City guides: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Renowned for its narrow cobbled streets and the infamous Red Light District, Amsterdam has alot more to offer than one would expect from such a small city. Large squares punctuate the criss-cross of narrow streets and canals, framed by traditionnal 17th century Grand Houses, and modern glass walled buildings. Naturally, museums are aplenty, and the shopping districts are truly an overlooked activity. A Bicycles are the main mode of transport, a more relaxed atmosphere allowes the traveler to explore the city at a leisurly pace. It is however advised by this traveler to look in all directions at all times, before making your move accross the street!

The main museums are:

Van Gogh Museum (Museumplein). Housing the richest collection from the tourmented Dutchman, a visit to the museum is a must for any traveler.
Anne Frank House. The house, suprisingly smaller than one would expect is a moving and unmissable tribute to the young author and the thousands of deportees during the German occupation.
Rijksmuseum: Originally founded in The Hague in 1800, the museum and its then collection was integrated and moved to the Amsterdam collection in 1808, on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparts brother. In 1876, Pierre Cuypers won a contest to design the museum. It is now home to a rich collection of some of the finest Flemish Masters (Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and Steen, to name just a few). However, due to extensive restoration of the building, the museum only exposes a few permanent paintings, and this until 2010.

As any city that is a melting pot of cultures, Amsterdam offers a wide range of international cuisine, from fine dining to cheap and cheerfull. Steer clear from the touristy and sometimes grim Red Light, and venture into De Pijp, in the south-east, which has a bohemian East Village/Notting Hill feel and tapas bars or contemporay fusion restaurants aplenty. Utrechtsestraat has French, Thai and Indonesian, very popular with the Dutch, and a legacy from colonial days.

http://amsterdam.nl

Here are some cool places, from a local point of view; ( Thanks, Jo!)

RESTAURANTS

These are a few places I really like around Amstel area (by Centraal Station) - budget for food not dirt cheap, but reasonable, obviously depends on what you choose, check them out...

Club 11:

http://www.ilove11.nl

Jo's comment: Trendy establishment for lunch, dinner and clubbing. Set in the ex Royal Dutch mail's sorting office on the 11th floor of a building right next to Centraal Station, it offers fantastic views of Amsterdam. Great food by top chefs, minimalistic design, top DJ's & VJ's for the club.

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Pont 13:

Stavangerweg 891
1013 AX Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 7702722

http://www.pont13.nl

Jo's comment: Restaurant in a great setting - a transformed Ferry boat on the Amstel. Excellent simple-gourmet food. Also do art exhibitions, theatre and music events.

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Wilhelmina Dok:

Noordwal 1
1021 PX Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 6323701

http://www.wilhelmina-dok.nl

Jo's comment: Cool, airy, trendy, and super-relaxed pad right on the Northside of the Amstel. Good for a quick (delicious & copious!!!!) sandwich or bitterballen any time of the day, but one can also consume the finer foods here. During the summer months they do "Il Cinema a Tavola" (Cinéma at the table) for film buffs and there are various all-year-round events such as Jazz on Sunday. Good place to just grab a quick beer too if you're in that neck of the woods.

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Plancius:

Restaurant Plancius | Plantage Kerklaan 61 | 1018 CX Amsterdam Tel: + 31 20 330 94 69

http://www.restaurantplancius.nl

Jo's comment: Cool design and relaxed atmosphere. Good for lunch & dinner and breakfast on the weekend. Dinner menu about 30 Euros. Right opposite Amsterdam's famous zoo Artis.

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CLUBS

Note: It is wise to check out clubs' programs before going out, as most clubs tend to have specific programs/DJ's/events.

Club 11: See above

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Wilhelmina Pakhuis:

Veemkade 576
1019 BL Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 4193368

http://www.cafepakhuiswilhelmina.nl

Jo's comment: So is it gay or not??? Don't know for sure, but it's cool!!! Decor-wise it's a dive old dodgy style, music-wise it rocks!! But be sure to check their website prior to going to make they're not organising some obscure Karaoke night in the style of Tom Waites. In November they're apparently going 80's style....

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Sugar Factory:

Lijnbaansgracht 238
1017 PH Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 6241012

http://www.sugarfactory.nl

Jo's comment: Nor straight, nor gay, just a cool little club just off of Leidse Plein. Great DJ's - famous ones too, with the odd live appearances.

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Melkweg:

Lijnbaansgracht 234
1017 Amsterdam (Noord-Holland), Netherlands
+31 20 5318181

http://www.melkweg.nl

Jo's comment: Famous club also just off of the Leidse Plein, set in an old milk factory. Rather beautiful! Good fun, but more difficult door policy if you arrive at peak clubbing time. Whenever there's a special event, it is recommended to buy tickets online straight from their website. Many big-name concerts are also held here.

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Paradiso:

Leidse Plein.

http://www.paradiso.nl

Jo's comment: Mostly a concert hall and a magnificent one at that, as it is a converted church. Many, many a great artist has played here (Goldfrapp, Bjork, Skin, ....) Anyway, they also do club nights, especially on weekends I believe and I just highly recommend to check their website for upcoming concerts. Also, if you're over that way and looking for a club it's always a good idea just to swing by there to check what's happening on any given night.

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Supper Club:

Jonge Roelensteeg 21
1012 PL Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 3446400

http://www.supperclub.com

Jo's comment: I've never been there yet, but it is a world renowned super-stylish restaurant/club, which has released a number of albums. Check out their website, this is one of those must-sees!

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ACCOMODATION

There's only one place I can recommend Really stylefully decorated, completely self contained apartment, situated on the Heren Gracht (second canal from the city centre), ideal for a short stay. 2 bicycles provided and captain Edwin will take you out for a canal trip on his beautiful "Bever" (Beaver).

This is really more for day tourists than day workers, but check it out anyway. He also has some useful links in his links-section.

86 Sous:

Herengracht 86 sous
1015 BS Amsterdam

+31 (0)629 035 956

For cheap accomodation, go to

http://iamsterdam.com

- Book Your Hotel - Show Additional Search Options. Here you can find hostels, home stay, campings, etc.