Paul’s recommendations for Amsterdam!

These are my personal tips -based on experience and research- for a great experience in Amsterdam! This resulted in a good list of tips! You can click on the bold text to get to the Google Maps location of the establishment.

All of you good luck in Amsterdam!

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

Van Kerkwijk is a great venue. I eat there a lot myself. It’s right in the center of Amsterdam and they don’t have a menu! They will explain the daily options at your table, once you sit down. About €20 for a dish.

Thai Deum is a good place for Thai food in the cosy neighborhood de Pijp. It’s a nice and small family restaurant and the food is always good! About €17 for a dish.

 Kam Yin is a cheap and fast restaurant if your budget is low and your appetite is big. Do not expect a causy atmosphere. The food is great however!

Breakfast/lunch

My personal favorite for lunch is Latei. It’s very cozy, they have a cat and a lot of art on the walls. Great coffee and good lunch.

For great sandwiches and breakfast go to the Broodbar.

Trust at the Albert Cuyp is a great vegan place where you pay by the tip.

(Food) markets

There is a big food market on the Albert Cuyp every day except Sunday, offering a wide variety.

Noordermarkt is great for food shopping as well.

IIhallen is the biggest flea market in Europe. They have surprising second-hand items for sale. You have to check their website to see when the market is there. About one or two weekends a month, so you might not get the chance to visit.

Bars

If you want to have a very special experience, go to In ‘t Aepjen. This bar is more than 400 years old. The bar owner was known to accept monkeys as a payment when a sailor spent all his cash in the red light district. You will find yourself surrounded by stuffed monkeys. Busy, but very cosy.

Great for special beers is Brouwerij ‘t II (it’s in a windmill) or de Prael.

If you are into something more classy, a place to go Sky Lounge Amsterdam of the Doubletree Hilton Hotel. So dress fancy and take the elevator to the highest floor. Order a cocktail and enjoy a stunning view over Amsterdam!

Nightlife

A great Berlin-style EDM venue is de School (usually only on weekends, so check what’s on).

The (legendary) gay areas can be found around the Reguliersdwarsstraat and the Zeedijk.

Shopping

For nice boutique shops go to the 9 streets or the Haarlemmerstraat in the Jordaan area. They have small, mostly privately owned, shops which offer products you can’t find in the big stores.

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. 

But frankly, if you don’t want to go shopping, it’s boring.

Coffeeshops (no coffee; weed)

Great Coffeeshops are the Grey Area, the Dampkring, or The Bulldog. They are all famous coffee shops in the city, have quality products and you can sit inside! For take away, your best option is Boerejongens.

Do not buy anything on the street! Also avoid buying CBD products or spacecake in tourist shops. It’s crap.

Museums

The Rembrandthuis is my favorite. It shows you how the people really used to live during that time. And it’s not so big so it’s a great place to go to if you have a spare hour or two.

Another museum I like is Het Grachtenhuis. It’s about the canals in Amsterdam and all the beautiful houses surrounding the canals!

Parks/Areas

The Vondelpark. It’s in the middle of the city and always nice to visit. See and be seen!

Amsterdam-West is a great area. It hosts the Foodhallen (great for dinner), the Kinkerstraat (which is a great street to walk through and admire the scenery), and the Ten Kate market (food/clothing).

Things I like to do

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

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: