Sandra's Amsterdam Local Guide
Where to eat
It's a cool place to sit with your laptop and enjoy a good cup of coffee.
372 locals recommend
Coffee & Coconuts
282 CeintuurbaanIt's a cool place to sit with your laptop and enjoy a good cup of coffee.
At this rooftop bar, you can enjoy some drinks while admiring the beautiful views to Damsquare!
89 locals recommend
W Amsterdam
175 SpuistraatAt this rooftop bar, you can enjoy some drinks while admiring the beautiful views to Damsquare!
Pllek
59 T.T. NeveritawegCool place! A sand beach and good food in NDSM area!
Old ferry rebuilt into a restaurant with delicious food and amazing views.
71 locals recommend
Pont 13
50 HaparandadamOld ferry rebuilt into a restaurant with delicious food and amazing views.
Enjoy good views while eating fresh Italian food! Watch the chef prepare your meal!
37 locals recommend
Vapiano Amsterdam Oosterdokskade
145 OosterdokskadeEnjoy good views while eating fresh Italian food! Watch the chef prepare your meal!
All you can eat sushi! A paradise for sushi lovers! Delicious food and beautiful views!
9 locals recommend
Mojo Japanese Kitchen
133 OosterdokskadeAll you can eat sushi! A paradise for sushi lovers! Delicious food and beautiful views!
Really good burgers! At Foodhallen you can try a lot of more different food!
The Butcher - Foodhallen
51 BellamypleinReally good burgers! At Foodhallen you can try a lot of more different food!
Amsterdam's best burgers and meat! Various locations throughout Amsterdam! The decor is creepy, but interesting ;)
73 locals recommend
Cannibale Royale Ruysdael
149 RuysdaelkadeAmsterdam's best burgers and meat! Various locations throughout Amsterdam! The decor is creepy, but interesting ;)
Good food & amazing unique place! It will worth it to go, I promiss it!
355 locals recommend
Café de Ceuvel
4 Korte PapaverwegGood food & amazing unique place! It will worth it to go, I promiss it!
Bar Botanique
581 Eerste Van SwindenstraatIf you are a plants lover this is an amazing restaurant to eat!
At this rooftop bar you will can enjoy amazing views of Amsterdam! Just below of it you will can see the Market of the Flowers! The drinks and food has a good price for being in Amsterdam
48 locals recommend
Blue Amsterdam
457 SingelAt this rooftop bar you will can enjoy amazing views of Amsterdam! Just below of it you will can see the Market of the Flowers! The drinks and food has a good price for being in Amsterdam
Looking for a place to have breakfast! You will love this one, I recommend to go at 08.00, otherwise you will be starving for minutes on a big line...
18 locals recommend
Omelegg - City Centre
24 NieuwebrugsteegLooking for a place to have breakfast! You will love this one, I recommend to go at 08.00, otherwise you will be starving for minutes on a big line...
Get ready your belly! Indoor food market with all sorts of food.
1500 locals recommend
Foodhallen Amsterdam
16 BellamypleinGet ready your belly! Indoor food market with all sorts of food.
De Belhamel
60 BrouwersgrachtDe Kast
3 Kamerlingh OnneslaanDe Plantage
36 Plantage KerklaanVuurtoreneiland
Huize Frankendael / restaurant Merkelbach
72 MiddenwegRestaurant Moon
3 OverhoekspleinRon Gastrobar
55 SophialaanWaterkant
55 KapelwegBrewery with hip, urban edge serving craft ales, plus organic grilled dishes & private tap tables.
61 locals recommend
Bierfabriek Amsterdam
67 NesBrewery with hip, urban edge serving craft ales, plus organic grilled dishes & private tap tables.
Restaurant Moon
3 OverhoekspleinWhere to go
The biggest outdoor market in the Netherlands. Typical Dutch market, open everyday except for Sundays. Try one of the Dutch traditions and eat a 'stroopwafel' or typical fish called 'haring'. Souvenirs, dutch cheese, sweets, typical food & flowers!
1832 locals recommend
Albert Cuyp Market
Albert CuypstraatThe biggest outdoor market in the Netherlands. Typical Dutch market, open everyday except for Sundays. Try one of the Dutch traditions and eat a 'stroopwafel' or typical fish called 'haring'. Souvenirs, dutch cheese, sweets, typical food & flowers!
To visit NDSM is a must, you can take the free ferry at central station, 20 minutes of travel and then you can discover a new & artsy area full of graffities and streetstyle!
166 locals recommend
NDSM
28 NDSM-PleinTo visit NDSM is a must, you can take the free ferry at central station, 20 minutes of travel and then you can discover a new & artsy area full of graffities and streetstyle!
One of the biggest and most loved parks in Amsterdam, perfect for a relaxing walk!
4196 locals recommend
Vondelpark
One of the biggest and most loved parks in Amsterdam, perfect for a relaxing walk!
De 9 Straatjes
Beautiful streets with little shops that you cannot miss!
Get a real good view over the city. Feeling like getting some adrenaline running? Take a swing on great heights! To get to the A'dam Lookout you have to take the (free) ferry that departs from Amsterdam Centraal.
Looking for a place to eat nearby? - Restaurant Moon (fancy) - The Butcher - Tolhuistuin
603 locals recommend
A'dam Lookout
5 OverhoekspleinGet a real good view over the city. Feeling like getting some adrenaline running? Take a swing on great heights! To get to the A'dam Lookout you have to take the (free) ferry that departs from Amsterdam Centraal.
Looking for a place to eat nearby? - Restaurant Moon (fancy) - The Butcher - Tolhuistuin
Cat contact is practically guaranteed as you sip a ‘cattucino’ in the company of lots of lovely mogs at Amsterdam’s first ever cat café Thanks to a successful crowdfunding scheme by cat-loving entrepreneur Lenny Popelier, Kattencafe Kopjes now provides a tranquil home for beautiful rescue cats as well as a relaxing environment for a coffee, spot of lunch or cake. Kopjes is a lovely space for humans and felines alike, and leads us to wonder why we’d ever go anywhere else for coffee. There’s a cover charge of euros per person, which goes towards the cats’ care and you can pop into the Wild Whiskers gift shop next door for must-have books, pins, socks and stationery.
19 locals recommend
Kattencafe Kopjes
211 Marco PolostraatCat contact is practically guaranteed as you sip a ‘cattucino’ in the company of lots of lovely mogs at Amsterdam’s first ever cat café Thanks to a successful crowdfunding scheme by cat-loving entrepreneur Lenny Popelier, Kattencafe Kopjes now provides a tranquil home for beautiful rescue cats as well as a relaxing environment for a coffee, spot of lunch or cake. Kopjes is a lovely space for humans and felines alike, and leads us to wonder why we’d ever go anywhere else for coffee. There’s a cover charge of euros per person, which goes towards the cats’ care and you can pop into the Wild Whiskers gift shop next door for must-have books, pins, socks and stationery.
Begijnhof
1 BegijnhofDam
DamZevenlandenhuizen
Reguliersgracht
Do not miss the 7 bridges!
Sightseeing
If you are in Amsterdam you cannot miss the Red Light District! Super safe to walk around! Respect the sex workers keeping your mobile or camera in your pocket!
636 locals recommend
De Wallen
If you are in Amsterdam you cannot miss the Red Light District! Super safe to walk around! Respect the sex workers keeping your mobile or camera in your pocket!
This museum is absolutely beautiful. If you do not feel like visiting a museum, you at least have to see the outside of it; stunning architecture!
3186 locals recommend
Rijksmuseum
1 MuseumstraatThis museum is absolutely beautiful. If you do not feel like visiting a museum, you at least have to see the outside of it; stunning architecture!
Almost a must visit when you come to Amsterdam. Make sure to make a reservation in advance as its a very popular museum.
2775 locals recommend
Anne Frank House
20 WestermarktAlmost a must visit when you come to Amsterdam. Make sure to make a reservation in advance as its a very popular museum.
The Van Gogh Museum is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw.
2485 locals recommend
Van Gogh Museum
6 MuseumpleinThe Van Gogh Museum is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw.
Hortus Botanicus is a botanical garden in the Plantage district of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is one of the world's oldest botanical gardens.
299 locals recommend
Hortus Botanicus
2a Plantage MiddenlaanHortus Botanicus is a botanical garden in the Plantage district of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is one of the world's oldest botanical gardens.
Willet-Holthuysen Museum
605 HerengrachtMuseum Het Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House)
4 JodenbreestraatRoyal Palace Amsterdam
147 Nieuwezijds VoorburgwalDamrak
DamrakHeineken Experience
78 StadhouderskadeTypical Dutch Restaurants & Bars
A local beer brewery. Go there and ask for a tour. They will provide you with fun facts and a beer tasting afterwards. Next to the brewery you can find a windmill which is typically Dutch.
1100 locals recommend
Brouwerij 't IJ
7 FunenkadeA local beer brewery. Go there and ask for a tour. They will provide you with fun facts and a beer tasting afterwards. Next to the brewery you can find a windmill which is typically Dutch.
Do you want to know what a real Dutch café looks like? Wanna go where the locals go? Go to Café Thijssen! Order some 'bitterballen' and a Heinkenen beer and feel like a real Dutchie.
160 locals recommend
Café Thijssen
107 BrouwersgrachtDo you want to know what a real Dutch café looks like? Wanna go where the locals go? Go to Café Thijssen! Order some 'bitterballen' and a Heinkenen beer and feel like a real Dutchie.
Mom's home cooking is always best, but Amsterdam tourists don’t always have the opportunity to share a meal at home with the locals. The next best thing is Moeders, a restaurant in the city centre that serves only the most traditional Dutch dishes. All the favourites are on the menu at this cosy restaurant, which has all the touches of home. Fill your belly with stamppot (mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables, served with meat and gravy) or suddervlees (a slowly braised beef stew). For dessert, treat yourself to poffertjes or a slice of homemade pie. If you’re feeling a bit homesick, bring a photo of your own dear Ma to hang on the restaurant’s wall — mothers are celebrated at Moeders!
252 locals recommend
Restaurant Moeders
251 RozengrachtMom's home cooking is always best, but Amsterdam tourists don’t always have the opportunity to share a meal at home with the locals. The next best thing is Moeders, a restaurant in the city centre that serves only the most traditional Dutch dishes. All the favourites are on the menu at this cosy restaurant, which has all the touches of home. Fill your belly with stamppot (mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables, served with meat and gravy) or suddervlees (a slowly braised beef stew). For dessert, treat yourself to poffertjes or a slice of homemade pie. If you’re feeling a bit homesick, bring a photo of your own dear Ma to hang on the restaurant’s wall — mothers are celebrated at Moeders!
Where better to sample Dutch cuisine than right next to the hub of history and culture in Amsterdam? Rijks, the restaurant of the Rijksmuseum, offers a locally-sourced menu that complements a lengthy stroll through the rooms of the museum. Its kitchen upholds the principles of Slow Food, an organisation that promotes regional cuisine, and the Ark of Taste, which encourages the use of local ingredients. Platters highlighting regional fish or meat — gurnard or pigeon, for example — are available, as are artisanal cheeses. Afterwards, head to one of Rijks’ four espresso bars for a coffee with a dash of the Dutch liqueur advocaat.
27 locals recommend
Rijks
2 MuseumstraatWhere better to sample Dutch cuisine than right next to the hub of history and culture in Amsterdam? Rijks, the restaurant of the Rijksmuseum, offers a locally-sourced menu that complements a lengthy stroll through the rooms of the museum. Its kitchen upholds the principles of Slow Food, an organisation that promotes regional cuisine, and the Ark of Taste, which encourages the use of local ingredients. Platters highlighting regional fish or meat — gurnard or pigeon, for example — are available, as are artisanal cheeses. Afterwards, head to one of Rijks’ four espresso bars for a coffee with a dash of the Dutch liqueur advocaat.
For over thirty years, Café Loetje has served as a landmark in Amsterdam. Regulars and out-of-towners alike flock there for its homemade fries and juicy steaks, which many have proclaimed to be the best in the Netherlands. Amsterdam now has several branches of Loetje (and even more beyond), so there is plenty of choice for every carnivore.
289 locals recommend
Café Loetje
52 Johannes VermeerstraatFor over thirty years, Café Loetje has served as a landmark in Amsterdam. Regulars and out-of-towners alike flock there for its homemade fries and juicy steaks, which many have proclaimed to be the best in the Netherlands. Amsterdam now has several branches of Loetje (and even more beyond), so there is plenty of choice for every carnivore.
De Silveren Spiegel (The Silver Mirror) offers traditional Dutch food in the stunning surroundings of a historic building. The building and restaurant’s history stretches back to the 17th century, and De Silveren Spiegel’s elegant rooms, which have been left in their original state where possible, are certainly befitting its fairytale-like name. But the restaurant does not rest on its historical laurels: the food is up to the high standards set by the interior. And in the summer, there is a sunny terrace to boot.
8 locals recommend
de Silveren Spiegel
4-6 KattengatDe Silveren Spiegel (The Silver Mirror) offers traditional Dutch food in the stunning surroundings of a historic building. The building and restaurant’s history stretches back to the 17th century, and De Silveren Spiegel’s elegant rooms, which have been left in their original state where possible, are certainly befitting its fairytale-like name. But the restaurant does not rest on its historical laurels: the food is up to the high standards set by the interior. And in the summer, there is a sunny terrace to boot.
D’Vijff Vlieghen is a well-known location for an elegant Dutch meal. The dining area is spread across a variety of rooms, including one with original etchings by Rembrandt. The menu features modern and creative interpretations using typical Dutch ingredients.
23 locals recommend
d'Vijff Vlieghen
294-302 SpuistraatD’Vijff Vlieghen is a well-known location for an elegant Dutch meal. The dining area is spread across a variety of rooms, including one with original etchings by Rembrandt. The menu features modern and creative interpretations using typical Dutch ingredients.
Coffe Shops
You’ll feel you’re in more of a doctors than a coffeeshop, they have a marble like floor and walls which isn’t common for a coffeeshop in Amsterdam. The dark brown wooden stools really add to the smart, clean atmosphere.
20 locals recommend
Boerejongens Coffeeshop Center
21 UtrechtsestraatYou’ll feel you’re in more of a doctors than a coffeeshop, they have a marble like floor and walls which isn’t common for a coffeeshop in Amsterdam. The dark brown wooden stools really add to the smart, clean atmosphere.
Bluebird
71 Sint Antoniesbreestraat
420 Café
27 OudebrugsteegThe Bulldog The First
90 Oudezijds Voorburgwal
Smokey Coffeeshop
24 RembrandtpleinWhere to party
Great venue located in an old church, very atmospheric for a concert. Tiered balconies, quick service at bar. In this beautiful building you can find artists performing every night. Check their website to see their program.
937 locals recommend
Paradiso
6-8 WeteringschansGreat venue located in an old church, very atmospheric for a concert. Tiered balconies, quick service at bar. In this beautiful building you can find artists performing every night. Check their website to see their program.
Ready for a fun night out? Disco Dolly is partying it up every night of the week! Make sure you get in before 00:00.
75 locals recommend
Disco Dolly
11 HandboogstraatReady for a fun night out? Disco Dolly is partying it up every night of the week! Make sure you get in before 00:00.
Rembrandtplein
Leidseplein
LeidsepleinDe Wallen Red Light District Amsterdam
39 Oudezijds VoorburgwalThuishaven Festivalterrein
68 ContactwegPanama
4 Oostelijke HandelskadeClub NYX
42 ReguliersdwarsstraatDe Marktkantine
6 Jan van GalenstraatJimmy Woo
18 Korte LeidsedwarsstraatMelkweg
234A LijnbaansgrachtClothing Shops and Malls
De Bijenkorf
1 DamFor shopping sprees! A beautiful and big mall with nice brands.
P.C. Hooftstraat
Pieter Cornelisz HooftstraatDe 9 Straatjes