Amsterdam

A grey Citroën classic car is parked by an Amsterdam canal, with historic townhouses and boats along the waterside.

"Gezelligheid kent geen tijd" - time flies when you're having fun in the timeless, ever-young canal city

Our first visit to Amsterdam in the 1990s is a hazy memory of a campsite on the city’s outskirts, a trendy techno club in a repurposed church, coffee shops with peanut shell-strewn floors but no actual coffee and seedy streets bathed in red light.

While the city’s shadowy excitement was undoubtedly fascinating to us back then, we are now delighted to call a very different Amsterdam one of our favorite cities.

The city feels young, vibrant, and relaxed, while the beautiful old houses along the traditional waterways creak, and venerable parks frame the historic city center.

We adore the fantastic food scene, the unique small shops, and the charming hotels.

The open nature of the Amsterdam residents always makes us feel more than welcome here.

And the wonderfully understandable pace of the city, reflected in the speed of bicycles and canal boats, makes Amsterdam delightfully cozy and yet never boring for us.

Schwarz-weiß Illustration einer Biene mit Kamera in der Pfote und kleiner Blume im Schnabel, auf schwarzem Hintergrund.
A hand holds a cone of fries with sauce in front of an Amsterdam canal, with boats and historic buildings reflected in the water.

OUR PERFECT DAY IN AMSTERDAM

Cycling strolls, serene canal cruises and blissfully full bellies

Isn't it the most beautiful thing letting yourself drift without a schedule, daydreaming by the water for an afternoon, guiltlessly transitioning from the finest bakery to the most delightful ice cream parlor or enjoying an endless breakfast?

We believe, this approach can often provide a deeper sense of a metropolis’s rhythm, than a rigid cultural itinerary and sometimes it reveals the true treasures of a city.

Even if it’s just a brief weekend trip, it would be a pity to let haste and stress intrude. After all, when a city is enjoyable, we are bound to return.

Here, we share a few personal tips and secrets on how to savor a wonderful city walk and how to make our Amsterdam-Day truly perfect.

to the perfect day in Amsterdam …

Schwarz-weiß-Illustration einer Biene, die einen Teller mit dem Wort 'eat' hält.
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Night Kitchen
Night Kitchen

Levante Bar for nights with friends

Slow-roasted tomatoes, candied walnuts, fermented chili, confit Medjool dates, Jerusalem artichoke chips, homemade ricotta dumplings, boozy coffee biscuits, pistachio crème Anglaise… just reading the ingredients on the menu at Night Kitchen is enough to lure us there.

But there’s even more to it than that!

They describe their wonderful concept as “Dinner with Friends.”

This idea hails from Tel Aviv and has been successfully exported not only to Amsterdam but also to Berlin.

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Restaurant JA
Restaurant JA

Fine Dining with a lot of Love

Being cooked for by friends, in a familiar atmosphere, with that extra touch of love that only dear ones can infuse into their food, is always a rare delight to find outside one's home.

At Amy and Julius's restaurant, JA, such a cozy feeling washes over you the moment you step into the charming space with its open kitchen. It is here that we learn fine dining can indeed be incredibly familial.

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Schwarz-weiß-Zeichnung eines Bienenkopfs mit der Aufschrift "sleep" darunter.
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Maison Elle
Maison Elle

Boutique Hotel near Vondel Park

A touch of Paris graces the elegant Maison Elle, with its lush green garden.

Breakfast in the morning means croissants, pain au chocolat and café au lait…

And when we enjoy it on pale blue velvet chairs in front of wood-paneled walls, we almost have to remind ourselves that we are not in France, but in Amsterdam and that the famous Rijksmuseum, with its old Dutch masters, is just a five-minute bike ride away.

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Canal House
Canal House

Living in a picture-perfect Canal House

In Jordaan, the former working-class neighborhood, lies this little gem of a hotel, right on the Keizersgracht, perhaps the most beautiful canal in the heart of Amsterdam's canal ring.

The view from the room over the enchanting canal is so dreamy that it truly tempts us to have breakfast in bed. 

However, the delicious breakfast lovingly prepared in the large ground-floor salon, with a view of the charming garden, is worth tearing ourselves away from the morning view of the gently swaying canal boats.

And right outside the door awaits one of the most delightful quarters of the Dutch capital.

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Schwarz-weiß-Zeichnung eines Bienens, das eine Tasse Kaffee hält und einen Kuchen mit Erdbeere serviert, darunter das Wort 'Café'.
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Breadwinner
Breadwinner

The Best Bagels

Wandering through Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, a little sustenance is just what you need.

At Breadwinner, hand-rolled sourdough bagels fresh from the stone oven are baked with organic ingredients.

In the small, bright shop with a handful of seats outside, we have our choice of plain sourdough bagels, salted, poppy seed or sesame, onion bagels, jalapeno and cheddar, or two sweet options - cinnamon raisin or chocolate.

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Scandinavian Embassy
Scandinavian Embassy

Copenhagen Breakfast in Amsterdam

We are often asked if we love Amsterdam more than our other favorite - Copenhagen. Thankfully, at the Scandinavian Embassy, we don’t have to choose.

Here, the coffee tastes as exquisite as it does at Noma and the cinnamon rolls are as fragrant and fresh as they are in the far north and yet we find ourselves in the heart of our beloved Amsterdam.

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Zeichnung einer Biene mit einem Aufkleber, auf dem das Wort 'shop' steht, vor schwarzem Hintergrund.
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The Otherist
The Otherist

The little Curiosity Shop

The little store on Leliegracht is filled with lovingly collected works. Butterfly boxes and iridescent green beetles, jewelry and antiques sit alongside handmade candles and artisanal soaps, while art prints hang above marvelous curiosities.

Apothecary cabinets and old glass display cases are filled to the brim, inviting exploration. It’s nearly impossible to leave without a small treasure in tow.

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Dille & Kamille
Dille & Kamille

The most beautiful Household Goods

Behind large, bright windows in a classic brick building in Amsterdam's Oud West lies the enchanting household goods store, Dille & Kamille.

Enamel dishes, linen tablecloths, bergamot soap, acacia wood cutting boards, wildflower seeds, and garden gloves – everything that makes a home cozy and functional is available here.

Naturally, it’s easy to find a suitable gift for loved ones at Dille & Kamille. But treating yourself here is just as delightful.

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