Otto’s recommendations for Amsterdam!

Welcome to my hometown!

Since I live right in the city center I know this city can be dangerous: loads of tourist traps out there! That’s why I made Otto’s survival guide to Amsterdam.

* I am not making any money with this list (I don’t have deals with the places)
* You can always e-mail if you have any questions or you’d like to recommend anything to me!
(My mail = onooitgedacht@gmail.com)
* You can click all the bold text to get a google maps link!
As we say in the Netherlands, have a “gezellig” time in Amsterdam 🙂 !

Cheers,
Otto

And don’t forget to write me a review here of course 😉


Food / Restaurants
Food / Breakfast / Lunch
Dutch Snacks
Food Markets
Bars
Nightlife
Shopping
Coffeeshops (no coffee, weed!)
Museums
Parks
Things to do
More Free Tours in Amsterdam

Walking tours in Amsterdam


Food / Restaurants

Sonneveld
is a nice dutch eating cafe in the beautiful Jordaan area, €13 for real dutch stamppot: hutspot.
Website

Haesje Claes Restaurant
Ornate tiles and wood paneling adorn this traditional Dutch restaurant spread over 6 quaint houses Around €18 for a dish.
Website

Foodhallen
Indoor food market with 18 stands all kinds of Dutch and international cuisine and street food. Between €5-€15
Website

Moeders
The way my mom cooks. Photos of mums & antiques line this quirky restaurant with a terrace, serving Dutch classics. Popular, so make sure to reserve +3120 626 7957.
Website

                                                

Silveren Spiegel
Fancy Dutch restaurant in beautiful tilting merchant house that looks like it will fall over any minute. 3 courses €45.
Website

TerraZen Center
Funky, family-run cafe with communal seating offering vegan versions of Caribbean & Japanese dishes. €10-16
Website

Ocha Thai food 
Amazing Thai food for a very affordable price. Warning: No alcohol served and personnel has very strange sense of humor 🙂 12€
Website

Indonesian:
Some say the best dutch food is Indonesian food!
(Yes, sadly because of our colonial past…. )

Kantjil en de Tijger
You can sit down and have the “rice table” where you get tiny dishes everybody can share amazing diversity of taste. I come here often to score the Kantjil To- Go meals. €7 To Go, €28 Restaurant
Website

Tempo Doeloe 
More traditional.
Website

Cafe Kadijk
Amazing indonesian but with dutch influence
Website

Seafood bar
Simply great seafood, 35€ for a huge 2 person platter. €20
Website

Genki- Garden
The best all-you-can-eat sushi place in Amsterdam. Delicious. Make sure to call them and reserve a spot in the garden:  +3120 626 3727
Lunch €18/Dinner €28
Website

Cannibale Royale
For the meat lovers! Amazing steaks and ribs. 15€
Website

De Prael
This famous Amsterdam brewery is run by the “not-normal”, and has not normal good beer and food! €8- €15
Website

Bierfabriek
This brewery has 3 amazing home brewed beers, finger licking chicken and unlimited free peanuts.
Chicken €12,50 / Craft beer 3,50
Website

 

Breakfast/lunch

Dutch Pancake House Upstairs. Only Lunch! open until 18:00!

Budget Italian: Caldi e Fredi
Real Italian cappuchino for just 1,30
Amazing Italian sandwitches for 3,50 and calzones for 2,50

 

Dutch snacks

Best French fries at Vleminckx Sausmeesters or Frietsteeg. Important: Get Oorlog sauce (peanut sauce, mayonnaise and chopped onion), or Speciaal sauce (ketchup or curry, mayonnaise and chopped onion).

Buy the fresh Stroopwafel with molten caramel on the market for 2 euro (like albert cuyp) or van Wonderen (really expensive)

Try Cheese?
Go to Cheese and more by Henri Willig or the Cheese Museum and try 25 different dutch cheeses for free. Buy cheapest cheese on the market but be careful, not always ready to fly. 
Try: Herring at any herring stand (be careful with the amount of unions)

Alcohol: Ask for Jenever or Kopstoot in any cafe (Dutch Gin) or go to Wynand Focking (dutch distillery) or Proeflokaal ’t Kelkje

 

(Food) markets

Waterlooplein market: second-hand market good for original souvenirs open: monday-saturday from 9:30-18:00
Dappermarkt: less touristy local market (best kebab!) Monday through Saturday 9 am – 5 pm

There is a big food market on the Albert Cuyp every day except Sunday.

Bars

Shoot a Windmill selfie while tasting the best craft beer of a’dam at:  Brouwerij ‘t IJ ((closes around 20:30)
OR
Brouwerij de Prael (Open till late)

Hanneke’s Boom
Hipster hangout with Simple food & good beer looking out over the water
Website

Date? Cafe de Dokter! Cute tiny cafe. Ask the owner why there is dust everywhere (does get crowded).

Cocktailbar Tales and Spirits (order the Splish Splash).

Golem is a cafe good for craft beer.

The Bloemenbar at Spuiplein is open until late, the Poolbar around the same area is aslo a very nice spot.

Live Music usually free entrance:

 

Nightlife

Look through the agenda what you like, usually you have to buy tickets in advance in Amsterdam. 

Loads of clubs around Leidseplein (Entertainment area):
Famous and very beautiful Paradiso Club in old church!
House/Dance/Techno
Techno until morning:

 

Shopping

For nice boutique shops go to the 9 streets or the Haarlemmerstraat in the Jordaan area.

For the expensive big brand fashion shops go to the Pieter Cornelis hooft straat between the Vondelpark and the museum square.

All the ‘standard’ shops (like H&M or Nike/Adidas) can be found at the Kalverstraat and the Nieuwendijk

Coffeeshops (no coffee; weed)


Just to buy:
Handy! Download a map with all coffeeshops to your google maps:
https://goo.gl/maps/7KXRgLVa1R12

Museums

Van Gogh Museum
Prefer weekdays because it can get crowded. First watch the movie “Loving Vincent”
Website

Rijksmuseum 
You can spend days here, most incredible museum in Amsterdam.
Website

Amsterdam Museum
History of Amsterdam with cool video’s and some historical artwork.
Website

Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
Secret Catholic church from the 17th century, great to see what the 17th century houses looked like and how they     prayed in secret.
Website

 Electric LadyLand 
For 5€ you can book a tour with this old hippie that created the first museum of fluorescent art and made loads of it himself while on lsd. Mind blowing stuff! Specially if you just had some good “coffee”
Book at least 2 hours in advance
Website 

 

Parks

The VondelparkIt’s in the middle of the city and always nice to visit. Play some games, make music or just simply light up, lay back and enjoy.

Amsterdamse bos is a nice place and they also have a place where you can cuddle with goats.
Website 

 

Fun activities in Amsterdam

Complete your visit to Amsterdam, by exploring the city on its beautiful canals. For a quality tour with excellent service, I highly recommend
Flag Ship

Mystery city puzzle tour, discover the city and its history by solving a puzzle. Challenge yourself and try it!
Mystery City Escape Game Amsterdam

Go to the hipster area NDSM, an old boat factory that’s turned into an artist hotspot:
– Cross the water to the North with the ferry behind Central Station. (Important: Get the most left ferry to the NDSM wharf)
– Walk around and look at the street art, you can already see the big Anne Frank mural from the ferry!
– Have a beer at the imitation city beach called PLEKK
– Eat good food in an old greenhouse with small garden and waterside view, called Noorderlicht

 

Join our themed tours!

Did you enjoy our Classic Tour? Dive deeper into the Dutch culture with our Free Alternative Tour or Free Food Tour: