Where to eat in Amsterdam, Brussels & Bruges?

Like most any city Amsterdam has a huge variety of restaurants. But IMO most of them are very mediocre. But my favorite is the La Place eatery at the V&M department store at Muntsplien. It's an upscale marketplace/cafeteria setup. Everything is cooked to order, most of it organic/free range. In Bruges I had a good meal at this place: http://www.aupetitgrand.be It's only open for dinner. They can usually seat you right away just after opening, but for later in the evening reservations are recommended.

there are a number of great crepe restaurants and cafes in Amsterdam (you can end up with a multi-course meal of crepes at some of the more formal places)- also i believe in Brussels and Bruges. For casual lunches "broodje" (sandwich) stand up places sprinkled around Amsterdam, and a rijstafel restaurant must be tried at least once Not to miss: the old staek restaurant "Poort van Cleve' , very close to Damrak, where all the steaks are numbered. Just a great occassion. I would also see if there are any restaurants on canal boats (especially if permanently tied up). I dodnt know of one, but its something i want to look for on my next visit

in Amsterdam: " 't Arendsnest" @ 90 Herengracht was best pub I found - amazing array of beers with knowledgeable bartender - no TVs here, just great beer. Don't recall whether there was food as this was beer fanatic's recommendation; "Prego" on Herenstraat, which we dubbed "restaurant street", we also ate at Top Thai on another night. At night this street is transformed as all restaurants bring their tables out onto the sidewalk to serve dinner. We even had a free opera concert from a woman down the street at another restaurant that was amazing. For reasonable lunch we loved Cafe De Posthoorn for half portion of Mangkok bami-noodles & pork (near/between RijksMuseum and Dutch Resistance Museum.

For food on the go, frituurs are ubquitous. In addition to the fries served with various sauces (my favorites are zigeuner and pindasaus, I won't touch mayonnaise!), they usually offer assortments of deep-fried mystery meat and the previously mentioned broodjes (sandwiches). If you want to splurge on a 3 star Michelin joint in Brugge, look up De Karmeliet.

Thanks guys for all the recs so far. Anything in Brussels?

More dining notes: Bruxelles: delicious spinach and feta quiche at Le roy d'Espagne; beers at Le Cirio Bar and Restaurant de la Bourse, good lasagne at A La Becasse-best food at Le Faucon (excellent Lapin Grand-Mere with frites, baked in beer with amazing gravy, and 1/2 poulet, frites, and salad. Great beers at Poechenellakelder, an outdoor bar, near Mannequin Pis. Bruges: De Garre (hard to find but worth it) for beers, Cambrinus for sole and rabbit (and beer, of course). Happy travels

La Place eatery at the V&M Correct, very tasty. Just a wee amend... "V&D" Vroom and Dreesmann not V&M.

Amsterdam: Luxembough Cafe of Spuii.
Bruge: Diligence Pub

Lovely Brasserie Forestiere in Bruges. Wonderful!

Hi Justine, here are a couple places I can recommend. In Brussels: http://www.spinnekopke.be/ In Bruges for a reasonably priced lunch: http://www.debottelier.com/

Amsterdam (in my opinion) isn't really known as a big "food" city. But, that said, it would be a real shame to spend that much time there without trying a ristafel - an Indoneasian style rice table. You get, depending on the restaurant, a ion of anywhere from 12 to 20 small dishes (some very spicy) and, of course, the steamed rice. If you are not especially fond of asian foods, you might share one between the two of you just for the experience. There are many of these throughout the city and any Amsterdam guidebook will list a few. I have been to three or four anound Leidseplein and found them all to be good to excellent.

This is easy: The Pancake Bakery!!

I forgot about this place, De Blauwe Hollander, off of Leidseplein. The Dutch, to be honest, aren't known for their culinary innovations (when the last time you read someone on this website asking for an "authentic Dutch restaurant"?). I had every reason to be suspicious of this place, the walls were covered in the sort of Hollandia bric-a-brac that usually screams "For tourists only". And yet... I had a really good meal here. I ate a simple stoompot (mashed potatoes with vegetables mixed in) and a delicious smoked sausage. Nothing fancy, but good and hearty.

Thanks so much to everyone. I'm getting very excited to try out all these places! Have you found that reservations are necessary at most dinner places? Could I wait to make them once we get to Amsterdam, etc. or should I try to make them from the States?

Agree with The Pancake Bakery. My husband was skeptical, but it turned out to be his favorite place in Amsterdam.
Also recommend the Cobra Cafe near the Van Gogh museum. Great for lunch. Don't know if it's open for dinner.