#hipster cafes Amsterdam | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inatelescopelens · 1 year

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amsterdam 16th december

This morning I woke for the first time in my shoebo—that is the name the hotel affectionately gives to my size of room, which is just large enough to comfortably contain its desk, cabinet and single bed. With the curtains drawn it is dark inside even when the sun has risen, and no natural light penetrates the small tiled washroom adjoining it. As usual I’ve somehow managed to litter the contents of half my suitcase across the wood-board floor in the space of a day, so I hang the do not disturb sign from the door handle on my way out. For four euros at the hotel they will leave a small paper bag of breakfast—muesli bar, bit of fruit—on a hook outside your room, waiting for you when you get up.

We only had to round one corner and cross the canal to reach our first destination of the day’s itinerary in Dam Square, where the Royal Palace of the Netherlands sat catching the first rays of sunshine in a near-silent city centre. This was a much quieter state than I remembered Amsterdam’s tourist heart being in the height of summer, but the buildings were the same—I remembered sitting around in just about the same spot waiting in the same way for the palace to open its doors at ten o’clock for visitors. The only people besides ourselves hovering before the entrance were a few other over-enthusiastic sightseers and an excursion group of high school students whose attention was not very focused. We collected our audioguides and headed into the public rooms to start our tour.

It was all familiar to me from the last time I’d been—the palace’s history as a pre-Napoleonic era royalty town hall, the relics of Dutch trade in the form of half-accurate marble maps in the floor, the halls of ornate statue motifs. What had changed was the palace’s sense of its own golden age, an age not rendered so golden for the benefit of tourists anymore and unmasked by the post-colonial. Because the buried Dutch plundering of the world emerges not only through the columns of monkeys and exotic fish and other appropriated things, but by the presence of the stone in the first place—the obscene wealth, and how it was made. Every symbolic statue contributed its own meaning to the mythos; I liked the decrepit skeleton of Time best, or bare-breasted Artemis, standing over her quarry of fish, freshly hunted for a nautical society.

Between the palace and lunch we visited a few other places on my list, beginning with Begijnhof, a tiny historic religious community for women walled off in the heart of tourist Amsterdam. Its former inhabitants were not nuns but they were known for their little chapel and their good deeds—today, still only women live within the houses surrounding the green square. As a visitor one can have a look around the garden and inside the chapel, while the rest is reserved for present-day residents. This was one of our first looks into the religious past of Amsterdam, a history of revolt and reformation and other things more recent, and more terrible.

After a quick walk around the American Book Centre, probably the most impressive and extensive English-language bookstore I have ever visited, we bought fresh sandwiches from a local chain food store and sat over the canal to eat. Mine was on brown bread, which they do much better here in Europe than they do at home, with jackfruit, avocado and vegan sriracha mayo. It tasted like being on Brunswick St or within the wilds of a Collingwood hipster cafe, exactly what I have always meant about Amsterdam being so like Melbourne in some ways. Also as in Melbourne the young people in this city love queuing up for super-trend food opportunities. I found I was already pointing out to Mum one of the latest viral cafes or restaurants on every second corner. So we left the busier part of town and went east, by the narrow bridge and the Netherlands branch of the Hermitage, facing the wide grey Amstel canal.

We walked past the National Holocaust Names Memorial on our way.

Part of this trip for me, particularly now in Amsterdam, has been trying to do things I missed out on before, go places I haven’t been. The De Plantage neighbourhood is an island of green surrounded by canals and streetscape, here we visited the Hortus Botanicus, a doll-sized botanic garden with greenhouses and its own cafe. We went from freezing European winter to the heat and humidity of the tropics in seconds as we entered glass halls containing reconstructed rainforests and collections of palm trees. Precarious iron spiral staircases led up to bridges suspended at ceiling height. The smaller greenhouses were home to colonies of butterflies, the creatures left lethargic by the wintery day. We saw a robin redbreast in the bushes outside as though we had stumbled into a secret garden—the key to the gate had been the digital ticket on my phone.

The exterior gardens were just as interesting as the greenhouses, though distinctly colder, and some parts were buried in a layer of frost. Others had varying ground covers of orange and brown and vivid green, under trees and shrubs in turn gone bare or still weighed down by their leaves. It was the wilder sort of garden, left to pursue its own interests, except for in the parts of the park restored to a version of its seventeenth-century existence as a repository of medical plants. In parts of the hedge-lined semicircle garden were pools home to aquatic plants—these were frozen over, as was the large pond, with a layer of ice so thick it looked like it had formed over many days. Even in the late autumn chill the Hortus was a beautiful place and the frost had far from devastated its charm; I think it added to it.

As we walked back towards our hotel, cutting through the centre of town rather than trailing through the outer streets, we noticed how much the city’s tourist community had grown in the space of a day. Plane loads of the populist young English had arrived for the weekend, and passing through bits of the Red Lights District we saw some of the crasser types already wandering about on their way to poor life decisions. We stopped to look inside the oldest building in Amsterdam, the Oude Kerk. This church, boldly facing the dormant walls of adult entertainment, was cavernous within. It was stripped of former glory during the Reformation, left bare but for a few patches of paint on the roof that the angry mobs had been unable to reach. The bleak interior plays host to art exhibitions in the modern day and we spent some time exploring the current installation—a collection of sculptures, Garden of Scars, by artist Ibrahim Mahama. Under our feet were hundreds of tombstones. They made up the entire worn-down floor.

Tonight we were kindly invited by our Amsterdam friends Camilla and Rob to come to their house to have dinner and to hang out with their son Oscar, who was only a small baby when we saw him last. Having picked up a bottle from a local wine shop, we boarded the tram at Leidseplein and travelled down through De Pijp to reach their home. It reminded me so much of staying with them in a spare bedroom three years ago and Camilla made us a really delicious dinner of vegetarian lasagna and fruit crumble for dessert. We made plans to meet again on Sunday, before Mum and I had to leave for London once more. I realised how much I had missed them and this city where I first really came to know them in a different era for us both—we left not too late and took the tram home again, deposited less than five minutes from our door where the boorish Friday night throng could not reach us.

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candyflossbiologist · 6 years

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21.03.2018 ♡ the school of life, amsterdam

#amsterdam #photography #studyblr #studyspo #school of life #holland #netherlands #holiday #cafe #coffee shop #cosy #aesthetic #personal #dam #philosophy #pretty #books #succulents #plants #hipster

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ravenclawreign · 7 years

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shimashige · 5 years

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Cafe hopping in Amsterdam with bicycle🚲 #Netherlands #Amsterdam #Europe #EU #summer #bicycle #hipster #backpacker #flashpacker #Airbnb #threeUK #IZIPIZI #vacation #travel #ARCTERYX #Patagonia #cafe #coffee #flatwhite #coldbrew #cortado #aeropress #coffeeroasters #lotsixtyonecoffeeroasters #screamingbeans #boccacoffee #goldblack #whitelabelcoffee (at Amsterdam, the Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/B05LQ0ZDsfD/?igshid=1kfy4qwvbz8gz

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feminismforeveryone · 7 years

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inkxlenses · 7 years

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Let's sit and watch the world go by | by Jennifer Mel Tuffen

#aesthetic #amsterdam #neutral #autumn #pale #cafe #flowers #nature #pastel #photography #indie #hipster #boho #travel #hky

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queencfwolves-archive · 5 years

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@fallencomrade - plotted starter

Too long. That’s how long she’d been there. Over the past two decades she’d never stayed in the same place for more than a few weeks. Because when you were on the run from hydra, you couldn’t be careful enough. And yet, here Erika was, sitting in a cafe tucked away somewhere in Amsterdam, pretending to read the newspaper in her hands, when she was really scanning her surroundings like she did every morning as her coffee sat untouched on the table.

William behind the counter, making heart eyes at the girl that worked in the store across the street. Jimmy, the post man who came in every single day at 11:24am for his coffee break. The elderly lady with her yipping dog, who always complained about the local hipsters and their weird coffee preferences, but would come in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays before she went to the market around the corner to get her fruits and vegetables. Which, according to her, were overpriced, because back in the day everything was better. It was the same steady stream of customers, week after week, and it calmed Erika. Maybe they’d given up. Figured she’d died at some point, even with the serum running through her veins, though in the back of her mind, there was this nagging voice telling her to up and leave again, and she told herself she would. Soon.

Later that day, as she walked the bustling streets of the Dutch capital on the way to her rented room, something felt off. The same footsteps had been behind her since she left the cafe, and while that fact in itself wasn’t unusual, the heavy footfalls were. As the drizzled started, Erika put her hood over her head, started walking faster, falling into step with the tourists and locals crowding the streets, and as she did, so did whoever was a few feet behind her as well. Turning into a random alley, her hand tightened around the knife she always kept at hand, disappearing in the shadows of the early evening as she kept an eye out, and when a looming figure appeared, Erika’s blood ran cold. It couldn’t be, right? But then again, he was the one that trained her, knew her better than anyone, her tells and the way she worked. Of course they’d sent him after her, and it was a goddamn miracle it took him this long. Or maybe that was the plan all along. Wait until she’d gotten too comfortable.

“Soldat.”

#v. runaway asset. fallencomrade #fallencomrade #oh god i hope this works!]#lmk if you want me to change anything!

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passionate-baker · 5 years

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24 Hours in Galway, Ireland

Hello friends, happy Sunday!

Today I’m taking the opportunity to share a little something I’ve been working on: 24 Hours in Galway. What I’ve created below is a small guide, retracing the steps my mum, my sister, & I took earlier this year. Together, the three of us traveled all the way to Galway for some quality bonding time, lots of fantastic food, and plenty of drinks to keep everyone cheery. Ain’t nothing wrong with treating ourselves every once in a while, right?

And yes, before you ask - that is a real photo-bombing seagull up there.

Below is roughly how our 24 hours in Galway panned out. The only moments of our trip that I’ve excluded are a) when we came back to take a long nap after pints & before dinner, b) when we had more drinks in our hotel room after our night cap, and c) when we had a pre-brunch breakfast in the hotel because it was included. I didn’t want you to judge our laziness or our gluttony, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag now!

Enjoy!

F R I D A Y

1 P M : C H E C K I N

We wanted somewhere very central for our overnight stay, but also somewhere that didn’t cost us an arm & a leg. Enter: Harbour Hotel. Conveniently located on New Dock St, it’s a speedy 4 minute walk into the city centre - just far out enough that you can’t hear any drunken escapades from your window at night. We checked in early, refreshed ourselves after the long drive, dumped our bags, and set out for the remainder of the day.

2:30 P M : C A F F E I N E F I X

We were in serious need of a caffeine hit after having spent so long cooped up in the car. Everybody I talked to prior to our trip recommended the same place: Coffeewerk + Press. An adorably yellow building located bang smack in the centre of town. As if the exterior wasn’t cute enough, the inside space is very aesthetically pleasing! A bright & airy space, filled with quirky pieces of art and stunning lamps etc. Thankfully, the coffee was fantastically strong and one flat white fueled me through the remainder of the day. Time for food!

3:00 P M : F O O D F O R T H E S O U L

The original plan had been to hit up the pizza bar at O’Connell’s, but that doesn’t open until 5pm on Fridays, and our grumbling stomachs couldn’t wait any longer. Mercifully, The Dough Bros - a casual pizza restaurant - is extremely close to O’Connell’s and opened at 12pm. We ordered a few glasses of wine and two pizzas to share: one Posh Pepperoni & one Hey Pesto, both of which were delicious. Thin crust pizza at its finest, enjoyed in a casual, chilled-out kind of atmosphere.

4:00 P M : E X P L O R E

As terrible as it sounds, we mostly trekked all the way to Galway to eat & drink, not to go sightseeing. That said, it would be sacrilegious to drive all the way to the other side of the country & not do a small bit of exploring; reluctantly, we dragged ourselves through the pouring rain to some main sights. Highlights include: the Spanish Arch, wandering out to get that view of the houses along the dock, Eyre Square, and the large street market. With that out of the way, it’s time for a well deserved reward...

4:30 P M : P I N T S

At last - beer! O’Connell’s Bar is probably the most well known in Galway, and for good reason: it’s fantastic. The bar has so much charm it would be impossible to disappoint even the fussiest of customers. We picked up our pints & walked through the labyrinth of small quirky rooms to the impressive beer garden beyond. Honestly, it’s unlike any beer garden I’ve visited before - the only resemblance coming to mind is how I imagine Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter books to look. Seated under the heated lamps, it was the absolute perfect place for a pint. Some of Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl video was filmed in the bar, so clearly we aren’t the only ones who think it’s cool.

7:30 P M : F I N E D I N I N G W I T H O R G A N I C W I N E S

As soon as I saw the website for Tartare Cafe + Wine Bar, I was sold. Think: small marble tabletops in a cozy-not-too-small room with exposed brick walls & lighting provided by small candles dotted around, but also from a large neon sign on the wall. An impressive menu in the style of Frenchie’s in Paris, filled with small (perhaps too small) sharing plates, accompanied only by organic/natural wines. We devoured: lamb with wild garlic pesto & kale / ham hock with cabbage & smoked potato foam (!) / mushrooms with sage & garlic / an Irish charcuterie & cheese board / and sourdough with fermented butter. The three of us fought over every single plate put in front of us - the quality of the food was impeccable.

11 P M : N I G H T C A P

In all honesty, we probably didn’t need a nightcap after all the lovely wine at Tartare... but what’s the point of staying in a hotel with a cute bar if you aren’t going to avail of it? Dillisk on the Docks was the perfect place for one last drink. We chose a cozy spot in the corner & ordered some cocktails: one espresso martini, one cucumber gin cocktail & one refreshing glass of frizzante. An excellent way to round off the night!

S A T U R D A Y

10:30 A M : B R U N C H

After a few cups of coffee in the hotel, we ventured out for food, deciding to use brunch as a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of occasion. On our stroll down to the Spanish Arch the day before, we spotted The Kitchen Cafe inside the Galway City Museum. I have to say, the place is so lovely! An adorable room decorated with fairy lights and populated by a seemingly hipster staff. We tried the Bacon Bagel, the Eastern Eggs, and a large stack of their pancakes, all of which were delicious. Obviously, we also opted for a couple of bellinis to wash everything down. Added bonus: the museum the cafe is housed in is free to wander!

12:15 P M : C O F F E E , M O R E P L E A S E

One last coffee before setting off on the road again. We passed Tribeton earlier in the day and were very intrigued by the unending stream of people going through the door, but also by the fact that there didn’t really seem to be anyone inside? We wandered in, followed a couple up a very large + very grand staircase, and came out into a spacious open plan restaurant buzzing with activity. Who knew!? We chose a good people watching spot, fueled up on a couple of flat whites, and were eventually ready to face the long drive back to Dublin.

R E L A T E D P O S T S

Bremen, Germany // Paris, France // Amsterdam, Holland // Copenhagen, Denmark // Cork, Ireland // Edinburgh, Scotland // Westport, Ireland // Barcelona, Spain // Munich, Germany // Vienna, Austria // London, UK i - ii - iii // Florence, Italy // Bologna, Italy

#galway #ireland #travel

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hempowerment · 6 years

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7 Must Visit Bangkok Cafes

Bangkok is a large city the size of London, in both population and land mass, and can be overwhelming for first time visitors.

Most tourists head for the temples, Khao San Road and street food, but for people living in Southeast Asia, is a popular weekend break for spas, desserts and cafe hopping.

Although a cake and latte might not be at the top of your Bangkok to-do list, the city is home to many lovely cafes which can punctuate your holiday with little oases of calm and caffeine.

This is my must-visit Bangkok cafe list. It’s not exhaustive, and mostly revolves around Thonglor and Ekkamai. These neighbourhoods are adjacent and is the prime area for cafe hopping in Bangkok. I’ve included each cafe for different reasons: some for the decor, some for the atmosphere, and some because they have fabulous food and coffee!

1. Roast

Roast is located in The Commons, which is an eco-friendly mall, open-air with wood laminate flooring and greenery in little planters, and full of ‘artisanal’ shops and cafes. It’s one of the most hipster buildings I’ve seen in my life. When I went there, there were people sitting on the benches dotted around the building, working on their Apple computers and drinking lattes. It’s that kinda place.

The basement is called the Market Floor. It’s little food stalls in an industrial-chic space, more like the Food Hallen in Amsterdam or Gotham West Market in NYC, than the food stalls on the streets of Bangkok. There’s coffee here too: Roots, the more coffee-focused companion to Roast.

Roast is not so conveniently located in the basement. You have to climb the stairs to the very top.

When you do get there it’s an airy, light-filled space. The menu comes in the form of a little magazine. They do brunch, of the eggs benedict variety, and it looks fabulous. We had Roast iced tea (iced tea with lychee rose syrup and lychees, pictured) and amazing shakes: creamsicle and salted caramel. The salted caramel comes with a Pretz stick.

Roast

Unit #T1 (Roast), The COMMONS 335 Thonglor Soi 17, Sukhumvit 55 Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110

Closest station: BTS Thonglor

2. Shugaa

Shugaa is a dessert cafe and the main reason you need to go is because it is beautiful.

The space is beautiful, the desserts are beautiful. The decor is apparently sugar-themed, hence the geometric shapes reminiscent of sugar crystals. Everything is in soft, pastel shades. There is a small bear family made of, I imagine, fondant, sitting on the counter.

While it’s obvious that a lot of thought and care goes into the creation of the desserts, they run a little sweet for me, and heavy, for how sweet they are. These are substantial desserts. The different tiers of dessert are stuck together with syrup.

You know how on Bake Off: The Professionals people are sticking shards of sugar together with syrup and a blowtorch like they’re David Smith? Like that kind of industrial strength welding syrup. It’s instagrammable but if you like eating cakes you can do better.

Shugaa

27 The Residence at 61 Sukhumvit Soi 61, Wattana, Bangkok 10110

Closest station: BTS Thonglor or Ekkamai

3. Fill in the blank

Another cute cafe in Ekkamai, this is pretty much across the road from Shugaa with a totally different vibe. The feeling of this cafe is kinda Scandi/Japanese, light and breezy with lots of wood (including an indoor tree!). A great place to chill with a laptop or a book, they have some English and Japanese language local magazines with articles on trendy things to do and daytrips, etc. We went on a weekday and there was one (very friendly) member of staff. The place was pretty empty, just us and a laptopper.

There was a selection of cakes in a display box next to the counter but we didn’t have any as we were going to Shugaa after. I had a caramel iced latte instead which had cream drizzled with caramel syrup, very picturesque and not as sweet as a caramel Frappuccino. I also liked that it came with a little glass of water. Of all the cafes I’ve seen in Bangkok, I wish we had this one in London.

Fill in the blank cafe

28/10 Sukhumvit 61 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110

Closest station: BTS Thonglor or Ekkamai

4. Audrey Cafe

Audrey is an Audrey Hepburn themed/inspired cafe. Normally I’m not into themed cafes, but I like frilly pink cafes and Audrey is the super frilliest pinkest cafe of all. It’s a mini chain with a few different branches, but the one at Thonglor has a fountain and a little rocking horse (!) in front, and is well placed for a day of cafe hopping. Inside the tables are marble-topped and there’s Hepburn quotes on the walls. Some of the staff are dressed in little maid outfits which is interesting but service is a little slow.

We ordered some pastel-coloured drinks: Sakura Glazier (pink) and Audrey on my Mind (light teal). They’re sweet frappe-style and very photographable, I’m like 99% sure the colour is artificial. The pricing is in line with London cafes: as you can see from the sign in the picture it’s 135 Baht for Audrey on my Mind, which is about £3.20.

They have a pretty solid food menu if you’re hungry, it goes way beyond typical cafe food and enters the realm of pizzas, tacos and fried rice, but it was pretty hit and miss. We weren’t really going to order food but while we were there, a little girl was celebrating her birthday (it feels the right kind of place for a little girl’s birthday and a girly afternoon) and her table had a lot of food, all of which looked pretty good. So we capitulated. We got the deep fried chicken wings with nuts and caramel, stir fried morning glory, fried rice and sliced pork loin salad. I was hoping the deep fried chicken wings would be like pok pok chicken wings - they’re were, disappointingly, not. The sliced pork loin salad was the best thing followed by the morning glory, the fried rice was too salty. The little girl’s birthday party had ordered the tom yam pizza and when theirs came out I kinda regretted not having gotten that instead of the fried rice.

The desserts are meant to be good but we felt so sugared up after the drinks that we didn’t want any.

Audrey Cafe

Soi Thong Lo 11, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110

Closest station: BTS Thonglor

5. D’Ark Coffee

D’Ark seems like a pretty typical modern cafe: exposed lightbulbs, wood, etc. etc. I went on a rainy weekday morning for coffee and there was only one other person there. But! Their coffee is great! They have different beans you can choose from and roast their coffee in house, and you can choose how you want it made: Aeropress, cold brew, Trinity One (which I don’t think I’ve seen before in a cafe). I went for a normal iced latte and decided to go all out and add their housemade salted caramel butter sauce, which is seriously amazing. I strongly recommend getting whatever coffee you like there and adding the salted caramel butter sauce. The coffee itself is not sweet so the sauce isn’t overwhelming.

D’ARK

651 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110

Closest station: BTS Phrom Phong

6. The Asia Cafe

The Asia Cafe is a tall, bright cafe although it doesn’t have the window action of many Bangkok cafes. It’s bigger than it looks with an airy feeling. I like the giant wood cubbies behind the counter with piles of baguettes. I don’t think they’re real though. It seems to be...socialism themed? IDK. I say that because their front window has pictures of three dudes with little red stars, whom I think are (from LTR in the picture above): possibly Allende? maybe Ho Chi Minh? And some other dude I don’t recognise - his giant moustache + beardlessness stumps me.

I went because I heard they have sea salt coffee which I’m curious about, and also they have free rusks, and I like free things.

Sea salt coffee turned out to be an iced espresso topped with a salted creamy froth, kind of like the froth on cheese bubble tea but not cheesy. I really really like it this, the faint saltiness with the slightly bitter coffee go really well together and is refreshing, a little like when you have bitter unripe guava or grapefruit with salt.

The rusks are in a jar on the counter. I looked at the jar and was like, Can I have one? And the barista guy was like, Yes. You just kinda grab one from the jar, they’re rusks, they’re good.

I recommend this as a pit stop to revive yourself if you’re walking around Thonglor on a hot afternoon. It’s well located along a main road, the cafe has a relaxing atmosphere, is well air-conditioned, and has many plug sockets for your electronics and sea salt coffee to recharge yourself.

The Asia Cafe

159/15 Soi Thong Lor 9,Sukhumvit Road, Khlong Tan, Watthana

Closest station: BTS Thonglor

7. Caturday Cat Cafe

Caturday is Bangkok’s cat cafe. It has huge windows and is bright and airy, far more than Lady Dinah’s in London. There’s no cover charge, you just order a drink and you can be there for as long as you like - I think that’s why despite it being the most adorable of the cat cafes it’s also the busiest and most chaotic. They do food there though we didn’t have any. We had a Thai iced tea and an iced lemon tea, of the two the iced lemon tea was more refreshing, especially after walking around in the heat.

The cats are very sweet, in particular the little grey kitten. Like other cat cafes expect half the cats to be asleep and to be basically ignored by the other cats, although a few come and hang out with you especially if you sit quietly and drink your tea and ignore them.

This is by far the cutest cat cafe I have been to, ever. Granted I’ve only been to two, in Amsterdam and London, but still. There’s a giant cat mural of cats in a fairground, illustrated Caturday glasses and little coasters (I ended up buying one as a souvenir), and it’s all a pastel-coloured cat wonderland.

#bangkok #travel #holiday #cafes #cafe hopping #bangkok cafe hopping #thailand #cat cafe #coffee #latte #wanderlust

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lorux · 6 years

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Tips on where to eat and drink in Amsterdam

A cloudy and rainy day is the perfect occasion for spending some time on my Tumblr and uploading something that has been in the back of my mind for too long. After 5 months of my relocation in Amsterdam and almost 2 years after I made this city my new home, it’s arrived the time to wrap up some of my best recommendations on where to eat, drink, where to have a coffee, or have typical Dutch sweets!

If you have received this link from me, you are most likely traveling soon in Amsterdam, so I’m very happy to share with you my recommendations and maybe we can do something on this list, or explore something new together 🙂

Disclaimer: in this list are missing all the most touristy stuff to do. For those, you can easily google “What to do in Amsterdam”, what I’m trying to do here is giving some insider tips.

Enjoy!

Where to eat: 🧀

Worst Wijncafè - delicious place based on sausages cooked in a very particular way.

Café Restaurant Amsterdam - Serving brasserie-style dishes, this restaurant is perfect for groups both large and small. The place is located in the former engine room of a pumping station dating back to the late 19th century.

Bussia - (Photo Above) Fancy restaurant in the heart of Amsterdam based on the Italian food traditions. The staff is extremely nice and pays attention to the very details. Menu based on 4 - 6 - or 8 courses.

Wilde Zwijnen - extremely popular and delicious - not cheapest option

The Avocado Show - place based on avocado’s dishes - very popular needs booking in advance

De school - (Photo above) Fancy dinner? This is the place to go - elegant restaurant, with high-level cuisine built in a former school.

G’s jordaan - American style brunch

Loetje Centraal (Multiple Locations the Centraal one is the most touristic though) - Excellent Dutch style steakhouse (Extra points for ordering the off-menu “Biefstuk Bali met Knoflook” — Bali-inspired steak with garlic)

Jansz based in the heart of Jordaan neighborhood is a very nice place to have a lunch.

Foodhallen this place is just great to go with friends and spend some time tasting food from different street food kiosks from all over the world. Very hype place and most of the time super full. The building is a very interesting one with also a movie theatre, library and makers shop.

Bella Storia or Fuoco Vivo - best pizzerias in town

Moeders Restaurant recommended as one of the top 10 restaurants in Amsterdam is the best place to taste local food at a very reasonable price.

Morgan & Mees beautiful and cozy restaurant inside a hotel, good food and cocktails as well.

The Lobby Nesplein - nice classy place, perfect for having a brunch and a good glass of wine in the heart of the city. Super nice staff!

Where to drink: 🍸

Lotti's Cafe Bar & Grill - Terrific cocktail bar, with a very nice hipster atmosphere and DJs playing music live based in the lobby of The Hoxton hotel.

Waterkant - Surinamese restaurant very popular - perfect for chilling when the sun is out

Vesper - little and cosy bar in the west centre of Amsterdam. The place reminds me of a classic speakeasy style of bar, and the staff is very well prepared on cocktails.

Amstelhaven - this is one of my most recent discovery. Amstelhaven is a bar/restaurant which has an amazing water view - if you are lucky enough you can find a spot on the benches that are literally 30cm from the water.

W Hotel - the terrace on top of the hotel is beautiful with also a pool. The view from there over Amsterdam is breathtaking.

SkyLounge - located very close to the central station is an award-winning rooftop bar with an amazing view over the city from the top.

Zoku - Zoku is a combination of Hotel, bar, restaurant and coworking space. Is a super nice place with a friendly atmosphere where most of the time there is also live music. During sunny days its terrace is the place to go!

JD William's whiskey bar - an unbelievable variety of types of Whisky in the heart of one of the best neighborhoods of Amsterdam

Hannekes Boom - a nice hip place to go to for a cold beer and nice brunch.

EYE Film Museum - the restaurant of the theatre is a very nice place for a glass of wine and a beer to enjoy an amazing view over Amsterdam. Don’t forget that boats to get on the other side of the river are free!

Bar Botanique - very interesting place well designed with tropical flavors

Shiraz Jardin des Vins | Wijnbar & Boutique - Amazing selection of wines to go with some snacks

Venster33 located in one of the most hip neighborhoods in Amsterdam this bar/restaurant offers a good choice of beers and good food to go with it.

Kanarie Club massive place with a very interesting look and feel inside. Food is in the average, but drinks are very good.

Coffee ☕️

Pluk nice place, lovely atmosphere with good food and coffee. Super instagrammable shop!

Toki - hipster but very nice coffee shop

Sweet tooth 🍦🍭

Ree7 super famous place for its colorful freak-shakes but also other delicious desserts

Van Wonderen Stroopwaffles as clear from its name this place is very well known for its typical Dutch Stroopwaffles

Pisa ijs a bit far from the city center this is the base ice cream place in Amsterdam

Peejays doughnuts - most famous doughnuts place with lots of flavors and variety

Winkel 43 - legendary apple pie

Mook Pancakes - best pancakes in Amsterdam

What to see: 👀

Jordaan Neighborhood - the most beautiful neighborhood in the city - just walking through the canals

Van Gogh Museum

Stedelijk Museum

Rijksmuseum

Science Center - NEMO - Nice view from the top of the building

Zaanse Schans, Zaandam - Windmills area 20 mins from Amsterdam ( you can get there on a bike or with a bus that leaves people in front of the entrance)

Amsterdam Noord - IJ-Hallen if interested in street art and graffiti

Parks: 🌳

Westerpark - second largest park of the city, where usually held food and music festivals.

Vondelpark - most central park perfect for a nice walk or long run

Amsterdamse Bos - If you are in Amsterdam in spring a must-see is the Cheery Blossom in the Japanese park area of the main park.

#Amsterdam #travels #insider tips #The Netherlands #food #drinks

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packandgonow · 6 years

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5 Things I Love About Amsterdam

1. Bitterballen: Fried balls of gooey pot roast with mustard dipping sauce.  2. Museumplein: This lush, grassy park is the main square for three major museums in Amsterdam: the Rijksmuseum , the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art and the Van Gogh Museum.  3. De Pijp: A hipster neighborhood with a shady park (Sarphatipark), a fabulous street market (Albert Cuypmarkt), fun boutiques and outdoor cafes.  4. Oud West: Amsterdam’s “Old West” neighborhood is full of home design stores, moderately priced cafes, beauty care boutiques and lots and lots of children speeding home from school on their bikes or being toted in little wagons behind their pedaling parents.

#bitterballen #museumplein

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touristicplaces · 4 years

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12 Most Beautiful Medieval Towns of Europe

When planning a vacation to Europe, some of the first destinations that come to mind will be the teeming cities of Paris, London,

or Rome.

Each of these metropolises is incredible, but they are far from all that Europe has to offer.

By exploring some of the small towns across the continent, it is possible to see a more authentic, traditional side to Europe.

Here’s a look at the most beautiful medieval towns of Europe:

1-Girona.

This elegant, provincial capital features a beautiful walled medieval quarter, with narrow cobbled alleyways, balconied houses, and shady little squares.

Clinging to the banks of the river Onyar, as it meanders through the center of town, is a long row of picturesque pastel-hued houses.

The Roman wall built in the first century BC was rebuilt in the mid-1300s on the foundation of the original structure.

Visitors can still climb the old towers.

The Cathedral and the 14th-century Gothic church also provide historical interest as does the old Jewish Quarter.

2-Mostar.

Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is famous for its Old Bridge over the Neretva River; the name Mostar derives from the monster, meaning ‘bridge keeper.’ The bridge was built in 1556 under the orders of the occupying Ottomans but was destroyed 427 years later in 1993 by Croatian forces during the Balkan Wars.

Though it’s easily reachable on a day trip from neighboring Croatia, to get the most out of your visit to Mostar, the best thing to do is stay overnight.

The crowds of daytrippers trickle away, and the restaurants high above the river along cobbled streets light up.

3-Delft.

A popular day trip destination from Amsterdam, it is easy to see what makes Delft such an attractive option.

With its lovely medieval center and picturesque canals crossed by brick bridges and lined with trees, the city is quaint and peaceful.

Its most famous son, the painter Johannes Vermeer, is just one of many who has sung its praises over the ages.

Famous for the distinctive blue and white tiles and ceramics that are produced here, visiting Delftware factories is popular among tourists.

But, despite its wealth of beautiful old buildings, it is the atmosphere rather than any particular the attraction that makes it worth visiting.

4-Brasov.

With the Carpathian Mountains hemming it in on all sides, Brasov’s beautiful setting is complemented perfectly by its charming medieval center. It is not without reason that this is one of the most popular destinations in Romania.

Wandering around the fairytale-Esque Old Town is a lovely way to spend the day, as you pass fabulous baroque buildings, Gothic churches, and medieval watchtowers.

The main square has loads of cafes and restaurants if you simply want to grab a coffee and watch the world go by.

5-Assisi.

A trip from Rome to the lovely hill region of Umbria will bring you to the medieval town of Assisi where you can explore significant religious sites, Roman ruins, and artistic beauty.

The town’s main attraction is the Basilica of St. Francis, the eternal resting place of Italy’s patron saint.

Most of the cobblestone streets in town lead to this beautiful cathedral where you can admire its exquisite architecture and interior ceilings that are embellished with stunning frescoes.

Surrounding the basilica, you will discover medieval houses and shops that are well worth a look.

6-Bern.

Bern is a picturesque medieval city with a history that dates back to the 12th century, though it did not become a part of the Swiss Confederacy until the 16th century.

Its most famous attraction is an ancient clock tower with moving puppets, that once served as the western gate of the city.

Other popular sites in Bern include the Munster, a Gothic cathedral that rises from the old town, and its town hall.

The bear is the symbol of Bern, with several being kept in an open-air pit.

Shoppers will appreciate the old town that boasts four miles of arcades, making it one of the longest covered shopping areas in Europe.

7-Eze.

Èze is a fortified medieval village that sits 1400 feet above sea level, overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

With its lovely villas covered in bougainvillea and cobblestone streets, Eze is a charming and a very photogenic town.

Getting to the top of the village with its narrow cobblestone streets is a bit of a climb, but well worth the effort.

When you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a pretty cactus garden and stunning views of the Mediterranean.

Take time to visit the old church with its Egyptian cross, said to be a reminder of the Phoenician temple that once stood there.

8-Tallinn.

The capital of Estonia, Tallinn entices.

With its 14-century old town, built as a defense system, when you walk through the impressive medieval Viru Gates, you can feel the history right away.

Parts of Tallinn’s city wall are still walkable, complete with windows where you can glimpse the charming city below.

There are also historic churches such as Saint Olaf’s Church, dating back to the 1200s.

Tallinn has a hipster side too, which can be found at a reclaimed factory area where former warehouses now contain trendy restaurants, bars, and shops.

9-Heidelberg.

With historic treasures like the medieval Old Bridge, the Heidelberg Castle, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Knight St. George House, it is no wonder that Heidelberg is a popular tourist attraction.

The city center’s main street is packed with pubs, restaurants, museums, art galleries, shops and markets selling the likes of beer steins, cuckoo clocks, and German sausages.

Home to Germany’s oldest university, Heidelberg’s long academic history can be retraced along the Philosopher’s Walk, a scenic footpath often walked by many earlier philosophers and professors.

10-Cesky Krumlov.

In the South Bohemia region in the Czech Republic lies Cesky Krumlov.

This historic city is a supremely picturesque place to visit; think orange-tiled rooftops and the pretty riverside of the Vltava River, all flanked by green, rolling hills.

Made up of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, the town is overlooked by an impressive 13th-century castle.

It’s a town that should not be missed because of its sheer charm and beauty. Come in summer and stay till the sun goes down to watch the energetic city come alive with bars and restaurants.

11-Rovinj.

On the west coast of the Istrian peninsula juts Rovinj into the Adriatic Sea.

More than 15,000 residents cram into this tiny town wedged into the edge of the peninsula.

Unlike many other ancient Croatian cities, Rovinj has no fortified walls; the outer ring houses feature front doors that open right up to the sea. A popular tourist destination, the old town is sprinkled with four-star hotels and restaurants where you’ll find great seafood.

Rovinj is still an authentic fishing port.

Take a boat trip to the nearby Rovinj archipelago to escape the crowds for a day.

12-York.

The city of York is a truly ancient destination, and it boasts an impressive collection of architectural remains that date to Roman, medieval, and even Viking times.

Plenty of exciting sights compete for visitors’ attention as they stroll along the city’s cobblestone streets.

One of the city’s landmarks is York Minster.

This commanding stone cathedral is filled with remarkable works of art. The medieval Clifford’s Tower, which was built by William the Conqueror and rebuilt by Henry III in the 13th century, is a great vantage point for panoramic views around the city.

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#IFTTT #Blogger

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chaletnz · 7 years

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Exploring Cologne

I was up and ready at 10am so I packed up my things, took my bedsheets downstairs and went exploring Ehrenfeld on foot. It was much cooler and easier to walk around than Frankfurt where I was a sweaty mess. I started off aiming for a coffeeshop/roastery called Van Dyck where I had a flat white. It was not quite as good as I'd hoped for but it can get tricky to find nearby specialty coffee everywhere I go! This place had an air of hipster arrogance that made me enjoy it a little less. I wandered the streets around here a bit more and took some photos of artworks that seemed to pop up. There were a lot to be found, particularly down the side of the train tracks. Nearby there was a supermarket so I dropped in to buy some croissants for breakfast and an apple turnover type thing for later. I walked the backstreets back to the hostel and was checked out at 12 on the dot just as it started to rain. Luckily it wasn't too heavy and made for a relatively pleasant walk into the Cologne city centre where I passed some cute little streets with small cottages and vegetable gardens side by side with apartment complexes which was a bit odd. The main road into town kind of reminded me a little bit of Tel Aviv's Ibn Gavirol with all the variety of cafes and restaurants with wide street seating and dogs tied to chair legs. I reached a random castle archway Hahnentorburg in the middle of the road which appeared to be the gateway into the CBD. It started to bustle once I had arrived at the Neumarkt area with lots of shops, and restaurants as well as what appeared to be the central square and bus/train station. I spotted a building in the square which embodied Cologne's artistic side - a huge sculpture of a melted ice cream dripping down the glass windows. Walking through the central city shopping area I found myself at the back of the Historical City Hall where there was a wedding happening, I passed by and around the front I was then in the Alter Markt square. I sat for a few moments and people watched then walked out towards the Rhein where I turned around to see the Church of Great St Martin looming over a row of colourful German style shops, hotels and restaurants. The best moment of Cologne was my next landmark, I wound through the streets and emerged at the base of the Cologne Cathedral. It was truly something magnificent to see, the jagged outline was a rich black-coloured Gothic masterpiece filled with grey brick and intricate sculpture. The Dom stretched way up and beyond the capabilities of my phone's camera meaning I didn't manage to get a very good photo of the clear highlight of Cologne so instead I had to go into a souvenir shop and buy a magnet as a keepsake! The last stop was the pink exterior of the Archdiocese of Cologne where I snapped a quick photo before heading to the Hauptbanhof to catch my train to Düsseldorf. Upon arrival there I caught a tram to the Dritan Alsela Coffee shop where I'd been wanting to go for months since I first discovered his barista videos which had been very helpful to me while learning the art of making coffee. Unfortunately Dritan himself was not there but I could enjoy a great cappuccino (they serve only full milk and no decaf!!!) and some pancakes before taking the tram back to the station and waiting for my last bus back to Amsterdam. I waited almost two hours for the bus alongside a lot of other worried and confused passengers but eventually we boarded the party bus full of German bachelor partygoers on their way to a big night out. The guy next to me was getting drunk and chatty and it was funny for a little bit but then he eventually started annoying the girls sitting in front of us so I could sit back, listen to my music and relax all the way home.

#Germany #Cologne

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javajunkiedaily · 7 years

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Where do you think the LLs spent their honeymoon? 😁

This is a tricky question and first things first, that’s probably a thing that could go a lot of directions. Maybe they will make a trip to Europe. Or they will go away to a cabin somewhere in the woods. We read some other real sweet fanfics, in which they go to Hawaii or make a boat trip. You see, everything is possible for them and that kind of question is not easy to answer. However, every one of these options seems for one of them kind of a stretch. Luke touring Europe? Luke on the beach swimming? Lorelai in nature? Lorelai on a boat? Yeah… kind of unrealistic, right?

There’s one thing we can say for sure, they won’t go on their honeymoon right after their wedding. Since there was so little time to plan the actual wedding they can’t plan a honeymoon as well. Plus, Lorelai can’t get away from the inn again and Luke has no one, who could cover the diner on such short notice. All they can take off from work is a day after the wedding, spending it either at their house, where they also spent their wedding night or spend it in the honeymoon suite in the Dragonfly Inn.

A honeymoon will take place sometime after the actual wedding. Maybe in the summer when the weather is better or even for their first anniversary a year later to celebrate.

To give you a “little” something, we played out a honeymoon in Europe. (Read more under the cut!)

Luke has never been to Europe before. it’s his first time and Lorelai will want to show him all her absolute favorites and things he would enjoy. Emily would encourage them to go. Her son-in-law shows interest in some cultural activity like traveling to Europe and she supports them with some extra money to make the trip even more enjoyable.

They will tour all the classics, starting off with London because Luke wants to see it since Rory had spent so much time there. It’s an easy transition for them, people speak Egnlish, yet with a different accent. They can’t stop laughing whenever they hear people pronouncing words differently or use different kinds of words, rolling their eyes at them. Luke recognizes quite a few of the sites, they walk over the Tower Bridge, go inside the tower to look at the Crown. And Luke keeps pointing out he is happy they are not part of this monarchy anymore. Lorelai, however, pities that she can’t cheer some little princesses or princes like Charlotte and George.

They take the Eurostar to Paris, because you have to make a stop in the city of love when you are on your honeymoon. Lorelai doesn’t realize until she is there that this was the city she got married to Christopher. She is hesitant to talk to Luke about it at first, but they both agree the past is in the past and they are here to build new memories. However, they agree not to go to Giverny and see Monet’s beautiful garden since there Lorelai and Christopher got married. And there’s still plenty of Monet to see in all the museums in the city. After all, you can not go to Paris without going to the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay.

As they walk through the streets of Paris, they see one or two bridal couples taking their wedding pictures in front of the Eiffel tower or in the city’s gardens. Lorelai starts noticing the happily in love couples everywhere, exchanging kisses at every possible occasion, and it makes her feel uncomfortable. She looks at Luke, who tries to figure out the city map, she nudges him in the side. “Hon, why didn’t you kiss me on the top of the Eiffel tower?” “Have you seen how high that was? I tried not to lose my composure. I’m not used to heights.” She pats his upper arm and says, “I understand, but your wife needs some PDA, dansey-boy. Especially if you want to keep her happy.” “U-huh,” Luke answers and grabs her hand, making their way to the next site. He adds, “This will have to do.”

Lorelai rolls her eyes, not giving up so easily. She plays all the tricks she knows, using her french accent on him, but not even Lady Marmelade’s “voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir” works on him. As they sit on the grass in front of the Eiffel Twoer one evening, watching the twinkle lights, Lorelai sighs, “So beautiful.” While Lorelai sits straight, Luke is leaning back on his elbows, not watching the lights on the tower, but the woman, who can so easily take his breath away. “Yes, you are,” he says, which makes Lorelai turn her head over her shoulder. All she can see is a smug smile on his lips, which she has to kiss away. His response leaves her no other option. In her left hand, she still holds her crepe with creme de marron, while her right hand helps her keep her balance, pressing it against Luke’s chest as she puts her lips on his for a peck.

Maybe it’s the darkness of the night, which gives them the feeling of some privacy because the kiss grows deeper than expected. Lorelai doesn’t mind, after all, sharing some tender moments with her husband in the city of love is what she has wanted in the first place. When Luke pulls back, he reminds her, “I said no PDA.” Lorelai rolls her eyes, replying, “It’s not my fault you’re irresistible.” He whacks her hand away from his chest, leaning forward, sitting straighter than before. “Go eat your crepe and watch the twinkle lights.”

That is all the PDA Lorelai is able to get out of Luke while they’re in the city of love. He still acts like a gentleman, opening doors for her, but she wouldn’t mind if would step up his game. There is still plenty of time on their trip. Their next stop is Amsterdam and because Luke is not a big fan of flying, they decided to take the train around Europe, which also allows them to see more of the countryside.

They stroll around town, which proofs to be more dangerous than expected. The bicycles are everywhere and Luke’s heart skipped a beat when Lorelai almost got hit by one of the cyclists. He yells and grabs her by the arm, pulling her towards his side. He doesn’t let go of her until they are safe and sound in one of the boats going through the channels, enjoying the view and the atmosphere of the city. Later, they walk past the flower market. They see tulips and all sorts of flowers everywhere. Lorelai gushes over them a lot, amazed by the colors. Luke likes what effect the flowers have on Lorelai and decides he wants to see this at home too. He buys her some tulip bulbs so they can plant them in their garden. That way they will have a reminder of their honeymoon right in front of their house. Lorelai can’t help but point out that this was the second time Luke has bought flowers for her. He just smiles at her.

They spend a day or two in Hamburg, seeing how diverse and full of life the city is. Their walk through the Reeperbahn makes them both laugh hard but also a little uncomfortable. Maybe the stereotype of Americans being prude is not so untrue after all. They discover the more beautiful sides of Hamburg at the harbor side. As they watch the gigantic ships docking there, while they hear some men screaming to sell some fish behind them at Fischmarkt they forget about their life back in the US. It seems so far away and part of an entirely different world. The wind blows and Lorelai starts to shiver, which prompts Luke to lay an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. Lorelai leans into his side, watching her surroundings, not saying a word. They finally reached their honeymoon bubble, which keeps all the troubles away.

The bubble doesn’t even burst when they have to face the ugly truth and past of Germany in Berlin. They go to several monuments covering the wide span from the 1930s to the 1990s, when two countries molded into one again. They walk along the East Side Gallery, taking pictures in front of the graffiti, trying to embrace what life in a divided city must have felt like. They send April a selfie or two since it is her favorite city in all of Germany. Eventually, Lorelai and Luke end up in a hipster cafe, which April’s friends have recommended and they have the weirdest snacks and drinks they have ever tried. Luke knows why he can’t stand hipsters in the first place and why he will ban them now for sure from the diner.

They take the train down to Prague and it’s the most beautiful city they have seen so far. It’s a masterpiece of old architecture, especially Carl’s bridge fascinates Luke even though he’s wary to cross it at first. There are loads of people, but Lorelai reaches for his hand, squeezing it. As soon as he sees the vista towards the castle on the hill, all his worries get washed away. He doesn’t notice the mass of people anymore, all he picks up on is the content washing over him. Sharing time with Lorelai, holding her hand, enjoying a good meal with her is enough for him. And the food in Prague is good, and cheap. They have a beer or two, just like they did in the beginning of their relationship. Over what is supposed to be the best beer in the world, they exchange memories of their early relationship, giggling over the time Lorelai would read instructions manuals because she couldn’t fall asleep in Luke’s apartment. They keep enjoying their time there, almost a little heart-broken when they have to leave again.

Their next stop is Vienna, and only a few minutes from the main train station they come to the first palace, Belvedere, granting them a view over the city center which takes their breath away. After having a peak at the famous “Kiss” from Gustav Klimt, they stroll through the baroque garden and settle into one of the traditional coffee houses in the city. It’s the best coffee Lorelai has ever tasted in her life, except for Luke’s of course, and they decide, like all the other Viennese, to just sit back and enjoy their time at the coffee house and watch the grumpy, yet polite waiters, who remind them a little of Luke’s attitude in his diner. They are surprised by the city’s beauty and the way of living there, after all, it’s the most livable city in the world. And they agree with the city’s motto, Vienna is different because they feel different there. They feel the love and see it everywhere, even the little figures in the traffic lights seem to be in love, having a partner with them. Lorelai can’t keep her eyes off of her partner in life, who makes sure she gets enough of the coffee she loves so much. The Viennese Melange has made his way into her heart, alongside the delicious cakes.

Their final destination is Venice and when they leave the train station, they feel like they have stepped into a fairytale when looking at San Simeone Piccolo church. The vapporetto takes them to their hotel, passing by the famous Rialto bridge and all the great buildings alongside the grand canal. The city’s narrow streets make them walk even closer together than usual, Lorelai intertwining her arm with Luke’s. And the inevitable happens, it happens to every tourist at some point, they get lost in the city. But they don’t mind because they find the most beautiful bookstore they have ever seen: libreria acqua alta. Lorelai snatches a lot of pics of the book covered walls and floors for their book-addicted daughters. On their last night, they have more wine with the delicious Italian food than usual and as they make their way up the narrow staircase in their hotel, Lorelai’s footing is unsound and Luke has to catch her. They end up teasing and tickling each other in all the right places and their honeymoon ends just like it should be…

Back home, Luke can’t stop talking about Europe and what great experiences they have made there. This was surely not the last time they will go there, maybe next time they will bring the girls as well since Rory and April enjoy going to Europe. The four of them have never had a family trip together, it is long overdue. This honeymoon. however, will always hold a special place in both, Lorelai and Luke’s heart.

#luke x lorelai #lorelai gilmore #luke danes #hc #asks #joeyandhispizza #user: anja #this is way more than a headcanon #feels more like a fanfic #also sorry that this also feels like sharing travel experiences #they all come from personal experience

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passionate-baker · 6 years

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Four Days in Amsterdam, Holland

There’s something magical about Amsterdam. This was my second visit to the Dutch capital, and still I have trouble explaining to people what is so captivating about the place. For example, I can never quite get across how genuinely crooked all of the buildings are - crooked doors/windows/walls/steps all going in a different direction to each other, but yet all fitting together so perfectly. It genuinely boggles my mind, & no picture on earth can accurately capture the imperfect perfectness of it all. I love the attitude of the city, it’s relaxed and easy going, but everything still runs smoothly & efficiently. I love the wonky gingerbread houses lining the canals, a classic car or two parked nonchalantly outside. Wandering along the canals almost transports you to another time; it feels otherworldly and special. Somehow, I even grew to enjoy the thrill of nearly being mowed down by any number of the bloodthirsty cyclists at every corner.

I visited the city with one of my best friends & we dedicated our time to walking along the canals and eating as much as humanly possible. Below is a lengthy list of recommendations and a whole bundle of photographs from our time in the city. Enjoy!

Stay

Hotel Mozart // our cute hotel was so perfect for us. We opted for the “romantic canal view room”, which was a weensy bit more expensive than the other rooms, but totally worth it. At night we could look out our window to see the glistening canal & a super cute classic car parked across the way that we affectionately named Louis. The hotel is literally a five minute walk away from the Rijksmuseum - aka, within walking distance of almost everywhere you’ll want to go - so we were pretty dang happy with the location. Added bonus: it’s nestled in along Prinsengracht, which is one of the prettiest canal/streets in the whole city.

Eat - Brunch / Lunch / Sancks

Gartine // let’s just take a step back for a second while I admit two things: eggs benedict is my weakness & french toast is my friend’s weakness. We are powerless creatures of menu habit & that didn’t change while we were in Amsterdam. Gartine was my first eggs benedict of the trip, & it was also the worst. That said, my friend had one of the best french toast experiences of her whole life - if I remember correctly, it was a little blueberry number that stole her heart - so I guess I ordered wrong. The whole cafe has just a handful of tables & is effortlessly gorgeous, so be prepared to wait a little. Think mismatching cups & saucers, hipster-chic waiters, cups of mint tea filled with real life stalks of mint, & an extremely lovely barista. Added bonus: there was the most beautiful flower installation draped across a stormy grey statement wall.

Bakers & Roasters // B&R was my most favourite brunching experience of our whole trip. We loved it so much we actually went back to squeeze in a quick meal before catching our flight home. No surprises about what we ordered: classic eggs benny for me, banana nut bread french toast for her. Friends, we died & went to brunch heaven. The portions are massive, and thank goodness for that because the food is amazing. The bacon was crispy & delicious, the hot buttered sourdough was so thick & fluffy I nearly cried, the poached eggs were perfect, & the coffee was so good I had two before my food even arrived. We were lucky when we visited in that we didn’t have to queue, but by the time we were leaving there was a long line snaking down the street. Pro tip: if eggs benny ain’t your thing, I can also vouch for the ‘Navajo eggs’ - a pulled pork, poached eggs, avo, salsa + toast number - that I opted for on our return & literally filled me to the brim until we touched down in Dublin nearly 10 hours later.

Dignita // we decided to hit up the Dignita at Hoftuin (they also have a location at Vondelpark) which is inside the garden of the Hermitage Museum & is absolutely stunning - head-to-toe windows, crawler plants hanging from the ceiling, glorious sunshine filling the whole room. We loved it immediately. I have to say, the eggs benedict I had at Dignita might just about steal the crown for The Best Eggs Benedict in Amsterdam. Not only were the eggs & bacon perfect, but they were served on the most crispy - yet tender & luscious - generous pillows of hash browns. I ate every single morsel of food on my plate, not a crumb survived. It was perfection. After the success of our meal we opted for some extra coffees & a brownie between us - cream cheese & raspberry, no less - and we nearly ended up in a food coma. A happy, happy food coma. Added bonus: their profits go towards helping victims of human trafficking. How awesome is that?

Foodhallen // as the map told us we were getting closer to Foodhallen, it appeared as though we were walking out of the city & into a more residential area. Then, suddenly, we turned a corner & there it was: a massive indoor market, one section of which is dedicated to food + drink. We walked there shortly after brunch one morning & had chatted about just getting a snack or two, but after a quick walk around the stalls that idea went hurtling out the window. We secured ourselves a table at the communal seating area, picked up two glasses of cheap wine from the bar, & ordered a sharing board from a Spanish stall called Jabugo. We sat there for the guts of an hour, relaxing, drinking, eating meat & cheese, people watching, living our best lives. Pro tip: I’ve also heard wondrous things about the burgers at The Butcher, but I’ll have to save that for my next trip. Added bonus: there’s a fabulous atmosphere in the market (it reminded me of the Time Out Market in Lisbon), that feels so good you could sit there for hours snacking and watching the world go by.

Eat - Dinner

Hap-Hmm // walking to Hap-Hmm along a pitch black street with no lights was more than a little terrifying, but thankfully entirely worth it. A traditional Dutch restaurant serving the kinds of food I imagine Dutch grandmothers make, Hap-Hmm has been open for over 60 years. We queued for 40 minutes to get a nice little table right in the centre of everything, & the smells wafting past us as we waited had our tummies seriously grumbling. The menu was small but good - I opted for the wiener schnitzel & my pal went for the house specialty: a beef stew. Both mains were melt-in-the-mouth good (especially the stew) & came with large sides of potatoes + miscellaneous veggies. A couple of beers later, we were totally satisfied & much less terrified walking home along the pitch black street.

Los Feliz // owned by the crowd behind Bakers & Roasters, this is the Mexican restaurant of my dreams. As we perused the menu, I treated myself to a good old fashioned margarita & we let our inner beasts run wild when ordering. Friends, we feasted. We can, without any reservations at all, vouch for most of the menu: guac + chips, a whole host of different tostadas + carnitas, & the chipotle aioli fries. We couldn’t decide which tostada stole the show (a tie between the tinga de pollo & the carne asada), but really everything was so goddamn delicious & flavoursome that it was much of a muchness. After the roaring success of our meal, we simply couldn’t leave without trying a dessert (& another margarita, just in case). We went for the tres leches cake, which neither of us had ever tried before, but which we devoured within seconds. From beginning to end, it was glorious.

Thrill Grill // TG is a burger place. At the time I rather enjoyed my burger - & my pal really enjoyed her hot dog - but thinking back on the experience as a whole, there wasn’t really anything fantastic about the place. Not necessarily a bad restaurant, there was just nothing about the place that would make me go back.

Drink - Alcohol

Cafe George // we stumbled across Cafe George completely by accident one day & it ended up being one of our favourite stops. It’s a kind of hipster-chic place with an American/French bistro vibe going on. There are marble tabletops, mirrors lining the wall, cute candles lit regardless of the time, & a solid snack list (definitely try the traditional ‘bitterballen’). We stopped by more than once to enjoy a couple glasses of wine in the shade.

Wijnbar Boelen // we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy glass of wine before dinner one night & this was the perfect spot. I opted for a big glass of Valpolicella, which was so delicious that I treated myself to a second.

Drink - Coffee

Scandinavian Embassy // I somehow discovered online that Scandinavian Embassy have the best cinnamon rolls in the city (obviously something I investigate before going anywhere). It’s a very cool, very chic place, with the very alluring smell of cinnamon wafting out the front door. SE are also real deal kind of serious about their coffee. We sat right at the bar so we could watch the barista work his magic & we pretty much sat there openly gawping at him the whole time we were there. The cinnamon roll was amazing, but it was the coffee that stole the show. A lot of care & attention went into making every single cup, & you could definitely taste it in the end result.

Lott Sixty One Coffee // we actually have an Instagram pal to thank for leading us here - @sandy.somewhere, thank you for your tip about the attractive Thor-type baristas, we are eternally grateful. Attractiveness aside, the baristas seemed to be really know what they were doing - the coffee was amazingly smooth. Cute boys + delicious coffee = match made in heaven.

Canal Cruise // I feel like this is a must in Amsterdam, you just gotta do one. We went with a company called Lovers, but I think they’re all basically the same. The tour lasts an hour & brings you down all the main canal routes, with an informative little electric tour guide narrating your trip. Our boat driver threw out a few tid-bits of information every so often: did you know that the canals in Amsterdam are 3-metres deep? He reckons they’re actually only 2-metres of water & 1-metre of ill fated bicycles, of which they pull over 12,000 from the canals every year. Mad.

Rijksmuseum // another Amsterdam must. I headed straight for the Van Gogh self-portrait & stood there taking in every single brushstroke for a good 20-minutes while waiting for my pal to catch up. It is exquisite. The museum also holds an extensive Rembrandt collection on the top floor, including his massive painting “The Night Watch”, which is definitely worth a visit. Pro tip: don’t miss a trip to the library inside the museum - it's a three storey room filled entirely with books about art history & is extremely pleasing to behold.

Moco Museum // skeptical as I was about visiting Moco, I thoroughly enjoyed our time in the museum. Perhaps that’s because it’s much less museum-ey than the Rijksmuseum etc, it is more just a collection of art. The museum houses contemporary works of art - we saw a Banksy & a Roy Lichtenstein exhibition - in a seemingly random layout. Added bonus: in the basement of the museum there was a 3D interior room installation of Lichtenstein’s painting “Bedroom at Arles” - it was literally like we stepped into the artwork; we were amazed.

I Amsterdam Sign // just one of those stupid/half fun things that you have to do when you’re in Amsterdam. If you’re one of the unlucky few whose name begins with any of the ‘iamsterdam’ letters, then you get to try climb up on top of said letter for that cliche tourist shot. Let’s just hope that you don’t slip or embarrass yourself on the way up, because there are a heck of a lot of people waiting for their chance to climb aboard. Thankfully, there’s no hidden ‘V’ in ‘iamsterdam’, so I’ve been spared the public humiliation thus far.

Vondelpark // I imagine Vondelpark would be a lovely place for a summer picnic or a stroll, but you must remember that we were there during the winter/spring. If I’m being completely honest with you, it was so bloody freezing when we got there that we briskly walked 10 paces in, glanced around, & briskly walked right back out again. Only when we were safely inside a warm coffee shop 10-minutes later did we decide that yes, it was indeed a pretty park.

Classic car hunting // Amsterdam is full of quirky old cars - they’re impossible not to come across. Go for a wander along the canals & see if you can stumble across that insta-perfect shot. I dragged my poor friend halfway across the city to go back & take a picture of a classic car I’d spotted while we were on our canal tour. The things you do for Instagram!

#amsterdam #travel #holland #the netherlands

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