As someone raised on the other side of the world, I’d always been fascinated by Amsterdam’s eccentricities, bolstered by sordid tales of the Dutch capital.
From the Red Light District and its window hawkers to its proclivity for ‘coffee shops’ that are not coffee shops at all, the city is often portrayed as a beacon for salivating tourists and stag parties ready to run amok. So much so, the city ran a marketing campaign telling tourists not to come.
Amsterdam is hardly an up-and-coming destination, nor is it off the beaten track, with millions taking a quick flight or a four-hour Eurostar direct from London each year.
Laying bare the failure of that anti-tourist advert, it was reported that as many as 20 million people head to Amsterdam each year. I am now one of them.
Known as the greatest ‘planned’ city in Northern Europe, Amsterdam began life as a 13th-century fishing village, before evolving into a global trade force to be reckoned with during the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age.
As the Dutch East India Company established trade routes and colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the country was blessed with a blend of art, architecture, and cuisine. Over the centuries, artists and thinkers flocked to the area, with a vibrant arts scene a lasting testament to Amsterdam’s intellectual freedom.
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I was keen to experience the city in a way that didn’t involve red lights or coffee-not-coffee shops. What I found was a forward-thinking, friendly and food-loving city steeped in history and charm. So long as you’re a respectful visitor…
Things to do in Amsterdam
1. Visit an automat
If you’re after quick but tasty snack, beeline for one of the city’s hundreds of FEBOs, which are essentially automated heated vending machines.
Open well into the early hours, each locker is filled with croquettes, frikandellen (a sort of minced sausage), hamburgers and cheese-filled kaassoufflés you’ll devour as quick as they’re served.
Simply tap your card for a few Euro, and a small perspex door will flap open, exposing a golden-crumbed croquette with mouth-watering contents.
Designed to be eaten on the go, I could see workers hurrying in the background replenishing stock, so you know the food is fresh.
2. Take a boat tour
Our first port of call on any holiday is a walking tour, but Amsterdam calls for something different.
Circling the city are 165 canals connected by more than 1,200 bridges. This intricate network makes for a stunning ‘spiderwebbed’ landscape that’s best seen from water level.
To get the best footing for my weekend ahead, I hopped aboard a Boat Amsterdam guided tour (€25) and was exposed to a calmer way of navigating the city’s culture.
Even better was the free-flowing wine and beers as you cruised along and waved to punters on the banks, as our guide Thomas (a history teacher by day) took us through the backstories on the back canals.
The backdrop is row upon row of slanted houses sinking into the marshes; they look like they’re dancing.
3. Try one of the best cocktails in the world
There are only a few seats at this first-floor bar, but any wait is worth it for one of The Flying Dutchman’s whimsical concoctions.
Often included on ‘top cocktail lists’, the establishment has previously also been listed in the prestigious World’s Top 500 Bars.
You’ll find it at the Odeon, a national Dutch monument, a short stroll from the heart of Amsterdam.
The menu is set up to cover the ‘evolution’ of classics in three functions, ‘walk’, ‘run’ or ‘fly’, with something to suit all tastebuds. I went for a Lavender Honey Sour (€16.50), which was a ‘run’ on the evolution of the prohibition-era cocktail, the Bees Knees.
4. Go back in time to De Drie Fleschjes
Seventeenth-century boozer De Drie Flescjes (Three Little Bottles) has been pumping ciders and local beers since 1619. It lays claim to the ‘oldest tasting room in Amsterdam’, hidden behind the Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square.
The perfect antidote to the city’s busy streets – alongside a ‘headbutt’, which is the moniker given to a glass of Bols Genever served with a freshly tapped pilsner – we added a heavy plate of ox sausage tartare, served with a splodge of tangy mustard, and spent two divine hours people watching.
5. Eat a stroopwafel
You can’t visit Amsterdam without trying a traditional stroopwafel, a round cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held together by syrup.
I was told by locals there was only one place to go: Rudi’s.
Tucked away inside the Albert Cuyp Market, prepare for a queue, but watch as seasoned waffle0makers pump out a production line of caramel-filled treats with Olympic speed.
It was the perfect fuel for meandering through the rest of the market stalls. A chocolate-dipped stroopwafel will set you back €3.50.
6. Try traditional Dutch fare
We booked a table at Hap Hmm in Leidseplein via email and settled in amongst Dutch families and a smattering of tourists who must have spotted the same Google reviews we did.
We started with Carpaccio with pesto (£10.50), followed by the widely recommended schnitzel with peppercorn sauce (€19) accompanied by creamed spinach, cabbage and vegetables, before finishing with a decadent chocolate souffle with fresh cream, washed down by a blonde local beer.
The service is fast, so this is no place to while away the hours — odds are, the table has been booked after you.
7. Brave at least one TikTok queue
Amsterdam’s culinary offering is a brilliant cacophony of influences, but there was one I was keen to try after it took up permanent residence on my TikTok For You page.
Chun Cafe’s sandwiches attract daily queues of up to two hours. We arrived early and mercifully only stood in line for 40 minutes, before being rewarded the rib-eye bulgogi (€14.50) and bacon egg cheese (€13).
You’ll have many a local asking what on earth you’re lining up for.
8. Bask in the sunshine
Most of Amsterdam’s residents live in apartments, so on a sunny day, be prepared for every inch of available outdoor space to be snapped up sharp.
Armed with a strattiatella focaccia from Zero Zero deli, I walked to what may be the city’s most famous green space, Vondelpark, named after poet Joost van den Vondel.
Completed in 1877, it’s 47 hectares of open space, ponds and playgrounds where you can get a moment’s respite from the crowded city centre.
9. See alternative art
Amsterdam is home to many a world-class museum, but make sure to head across the water to NDSM where you’ll find not only a thriving flea market, but the lesser-known Straat Museum (€19 a ticket).
Here you’ll bear witness to the history behind street art, with massive installations of political significance hung in a cavernous warehouse.
Getting around
If you’re not game to brave a bike like the locals, Amsterdam’s public transport system is a cinch.
The city is walkable, but there are also free ferries that cross the river and trams where you can tap on and off with contactless payment.
When to visit
We enjoyed an unseasonably warm spell when we visited in early March, but locals confirmed this was a rarity.
Visit in the ‘shoulder’ seasons, in April-May or September-October, when there are fewer crowds but pleasant temperatures.
How to get there
I hopped aboard a Eurostar, which runs direct trains from London St. Pancras International to Amsterdam Centraal via Lille and Brussels, taking approximately four hours.
If you’re shelling out for Premier, you’ll be served a full meal on board as well as drinks and snacks while you watch the European countryside zoom by. Tickets in Premier start at £315 in May one way, Standard fares start at £39 one-way.
If you’d rather go by air, British Airways, KLM, Air France and EasyJet offer direct flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. You can snap up an EasyJet flight, which takes a little over an hour from London, from £84.
If you really want to take your time, you can drive, with the journey from London to Amsterdam taking around seven hours, while a coach from London Victoria Coach Station to Amsterdam Central Station may be the cheapest option, starting at £30, but will take around 12 hours.
Where to stay
Best value: We rested weary heads at Park Centraal Amsterdam, just out of the thick of the city centre but still surrounded by excitement without the hefty price tag. Flanked on one side by the massive Vondelpark, but only a stroll from trendy De Pijp and the Van Gough Museum and Rijksmuseum, classic rooms in May start at €175 per night.
Best location: The Hoxton is known for being a trendy spot no matter which city you stay in, and its location just over the river from De Wallen (of red light fame) can’t be beaten. A standard room in May starts at €367 per night.
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