Restaurants in Amsterdam
If you love food you will not be disappointed in Amsterdam. Here you will find top restaurants on all levels, from those with a star in the Michelin guide, to small fast food restaurants with delicious dishes.
In addition to Dutch specialties, we recommend that you try some of the Asian restaurants in the city. The Dutch have long traditions in shipping and trade, including on the Asian continent. They also subjugated a number of colonies, which has greatly influenced today’s restaurant life in Holland.
Here are some recommendations:
Snacks and snacks:
- Eat a Stroopwafel if you are a little hungry for something sweet. You can find them in fast food restaurants, in cafes, bakeries, and in most supermarkets.
- Try some Bitterballen with the beer if you go to the pub.
- Eat a Potato War if you need a hearty snack. You can find the dish in cafes, pubs, fast food restaurants, and elsewhere.
- Get yourself a Frikandel Special if they are even more hungry. This is a delicious skinless sausage, stuffed with onions, curry ketchup and mayonnaise, preferably with thick french fries next to it.
- Eat some Bossche Bolat a café or bakery. Lovely profiteroles with cream inside, and chocolate on the outside.
- Eat licorice. The Dutch are completely crazy about licorice. The candy is sold everywhere, and in all varieties you can think of.
- Also eat cheese when you are in Amsterdam. This they can in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam you will find your own cheese museum, and the city has many good cheese shops if you want to take some delicacies with you when you go home.
Restaurant food :
- Dine at an Indonesian restaurant. We especially recommend that you try Rijstaffel . This is a sea of small dishes that you sit and munch on for hours (best suited if you are at least 2 people).
- Dine at a Surinamese restaurant. Try, for example, Roti , a dish with Surinamese pocket-like bread, curry, potatoes, eggs and beans. Some varieties are spicy, with chilly.
- Order a plate of herring at classic Dutch restaurants. Served with onion, pickled cucumber. Take a schnapps next to it.
- Eat Stampot at a restaurant with traditional home cooking. Stampot is sausage and mashed potatoes, but made much better than most dishes you have tasted at home. Available in many varieties – look for one with bacon pieces.
Every fourth tourist at the coffee shop
It is inevitable that a good number of tourists visit the coffee shop as part of their travel plans when they visit Amsterdam. Public statistics show that 23% of tourists stop by a coffee shop.
Our purpose with the site is not to encourage anything, but we think it is good to inform about laws and regulations in this field. Here they are:
- According to Norwegian law, it is not a criminal offense to smoke cannabis when you are in Amsterdam. This was stated by the Attorney General, after a parliamentary representative was fined for cannabis smoking in Amsterdam in 2014.
- It is a criminal offense to import drugs into Norway. Also be aware that you may have the active ingredient in your blood after you get home (avoid driving until you are sure everything is out).
- In the Netherlands, you are subject to Dutch law. Possession of narcotics is illegal, but the police follow a tolerant guideline. As long as the amount is less than 5 grams, you will not be prosecuted (however, the drugs can be confiscated).
Laws and regulations inside Coffeeshops:
- You must be over 18 to buy cannabis at coffee shops. and must expect to be asked to present valid identification.
- You are not allowed to visit the same coffee shop more than twice a day.
- You can buy a maximum of 5 grams per day.
- It is not allowed to enjoy alcohol, or smoke regular tobacco in coffee shops. This means that it is actually illegal to mix tobacco from cigarettes in the joint. Look for dried cannabis leaves (active ingredient removed) that those who run the cafe put forward for this purpose.
- All use of other narcotic drugs is strictly prohibited.
Shopping in Amsterdam
According to Abbreviation Finder, one of the advantages of spending your city break in Amsterdam if shopping is important, is that the city is quite small compared to, for example, Paris, New York and Barcelona. You can easily reach over most things during a long weekend, at the same time as you find everything you need. Here are the best areas, streets and shopping malls:
- The Nine Streets – The nine narrow streets are the area between the canals that separate Jordaan from Leidenstraat. This is perhaps the best area for shopping in Amsterdam, especially if you are looking for vintage clothes, and clothes from Dutch designers.
- Pieter Cornelisz Hoofstraat– This is the street you are looking for now the exclusive fashion brands are on the shopping list. Here are the brand stores of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Gucci, Chopard and many more.
- Kalverstraat– A pedestrian street with lots of fashion stores, chain stores such as Zara and H&M, shoe stores, shops for accessories, and more elegant and exclusive shops in between. Take a look at the side streets of Kalverstraat.
- Leisestraat– Shopping street with many trendy shops. Perhaps the best area in Amsterdam if you are shopping for shoes.
- KNSM Island– It is good the name of the artificial island is abbreviated (Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot-Maatschappij). The island is located in the eastern part of the harbor area, and houses lots of exciting shops in the old warehouses. Local design, modern design, craft shops, trendy cafes,
- Jordaan– The pleasant neighborhood Jordaan is known for its many second-hand shops with a very good selection. You will also find many small and exciting design shops in the trendy area, as well as arts, crafts and much more.
- Haarlemmerdijk– If you go to Jordaan, this is the street you absolutely must stop by. Haarlemmerdijk offers an endless number of trendy shops. There you will find second-hand, vintage, shoes, clothes from lesser known (but trendy) brands, interior design, as well as many good bars, cafes and dining options.
- De Bijenkorf– Shopping center located on Damplassen. Fashion clothes from well-known and exclusive brands. You will find more than enough shoes, perfumes, cosmetics and more here as well.
- Magna Plaza– Shopping center in the old main post office in Amsterdam, a few steps from Damplassen (The castle is located between Damplassen and Magna Plaza). here you will find lots of fashion stores, accessories, gift shops, skin and hair care, and much more.
- Spiegelkwartier– This cozy neighborhood is what you are looking for if you want to shop for antiques, arts and crafts from local designers.
- Diamonds– Amsterdam has for over 400 years been the leading city in the world when it comes to diamond trading. If the money is loose and you are looking for a unique gift, maybe a diamond is something to think about. There are many retailers that can be recommended. For example, stop by GASSAN on Damplassen, Daniel Wellington in Runstraat 5, or Boutique Tourbillon in Pieter Cornelisz Hoofstraat 72. Whatever you do, do not buy “diamonds” on the street. If you want to see some of the largest diamonds in the world, you can stop by Royal Coster Diamonds in Paulus Potterstraat 2 to 8. There you will get a tour if you want to see how the diamonds are cut and honed.
