A Week Wandering in Amsterdam
Amsterdam travel guide by a gal who didn't know she was going until she showed up at the airport gate
My husband is the type of person who can’t keep surprises. He has planned surprise trips before but this was the first one he managed to not tell me about. He did tell me we were going somewhere Sezane had a store, but I resisted the urge to go to the store locator and waited patiently for the day to arrive, more details here. I knew we were going somewhere in Europe and for how long, but I had zero idea where exactly until we showed up at our gate.
Days before we left, he told me the weather to consider while packing. I packed up my knitwear and other clothing for mild, cool days. Once we got on the flight, we started planning out what we wanted to do for the week. To my surprise, I find out my husband hasn’t planned our days. He wanted this trip to be whatever I wanted for the week. If you know my husband, he’s the trip planner, the researcher and the one who writes everything down to the minute in a google sheet. I mostly just approve the vision and make suggestions, so this was a twist. As we looked up places, the lady in the seat next to us chimed in. She was a local to Amsterdam and provided recommendations on what to do, where to eat and which neighborhoods to explore. While we didn’t manage to see everything on the list she suggested, we set off to explore with some guidance in mind.
Upon landing and getting through customs, we purchased a bus ticket and took the bus into town. It was a very quick and easy experience. While we purchased a bus ticket, we later found out that you can just scan your credit card to ride the bus. I recommend doing this over purchasing a bus ticket. It was actually easier and faster since we spent about 10 minutes trying to find the machine to buy a ticket. Once we dropped off our bags, we were off to grab something to eat. We weren’t quite sure what we wanted, so we headed to the Foodhallen. There are 20 food stands you can choose from ranging from sushi, BBQ, Mexican, burgers, pizza and more. We decided on dim sum and dumplings to hold us over until dinner time.
TIP: If you plan on exploring by walking, I recommend using your credit card to ride the bus instead of purchasing a ticket from the airport.
After Foodhallen we wandered around the shops nearby and made our way to Negen Straatjes. It’s a group of nine streets filled with shops, cafes, and places to grab food and drinks. I popped into A.P.C.’s store to check out their purses. I didn’t have any intention of buying anything and solely wanted to peruse. I have had my eye on the Grace bag for a while. The price is a jump scare, especially in the US. So anytime I can buy something in Europe it feels like a major discount.
What I didn’t anticipate was falling in love with Virginie. A beautiful bucket bag and major temptation because of the immediate $100 “discount” when buying directly from a European A.P.C. retail store. The color was stunning and I love that it comes with a drawstring. That’s my only negative when it comes to bucket bags, they are oftentimes open and Virginie solves that with the drawstring. I also spotted a cute red coat but didn’t try it on. I didn’t need another A.P.C. piece to fall in love with.
After A.P.C. we sat down at a cafe and enjoyed a hot chocolate and pastry while we people watched. As we made our way back in the direction of our hotel, I spotted a Dille & Kamille. It’s my favorite home goods store and unfortunately for me you can only find them in Belgium and the Netherlands. I fell in love with it last year when we were visiting Ghent.
The store was set up with Christmas decor and I couldn’t resist purchasing some ornaments. I had to drag myself out of there before I purchased more things that were hard to bring back in a suitcase. We stopped by a sushi restaurant to grab a light dinner before heading back to the hotel. I’m proud of ourselves for managing to stay awake past 8:00 pm after our long flight the night before.
Day Two
We started off our day by grabbing coffee and a pastry at Coffee District. There was minimal seating (like most coffee shops we encountered) so we grabbed our respective drinks and pastries and headed off to Vondelpark. It was very close by and we sat on a bench watching people enjoy their day playing with their dogs, biking, and running through the park. We also saw the most mischievous dog named Claus, which I think is the perfect name for a dog. After I enjoyed my raspberry cruffin and my husband his chocolate croissant, we roamed the entirety of the park. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. It felt so peaceful to walk among the leaves and enjoy such an extensive green space in the city center. Our little car-centric-living hearts were so happy and we dreamed of what it will be like once we manage to escape to a more walkable city.
TIP: A “coffee shop” in Amsterdam refers to a cannabis store. A “cafe” refers to a place where you get coffee.
Since we found ourselves in the vicinity of where the majority of the museums are located, we decided to hop on over and visit a few. We managed to purchase tickets for the Rijksmuseum at the ticket booth for immediate entry, however, they stop selling tickets at the ticket booth at 2:30pm. It might be 3:30pm but I can't quite remember! You can also purchase them online. The Anne Frank and Van Gogh museum tickets sell out and often shortly after they are released. We learned the hard way that you need to purchase them as soon as they are released several months ahead.
TIP: Set a reminder to purchase Anne Frank and Van Gogh tickets when they are released for the dates you are visiting. Based on our experience, you will not be able to purchase them the week of your visit. Both museums were sold out for at least a month in advance!
The Rijksmuseum has several floors and like any museum you could easily spend hours roaming through it. You will see lots of Rembrant and a little bit of Van Gogh among other artists. My favorite portion was the section where you could see what people wore in certain time periods and how lingerie shifted over the course of time. I learned that linen was originally the material used for underwear! I would go to the Rijksmuseum for this section alone, it’s on display until June 2024. Otherwise, you can read a bit more about it here. The Rijksmuseum also has beautiful gardens that are free to wander.
After learning we couldn’t visit the Van Gogh museum as planned, we roamed down the streets perusing the various shops. We came across two stores I wanted to visit - Ba&sh and Longchamp. We initially went into Longchamp to check out the Le Panier Pliage Basket Tote. I had been eyeing it since earlier this year but I’m very big into trying things in person before purchasing so I opted to wait until we were in Europe to make a decision. It also didn’t help that this bag was sold out everywhere in the US.
When the sales associate handed me the bag, I was shocked. I had clearly not read the dimensions properly online because it was much smaller than I had anticipated. I had a good laugh at my lack of research and realized the size was not convincing for me. It cost $190 in Europe, but I didn’t feel it was worth $190, especially considering there were other bags in store with more structure and versatility for a modest price increase. Don’t get me wrong - I would happily use it if it was gifted to me or the price was cut in half, but it wasn’t vibing with me at the time.
Not much else was interesting to me in store except this small burgundy Rouseau handbag. I have this style in a medium olive green. Part of me wishes I would have purchased the small originally. I’ve been on a small bag kick lately. I do love it though and I think she’s a classic style. Several Parisian women were eyeing and wowing the bag when I purchased it in store last year. I had the last one and they wanted it. I don’t blame them, the olive green color is beautiful and no longer available.
We left Longchamp and went down the block to Ba&sh. I was particularly interested in the Meredith jacket. I tried it on and it was a done deal. I had originally seen this on Sarah of sarahrosepalmer and loved it on her. I saved significantly purchasing it in Europe but knew it would be my splurge of the season, or so I thought.
I ended up falling madly in love with this red coat. After purchasing the jacket, I made the mistake of saying I was going to look around some more even though I had zero intention of purchasing anything else. I wandered to the downstairs section of the store and my eyes darted to the red coat. I am a red lover. Since I was young I’ve enjoyed wearing it and I'm often told it’s my color. Seeing as this was the second red coat I’d seen on the trip I felt the need to try it on. She was stunning. I was not mentally prepared to purchase two expensive items, let alone one that had just come into existence for me so we moved on for the day.
Some additional context here: I take a really long time considering purchases and ensuring they make sense in my closet. Thankfully, it was nearing closing time - otherwise I would have stared at this coat for hours. I left with Meredith and proceeded to talk endlessly about the red coat to anyone who would listen. I feel sorry for my husband for how much he had to hear me talk about that coat.
Complete tangent, the sales associate was incredibly friendly and gave us the most amazing dinner reservations. I kid you not - go into the Ba&sh store near the museums and ask the young lady with auburn hair for recommendations. I unfortunately don’t remember her name. She had impeccable taste for being in her early 20s. I definitely wasn’t as cool and refined in my early 20s.
TIP: If you’re considering the Meredith jacket, I would go up one size. I found it to be tight around the shoulders. The sales associate who owns that same piece had a similar experience.
We had worked up an appetite at this point so we walked to the Leidseplein neighborhood. We happened to find a South Indian restaurant, Madras Diaries, that was well rated and would force us out of our go to Indian dishes. Once we were inside, we knew we had made the right choice. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly. To be honest, I don’t recall what we ate, but I remember it being delicious. If you’re into spice, you can definitely find it here. After a wonderful lunch, we continued exploring the south end of the Negen Straatjes until it was time for dinner.
We managed to find reservations at the Sicilian Italian restaurant the sales associate from Ba&sh had recommended for that night. So we headed off to Vicio Il Mastro Pastaio. I’m not exaggerating when I say this was one of the most amazing pasta dishes I’ve ever had. The staff was also incredibly friendly and had great recommendations on wine pairings. I had the Culurgiones al Ragù which consisted of ravioli filled with potatoes, mint and pecorino cheese in a bolognese sauce topped with wild fennel seeds. My husband had the Piccio Paccio which was pasta Margherita with cherry tomatoes, onions, basil, pesto from the “Valley of the Temples” topped with pistachios and almonds. They were unreal. I’m also still dreaming about the red fruits panna cotta my husband and I shared and forever wishing he would have ordered his own. I would highly recommend adding this to your list if you’re visiting Amsterdam.
Day Three
One of our favorite activities is grabbing a coffee and pastry in the morning as we gear up for our next adventure. This morning we walked over to Saint-Jean and ate the most incredible vegan pastries I’ve ever had, most notably, this pistachio cruffin. I couldn’t shut up about this cruffin while on the trip. I knew we’d be back to try more pastries from Saint Jean before leaving. If you’re dairy free or plant based, you’re in luck because everything in the shop is plant based! They don’t even have the option for dairy milk. I’ve never seen that before but I was into it. We got lucky and were able to eat our pastry inside. Seating is very limited here.
TIP: Go to Saint Jean on a weekday at around 10:30 am if you want the pistachio cruffin. You won’t find it before then. Avoid the weekend unless you want to wait in a long line!
After enjoying our pastry, we stumbled upon Noordermarkt. You can find clothes, dishes, food, produce, fabric by the yard, electronics, etc. You name it, they’ve probably got it in some form or another. I wanted to purchase all the dishware I saw and bring it home. My husband had to constantly remind me of our lack of luggage space and the likelihood of it breaking it on our flights home.
We were in the vicinity of Haarlemmerdijk, a strip of local shops the lady we sat next to on the plane had suggested we check out so we continued our journey there. We popped in and out of shops admiring more dishware I had zero business falling in love with. We stopped to get some boba from The Bubble Society as we perused in and out of stores that caught our eye until I paused at a vintage shop. My husband, as he would later regret, encouraged me to go inside.
As soon as I walk in, I see a wall of vintage jeans and they are all listed for 50 euro a pair. This was the first time I was trying on vintage jeans so I had a lot of feelings. More on that later, I’ll save my thoughts on vintage jeans for another post. I proceed to try on jeans for 2 hours. An hour in, I’m sure my husband is very much regretting the encouragement to visit this store. I ended up walking out with 3 pairs of jeans. I almost grabbed a 4th but felt like it was getting excessive.
The sales associate was super friendly and kind to us the entire two hours. Luckily, it was a slow day and we were the only ones in there otherwise I would have felt a little embarrassed about how long it was taking me to make a choice. I highly recommend checking out Studio Onrust BV if you’d like to take home some thrifted vintage goods.
We were walking by the A.P.C. store again and I decided I needed to pop in again. I hadn’t stopped thinking about Virgine since I saw her a couple days prior. I was also no longer jet lagged and was in a much better state of mind to make good decisions. I really love the Cafe and the Mimosa colors. Both are new seasonal colors and for the time being only available in Europe. However, as I tried these bags on I also thought of the red coat from ba&sh. I had some thinking to do. I knew I could splurge on several items but this would very much go against my purchasing philosophy.
After a morning of perusing through the shops of Haarlemmerdijk and my husband enduring me trying on jeans for hours, continuous talks about a red coat and now an A.P.C bag - we needed some food. The sales associate suggested we head over to Foodware. It turned out to be exactly what we needed. It’s counter service and you can get a protein, carb and a veggie as an entree or sold separately. I loved that you could build your own lunch and that everything is prepared fresh daily.
After a quick lunch, we decided it was time to head back to the hotel and rest up before dinner. We were going to another dinner recommendation from the Ba&sh sales associate, a tapas restaurant named Duende Dos. When we got there it was packed to the brim and very lively. I was surprised to see so many tables booked on a Tuesday night. We ordered an appetizer, paella and a few glasses of wine. I had never tried paella before so it was a must. It was another delicious dinner followed by a cardamom and cinnamon variation of flan I didn’t know I needed in my life.
Day Four
We were walking to our bike tour when I told my husband that if I saw a mini red car it would be my sign to purchase the red coat. Moments after I said it, what do I see? Not one, but two mini red cars. Up until this point, I had only seen black or green ones. Side note - please help me convince my husband I need one of these mini cars. They were so cute and perfect for the narrow European streets…and the European home we don’t own… yet :)
A friend had recommended the Fat Bike Tour to us, so we rented electric bikes and learned some history about the city. A few fun facts:
60% of people in Amsterdam ride a bike everyday
the average person in Amsterdam rides 950 km a year
there are more bikes than people in Amsterdam
We rode into neighborhoods we wouldn't otherwise go to and even got to take the ferry which is free for everyone to use. This was a fun way to explore the city and learn some history. We also saw the oldest or tallest (I cannot recall) windmill that still stands in the city and a large graffiti park where people come to study the craft. You can find a graffiti museum that showcases artists right next door.
On our walk back to the city center, we saw a frites shop. We had seen quite a few around town and this one had no line. We got truffle mayo and cheese on the fries. My husband also purchased a Dutch kroket which was a sort of deep fried meat stick. Honestly, the fries were nothing to write home about. My husband reminded me I didn’t love the fries we had in Belgium the year prior, so I think I was judging them harder than the average person. I think when in Rome, or in this case Amsterdam, you have to give them a try. We also tried the popular place in town with a long line, Fable Frite, and I had similar feelings of disappointment.
Next door to the fries place, was a cookie shop that also had people lining up. They had five flavors: triple chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate with macadamia. We decided we needed to try each flavor. Can you blame us? We grabbed our cookies and sat by the canal and enjoyed our last sunny day in Amsterdam.
As we’re making our way through the Negen Straatjes, my husband points out there is another Ba&sh right up ahead of us. He says at this point the red coat is truly meant to be so we walk inside to try it on again. It’s just as perfect as I remember. Before I can question my sanity, I purchase the red coat and we’re off to our next adventure which wasn’t far - we walked into COS.
I have been on the hunt for basic white and black t-shirts for a very long time. I saw COS had some that were 100% organic cotton for 29 euro. I tried them on and knew they were meant to come home with me. I had considered a few other options, but I wasn’t ready to spend $50+ on a basic white tee yet. So these came at the perfect time.
After a long morning of walking and shopping, we decided it was time to head back before dinner. We ended up at a casual, low key sushi bar. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the sushi was. I have to reiterate that it was nothing fancy, but perfect for us that night. Is it a must? Definitely not, but if you don’t want to think too hard and are around the city center, check out Robo Bar. We didn’t order any drinks, but if you do, a pair of robots will make one for you.
Day Five
We’re not huge breakfast people when we’re exploring new places, but on the fifth day we traded our usual coffee and pastry for freshly made green juice and a yogurt bowl from Koffie Academie. It was just what we needed.
We had been blessed with good weather so far but our luck was changing as it was predicted to rain non-stop in the upcoming days. Knowing this, we decided we needed to rent a boat and explore the canals. It was a quick walk over to Mokumboot. We rented it for 2 hours which was more than enough time to explore a few portions of the canals. I highly recommend adding this to your visit if the weather permits. The canals go all around the city and it’s a beautiful way to explore. The boat is very easy to operate and steer! If you prefer not to rent your own boat, there are lots of group tour options.
Our friend from Belgium was arriving that evening and we had late dinner plans, so we decided to grab a quick bite beforehand at Dr. Falafel. I didn’t expect much from a vendor on the side of the street but wow was I wrong. It is now the best falafel I’ve ever had. If I lived in Amsterdam the shop owner would soon have another familiar customer because I’d be there weekly. We grabbed our falafels and found a nearby bench to sit and enjoy them.
We wandered the Negen Straatjes some more, venturing into local shops and stopping for an afternoon drink at Cloud. It’s part art gallery and part coffee shop. We sat by the window and people watched until we were ready to go back to the hotel to rest before dinner.
We met our friend at Bar Mimi, a neighborhood pub with a delicious selection of food and drinks. The food options are limited, offering only 3-4 entrees. They did have a vegetarian option. I wouldn’t recommend it if you have dietary restrictions. I loved that the menu was written on a black board that was shared by the entire restaurant. It’s a great place if you want to grab drinks and share some food. They also have board games if you need a bit more entertainment.
Day Six
This day was dedicated to our friend’s recommendations. Our first stop was Little Collin’s in the De Pijp neighborhood. This was another great spot with an amazing brunch menu. I had the fig and plum crepes and my husband had the poached eggs with smoked labneh and flatbread. The dishes were unique, flavorful and unlike anything I’ve seen offered at brunch. I also ordered a hot chocolate because there is nothing better than a hot chocolate on a rainy day.
Since this was our first time in the De Pijp neighborhood, we walked through a nearby park, Sarphatipark, as we made our way to the Albert Cuyp Markt. The market had lots of fresh juice, produce, flowers, clothes and souvenir shops. You can find this market every day except for on Sundays. This neighborhood felt a little more homey and residential with shops intertwined. I wish we had explored this neighborhood more and definitely will when we return to Amsterdam.
As we made our way back to the city center, I saw a coffee shop named Locals. I had seen their strawberry matcha on recommendation lists and really wanted to try it, so we popped in. It was good, but I do wish it had slightly more strawberry puree. After the initial few sips, it tasted like a regular matcha to me. It’s possible I didn’t stir it enough but at that point it was too late.
We headed back to the Negen Straatjes to the Eddy Varekamp gallery. Our friend had mentioned it’s his favorite place to take friends in Amsterdam. It did not disappoint. I don’t have any pictures of the gallery, but you can see some of their work here. We purchased two small prints we hope to frame. I found the art to be reasonably priced. There was something for everyone’s price comfort level. You could purchase something for as little as 5 euro. We walked our prints back to our hotels and once again relaxed before dinner.
Dinner was at The Good Companion. It’s a seafood restaurant and was yet another delicious dinner. I had the fish and chips and I honestly liked it more than when I had it in London. My husband had the mussels and fries and as a Frenchie he very much enjoyed them. The menu wasn’t super extensive but if you’re into seafood I would definitely book a reservation here. After dinner our friend insisted we needed some dutch pie. Twist my arm, we were off to Winkel 43, famous for its pie.
One of my husband’s two flaws (let me know if you want to know the other one) is that he doesn’t like pie. I know. I gasped when I learned this too. He was sure he wouldn’t like it but to my surprise, he ordered his own slice. Good thing because that was a slice I didn’t want to share. It’s hard to describe, but the crust is more cookie-like and the filling is less gooey. Overall a great dessert option and in my opinion any pie lover or hater should try it at least once.
DAY SEVEN
This was our last day in Amsterdam and our last opportunity to go back to Saint-Jean. Our friend had heard me raving about Saint-Jean in my instagram stories and said we should all go back together. We were there before 10:30am and that’s when we learned that the pistachio cruffin wasn’t available. We’d need to come back in about an hour. We decided to try the blueberry pistachio cruffin instead. I was just happy I got to try another pastry. While the pistachio remains my favorite, I’m convinced everything in the cafe is delicious. You can’t go wrong with any choice you make there.
We parted ways with our friend and walked around central Amsterdam until it was time for us to leave for the airport. We had an evening flight, so we made sure that we got lots of walking in before we were sedentary for 10 hours. I had a few more exposures left on my film cameras so we walked in neighborhoods we hadn’t seen yet.
This was a lengthy post, but I hope you enjoyed reading about our week in Amsterdam and found some useful tips for your next visit! If you’ve been and have other recommendations, please let me know about them in the comments below :)
xx Ofelia
Your writing is so natural and easy to follow Ofelia! I feel like I learned all of this through a conversation with you. Thank you for sharing your experience, your lessons learned and your photos!