Amsterdam
Looking to make a stop in Amsterdam on your next trip to Europe? I have put together a list of the coolest things we did, and more importantly, the best food we ate.
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We took the Thalys fast train from Paris to Amsterdam, and I’m so glad we did this instead of flying. You only need to be at the train station 5-10 minutes before boarding, and you get to take in a beautiful scenic ride. It took about 4 hours to get from Paris to Amsterdam with brief stops in Brussels and Rotterdam.
We had “first class” tickets which were about $100 each and included food & alcohol, wi-fi and a super fun conversation with 4 Australians at the table across from us. I highly recommend taking the train when traveling between cities or countries in Europe, if possible.
There are several different transportation services out there. We used Welcome Pick-ups and had a great experience getting from Amsterdam Centraal Station to our hotel. We stayed at W Amsterdam, which is housed in 2 separate buildings, one of which used to be a bank.
The W Amsterdam is right on the edge of De 9 Straatjes (the nine streets). This neighborhood is a quaint little shopping district that is broken up by the beautiful canals.
Not only did our room at the W have an amazing canal view, but there are several restaurants, bars, and views to be found at the W and you don’t even have to leave your hotel (which can be convenient for Amsterdam as it rains.. A LOT).
We had breakfast at The Duchess, which was incredibly beautiful. We grabbed burgers at The Butcher (I had the truffle burger and I still dream about it). One day, the hotel was giving out free drink vouchers for the Lounge bar, so naturally we found our way there.
We were immediately enamored with the charming streets and buildings in Amsterdam. The canal system is intricate, beautiful and each corner you turn is another charming row of gabled facades to take in.
The cyclists are literally everywhere, and while it might seem like an easy means of transportation, these cyclists don’t mess around. It can actually get kind of dangerous for pedestrians because you have to constantly make sure you don’t step out in front of a bicycle.
They haul so much ass. We planned on renting bikes, but quickly changed our minds when we saw how detailed the biking system was. Seemed like an accident waiting to happen for us!
Our first afternoon, we walked around Dam Square and the canals.
After exploring for a while, we found ourselves grabbing an outside seat at Ellis Gourmet Burger (on Singel) overlooking a canal.
Book Amsterdam tours through my link here!
Not only did we both have great food, but the views of the canal and the cute buildings did not disappoint.
Starting with breakfast at the Pancake Bakery, where you step down a few stairs into their breakfast hall to eat pancakes the size of basketballs with all the toppings. They have savory and sweet pancakes, but if a savory pancake throws you off, you should try the Dutch classic, poffertjes. (Mini pancakes). Afterwards, we decided to get out of the city center and walk towards Amsterdam-Oost, or East.
Once you get away from the center of the city which encompasses the red light district and so many coffeeshops you can’t count, you finally get away from all of the people. [Pot shops are called coffeeshops so make sure you pay attention to which kind of coffee you’re looking for…]
I will say, Amsterdam was extremely crowded. With the narrow, mid-century streets and alleys, it is quite a busy city. However, once we were away from all of the bicycles and buildings, the atmosphere only got more picturesque.
We grabbed lunch and drinks at Louie Louie which was way too cute.
We started with chorizo potato cakes and they were so unique! Think crab cake, but with chorizo and also totally different….
Bar Botanique and de Biertuin are chic restaurants nearby.
There is another pretty park besides the Vondelpark in Amsterdam, which is Oosterpark on this east side of the city. I definitely recommend taking a few hours of one day to visit to quiet part of Amsterdam.
One last burger recommendation: Burger Bar. There are several locations around the city and they have several kinds of beef including Kobe Style Wagyu, Irish, and Angus beef, and veggie burgers.
I should mention there is a huge vegan food scene in Amsterdam if meat isn’t your, meat & potatoes…
I know I mentioned coffeeshops already, but Amsterdam has a ton of the cutest coffee shops. The other kind of coffee shop… Real coffee.. The hot kind that you drink.
Coffee Shops (real coffee!)
Bakers & Roasters is a cute restaurant with a coffee bar located on the edge of de Pijp, “The Pipe”. We actually stopped in here more than once. The first time for a snack and a drink, the next day for a cup of coffee before heading over to the Van Gogh museum.
PLUK is a super popular coffee spot in the Nine Streets with the best aesthetics and novelty items for purchase.
We popped into Bake my Day on our last day to get out of the rain and I was so pleasantly surprised. We weren’t hungry, but they had a ton of different amazing food including smoked salmon toast, yum!
Speaking of de Pijp, this is an area of town that is home to the Heineken Experience and the Albert Cuypmarkt. We did the Heineken Experience, which wasn’t a MUST do, but it was in the area and only about $15 each and you got a few beers each inside.
The Albert Cuypmarkt is like a farmers market with fresh produce, flowers, pottery, home goods, all the things you’d find at a street market.
In front of the Rijksmuseum is where the famous IAMsterdam sign was.
Also on the west side of the city is the Vondelpark which is expansive and beautiful. Definitely a fun place to go hang out and people watch.
If you plan to visit the Anne Frank house, make a note that you will need to purchase these tickets several weeks to months in advance.
We didn’t go inside, but even being outside is a very somber experience. It’s wild how modernized the outside of the house and museum now is.
One experience we thoroughly enjoyed was an open air canal boat tour with Flagship Amsterdam. The meeting spot was right by the Anne Frank house. It was a one hour ride on a small, open top boat. Our tour included free drinks onboard.
You can book a combo package Skip-the-Line Heineken Experience and 1-Hour Canal Tour here!
There was 1 captain and 1 girl making drinks, they doubled as tour guides and knew all there was to know about the city. Highly recommend! You also get perfect views of the famous Gingerbread houses.
I have truly saved the best for last.
This place changed our lives and I am not exaggerating. Melly’s Stroopwaffel’s way right down the block from our hotel, and let’s just say we became familiar. Stroopwaffel’s, 2 “waffles” that look like French cookies sandwiched together with caramel, are native to the Dutch.
At Melly’s, you can get pre-made mini’s, you can buy packs of them, or if you know what is good for you, you’ll get one of the big ones made hot, especially for you.
They press the stroopwaffel hot in front of you, take your choice of heavenly liquids the waffle is next dipped into, topped off with 3 toppings of your choice. You might be confused so just take a look at the photos…
We clearly LOVED Melly’s.
I even have a blog post and IG reel you can check out where I make them at home! (click here)
We barely even scratched the surface of what Amsterdam has to offer. What part of Amsterdam was your favorite? Where did you eat that you came home dreaming about?
