner at dusk in the city centre fill our day nicely.
Rembrandtpark: Peaceful Paths and Scenic Views
Smaller and quieter than the more central and popular Vondelpark, there’s plenty of room in Rembrandtpark. It is especially adored by walkers, joggers and those wanting to escape the noise of the city below for a while. The park’s wide paths, open lawns and scenic water vistas are conducive to long leisurely walks where a naturally languid pace can emerge.
Rembrandtpark is a bit rougher, as in more free and out in the open, not crowded or trespassed by humanity. Joggers seek out the open paths, while water-side routes will attract those seeking a place of rest amid greenery and fresh air. Hugely atmospheric, suited to contemplation and some physical easing after a morning of sightseeing or shopping.
After the calm of Rembrantpark, this Indian restaurant is a completely different experience to your senses – from silence and greens outside to warm smells, welcoming atmosphere and soothing taste. It’s a welcome respite after a lively afternoon outdoors. For many guests, nothing compares to lighter curries, hot-from-the-oven naan , and a hearty meal to refuel and end the day in style.
Sarphatipark: A Small Park with Big Character
Tiny in contrast to the great green spaces of Amsterdam, Sarphatipark also has a place in the everyday life of the city, located as it is right in living-and-breathing De Pijp. It’s ringed by very busy roads and little local kiosks, residential streets where the park is somewhat of a common joint-space for residents. Area residents come here for a quick respite, families bring their children to play and visitors make it a peaceful pit stop after touring nearby attractions.
The atmosphere here is cosy and unapologetically local. Benches fill up fast on sunny days, conversations hang in the air, you wander with a bottle of wine, and the park feels sewn into the rhythm of De Pijp rather than merely set apart from it. After all, its position straddling the markets, boutique outlets and food shops means most visitors tend to browse Sarphatipark as part of a larger day out rather than fixing it as an itinerary item in itself.
Since it is where it is, visiting Sarphatipark is something among many things on an overcrowded eating schedule. Visitors make their way from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, sampling different versions of the flavours and spending hours on their feet absorbing a side of the city that is literally experienced in its daily life.” It’s one of those days when you have to pace yourself.
This is where the Gandhi Restaurant enters in the picture; And because we do sit down, relaxed dining in the Center of Amsterdam too, lunch can be enjoyed to a full extent: nowhere else do people have time to stop moving and just eat! After a day of cruising through different neighbourhoods, the Indian flavours will provide you with that little bit of heat, depth and comfort – it’s a soothing close to a bustling Amsterdam day.
Oosterpark: Diversity, Events, and Open Space
Many people consider Oosterpark as the liveliest park in Amsterdam, and it more than justifies why the neighbourhood of East has such a reputation for being open and friendly. It's located on the fringe of the old town and is a common hangout for everyone. Festivals, concerts, public celebrations and ad hoc community gatherings take place at the park all year round, so Park Plaza is a lively and social space that feels warm no matter when you are there.
For the daily commune, Oosterpark serves as more than its scheduled events. People recline on the grass, music and conversation waft through the air, and open spaces encourage motion and mingling. The park is designed to be adaptable for everything from dynamic assemblies, which the park service calls “Gatherings” but will surely sometimes prove violent or inhumane, to casual afternoon perambulations, so that people can start life being directed purposefully as much as they are able and within the same place, as it allows them to act spontaneously.
After you have been in Oosterpark (emptying the last energy of your friend), it may be a good idea to eat something with them – especially when you have had some time to hang out together in the park during an event, or on a crowded weekend. The Indian Gandhi Restaurant is a good match for the day. With a wide-ranging menu that encompasses vegetarian, vegan and meat options, it is the one eatery sheltering mixed groups of slackers who want to sit down for a spell.
After Oosterpark, a short stroll into the city centre for dinner is one way to transition from outside animus to inside calm conversation. There are so many parks and so much to eat in Amsterdam – eating together is just another excuse for us all to stop, filter our thoughts through one another, catch up on what everyone’s day was like and soak up some more of that wonderfulness that the city has to offer – both under trees… and on tables!
Beatrixpark: Calm, Spacious, and Refined
Beatrixpark is an attractive open space with a serene atmosphere. Located in Amsterdam Zuid, it is an escape for city professionals, locals and tourists who are looking for a more tranquil green space than the city’s busier parks. The plan seems to be precise and accomplished; wide lawns, mature trees and gently sinuous paths that seem more conducive to aimless meandering than racing through.
It’s the perfect place to go for a walk, have a quiet conversation or simply think. Local people often come here to relax after work, take a little stroll in the afternoon or rest when they have walked too much sightseeing elsewhere. And unlike its busier siblings, visitors to Beatrixpark have room to themselves: Standing still and soaking up the sun, I can forget myself and believe it’s just me and nature.
Downhill from the serene quiet of Beatrixpark, and all the way down to Damrak for dinner, is nothing short of a fabulous warming contrast. From its calm green corridors, the day takes on a new shade of travel, a busy one now as we make our way downtown. Now, into these long days and evenings, the Indian Restaurant dishes out some congeniality where the freewheeling atmosphere is still in force.
Warm and laborious with its dishes, it disinvites instead of hustling. This peaceful-eat-park-eat-dinner routine is a quintessential Amsterdam experience — an evening of serenity, grace and cosiness, from midday to bedtime.
Flevopark: Nature by the Water
Flevopark provides (quite literally) a breath of fresh air to those greener parts of Amsterdam city. On the water, on Brooklyn’s eastern flank, it feels airy and open, a little removed from the usual tourist din. With the huge green area, riverside paths and wide open skies, it’s perfect for long walks and some reflective thinking.
Flevopark is for taking life slow, and many visitors do. Joggers line the banks, walkers appreciate the distance from traffic and crowds, and some people just sit and observe nature. The design is open to movement without being pushy, a joyful pause for the people who have been moving all morning long somewhere else in town.
Due to its low-key, nature-wrapped atmosphere, a trip here is more invigorating than it is energising. A few hours in the open, and it seems only too human for most people who make their way back toward central Amsterdam as darkness falls, prepared for a shift from an influx of openness to something slightly more programmed at the end of the day.
Now, this Indian Restaurant is a sure-shot winning ticket. After a day in the water, by greens or along gently swaying tracks, there is finally somewhere to completely chill out over dinner. Seated at a table with a fine, flavorful meal is a dependable warhorse of comfort and closure — here, a nature-packed day fits perfectly into an all-inclusive Amsterdam while ending on (relative) quiet fulfilment as opposed to falling into the adrenaline roar.
Why the Indian Gandhi Restaurant Completes Your Park Experience
Whoever you wish to visit, whether on the big green parks or some hidden gems in neighbourhoods like Sunshine Garden for the Indian Gandhi Restaurant, there is a place that fits your day. This one location is in Damrak 54, in a prime spot of Amsterdam Centrum is easy to access by public transit, walking, or biking. Post-park time, let’s say you go for an outdoor play date, it doesn’t require any gymnastics or logistics … the glide from park to table works just fine.
Once those miles of paseos, cycling on green routes and hours at events and open lawns leave your body in search of comfort and recovery. That’s exactly what Indian Gandhi Restaurant provides: a place to come in, take your time, sit down and have a full meal within central yet friendly surroundings. Its position means that visitors stay within reach of the heart of the city but at a remove from the day-to-day grind of sightseeing.
What Guests Appreciate Most
- Awesome location within walking distance to all the best of Mumbai!
- Genuine Indian tastes cooked with affection and care
- An eclectic menu catering to vegetarian/vegan and meat lovers্
- New…you and your family with comfortable, clean seating for every type of dining need – Singles, Couples, Families, and Groups.
- Service with a smile in a casual and laid-back ambience
Because the dishes are hearty and balanced, they're particularly satisfying after working up an appetite. If you’re looking for a hot curry, some fresh home-baked bread or something that’s thoughtfully spiced out to the max to replenish your cells without weighing them down, you’ll find it here. For most visitors, this balance of accessibility, comfort and flavour is what transforms a simple park visit into a fully fledged Amsterdam experience — one that ends peacefully, snugly and with a full belly.
A Restaurant Loved by Tourists and Locals
Always a good sign for any restaurant, if you ask me. Tourists flock to this Indian Restaurant every evening as it provides an authentic taste of India right in the heart of Amsterdam, with key transport links and landmarks extremely close by, alongside numerous hotels. Its central location makes it an easy and comforting choice after a day of sightseeing or park hopping.
For residents, the appeal is more than a matter of convenience. They come back for the reliability and comfort that comes with knowing what you’re going to get: quality and familiar flavours. The menu provides as much bolstering comfort as it does excitement, and the welcoming service fosters a sense that guests are noticed rather than hurried.
Most of the visitors find their way to the restaurant after an afternoon in one of Amsterdam’s parks or areas. Seeking a spot to sit and relax and eat a decent meal, they encounter something that feels attainable but also worthy of pursuit. It’s not unusual for guests to come back a second time during their stay — occasionally with lodge friends or family in tow — since the experience slips so naturally into different pockets of the trip.
It is this tradeoff between "stealing" first-time customers and securing repeat business that distinguishes restaurants. Whether you are happening upon it after a day outdoors or coming back for something familiar, it feels like a reliable element of the Amsterdam experience — warm, comfortable and worth returning to.
Final Thoughts: Experience Amsterdam the Right Way
Amsterdam’s parks are good for more than just greenery: They are where one can breathe, move freely and feel the city at a human scale. If you’re wandering along tree-shaded pathways, relaxing by the water or attending local community events, spending time in these parks offers balance and serenity to your visit. They encourage you to slow down, get away from the crowds and experience Amsterdam beyond the sights.
The only thing that would make the day even better is if you could top off that amazing outdoor experience with a well-cooked meal. After a day of walking, cycling or exploring, dining feels like an opportunity to rest and reconnect with all that you have seen. The progression from a day among the parks, serving dinner after nightfall, allows for the natural settling of the day to occur without being pushed or disrupted.
Whether you had just strolled through Vondelpark and its famous footpaths, or sampled a bit of restful serenity in Beatrixpark, enjoyed fun events in Oosterpark, or took the quiet pathways of Rembrandtpark. Gandhi Restaurant is glad to have you join us. Conveniently situated and accessible, it’s a friendly, comfortable place to be, so a day out can find an agreeable finale.
Doing Amsterdam properly is a question of balance — nature with city, movement and stillness, exploration versus ease. Returning to the city itself with a leisurely meal is just enough to keep it all balanced, so by the time you finish a plancha feast in Expatriate’s dining room, you’re left feeling plump and recharged for another day.