Caro's Local Guide to Amsterdam

Caroline
Caro's Local Guide to Amsterdam

Food Scene

Trendy cafe 3min walk from my place, good brunch and dinner option, or just head there for drinks.
24 locals recommend
No Man's Art Gallery
90 Bos en Lommerweg
24 locals recommend
Trendy cafe 3min walk from my place, good brunch and dinner option, or just head there for drinks.
Delicious and affordable breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe with good coffee. 4min walk from my place.
43 locals recommend
Samen - Lunch and Juices
72 Bos en Lommerweg
43 locals recommend
Delicious and affordable breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe with good coffee. 4min walk from my place.
Best coffee in Amsterdam 2min walk from my place! There is a queue for a reason :)
21 locals recommend
Friedhats FUKU Cafe
136 HS Bos en Lommerweg
21 locals recommend
Best coffee in Amsterdam 2min walk from my place! There is a queue for a reason :)
Great brunch spot nearby, worth booking on the weekends.
57 locals recommend
Local Hero
92H Jan van Galenstraat
57 locals recommend
Great brunch spot nearby, worth booking on the weekends.
Cheap Surinamese roti 5min from my place, eat in or takeaway. I recommend the kipfilet roti or the veg meal roti. Also on ubereats.
44 locals recommend
Ram's Roti
107 Jan van Galenstraat
44 locals recommend
Cheap Surinamese roti 5min from my place, eat in or takeaway. I recommend the kipfilet roti or the veg meal roti. Also on ubereats.
Tasty pizza with unusual toppings, also GF options. good beers on the sunny terrace by Erasmuspark.
117 locals recommend
Eetwinkel Buurman & Buurman
171 Mercatorstraat
117 locals recommend
Tasty pizza with unusual toppings, also GF options. good beers on the sunny terrace by Erasmuspark.
Cool bar serving pizzas in Westerpark, they have good djs on the weekends.
6 locals recommend
Radio Radio
3 Pazzanistraat
6 locals recommend
Cool bar serving pizzas in Westerpark, they have good djs on the weekends.
Huge indoor street food market and bars in the Oud-West, lots of choice and a great buzzy atmosphere, a must-visit if it's your first time here. There is also a nice food market outside on the Ten Katestraat. 20min walk or 7min cycle.
1500 locals recommend
Foodhallen Amsterdam
16 Bellamyplein
1500 locals recommend
Huge indoor street food market and bars in the Oud-West, lots of choice and a great buzzy atmosphere, a must-visit if it's your first time here. There is also a nice food market outside on the Ten Katestraat. 20min walk or 7min cycle.
Fun atmosphere, good service (a rare thing in Amsterdam!) and delicious Asian food, also nice cocktails... another of my favourite local tips in the Oud-West, opposite the Foodhalln.
Branie
26a huis Ten Katestraat
Fun atmosphere, good service (a rare thing in Amsterdam!) and delicious Asian food, also nice cocktails... another of my favourite local tips in the Oud-West, opposite the Foodhalln.
Cute locals wine bar and restaurant, 20min walk or 7min cycle from my apartment. Reservations recommended! https://www.binnenvisser.nl/
57 locals recommend
Café Binnenvisser
36 Bilderdijkstraat
57 locals recommend
Cute locals wine bar and restaurant, 20min walk or 7min cycle from my apartment. Reservations recommended! https://www.binnenvisser.nl/
Great spot for falafel and local craft beers, only 12min walk from my place. Also on ubereats.
57 locals recommend
Kauffmann - Falafel & Beer
4b Reinier Claeszenstraat
57 locals recommend
Great spot for falafel and local craft beers, only 12min walk from my place. Also on ubereats.
Quirky lunch and dinner spot right in the city centre, hidden down a leafy alley.
33 locals recommend
Kapitein Zeppos
5 Gebed Zonder End
33 locals recommend
Quirky lunch and dinner spot right in the city centre, hidden down a leafy alley.
High end restaurant on the Singel canal, pricey but so worth it for a special occasion!
63 locals recommend
BREDA
210 Singel
63 locals recommend
High end restaurant on the Singel canal, pricey but so worth it for a special occasion!
Excellent BBQ joint for the meat lovers! Close to Westerpark.
27 locals recommend
Pendergast
14 Groen van Prinstererstraat
27 locals recommend
Excellent BBQ joint for the meat lovers! Close to Westerpark.

Bars & Nightlife

All the bars in Westerpark (5min cycle or 20min walk from the flat) have great outdoor seating and terraces, including Pacific, Ton Ton, Radio Radio... a great area to spend an evening!
428 locals recommend
Pacific Parc
23 Polonceaukade
428 locals recommend
All the bars in Westerpark (5min cycle or 20min walk from the flat) have great outdoor seating and terraces, including Pacific, Ton Ton, Radio Radio... a great area to spend an evening!
There are a few Troost bars in Amsterdam, great if you love craft ales.
178 locals recommend
Brouwerij Troost
21 Cornelis Troostplein
178 locals recommend
There are a few Troost bars in Amsterdam, great if you love craft ales.
One of my favourite local brown bars in the centre, cosy atmosphere and board games.
114 locals recommend
Festina Lente
40B Looiersgracht
114 locals recommend
One of my favourite local brown bars in the centre, cosy atmosphere and board games.
Brilliant brown bar in the Jordaan.
160 locals recommend
Café Thijssen
107 Brouwersgracht
160 locals recommend
Brilliant brown bar in the Jordaan.
Great bar and restaurant in Amsterdam NOORD, big outdoor terrace if it's sunny! Catch the ferry to NDSM.
1052 locals recommend
Pllek
59 T.T. Neveritaweg
1052 locals recommend
Great bar and restaurant in Amsterdam NOORD, big outdoor terrace if it's sunny! Catch the ferry to NDSM.
Another good craft ale cafe with outside seating, 12min walk from the apartment.
TEARS | Butcher's Tears tap
10 Jan van Galenstraat
Another good craft ale cafe with outside seating, 12min walk from the apartment.
Fun wine bar next to Vondelpark where you get to pick and choose which wines you taste and how much, great selections and tasty food too.
20 locals recommend
Rayleigh & Ramsay Overtoom
2 Zocherstraat
20 locals recommend
Fun wine bar next to Vondelpark where you get to pick and choose which wines you taste and how much, great selections and tasty food too.
Pub in the Oud-West, one of my favourite 'brown bars', a locals pub with good selection of beers
84 locals recommend
Café L'Affiche
39 Jacob van Lennepstraat
84 locals recommend
Pub in the Oud-West, one of my favourite 'brown bars', a locals pub with good selection of beers
Japan-themed karaoke bar on the main gay street in town, the bar is really fun even if you're not going to use the karaoke booths! This whole street (Reguliersdwarsstraat) is full of buzzing bars and nightlife.
7 locals recommend
Duke Of Tokyo
37 Reguliersdwarsstraat
7 locals recommend
Japan-themed karaoke bar on the main gay street in town, the bar is really fun even if you're not going to use the karaoke booths! This whole street (Reguliersdwarsstraat) is full of buzzing bars and nightlife.
Central cocktail bar, delicious drinks.
87 locals recommend
Tales & Spirits
5-7 Lijnbaanssteeg
87 locals recommend
Central cocktail bar, delicious drinks.
Brewery with a famous windmill in Amsterdam Oost, great outdoor terrace by the water.
1100 locals recommend
Brouwerij 't IJ
7 Funenkade
1100 locals recommend
Brewery with a famous windmill in Amsterdam Oost, great outdoor terrace by the water.

Parks and green spaces

Gorgeous park round the corner from my apartment, a good local hangout, great for lazy summer afternoons and you can even swim from the deck in the big canal. There is also a cute cafe in the centre of the park with nice outside seating.
19 locals recommend
Erasmuspark
Jan van Galenstraat
19 locals recommend
Gorgeous park round the corner from my apartment, a good local hangout, great for lazy summer afternoons and you can even swim from the deck in the big canal. There is also a cute cafe in the centre of the park with nice outside seating.
Pretty swimming lake with a man-made sandy beach, about 13min cycle from my flat.
109 locals recommend
Sloterplas
Oostoever
109 locals recommend
Pretty swimming lake with a man-made sandy beach, about 13min cycle from my flat.
Beautiful forest Amsterdamse Bos, it is only about 35min cycle away. Great for walks, there is also a lake in the middle where you can swim, and a goat farm!
547 locals recommend
Amsterdam Forest
547 locals recommend
Beautiful forest Amsterdamse Bos, it is only about 35min cycle away. Great for walks, there is also a lake in the middle where you can swim, and a goat farm!
For one of the best swimspots in Amsterdam, head to Bogortuin on Java-eiland.
26 locals recommend
Java Eiland
26 locals recommend
For one of the best swimspots in Amsterdam, head to Bogortuin on Java-eiland.

Art & Culture

Incredible contemporary art gallery in an old munitions factory, one of the coolest places to see here in my opinion! It's out the city in Zandaam, but worth it for a day out, the exhibitions are 10euros but there is also a cafe, bar and sunny terrace. It's open Thurs-Sunday and you can catch the ferry there from Centraal station: https://hethem.nl/en/Het-Hem/Route
Het HEM
1 Warmperserij
Incredible contemporary art gallery in an old munitions factory, one of the coolest places to see here in my opinion! It's out the city in Zandaam, but worth it for a day out, the exhibitions are 10euros but there is also a cafe, bar and sunny terrace. It's open Thurs-Sunday and you can catch the ferry there from Centraal station: https://hethem.nl/en/Het-Hem/Route
Smaller than the big museums but very cool photography museum on the central Keizersgracht canal. Worth a visit. https://www.foam.org/
792 locals recommend
Foam
609 Keizersgracht
792 locals recommend
Smaller than the big museums but very cool photography museum on the central Keizersgracht canal. Worth a visit. https://www.foam.org/
Super cool cinema showing arthouse and indie movies, also a bar and restaurant. About 10min cycle from my place in the Oud-West.
69 locals recommend
LAB111
111 Arie Biemondstraat
69 locals recommend
Super cool cinema showing arthouse and indie movies, also a bar and restaurant. About 10min cycle from my place in the Oud-West.
Another great photography museum, set in a beautiful old house on the Keizergracht canal.
99 locals recommend
Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography
401 Keizersgracht
99 locals recommend
Another great photography museum, set in a beautiful old house on the Keizergracht canal.

Daytrippers

Long sandy beach and sand dunes, 30min on the train out of Amsterdam. Take the direct train from Sloterdijk to Zandvoort aan zee. Even nicer is Bloemendaal beach with its cute beach bars, you can exit the train at Haarlem and take the bus 81 to Bloemendaal aan zee.
56 locals recommend
Zandvoort Beach
13 Boulevard de Favauge
56 locals recommend
Long sandy beach and sand dunes, 30min on the train out of Amsterdam. Take the direct train from Sloterdijk to Zandvoort aan zee. Even nicer is Bloemendaal beach with its cute beach bars, you can exit the train at Haarlem and take the bus 81 to Bloemendaal aan zee.
Art gallery and sculpture garden in the Veluwe forest. Perfect for a day trip, ideally if you have rented/own a car. The museum has the 2nd largest collection of Van Gogh in the world. One hour drive from Amsterdam
231 locals recommend
Kröller Müller Museum
6 Houtkampweg
231 locals recommend
Art gallery and sculpture garden in the Veluwe forest. Perfect for a day trip, ideally if you have rented/own a car. The museum has the 2nd largest collection of Van Gogh in the world. One hour drive from Amsterdam
Another wonderful contemporary art gallery with a private collection, set on beautiful grounds. The museum is outside Den Haag about 45min drive. Stop off at Wassennar beach afterwards and it's a perfect day out!
87 locals recommend
Museum Voorlinden
90 Buurtweg
87 locals recommend
Another wonderful contemporary art gallery with a private collection, set on beautiful grounds. The museum is outside Den Haag about 45min drive. Stop off at Wassennar beach afterwards and it's a perfect day out!