Amsterdam

Full of charm, canal side-walks, wonky townhouses, quaint bridges and beautiful, tall people on whizzing by on bikes. The people are polite, warm and speak impeccable English. And whilst it’s not a city I’d recommend for culinary delights, its coffee shops (both for pot and for caffeine), bars, clubs and shops make it one of my favourite cities in the world.

THINGS TO DO

Museums: The big ones are: Ann Frank’s House; Van Gogh Museum, and the Rijksmuseum

Places: Museumplein: busy square with museums surrounding it; Dam Square: The Red light district also known as ‘De Wallen’. Worth a stroll both in the day and the night just so that you can say you’ve been. And if you can brave a peep show, then that’s the place to do it! De Negen Straatjes (the 9 streets) is a pretty area to walk around; De Pijp is the Boho area of Amsterdam. this area is not indicated in the map below, but it is roughly the area between the Museum Quarter and the Amstel area. Jordaan is known for its narrow canals and and it’s trendy streets are flanked by indie boutiques, cozy pubs and hip eateries.

Work Out: Rocycle

EAT

Buffet van Odette Great for brunch/lunch. Can sit on the near the canal on a warm day

Envy Awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin. Looks better than it tastes

Coffee and Coconuts Super casual and relaxing brunch spot. The interior is tastier than the menu, so go for coffee

Foodhallen Cool food market

Kanarie Club In the foodhallen. Tasty foods, slow service

Neither tried nor tested, but researched & recommended…

Pluk Healthy and beautiful foods

Café Caron Awesome food spot

Guts and Glory

Blauw aan de Wal Mediterranean-inspired dishes in a tucked-away Medieval spice warehouse with exposed brick walls.

Pesca Theatre of the fish for dinner

D&A Hummus Bistro For a taste of tahini

Jannz Cool dinner spot in Jordaan

Scandinavian Embassy Scandinavian-style breakfast, lunch & specialty coffee served in a minimal, rustic space

Restaurant Sinne Great restaurant, recently got a Michelin star; you need to make reservations well in advance though

Rotisserie Rijsel A French/Belgian farmer’s kitchen, meaning simple, delicious foods and great wine list. Closed over the weekend

Staring at Jacob American brunch bar

Little Collins Serving all things nice and Australian…including the waiters!

DRINK

Lotti’s Inside the Hoxton hotel. They have a photo booth, nuff said

Screaming Beans Great for coffee

Locals Small, bright and white drink spot, good for wines, G&Ts, coffees and cakes!

Bar Finch Cute little watering hole

Café de Wetering Super cute and non-touristy drink spot in a 17th century townhouse. This is also known as a ‘brown café’ which are traditional Dutch pubs that used to have white-washed walls, that turned brown thanks to all the cigarette smoke.

Neither tried nor tested, but researched & recommended…

Waterkant Modern canalside bar & eatery with Dutch & Surinamese fare, a wide choice of beer & outdoor seating. Best in warm weather

Hanneke’s Boom Salvaged & recycled furniture adorns this shack-style, waterfront cafe, with live music & DJ nights

Bloemenbar Cute bar

CLUB

WesterUnie Epic club in a former warehouse

Melkweg Large concert-style venue. Two spaces, two different nights under one roof!

Neither tried nor tested, but researched & recommended…

Air Huge club playing cutting-edge electronic tunes to a multi-tiered dance floor & in its 5 funky bars

Club Nyx Maybe, gay night, 3 floors

De School Rave in a former college

Paradiso Live music hall