My love affair with Amsterdam started three years ago when my Australian partner and I spent a summer house-sitting in a beautiful top floor apartment in the Oud West, close to Vondelpark. In just a few short months, this experience effectively sealed my love for the city as it showed me what life was like outside of the Red Light District and the three main ring canals. While the centre of Amsterdam is rich in beauty, history and culture, and yes, absolutely has to be seen, I believe that an important part of Amsterdam’s real character and the locals’ way of life can best be enjoyed in its neighbourhoods and suburbs. I’m always telling people that you don’t have to cover lots of ground in order to see this as Amsterdam is a relatively small city – another reason I love living here – and it is very easy and quick to navigate by foot, bike or with public transport.
We returned to Amsterdam in the summer of 2013 and as I’ve just given birth to our first baby, we have no plans to leave. We’ve discovered over the last few years that Amsterdammers treasure the good things in life; time spent with friends and family, good food and drink, and enjoying cultural, community and sporting events. This focus on a life-work balance (in that order!) is evident in the fact many businesses don’t open until lunchtime on Monday, the fact there are thousands of events and festivals held throughout the year, and the reality that even if we ate out every day for a year we still wouldn’t be able to try all the fantastic restaurants or cafes to be found in Amsterdam.
It’s also fair to say that the city’s famous cycling culture is a big reason why we live here. Having both lived and cycled in London, it’s still a happy novelty that we can ride our bikes safely wherever we want to in Amsterdam, and also throughout the Netherlands. Not only does this help keep us fit and healthy, but because cyclists, pedestrians and public transport often have priority over cars on the roads, it feels like Amsterdam has things in the right order and people come first. Of course, it’s also true that Amsterdam’s beauty is another reason we love living here; I still cycle along the canals and find it hard to believe I live in such a picturesque city.
RESTAURANTS
Not many people come to Amsterdam for the food scene, but I happen to think it has much to offer the hungry foodie. If you want to try some traditional Dutch food, I recommend you reserve a table at Moeders (Rozengracht 251, 1016 SX), meaning “mothers”, one of the quirkiest restaurants in the city serving up heart-warming dishes like stamppot (a stodgy dish of sausage served mashed potato mixed with one of a few possible vegetables). The restaurant’s character comes from the fact the walls of the restaurant – and bathrooms! – are covered in photos of mothers and yes, you are welcome to bring one of your own.
Another Dutch delicacy is Indonesian food, particularly the rijstaffel (“rice table”) which is essentially a variety of Indonesian tapas size dishes accompanied by rice. You’ll find Indonesian restaurants on almost every street in Amsterdam and while the majority would fall under the description “cheap and cheerful” there are a few more upmarket Indonesian restaurants, including Blauw (Amstelveenseweg 158-160, 1075 XN) in Oud Zuid if you want to make eating Indonesian a bit more of an occasion. I definitely recommend you book a table for Blauw as it’s very popular and you should also make sure you’re very hungry before you sit down for a rijstaffel – I’ve never been able to clean all the plates put in front of me!
If I had to recommend one restaurant to change your opinion of the Dutch culinary scene, it would be Restaurant De Kas (Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, 1097 DE). Located in former municipal greenhouses in Park Frankendael you will dine directly next door to where they grow most of the produce you’ll eat. De Kas serves only one three-course menu, which changes daily according to what is ready to be eaten. Aside from the delicious freshness of De Kas’ meals, I really enjoy dining there because the service is exceptional; you always feel well looked after.
Not exactly a restaurant, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t recommend Sir Hummus (Van der Helstplein 2, 1072 PH) as they make the best hummus I’ve ever tasted. Accompanied by pita breads and slow-cooked beef or a “magic egg” I’ve found it really hard to eat any other hummus since making Sir Hummus a regular lunch spot. You can also get the meals for takeaway and seeing as you’re close to Sarphatipark that would make a great spot for a picnic on a sunny day.
With an Australian partner, I promise it’s just a coincidence that one of my favourite restaurants in Amsterdam is place that specialises in Australian-style brunch. Named after a street in Melbourne, Little Collins (Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19F, 1073 CL) serves up the best breakfasts in De Pijp, and possibly the whole city. It also has a great evening menu which mixes Asian, European and South American flavours with an unapologetically Australian dominated wine list. We always take our Australian visitors to Little Collins, which they’re often a bit puzzled by, but the food is so good they soon understand why.
BARS AND CAFÉS
It should be no surprise that Amsterdam has more than its fair share of bars, but rather than heading for the tourist-targetting bars in Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein, I recommend you enjoy your biertjes in one of the so-called brown bars found throughout the city in order to experience a more traditional Dutch drinking culture. A good example of one is Cafe Krom (Utrechtsestraat 76, 1017 VR) on Utrechtsestraat where you’ll find a wide selection of beers and an elegant mid-century style interior.
For cocktails I like to go to Tales & Spirits (Lijnbaanssteeg 5, 1012 TE) in the centre of town as it always offers a fun night out. A small and intimate venue, each cocktail has a story and is served in a different receptacle, none of which are glasses because that would be boring! Be sure to ask the bar staff the significance of the Ouwe Hoeren (“the Old Whores”), though you may be able to guess seeing as you’re in the heart of the Red Light District.
Another well-kept secret about Amsterdam is that it’s home to a number of independent craft breweries. One of the oldest of these is Brouwerij ‘t IJ (Funenkade 7, 1018 AL), one of my favourite places to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends in Amsterdam Oost (East Amsterdam). Situated in the shadow of one of Amsterdam’s eight windmills, this brewery runs tours at weekends but you can get a flavour for their beers with a tasting selecton any day of the week. My favourite is the Zatte, an organic blond beer.
When it comes to more sober treats, you can’t come to Amsterdam and not have at least one slice of Dutch apple pie. I say “at least one” because there is some debate about where you’ll find the best appeltaartje in the city. Most would say Winkel 43 (Noordermarkt 43, 1015 NA) in Noordermarkt is the place to go, but I think Cafe Papeneiland (Prinsengracht 2, 1015 DV) gives it a run for its money. Handily these two brown bars are very close to each other in the Jordaan area of Amsterdam so I’ll leave it up to you which one you try, or if you’re feeling hungry I think there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than trying both. Both bars are also gezellig (“cosy”) places to spend an evening too.
CT Coffee & Coconuts (Ceintuurbaan 282-284, 1072 LR) is another venue that perfectly flows from day to night with healthy breakfasts and lunches as well as an appetising dinner menu and wine list. I like going there for a coffee and a slice of their signature coconut and lime cake, always taking a little time to admire the building, an old 1920s cinema.
I often get asked about the other kind of coffee shop Amsterdam is famous for, and while I’m not a regular myself, I’ve heard good things about the Paradox Coffee Shop (Eerste Bloemdwarsstraat 2R, 1016 KS) in Jordaan. With its painted walls, tucked-away location and calm atmosphere this is how Amsterdam locals like their coffee shops. Paradox is also famous for its space cakes… or so I’ve heard!
It’s traditional for Amsterdammers to be wary of the northern part of the city and rarely cross the IJ to get there, but this is rapidly changing as more museums, restaurants, shops and hotspots open up over there. With free ferries running from the back of Centraal Station, my top tip is getting the one that goes to NDSM-Werf and from there make the very short walk to Pllek (Tt. Neveritaweg 59, 1033 WB), a restaurant and music venue constructed from old shipping containers. I love spending a lazy afternoon there either on its man-made beach in summer or sitting around the huge fire burner inside on a winter’s day.
SHOPPING
Whenever I’m asked for shopping tips by those coming to Amsterdam, I specifically tell them to avoid the main shopping street, Kalverstraat, as that’s home to all the same old shops you’ll find on almost every other European city’s high street. Instead, I suggest wandering around the roads that criss-cross the main ring canals (Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht) as there’s where you’ll find some of Amsterdam’s best independent boutique stores selling everything from Delft china to contemporary art. The most famous of these streets are known as the Negen Straatjes (the Nine Streets).
I’m a big fan of Amsterdam’s markets and one of my favourite places to shop is Waterlooplein’s daily flea market (Monday – Saturday) because I love vintage clothes and furniture. I also really like the Monday morning vintage market at Noordermarkt, the second hand book market at Spui on Fridays, and I always advise fellow vintage fans to time their visit to Amsterdam with the monthly market at IJ Hallen in Amsterdam Noord as it’s the largest flea market in Europe!
Concept and design stores are all the rage in Amsterdam and the ones I like best are Hotel Droog (Staalstraat 7B, 1011 JJ) near Groenburgwal, which happens to be my favourite view in the city, and Hutspot (Van Woustraat 4, 1073 LL), again in De Pijp. While Hotel Droog is the retail outlet for a design studio – and you can see some of their and other artists’ work on display in the ground floor shop – Hutspot sells clothes, furniture and accessories from an ever-changing roster of designers. A true concept store, Hutspot is also home to a barber’s salon and a great café upstairs; I love their merguez Lebanese wrap!
Not unique to Amsterdam, but one of my most guilty retail pleasures is the Dutch institution Hema, a huge chain of shops selling practically everything from food to make-up, clothes to curtains and the most impressive range of stationary. Famous for its colourful designs and affordable prices, I always tell friends to leave a little room in their suitcase for all the goodies they’ll pick up for next to nothing in Hema. There are stores scattered throughout the city so keep your eyes open.
THINGS TO DO
As a bit of a history-buff, I’m a huge fan of the big museums Amsterdam is famous for but there are also a few others that I like to recommend to those who aren’t as into history as me.
The first is the Museum of Bags and Purses (Herengracht 573, 1017 CD). The world’s largest museum dedicated to handbags started as a private collection, but now occupies the majority of this grand mansion house on the Herengracht. I’ve been a few times over the last two years and I always make time for a cup of coffee in the pretty tea room on the ground floor.
Another brilliant museum is Foam photography museum (Keizersgracht 609, 1017 DS) with its regularly changing exhibits featuring the work of the world’s most famous photographers from the past and present.
And for those who appreciate the downright bizarre, I like to make two suggestions. Firstly, there’s Electric Ladyland (Tweede Leliedwarsstraat 5, 1015) in the Jordaan area. The world’s only museum of fluorescent art, it provides a very unique artistic experience. Secondly, there’s Maria’s Museum of Dolls (Oudezijds Achterburgwal 133 1012 GD) in the Red Light District, a cute little canal house filled to the rafters with thousands of dolls. It’s not difficult to imagine that this museum could be some peoples’ worst nightmare, though I find it strangely entertaining!
When it comes to other hotspots and sights on offer in Amsterdam, people are often surprised when I ask them if they want to go to the movies. However, there are a number of unique, retro cinemas in Amsterdam which make catching a film a special experience. One of the better known cinemas is the Tuschinski Pathé cinema (Reguliersbreestraat 26-34, 1017 CN) on Kalverstraat. Its dramatic, gothic-inspired, art deco façade continues inside with films being shown in one of the most elaborate movie theatres you’re likely to step inside. Over on the west side of the city is The Movies (Haarlemmerdijk 161, 1013 KH), Amsterdam’s oldest cinema. Built in 1912 it has a colourful art deco interior and shows a very well-chosen selection of Dutch and international films and documentaries.
A little bit of art deco glamour can also be found in a very unlikely spot. Sauna Deco (Herengracht 115, 1015 BE) on Herengracht is a vast and luxurious spa that is kitted out with the fixtures and fittings from a Parisian department store that was renovated in the 1970s. The gold staircase, curved window frames and other features found a new home in this much-loved Amsterdam spa.
And finally, I try to always show those who come to stay with us that Amsterdam is a very green city with lots of public parks of varying sizes. We love going to the outdoor markets held in Park Frankendael and Amstelpark and at weekends we really like to go on long bike rides around Amterdamse Bos (“Amsterdam Woods”).