GRRR guide to Amsterdam

So first: get yourself a bike. This is the most local way to move around, and no local is using taxis to get around. There are tons of bike rentals around, and some are actually not trying to rip you off. The ferries (free) are a great way to see Amsterdam from the water.

So, we’re assuming you’ve visited our crown jewels like Rijksmuseum, VanGogh Museum and Stedelijk. All situated around the museum square. Lekker handig!

Like art and design? Check out the great bookstore San Serriffe in the Red Light District. On the Berenstraat you’ll find Mendo, the self-proclaimed ‘candy store for book aficionados’ that sells beautiful coffee table books.

If you want to go for weirdness: check Electric Ladyland – the First Museum of Fluorescent Art. It houses a large
room-sized Fluorescent Environment that the visitor enters, after which you become a part of this piece of Art. Check out the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica.

If you’re lucky, the Oude Kerk is doing one of their massive art installations. This church is situated in the middle of the Red Light district and is one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam.

Ok, now you’re hungry? If you’re planning on keeping things more casual, go to Bird. Both snack bar and restaurant are usually fully packed, but it’s worth the wait. We love the places popping up around the IJ river. Try BAK. This charming restaurant — nicely located on the top-floor of a former warehouse — is well-known for serving wild game and seasonal vegetables. For all you wine connoisseurs out there, we have one word: Scheepskameel. Their wines are exclusively German, their dishes mostly European. And the people of BAK have a small bar now called Bambino. Choux is always a great choice, but is usually booked way ahead.

On the other side of ‘t IJ, you’ll find, among other great restaurants, de Goudfazant and Café Modern. The latter notorious for its fixed menu, the former for its hidden location, both praised for their excellent food.

For the real Dutch experience, go to a local Febo (all around town) to pull a ready-made snack out of the wall. It’s a great Dutch tradition to pull a “diagonaaltje”: taking a diagonal line across their selection of snacks.

 

Try out the best “Jevener” in town at the classic Wynand Fockink Proeflokaal en Slijterij (Google it). Great cocktails at Hiding in Plain Sight, equally great is Vesper. Or go for the real Dutch experience at Cafe Nol. Check out Brouwerij De Prael, a great social microbrewery that is doing great things for people that can’t hold a normal job.

SWEETS hotel is a radically different way to experience Amsterdam. 28 iconic bridge houses transformed into independent hotel suites on Amsterdam’s canals. Looking for a more traditional hotel? We like the no-nonsense style of the Hotel V hotels.  Or try out the CityHub concept of pods if you are a functional traveller.