It was our first time staying in The Netherlands during Springtime. Last Spring on our way to Copenhagen, we flew into Amsterdam as a layover and saw the tulip fields from above which was a pretty sight. Seeing them in person though at ground level was even better! Our day trip out to Lisse was such a fun adventure – check it out!
Foodhallen – it’s the Dutch version of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, the Bourough Market in London and the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid. Our perfect place to spend a couple hours – tasting food and mingling with the locals. It was hard to choose a place to eat at so we had to visit the Foodhallen twice!!
If you are looking for traditional Dutch food, this is the place for you to go. It’s a quant restaurant located on Berenstraat and happen to be on the same street as our apartment. Not a far walk for us. The onion and vegetable soup, filet and chicken were all delicious. All entrees are served with chips/fries and a salad. Don’t forget the apple streusel – delicious!!! If you don’t walk out of there feeling satisfied….I don’t know where you went then!
Cafe George was the perfect dinner spot for us during our stay in Amsterdam. The diverse menu had something for everyone. The tomato soup and lobster bisque was the perfect start to our meal. We sipped on some vino while we enjoyed our main entree – pasta vongole and the lamb shank. Both were impeccable from the sauces they used to the side salad that accompanied the dishes. Since it was near our apartment, we stopped here for a glass of rosé and cheese plate one afternoon. Don’t miss out on a Cafe George visit!
After touring the museums all morning and walking through the Vondelpark, The Seafood Bar is the ideal spot to grab lunch. It feels like you just stepped into a coastal lifestyle…classy, nautical and fabulous. The menu has something for everyone and will even satisfy the non-seafood type. The fish is fresh and cooked to perfection in the open aired kitchen. Make sure this is a spot on your to-do-list while visiting Amsterdam.
Tired of Bier? Well, we got the spot for you. Vyne is a small wine bar located on the Prinsengracht and has an amazing wine list. They also serve small plates from Thursday till Sunday, so if you want something to eat and a delicious glass of wine from France, California, Italy, German, Australia or South America – this is the spot. If you are lucky enough like us, you might get to enjoy some “vault” wine with a famous local.
It’s not a complete trip without eating at Pancakes!. T.W.O. was lucky enough to have it right across the street, so we rolled out of bed and were first in line on a brisk morning. Sounds crazy?….no not really. Every day there is a line out the door to get into this small cozy Dutch restaurant. We ordered the“poffertjes” (powdered sugar),goat cheese,spinach,garlic oil,pine nuts pancake, and a vegetable pancake. All were amazing!!! Don’t miss out on Pancakes!
For a quick lunch and drink, stop in this café. Its the perfect place to escape the cold and feel like a local.
Cheers,
T.W.O. continues their trip exploring Amsterdam. Check out how we filled our Dutch days with fun activities….
This is the only floating flower market in the world, and one of the most fragrant places of interest of Amsterdam – in all seasons. The flower stalls stand on the houseboats. You will find there all sorts of tulips, narcissus and other bulbs and flowers. The bulbs are ready for export, so you can enjoy them at home too. In December the market also sells Christmas trees.
If you haven’t already noticed, T.W.O. likes to take in cities as the locals do so we decided to be Dutch for the day and rent bikes. We rented from Green Budget Bikes which was near our apartment. The rates were reasonable and the staff was very helpful showing us the best spots to see. We rode the perimeter of the city through the Vondelpark, passed the Heineken Experience and to the Brouwerij ‘t IJ Windmill Brewery. Its the perfect stop to grab a beer halfway through your ride. After we went towards Central Station where were spotted the second ‘I Amsterdam sign’. Riding bikes through the city was a must do and we can’t wait to do it again. Please note – riding bikes can be a little nerve racking especially if you are not comfortable on a bike. You share the lane with vespas and have to dodge other bicyclists. That didn’t stop us though, it was a fun adventure!!
Though we enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijks Museum was our favorite Museum in Amsterdam. It’s a Netherlands national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam. The museum is spacious and has various types of art from antique furniture to war cannons to the famous painting by Rembrandt Night Watch. Get your tickets HERE and you will be able to walk right in without waiting in the ticket line. Note – photography is permitted.
The last night of our stay in Amsterdam, we stayed at the Pulitzer Hotel in Amsterdam. It is a beautiful hotel in the Jordaan area right on the canal. We loved staying here and maybe part of it was that one of our favorite films was located in this hotel…Oceans 12 or maybe it was because we had an amazing night on The Tourist!!! Its the same boat that has toured Winston Churchill through the canals along with the Queen. T.W.O. suggests taking this tour at night so you can appreciate all the lights on the canals and buildings. We were lucky too since we were there during the Festival of Lights. There were different parts of the city that had ‘exhibit’s. Check them out below…
From London to Amsterdam we go!. You can’t go around it, got to go through it….Yes indeed our train took us underneath the English Channel to France and then to Brussels on EuroStar and then changed trains (Thalys) to get to our final destination. (No need to book tickets separately…the EuroStar site does it for you.) The train ride was great – we enjoyed the countryside and our cabin company for a total ride of 4 hours. The 21 minutes underneath the English Channel wasn’t a big deal…a couple ear pops and loss of cell phone reception and we made it to the other side! In typical T.W.O. fashion… we brought snacks for the train ride – sandwiches + salads + rosé!
New Years EveWe arrived to Amsterdam on New Years Eve. After checking in at our Airbnb apartment, we walked around before we got ready for the big night. We stumbled upon a cheese shop and a bakery that sold oliebollens (delicious round doughnuts coated with icing sugar) and ‘appelflappen’ (tasty apple fritters). And they sure were good-good-good!! After cruising a couple of The Nine Streets we headed home to get ready for our NYE out! We had dinner (will discuss in Amsterdam Eats post) and then headed to a local pub where we watched the fireworks. Oh and ‘minor’ detail….Trigere did the NYE countdown for the entire audience present in the pub! haha.. IN ENGLISH!! Needless to say we danced the night away and had fun with our new Dutch Friends.
The Anne Frank House is a must see in Amsterdam….get your tickets before hand though. The lines are long and not worth it if you don’t get your tickets HERE. Arrive on time and you will be let in a side door where you can immediately start your tour. It’s a very interesting tour about Anne and her family during 1925-1947. Being in the same house that was their hideout was pretty incredible and unnerving at the same time. This is a MUST see while in Amsterdam. Please note – there is no photography allowed in the museum.
Van Gogh MuseumVan Gogh …the post-Impressionist Dutch painter whose work was notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty who was a big part of 20th century art. While in Amsterdam we had to stop in the Van Gogh Museum which houses the most prestigious paintings and drawings from Vincent along with his artist friends. Before you go, make sure to get your tickets HERE, so you avoid the long lines. After visiting the museum you can take pictures in front of one of the three “I amsterdam” sign. (Pictures were not allowed in this museum, expect for designated areas.)
The VondelPark is the Central Park of Amsterdam. Its where people have picnics, take walks, ride bikes, run and kick a soccer ball around. We enjoyed strolling around this park after a couple hours in the museum. Take note of the lost and founds that are around the park…you never know what you are going to see hanging on them!
T.W.O. enjoyed walking around The Nine Streets popping into stores and pubs occasionally. The Nine Streets is home to many restaurants, pubs, cafes and boutiques. It was the area we stayed and would suggest staying here to any one….Jordaan region. There is no place in this city that has a bad view.
.
Tot ziens,
T.W.O. 