Food

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Traditional Dutch

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• *Stamppot (mashed pot) – mash potatoes, vegetables mixed in and a sausage or meatball on top with gravy.

• *Snert – Pea and Bacon soup

• *Bitterballen (bitter balls) – some say deep-fried gravy, others deep-fried ragu, a deep fried ball served with mustard – Careful it’s very HOT on the inside.

• Café Sonneveld

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Indonesian

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*Rice Table (a bunch of different dishes to share, like Tapas)

 

• Kantijl & The Tiger

• Aneka Rasa

• Blauw

• Ron Gastrobar (Rokin)

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Flemish Fries

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*Originated in Belgium, they are thick cut fries eaten with mayo. For the best hangover cure, try a ‘Patatje Oorlog’ (Dutch War) – Flemish fries topped with a peanut satay sauce (spicy, Indonesian peanut sauce), onions and mayo.

 

• De Vleminckx

(In The Netherlands fries are meant to be eaten while on the go (walking), if you prefer to sit, the café opposite will allow you to sit and eat your fries, if you order a drink.)

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Dutch Pancakes

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*Pannenkoek (A Dutch Pancake) – thicker than a French crepe and thinner than a British crumpet/American Flapjacks; a meal in itself and there are no rules as to what time of day they should be eaten

*Poffertjes – No trip to a Dutch pancake house is complete without a punnet of these bite-sized wonders. A E5 coin-sized flapjack served with butter, Dutch syrup and icing sugar

*Most traditional pancake – bacon, cheese and topped with Dutch syrup (made with molasses)

*My favourite pancake – Nutella, caramilised banana, topped with vanilla ice cream and Dutch syrup

 

• The Pancake Bakery (traditional Dutch pancakes)

• De Carrousel Pannenkoeken Amsterdam (modern twist of Dutch pancakes and other great brunch options)

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Coffee/Cafes

 

• Cafe il Momento

 

Sandwiches AND Deli’s

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*A melted Dutch goat cheese sandwich topped with honey and Walnuts is by far the top pick

 

• Caldi e freddi  (Best sandwich and deli bar in town, its Italian owned and all fresh Italian deli food)

• Broodje Bert (sandwiches are a staple Dutch lunch and this is the best spot for Dutch sandwiches)

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Breweries

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• Brouwerij’t IJ (arguably the best and the biggest micro-brewery in Amsterdam. Go to the one in the East next to an Old Dutch windmill, they offer tours and beer tasting. Get the selection of five or eight or ten beers and pair it with their cheese and sausage)

• Oedipus

• Gollem (The one on the street called Overtoom)

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Jenever (Dutch Gin) Tasting

 

• Wynand Fockink Proeflokaal and Spirits

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Herring

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*Haring (pickled herring/fish. Can be eaten just as is OR on bread with onions and pickles OR chase it with a shot of ‘Jenever’ - traditional Dutch gin)

*Stalls (the best place to buy herring is from the small stalls on squares in the city)

 

• The stall by the Westerkerk square

 

Thai

 

• Thai Bird/The Bird (snack bar and on the opposite side the restaurant)

 

Asian stir-fry

 

• Wok to Walk

 

Bakery/High Tea

 

• Van Stapele Koekmakeri (Rated the best cookie in Europe for three years in a row - chocolate cookie with condensed milk inside)

• De Drie Graefjes (American style bakery)

• Winkel 43 (the best Apple Pie in Amsterdam)

 

Markets (Amsterdam is famous for its incredible markets)

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*Stroopwafels (two flat wafer cookies with Dutch syrup in between; if you get them fresh, best to get them fresh and makes a great gift for someone back home)

*Kibbling (battered and deep fried fish/generally hake, served with lime juice)

 

• Northern Market/Westerstraat Markt (a farmer market with fresh produce.

• Nieuwmarkt  (Get Indonesian spring rolls and fresh stroopwafels) (

• Albert Cuyp Market (Kibbling, fresh stroopwafels, poffertjes and Herring)

• IJ-Hallen Flea Market (biggest flea market in Europe) (https://ijhallen.nl/en/agenda.php)

 

Food Trucks

 

• Foodhallen (big hall, filled with different food trucks, long tables and drinks)

• The Food Department (inside the Magna Plaza shopping mall)

 

Pizza

 

• Pizzabakers (The one on Leliegracht)

• La Perla Pizzeria

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Italian Deli's

 

• Toscanini

• Pane e Olio

 

Chinese

 

• Wang's Flavour

• Dumplings (Great dumplings, but they make amazing “Beijing pancakes)

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Sushi

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• Tanoshii Sushi

• Sumo Amsterdam

 

Ramen

 

• Takumi Ramen Kitchen

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Surinamese

 

• Roopram (Get a Roti)

• Simz Exotic Food Indian & Surinaams Specialiteit

 

Brunch/Lunch

 

• Bakers & Roasters

• The Avocado Show

• Greenwoods

• Little Collins

• G’s Brunch Boat

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Vegetarian/Vegan

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• Vegan Junk Food Bar

• The Meatless District

• Vegabond

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Cocktail Bars

 

• Tales & Spirits

• The W Hotel

• Door 74 (It’s an “exclusive” little cocktail bar in speakeasy-style, hidden away. You MUST book in advance, as you need a password to enter)

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Bars 

 

• Arendsnest (Eagle’s Nest - nice selection of Dutch and Belgium Beer bar with snacks)

• Belushi’s (Beer, cocktails, music, game nights)

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Clubs/Dance Events

 

• Escape

• Disco Dolly

• ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event, held in venues all around the city - every October)

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Live Music

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• Alto Jazz Club

• Bourbon Street

• Pianobar Maxim

• Melkweg

• Paradiso

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Terraces

 

• Waterkant

• Hannekes Boom

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Coffeeshops (Weed)

 

• Grey Area

• The Original Dumpkring

• Loft 

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Smart shops

 

• Kokopelli

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Drinks with a view (Get some elevation to see another side of this city)

 

• Nemo (walk up to the roof for free)

• A’dam Lookout Tower (swing off the top of the roof, rotating restaurant and bar at the top)

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Shopping

 

• The Nine Streets (vintage, boutique and small mom and pop shops)

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Stand up Comedy/Story Telling

 

• Comedy Cafe

• Boom Chicago

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Parks

 

• Vondelpark (Centre West)

• Westerpark (North West)

• Oesterpark (East)

• Beatrixpark (Far South)

• Sarphatipark (South)

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LGBTQI+ AND Drag Shows

 

*Look out for the rainbow flags!! There are certain areas in Amsterdam to look out for - parts of the Red Light District, Spuistraat, the streets between Nieuwendijk and Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, Reguliersdwarsstraat (the most famous) and around Rembrandtplein

 

• The Queen’s Head (Drag Queen Bingo nights, great place during Gay Pride)

• Traf Cafe’t Sluisje One of the best drag shows in Amsterdam, must book in advance)

• De Lellebel (Drag Show)

• Prik (cocktail bar)

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Alternative Activities

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*The Netherlands is famous for having some of the best and most escape rooms in the world

 

• Space Invader is a street artist (using miniature tiles he creates space invaders all throughout cities. Find all of them in the city, plot them on a map, and link all the dots to draw a space invader on the city map

• NDSM (is old dockyards converted into warehouses – the best and most of Amsterdam’s street art is in this area. Don’t miss the beautiful three-story mural of Anne Frank done by the famous Brazilian street artist; Kobra)

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Sustainable/eco-tourism

 

• Plastic whale (spend a few hours on a boat exploring the stunning canals of Amsterdam, while fishing rubbish out of the canals)

• Tours That Matter (Go on a social responsible tour, unlike any other, with fantastic guides and an aim to learn, share and create change)

• IJTJE VOOR KARWEITJE (spend a few hours picking up litter in the beautiful Vondelpark and receive a rewards in the form of a delicious beer from the famous micro-brewery; Brouwerij’t IJ

• Trash Hero Amsterdam (Join a city trash pick up for a few hours and help to keep the city clean)

• Those Dam Boat Guys (Explore the canals of Amsterdam on electric boats)

• The Nine Streets (vintage/second-hand clothes shops in the nine streets)

• Episode (vintage/second-hand clothes shop near waterlooplein)

• Conscious hotel (eco-friendly, sustainable hotel/accommodation)

• Ecomama  (eco-friendly, sustainable hotel/accommodation)

• De Das (Dine inside a greenhouse, all fruit and vegetables are grown and processed in-house)

• Visit the Fair-trade Cacaomuseum (learn about the history and  fair-trade chocolate in Amsterdam and of course try some mouth-watering chocolate)

• Tony chocolonely (buy some of Amsterdam’s famous fair-trade chocolate)

• il Momento (fair-trade coffee)

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Annual City Events

 

• Kings Day (27th of April)

• Gay Pride (every August)

• Museumnacht (Museum Night - November - the city with the most museums, hosts cultural parties and events all night long in all of these interesting museums, it’s pub hopping, but the museum addition)

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Escape Rooms Amsterdam

 

• Ton Ton Club – video arcade/ Arcade Bar

• Escapist Escape Room Amsterdam

• Escape Room Amsterdam – Xitroom Escape Game

• Sherlocked Escape Room

• Escape Room Locked

• Zombie Escape

• Escape From Amsterdam

• Rijksmuseum Escape Game

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Theatres

 

• Tuschinski (Rated World's Number 1)

• Rialto

 

Museums

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*The city of museums – the city with the most museums per capita, you MUST at least experience one museum – find one that works for interests.

*Book in advance – most museums in Amsterdam, except the less popular, smaller ones are very busy, tickets sell out in advance and many museums require you to buy a (time-slot) ticket in advance. The positive side is less time wasted in a queue

 

• Rijksmuseum (The national Museum, an art museum),

• Van Gogh Museum (art museum, they have used his paintings to tell his life story – very good narrative. ONCE a month on a Friday – ‘Vincent op Friday’ – museum stays open till 21:30/22:00 – live music, finger food, art and dancing – it’s best way to experience this museum)

• Anne Frank House (Buy tickets three to four months in advance, I would recommend to buy a ticket with a tour!!)

• Rembrandt House (I think it’s a better/more educational experience than the Rijksmuseum)

• Amsterdam Museum (best museum for Amsterdam’s history. Also has a free art section)

• Moco Museum (Banksy art museum and you can see what wealth, old Dutch homes look like on the inside)

• Ons’ Lieve Hier op solder (Our Lord in the Attic – use to be a hidden Catholic church, very part of Amsterdam’s history and stunning on the inside – a very Indiana Jones-like experience)

• Micropia (museum of micro-organism)

• Body Worlds

• Red Light Secrets

• Electric Ladyland

• Stedelijk Museum (museum of modern art)

• NEMO (science museum – aimed at/for kids)

• Hermitage Museum

• Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The Maritime Museum)

• Museum of Bags and Purses

• Jewish Historical Museum

• FOAM (photography museum)

• Tropenmuseum (museum of the tropics – Dutch colonial history and colonies)

• Eye Film Museum

• Museum Van Loon (a wealthy, big canal house museum)

• Het Grachtenhuis

• House Boat Museum

• The Portuguese Synagogue

• Holocaust Memorial & Dutch Theatre Museum

• Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum)

• Hortus Botanicus (one of the oldest botanical gardens still in existence, in the world. They have species from various parts of the world and they have recreated the appropriate ecosystem)

• Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum

• Sex Museum

• Erotic Museum

• The Old Church

• Torture Museum

• Het Klederdrachtmuseum (The Costume Museum. For a very fun experience have a group photo taken dressed in old, traditional Dutch clothing throughout history)

• Amsterdam City Archives

 

Tours

 

• Those Dam Boat Guys (Boat Tours - best way to experience this city)

• The Mystery of A Secret Sender (a combo between a treasure hunt and an escape room with the city of Amsterdam being your stage and its history and culture all part of the game. Explore Amsterdam, while learning about the city and having a fun, alternative experience)

• Tours That Matter

• Hungry Birds (food tours)

• That Dam Guide – Red Light District tours

• Black Heritage Tours

 

Festivals

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*There are so many outdoor music festival and cultural festival throughout Amsterdam and the surrounding areas, all through the year. Contact us to find out what’s happening while you are visiting the city

 

Lockers

 

• Central Station

• Schipol International Airport

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Public Transportation

*GVB – buy an hour, 24-hour, three day or week pass – it’s valid from the time you first check in (Always remember to check both in AND out on EVERY journey you take) AND it works for the buses, trams and metro

 

• Tram

• Metro

• Buses

• Night buses

• Train

• Ferry to the North (Amsterdam North - catch the ferry behind Central Station, it’s free, runs almost 22-hours a day, only takes you between 8 – 10 mins to get across and you can put your bicycle on the ferry)

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*Contact us for advise on an awesome route for a “self-drive” country-side bike tour

 

*Contact us for more in-depth info and advice on Amsterdam, The Netherlands or your next trip through Africa, Europe or southeast Asia