Whether you arrive by train, plane or automobile, your first port of call in Amsterdam is likely to be Centraal Station. On exiting, put down your suitcase for a second and admire the station’s Neo-Renaissance facade. Then make your way over the spaghetti junction of tramlines to Prins Henrikkade: there, you are presented with a choice.
If sex museums, cannabis coffeeshops and plush hats emblazoned with ‘I <3 Amsterdam’ are what you seek from this city, follow the crowds and head straight down Damrak.
Cross over any of the bridges over Singel and
you’ll enter a beautiful part of town called De Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets),
abundant with independent shops and ateliers. Admire the townhouses with their
huge sash windows and peer into sophisticated living rooms with bookshelves
lining the walls from floor to ceiling.
If, however, you want to discover neighbourhoods where locals ride
their bicycles around peaceful streets lined with rows of traditional Dutch
houses - each one with its own unique gable - and to stumble across secret
pockets of garden space known as hofjes... or how
about an amble along canals whose houseboats have window-boxes and terraces
that epitomise the Dutch concept of gezelligheid, meaning
cosy and convivial...?
If the answer is ‘yes’ then shun the
touristic route and bear right into the North-West of the city.
Go further into the Jordaan neighbourhood and explore its
cobbled streets; meander around, zig-zag across canals and pop into cafés here
and there.
MUSEUMS/GARDENS
BARS
Look out for gevelsteen - stone
tablets on the gables of buildings – which depict the trade that their 15th
century occupants used to specialise in.
Hire a traditional Dutch bicycle and go
wherever the pedals take you, perhaps through the Jordaan or to the Vondelpark
for a picnic. However your day is spent, rest assured that there is more
to Amsterdam than clogs*, kink and coffeeshops.
Recommendations span from the seedy central
arteries of the city to its peaceful peripheries.
MUSEUMS/GARDENS
Anne Frank
House
The house in which Anne Frank, the infamous young diarist, sought
refuge with her family during World War II.
Prinsengracht
263-267
Hortus
Botanicus
De Hortus is one of my favourite places in the city. Amsterdam is
a fairly laid-back place to start off but this botanical garden with palm and
butterfly houses is so tranquil and relaxed, it’s a perfect place to unwind.
Take a stroll around the gardens and admire the flora; Himalayan birch,
Shellbark Hickory and Katsura are just a few of the beautiful and majestic
trees that have been nurtured here since 1638.
Have a cuppa at The Orangery cafe then pop into
the gift shop to buy some horticultural ephemera.
THINGS TO
BUY
De
Bierkoning
A wide selection of authentic glassware for ale aficionados.
There’s also a beer section at the back of the shop.
Paleistraat
125
Geels &
Co.
This shop dedicated to the art of tea and coffee drinking is
located on one of Amsterdam’s oldest streets. It’s quaint, although its
neighbours are numerous ‘coffeeshops’ and a store specialising in condoms.
Geels & Co. has tea pots, tea caddies, tea strainers.... in fact all manner
of implements to enhance your tea-drinking experience.
Warmoesstraat
155
De
Posthumus Winkel
Gorgeous stationery products, including bespoke stamps and every
colour of sealing wax you could imagine.
Sint Luciënsteeg 23-25
1012 PM Amsterdam
1012 PM Amsterdam
Kok
Antiquariaat
A family-run antiquarian and secondhand book and print shop.
Oude
Hoogstraat 18
De Boeken
Markt Op Het Spui
More second-hand books are to be found at the Spuistraat book
market on Fridays between around 10am and 6pm.
Albert
Heijn Supermarket
The only Dutch contraband I bring home is Drost cocoa powder and a
shed-load of fritessaus.
Various
locations across the city including:
De Weldaad
My fantasy Amsterdam apartment would have a huge glossy black
front door with a reclaimed doorknocker and letter-plate from De Weldaad. There
are also beautiful homewares, antiques and reclaimed pieces such as Delft tiles.
Reestraat 1
A BITE TO
EAT
Café in de
Waag
An atmospheric cafe in Nieuwmarkt where Amsterdammers go to have
brunch and read the papers.
Nieuwmarkt 4
FEBO
These self-serve kiosks are basically savoury vending machines,
serving piping hot bitterballen and kroquets for just a couple of euros.
Various
locations throughout the city
CAFÉS
Note: - If
it’s called a café, it’s a café. If it’s called a coffeeshop, it’s a cannabis
café.
Café de
Doelen
I always seem to gravitate towards this cosy cafe and order warme chocolademelk (hot
chocolate) because I like the way the words roll off my tongue. With its wooden
panelling, original till and the enamel beer signs on the rear wall, it’s so gezellig.
Kloveniersburgwal
125
1011 KC Amsterdam
1011 KC Amsterdam
Café Katoen
Near the city’s university, this café is popular with young,
studious types. A nice place to stop for a drink and a spot of people-watching.
Oude Turfmarkt 153
BARS
Eik en Linde
A genuine bruin bar (‘brown’ because over hundreds of years,
cigarette-smoking patrons have stained the walls brown). This one is just
around the corner from De Hortus.
Plantage
Middenlaan 22A
Café
Restaurant De Kroon
Come
to this classy spot to enjoy lunch, dinner, drinks or dancing.
Rembrandtplein
17-I
1017 CT Amsterdam
1017 CT Amsterdam
Jazz Café
Alto
An amazing jazz bar near Leidesplein. It’s rather compact, so
fight your way to the back to nab a seat near the stage. Once you’re there, sit
back and relax as it’s waitress service. My favourite part of the set on the
night I visited was the band’s rendition of ‘Some Day My Prince will Come’.
Korte
Leidsedwarsstraat 115
Pastorie
Bar
This cosy bar is contained within the lobby of the Radisson hotel
and housed in a former vicarage. It’s a nice spot to have a cocktail if you’re
in the neighbourhood.
Radisson
BLU Hotel
~
*Confession! I bought a miniature pair of clogs on a
key-ring... I couldn’t resist!
