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  • http://backpedalbrakes.blogspot.com Catherine

    There are so many great restaurants and bars here, I hardly know where to start! So how about a nice orderly list:

    Best for view: 11 (beside Centraal Station)
    Best for Indonesian food: Kantjil & De Tijger (Spuistraat)
    Best for Dutch, if you must: De Vijff Vlieghen (Spuistraat)
    Best cosy four-hour meal place: Vooges (Utrechtsestraat)
    Best for ridiculously expensive but amazing sushi (the view is good too): Yamazato @ the Okura Hotel
    Best for bitterballen & kaasstengels (essential Dutch bar snacks): any bar in town actually (except possibly on the Leidseplein)
    Best vlaamse frites booth in the city: on Heiligeweg (off Kalverstraat)… just look for the queue
    Best Dutch beer bar: ‘t Arendsnest (Herengracht near Dam Square)
    Best Belgian beer bar: Gollem (off Spuistraat) or In De Wildeman (Nieuwezijds Kolk)
    Best all-round local where you can play cards with the Italian barman until 3am, choose your own music and drink cheap beer: Legendz (Nicholas Berchemstraat)… I’ll be the redhead propping up the bar and cursing the cards, the barman or my boss, depending on the day I’ve had

    Have a fantastic stay here — it’s one hell of a place.

  • leadbelly

    Not to be missed is a dish called reistaffel (Rice Table) which comes from the Dutch involvement in Indonesia. You get 30 or more little bowls of meats, spices, sauces, etc. to eat with rice. You can get this dish at most good restaurants. The Dutch also have little roast beef sandwiches called something like “brodchies” which are great.

  • http://www.spamboy.com/ Spamboy

    I recommend a place where they don’t serve any combination of “hashish” and “brownie.” This probably limits you to the local Kip’s Big Boy, but I could be wrong.

  • danioz

    Amsterdam — the city of sore feet. I always end up walking about 8 hour days, it always seeems just a little way to go (damn circular canal/roads). I must admit though that the last time I was there (well lets face it the last 5 times I was there) I was very fond of a coffeehouse that you may/may not be frequenting, therefore anything denoted with a * may be a direct result of spending time in the coffeehouse:

    Anne Frank House — fab — get there really really early — spend as long as you can — all the books and items in the library are facinating.

    Vondel Park — nice to ride around on bikes (actually all of amsterdam is nice to ride around on bikes) not fun when bitterly cold ( I can send you a photo that shows the misery!)

    Markets — the main ones (on saturdays) lovely to hang out in

    Food — Amsterdam (and the dutch) are not known for their food, and you can have heaps of fun eating from the vending machines**(hot potatoe croquette things — fun!), and there is a fabulous frites place on Leiseplain (sp?) — that does frites** with this amazing mayonainse sauce in conical paper things (vague I know) but it was a big favourite.
    We also found a nice Dutch restaurant (this could be a bit of a stretch — I think it was on the canal that AnneFrank House was on — great big cavernous place inside — looks small from the outside. They have heaps of good Indonesian places (was dutch once) including a good one just off the Leiseplain (sorry bit hazy on directions).

    There is always the sex/hash museums for the ‘what the ?” value — but people watching, and house watching is great.

    Sorry for being so vague, Amsterdam is one of my favourite places on earth and I always feel instantly at home — any more advice just email.

  • edwardapplebe

    Hi!
    I don’t have any hotspots in particular, but whatever you do, don’t pass up pancakes or fries while you’re in Holland. Dutch pancakes (pannekoeken) are the best thing ever, and you can get them with anything you want, syrup (stroop) and sugar, jam, ham and cheese, spinach, whatever you want! Fries (patat) in Holland are also really really good. They eat them with a really creamy mayonnaise that seems disgusting, but it totally isnt. In homes they serve them with apple sauce, but you don’t get that much in stalls and whatnot. You won’t have trouble finding either of the two in Holland.
    Have fun!

  • BKRimon

    Last summer, I had an excellent meal at Tante Agaath in the Jordaan — best tuna I’ve had in my life. Wonderfully romantic atmosphere.

    http://​www​.tante​-agaath​.nu/

  • mko

    I lived there for 2 years and I may need to write again after I revisit the city in my dream tonight. So jealous!

    You must try an Indonesian Rijstafel (Rice Table) at Sama Sebo. Hang out at a Cafe Smalle or de Tuin in the Jordaan — they are called Brown Cafes — they are all over the city and are the Dutch equivolent to a pub. These are real cafes, not to be mistaken with a coffeeshop. If you are going to imbibe at said coffeeshop, 3 non touristy recommendations are
    Dutch Flowers, Kandisky, and de Rokerij (not the Grasshopper/Bulldog).
    The Supper Club is totally avante guard — if you want an out there night — get a reservation and see dinner theater in a “this isn’t your parents dinner theater” kind of way. Take your shoes off, lay down in a loft bed and eat communal off the silver platters.
    AVOID FEBO and pizza.
    Rent a bike.
    Chill in the Vondelpark.
    See a show at the Paradiso.

    Heather is going to look like a native.

  • http://biggaysam.com Sam Merrill

    Well there’s that little Dutch bakery run and owned by those dreadlock wearing Rastafarians from Jamaica.

    Stay away from the Brownies. ;)

  • http://biggaysam.com Sam Merrill

    Seriously though:

    Roseís Cantina Amsterdam
    Reguliersdwarsstraat 38–40, 1017, BM, Amsterdam
    020 625 9797
    Daily 5-11pm (kitchen), bar till 2am
    http://​www​.rosescantina​.com

    It’s in the heart of the gay district. Great food. Wonderful people. Great wines!!

  • Dr. To You

    I just want to say I am excited for you guys! Is Leta going too?

  • http://www.blue-room.com Ayse

    We like the In De Wildeman, a nice brown cafe. (http://​www​.indewildeman​.nl/​i​n​d​e​x​e.html)

    I can’t remember the restaurant we ate at that was so absolutely amazing, but look for Indonesian food, especially a ristaffel (big table full of amazing food).

    If you get out of Amesterdam, the countryside gets very clean and sweet and polite, and nobody speaks English at all but they smile at you.

  • http://yourfavera.blogspot.com Michael Moore

    There is a falafel stand outside the train station that is STELLAR.

    Also, anything around the red light district is good times ;-) . Seriously. If you’re in the area around the red light district, everything you do will be fun. Check out Lord Mikes and the Van Gogh museum.

    Embrace the brownies!

  • http://www.blurbomat.com blurb

    Leta is not going. Hence the Extra-Absorbent Depends.

  • http://stacied.typepad.com/schmoopy/ Stacie de la Rosa

    I can get the exact locations if you are interested but when I went in September to stay with a friend, we visited a very relaxed and fun bar/cafe named Cafe Zool (Oude Leliestraat 9) a couple times — mostly because my friend was loving theowner. The owner is named Bas, and he may share his dinner with you, and then give you some absinthe. Friendly folks those Dutch.

    Zool is next door to one of the best chocolate shops I have ever been too. There is also a pretty decent Italian place across the street.

    Next to the Anne Frank Museum is a bar called Werck. Go directly to the top, grab an outside bed (yes, a bed) and a cocktail (not necessarily in that order). The view is of the Westertoren where Anne Frank describes the bells. It’s a very wild experience.

    It was all about the cocktails for me while I was there, but definitely stay out of the coffeehouses. They are more for tourists anyway.

    Be sure to check out the menu’s at the older restaurants by the way, some of them have penis’s on them. Illustrations that is, not actual ones.

    Amsterdam was one of my most favorite cities when I visited Europe — you guys will have a BLAST!

  • Tree W

    We loved the Kobe house Japanese Teppan Yaki & Sushi Bar. I know you can get food like this in the states, but what made this meal so incredible (although the food is incredible) was the people we met.

    At our table was a mom and daugther from a small town in England. They own the only bar in their town, and it’s been in the family for over 400 years. We also sat with people from Spain, Ukraine, and Denmark. We all sat and talked for hours about politics, music, sex, etc… An absolutely amazing experience.

    Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 77
    1012 RE Amsterdam

  • http://laziza7717yahoo.com Laziza

    I haven’t been to Amsterdam since I was a little kid, so no advice for you. I just wanted to point out how nice and helpful these comments have been. It makes me feel good about the Internet again. See, people? THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE.

  • http://tiggerlane.blogspot.com Tiggerlane

    WE’re wearing Depends?

    Must be extra-special excited, given Heather’s bowel habits, for HER to be pooping her pants! Way to go, Girl!!

    Jon — you may need to take her out of the country more often!

  • http://thelynnsterzone.blogspot.com/ Lynnster, yeah

    Don’t know a thing about Amsterdam but just had to comment on how much I LOVE the Chuck masthead.… rock!

  • http://www.maxigumee.com Maxigumee

    I went to Amsterdam when I was about 13, so I don’t really remember too many restaurants specifically. I do remember all of the candy stores they have there, though! There’s this one candy store chain.… I don’t recall the name, I think it begins with a “j”.…. it’s basically wall-to-wall with strange little Dutch treats.

    Also– even though this isn’t really restaurant related either, you should definitely check out the local supermarkets, too. The Dutch have some pretty bizarre breakfast foods (like chocolate sprinkles for your toast).

  • http://www.paulmayne.org Paul Mayne
  • rockr girl

    i wasn’t in amsterdam much — i was in Rotterdam for a long while. however, street food is great — the patat (pomme frites, fries — whatever you want to call them) ROCK. the secret to the uber-crunchy texture? they are double fried. and do enjoy the mayo. you can also get flavored catchups. my fave is the garlic catchup.

    like most europeans, they are not big breakfast people — caffe is great, but be wary that people will put chocolate sprinkles on crusty bread with butter. its bizarre to behold. the pancakes totally make up for this weirdness, however.

    lots of asian/indo-pacific food, and its usually very good. and there is a lot of late-night eating post-discotheque. the beer is fantastic. and the locals will often have a shot of gin or schnapps with their ale. WITH. not in or adjacent to.

    and enough of those will surely lead you to a banana show in the red-light. enjoy!

  • http://melissaandjoshua.blogspot.com/ dizzymizzy

    I have absolutely no idea where you could dine, but I spit on my computer with Depends comment. Thanks. Happy Pooping!!

  • http://www.nothingbutbonfires.com Nothing But Bonfires

    Oooh, try the licorice! Extra extra salty and so delicious. When I lived there, we had a little shop where you took a basket in and chose all manner of candy and put it in this little wicker basket — no idea what it was called (we just called it The Basket Shop) or where it was, but possibly the concept still exists. The licorice, if I remember correctly, is in the shape of small cows. Try it! If you don’t like it, send it to me!

  • http://www.brochspot.com Broch

    I was just there last November, and can recommend a few places. A MUST visit is Cafe Belgique, very close to Dam Square, off the beaten path. Many Belgian ales, small and intimate. While not a “Hip” place to go, the “Bulldog” chain of bars/smoke-up joints is sure to not disappoint. You can’t walk more than a few blocks without running into one. Last but not least, I met an artist that runs a little stand selling her goods in a little park (Not Vondelpark, but that is awesome as well) right on Leidseplein. She is an American Ex-pat, and has been there for years. Her url is debrahill​.nl That is a must see!

  • http://candclo.blogspot.com Christoph

    I just went to Amsterdam on the weekend and ate at a place called Sherpa that serves Nepalese and Tibetan food. It was excellent. The address is Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 58.

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