Amsterdam

Where To Stay

Hotel Il Fiore ♡*: I highly recommend staying on the Jordaan District of Amsterdam. It’s a gorgeous, nice, safe and easily accessible neighborhood and cannot recommend it enough. Hotel Il Fiore was perfect for a quick weekend as it is nice with updated & clean rooms, responsive staff and a restaurant on the first floor. It was easy to get to everything I wanted to do within a 4 to 20 minute walk which was awesome. Its close by the Amsterdam Centraal Station (10 minute walk)

Where to Eat

Cafe Papeneiland ♡♡ : Definitely go here if you’re in Amsterdam! Cafe Papeneiland is like a time capsule (opened in 1642!) - its a traditional Dutch "Brown" cafe- Go for a glass of wine/app or dessert.  I hear their pie is amazing too.

Winkel 43 ♡♡ : Winkel has the the BEST apple pie in Amsterdam.  I don’t even like apple pie and I dream of it.  I thought it would be super touristy and commercial but was actually very quaint and cozy in there. If you go after dinner for dessert, they have drinks/wine etc.

Pancake Bakery ♡ : Famous spot for Dutch pancakes (its more like a fluffier crepe with deliciousness on top).   I loved this place, super cute & cozy inside as well.

Foodhallen : This is a big food hall with all different types of international food.  You could go here for a cheaper dinner/lunch and have drinks/food at the different food stands.  I enjoyed it but wouldn't say it was a 1000% must do.  For my Chicagoians, it’s kind of like a Revival Food Hall but bigger/nicer.

Sampurna ♡ : Indonesian food is huge in Amsterdam - there is a lot of Indonesian influence in the Netherlands.  The food here was excellent & so fresh/flavorful! Highly recommend! Prices were super reasonable too!

Wok to Walk : This is like the Chipotle for Asian food.  Its a chain and hope they get one in Chicago soon - super good! Great for a quick/cheap lunch.  You pick your noodle/rice type, protein, veggies, sauce etc. - I can't wait for these to make it to the states!

Bleu ♡ : I went here for a nice French dinner the night I arrived. The location is perfect for seeing the city or going out for the evening. Its very cozy in here with very cool decor, great wine/drinks, service and excellent food.    

Haesje Claes : If you want old school, traditional Dutch food, go here and get the Stamppot. I was not a fan and ended up leaving to Indonesian food but, if you want the real deal, go here. It feels like an old Dutch grandmas house and is very local.

Gartine : I very sadly did not make it here because they were closed while in town. Gartine is a farm-to-table restaurant with ingredients grown by the restaurant. Its great for Brunch & high tea - reservations needed.

Things to Do

Canal Tour ♡♡ : This group is awesome for a canal tour (Dam Boat Guys) - very chill, only 10 people or so on the boat (~$30).  Its BYOB & BYOW.  Great way to see the canals & is 90 minutes long. If you go to Tickets & Gifts (there is no website but address is: Prinsengracht 130 A) before for wine, you get a 20% discount.  Its a 2 minute walk from the pickup point at Cafe Wester (where you can have a glass of wine or a bite to eat before you go).

Moco Museum ♡ : Tip: Skip Van Gogh and go here. Moco has a ton of Banksy work.  A lot of cool political/weird pieces that are pretty awesome.   I highly recommend it. I didn't buy tickets in advance, waited in line for maybe 10-15 min? I'd allow maybe an hour to tour the whole museum.  Its not huge, its like the size of a big house so you can go through fairly quickly and see everything. 

Anne Frank House ♡♡ : In my opinion, this is an absolute must do because I love her story and it always stuck with me. It was surreal being there - some stuff in the house is original (like the book case that hid the annex from the factory where they were hiding). Book at least 6-8 weeks in advance, tickets sell out very quickly. You can see some of her diaries with her actual handwriting.  Some of the original pictures the girls put up on the wall etc are still there with excerpts of her diary to help tell you the story.  The original furniture is not there, it was all taken out by the Nazis - there are photos of what it did look like before. Allow 1.5 hours for this. I did the 30 minute introductory pre-tour which talks about the war and history about Anne and her family. I recommend doing it if you can.

With Locals ♡: I hired a local (Anna) to teach me the history of Amsterdam and walked me around the famous plazas, squares, red light district, canals etc. She brought me to some local spots as well and gave advice for the rest of my stay. It was really cool and about $140 for 2.5 hours. I think in general, using With Locals is a great travel tip for getting around any city you are visiting for the first time! I plan to use them again in the future.

Dutch Cheese Shops: Amsterdam has some awesome cheese shops. My local guide took me to De Kaaskamer and helped me pick out some delicious Dutch cheeses to take back to the states for myself and family. Their cheeses were a HUGE hit. Da Kaaskamer had some other great spreads and truffle honey etc. Definitely worth a stop in!

* ♡ = a favorite

♡♡ = a must do