My favourite Culinary & Cultural spots in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a lively place to live and definitely a must visit in getting inspired by the many wonderful activities this city has to offer. I am not referring to ‘the coffee shops’ or red light district but to history, culture, museum, architecture, flat nature and the charming canals we have. Go sail on the canals, ride on a bicycle, enjoy a stroll in the park, just have a relaxing time and absorb the local vibe.

Not to be missed out are our typical Dutch tidbits e.g. bitterbal, broodje kroket, stroopwafel, haring met uitjes en zuur, patatje oorlog, poffertjes, oliebol (christmas season only) and many more local or international culinary adventures you can try out. Pictures from left to right are in order of the tidbits.

Oh, there is one thing that might not charm you… the quality of customer service can be far below your expectation. I don’t understand either and occasional I also get annoyed by that. It’s quite normal in Amsterdam and people tend to leave it as it is. However, there are fabulous and friendly cosy places to go, so just go to the ones you like. On the tipping part, we do not have a standard custom and most locals round up the bill or tip 10% for excellent service provided.  

Culinary Spots in Amsterdam

Area ‘De Wallen’ (red light district)

  • Wynand Fockink (drinks) – a hidden tiny tavern where you can sip ~70 Dutch liqueurs and genevers. Passionate outgoing staff and definitely a memorable experience. Opens from 3pm and can close early evening. 
  • Restaurant de Compagnon (French) – a hidden gem in the red light district. It is a small cosy restaurant with three floors. You will have a wonderful tasting experience. Ensure a table at the window with a great view on the canal. Highly recommend table reservation.
  • Bridges (Michelin Star* Western) – situated in Sofitel Legend The Grand. This building was the former town hall of Amsterdam. Another marvellous gastronomic experience with excellent service.
  • Restaurant Vermeer (Michelin Star* Western) – situated in the NH Barbizon Palace Hotel opposite of Central Station. A marvellous gastronomic experience with excellent friendly professional staff. Ingredients are locally sourced. Highly recommend table reservation.

Area Jordaan

  • Chocolaterie Pompadour (café, patisserie) – go for a super delicious patisserie experience. They have a small tearoom in the shop. Queues may occur outdoor. 
  • Winkel 43 (café, lunch) – taste the best apple pie in Amsterdam. Freshly baked and delicious with a bit of whipped cream. Long queues may occur.

Area Rokin

  • De Laatste Kruimel (café, bakery) – a charming café having delicious sandwich, bakery and quiche. Not many seats and not comfortable but definitely cosy and a must experience. 
  • Café de Jaren (café, lunch, dinner) – a nice high-ceilinged café ambiance with a sunny canal-side terrace. Just enjoy some reading and the local vibe. 

Area Museum Kwartier (museum quarter)

  • Taiko Restaurant (Asian, Japanese) – situated in the Conservatorium Hotel. Splendid Asian fusion and mostly with Japanese influences. A superb gastronomic experience in a great ambiance. An evening to splurge yourself. Excellent service but some staff can be a bit snobbish. Highly recommend table reservation.

Area Canal Belt

  • Café de Balie (café, lunch, dinner) – have a coffee break and absorb the local life with free high-speed wifi. It’s a cultural centre with diverse programme about freedom of speech, contemporary art, politics, culture, cinema and media. 
  • Tapas Tia Rosa (Spanish) – a nice cosy ambiance with superb joyful staff, good house wine and delicious tapas. Try out the surprise menu. You won’t be disappointed.  

Area Amstel River

  • Café Restaurant De Ysbreeker (café) – in the summer they have a lovely terrace along the Amstel river where you can enjoy the view and the tranquillity of Amsterdam. The food and wine is quite good. 

Area RAI, Rivierenbuurt

  • Hakata Senpachi (Japanese) – a taste of the rising sun. This is my most favourite Izakaya restaurant in Amsterdam. The grilled sticks taste delicious like as in Japan, great sake selection and in weekend they serve Fukuoka ramen noodle lunch. Ambiance setup is a Dutch brown café, simple wooden tables and chairs. There was a fire incident end 2016, reopening will be on Feb 27th2017. I’m so looking forward to it. 

Cultural Spots in Amsterdam

  • Het Concertgebouw – classical music, enjoy a free concert at lunch time on Wednesdays at 12:30pm. Queuing for free tickets starts at 11:30am and there is a limitation of seats. First come first serve basis and only one ticket per person available.
  • Book market, address Oudemanshuispoort – a charming walk on a non-official book market selling old books, music and prints. Location makes it more special, a gate passage dated from 1786 connecting between Kloveniersburgwal and Oudezijdsvoorburgwal. Opening hours from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm and subject to shop availability/season/weather condition.

Tip: daily last minute online tickets offered at http://lastminuteticketshop.nl from 10am. There is a maximum of 2 tickets per transaction and the website is in Dutch only.

Enjoy discovering Amsterdam!

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