The Amsterdam Travel Guide

Amsterdam, what a beautiful majestic little city!

Amsterdam has been on my travel bucket list for quite some time and I'm glad to say I've now ticked it off. During our four day stay we visited some amazing cafes, restaurants and sights, which of course I was dying to share!

Where to stay: Amsterdam is known for it's quirky little hotels, from the CitizenM, The Tire station, Qbic Hotel Amsterdam and Fletcher Hotel to name a few. We stayed at The Ramada as my husband collected lots of points from business trips away, so it worked out pretty cheap to stay there. Our room was lovely, it was on the 16th floor and we had a spectacular view of the city.

How to get around: Almost everyone cycles in Amsterdam - no wonder the Danes are so slim and healthy! Hire a bicycle for a few days, it's the most convenient way of traveling around and experiencing Amsterdam as a local.

What to do: Did you know Amsterdam has 75 museums?! The most well known include the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House.
There are also so many quirky ones, such as The Sex Museum, The Cow Museum, The Tulip Museum, there was even a Cheese Museum! They're all very random, but they are definitely worth the visit!

The Heineken experience was really good and I would highly recommend it. I'm not usually a fan of beer (I'm more of a G&T kind of girl), but Joe wanted to go and we really enjoyed it. You learnt the history behind the company, how beer is made, had a little bit of beer tasting, played lots of interactive games and got to enjoy two beers at the end of the experience.

If the weather is nice you have to visit Vondelpark, it's utterly stunning. We enjoyed cycling around the whole park and soaking up some rays here.
If horticulture is up your street, you'll also love the floating flower market which is so vibrant and pretty. It's also said to be the only floating flower market in the world!

Another thing to do is just get lost and wonder around the streets of Amsterdam. There's so much to see - from trendy little shops to niche little cafes. It's also breathtaking to walk around at night time, with all the pretty lights around the bridges and the gorgeous street lamps lit up.

Where to go for brunch: Oh boy does this city have so many amazing food options!

Mook Pancakes: If you're in the mood for some delicious pancakes, I'd highly recommend
Mook Pancakes! I ordered the 'good morning' and it was incredible. I also had a healthy ginger tea which was also lovely and well... you know, you have to balance out the bad with the good ;).

Metropolitain: What a little gem! This spot is right in the city centre and serves the most wonderful sandwiches, burgers, and salads. I had peaches, parma ham, walnuts and cream on toast. And, Joe had a salmon burger with truffle chips. Also, the strawberry lemonade was delightful - just what you need on a hot Summer's day.

Teds: another great spot to grab some brunch is Teds! I can see why this is a local's favourite as I had the most amazing chicken, rocket and avocado sandwich here. Highly highly recommend.

Bakers & Roasters: Bakers & Roasters, a locals favourite and I now know why!
This was the only restaurant where we had to wait - only 10 minutes or so, so it wasn't too bad... where as some locals had said they have waited up to an hour to eat here!

If you go here, you have to try the banana nut French toast, seriously seriously amazing. Joe had a pretty interesting brunch with pulled Pork, chiplotte sauce, poached eggs, avocado, melon, sourdough toast, with a side of bacon, which he loved.

I also tried a Turmeric latte for the very first time - it has a little bit of a kick, but very enjoyable.

Where to go for sweet treats!

Sticky fingers: Oh my these little pies of goodness were right up my street. I wish I could have stuffed ten in my suitcase!

We shared the lemon meringue and banoffee pies. Both equally incredible. We also had a hot chocolate and cappuccino, mmm so creamy and lovely.

I also loved the interior. Very Instagrammable - a designers dream!

There are some great ice cream shops that you have to stop by. One being Banketbakkerij v.d Linde. The most amazing whipped creamy ice cream. Another two great options are Yscuypje and Cons IJSFabriek Monte Pelmo.

Coffee stop.
The white label coffee: If I lived in Amsterdam, I could see myself working here every day! The atmosphere is very chilled and they serve delicious coffee.

Where to go for dinner:

Foodhallen: If you can't decide on what to eat, the Foodhallen is a great place to go! It's full of a variety of trendy food stalls. Options include; dim sum, burgers, Dutch cheese balls, pizza, Vietnamese and much much more. We came here twice as we loved the atmosphere and food so much!

If you do stop by, you have to try The Butcher's succulent burgers, De BallenBar's incredible melty cheese balls and the delicious dim sum from Dim Sum Thing.

There's also a dedicated gin & tonic bar! On one of the day's we went it was world gin day so they had lots of special options to choose from.

If you're in a meaty mood, you have to check out is Cafe De Klos' ribs. Joe's sister and boyfriend recommended this place and boy oh boy did it live up to the expectations! The ribs were so succulent and juicy.

If you're planning on visiting Amsterdam, do let me know if you pop by any of the above places in the comments below! Or if anyone else has any suggestions of things to do/see/eat in Amsterdam, also leave them in the comments section so this post can be helpful to fellow travellers.

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