Our Guide to Amsterdam
Where to eat, sleep, shop, and more while you’re at Loupe.
Editor’s note: This guide has been updated for 2019.
Whether you’re in Amsterdam for the first time or sixth, the city never fails to surprise. With a plethora of new restaurants and bars opening weekly and a repurposing of old buildings for new ventures, it’s hard to go wrong in this creative European capital. But while it’s tempting to flock to perennially packed hotspots like the Rijksmuseum or the Red Light District, we’d be terrible hosts if we didn’t lead you down a less beaten path. So consider this your local’s guide to Amsterdam — a Framer-approved list of all the best places to dine, drink and delve into the culture during Loupe 2019.
Accommodation
If you’re still on the hunt for a hotel, we’ve got rooms remaining at Hotel Jakarta, Die Port van Cleve, and Hotel Inntel, all fantastic places with unique characteristics and walking distance to the Muziekgebouw conference venue. Or try The Hoxton on the Prinsengracht, a boutique hotel that boasts a restaurant and lobby teaming with the city’s trendiest denizens. If you’re hankering for something a little more unique, book one of the 28 iconic bridge houses-turned-hotel suites offered by the Sweets Hotel and located throughout the city.
Special mentions: Morgan & Mees, De Hallen Hotel, and The Pulitzer
Coffee & Breakfast
To understand the Dutch relationship with coffee beans, head to Espressofabriek, where any of the bearded baristas can whip up a koffie verkeerd while giving you insight into the specialty coffee scene. Their location in the Westerpark is worth a visit for the building alone, a chic industrial affair located in a former gasworks building. If you’re after fuel of the more hearty variety, Amsterdam cool girl hangout, Little Collins (Oud West & De Pijp) serves up a Korean-fusion brunch menu with highlights like kimchi pancakes, soy-glazed pork belly and the best morning libations menu this side of the pond. But for the pancake purists, there’s always PANCAKES Amsterdam at the IJ, where pannekoeken — the Dutch variety is served up flat, crèpe-like, savory or sweet — reigns supreme.
Special mentions: Scandinavian Embassy, Selma’s, Moak and Staring at Jacob
Lunch
For a quick lunch, head back to school at Cafe DS (Baarjes), which serves up a weekly-rotating vegetarian menu for 10 euros, inside a former school-turned-multipurpose-entertainment-zone. Or kill two (maybe three) birds with a close shave, craft beer, and lunch at Cut Throat barbershop, the best-kept-secret in the Red Light District. If you’re willing to stretch your legs, the Albert Cuypstraat’s mile-long open-air market in De Pijp is a fantastic way to sample some classic Dutch cuisine, like raw haring (not for the faint of heart), chewy caramelized stroopwaffels and all kinds of creamy, nutty Dutch cheese, like Edam or Gouda (pronounced “how-dah”).
Special mentions: Cafe Zurich, Dignita, CT Coffee & Coconuts, Vegan Junk Food
Dinner
Mossels & Gin combines the two great loves of young, urban Amsterdammers, serving it up in a buzzing garden courtyard within the Westerpark enclave. In a similar vein is indoor food market De Foodhallen in Oud-West where you’ll have your pick of 20 street food stalls plying everything from wood-fired pizza and Vietnamese spring rolls to truffle bitterballen. Or class it up at the Daalder in the Jordaan and put your palate in the capable hands of Chef Dennis Huawe and his Michelin star winning 5-course menu. For ethical, locally-sourced and almost too-pretty-to-eat dishes, make a reservation at either Bak or De Kas.
Indonesian food is a staple here and Restaurant Blauw does a fancy spin on the popular rijsttafel. For a trendier take on Southeast Asian food, head to Branie on the Ten Katestraat, where the only thing better than the drool-worthy shareable small plates are the inventive fusion cocktails. Or take a trip to Latin America at Salmuera, where grilled meats, ceviche, and empanadas are paired with an exhaustive wine list.
Special mentions: Binnenviser, Venus & Adonis, Loetje, Bar Central, Primi
Nightlife
Don’t leave without stopping by one of the ubiquitous brown cafes, Amsterdam’s answer to the British pub. Some, like Arendsnest, are popular for their extensive selection of Dutch craft beer, while at neighborhood haunts like Festina Lente, you should expect nothing more than a biertje, rustic charm and perhaps a Framer staff member or two. If you’re looking for more of a scene, bike (or boat) up to the Waterkant, a no-nonsense canalside hotspot serving up strong G&Ts, 90s R&B, and surprisingly good Surinamese bar bites. Nearby, Bar Oldenhof offers a delightful step back into a 19th-century parlor, complete with whiskey cocktails, fireside nooks, and a cigar room.
Imbibed enough adult juice and ready to hit the town? Check the roster at the Melkweg or Paradiso to catch big-name bands in some pretty iconic venues. For something a smidgen more eclectic, pop into OT301, a former squat bar turned anything-goes venue, where you might run into a Balkan band, Berlin-style ping-pong game or bootleg radio broadcast, often all on the same night. Amsterdam also offers a wide range of electronic music events — we do, after all, host over 300 festivals every year, including ADE, Dekmantel, and PITCH — so the discerning dance music lover will not be disappointed. Peruse the lineup at De Marktkantine, a former Dutch traders’ canteen turned house music haven, or take your chances at the eponymously-named De School, a great place to discover homegrown DJ talent. And just like Shelter, beneath the A’dam tower across ‘t IJ, it too holds a 24-hour license — so yes, this is where you head if you want to keep the party going.
Special mentions: Hanneke’s Boom, Wynand Fockinck, Hiding in Plain Sight
Shopping
If you’re finding it hard not to ogle Amsterdammers and their effortless style, head to De Negen Straatjes to deck yourself out in some fashionable threads. Verse Good Store carries some of the hippest sustainable and eco-friendly brands under one roof. Then accessorize with sunglasses or spectacles at the uber-trendy Ace & Tate or swoop up a pair of kicks at sneaker store Solebox, designed to look like the inside of a chemistry lab. If a downpour is in the forecast (isn’t it always?), Scandinavian-born brand Rains is your best bet for waterproof coats, bags and more. Finding it hard to choose between Amsterdam’s many concept stores? We recommend Hutspot, which features only Dutch-crafted clothing and accessories, or X bank, a 700m2 clothing store and art gallery inside the W Hotel.
The Dutch design aesthetic is famous the world over and on display in every bar, restaurant, and home. To get a sense for the genre, peruse ultra-minimalist furniture at HAY — a favorite with the Framer folk — or Moooi, where quirky light fixtures and functional furniture rule supreme. In the market for something more portable? Pick up an artsy book at Sans Serriffe or a ‘made in Amsterdam’ gift at Jan.
Special mentions: Sunika, Six & Sons, District 1071
Activities & Day Trips
With over 400 museums, including the Rijksmuseum, van Gogh, and Stedelijk Museum — there’s no shortage of art and culture in this city. But if you’re up for more of an adventure, pick up a bike — the backpedal omafiets is most popular here — and head away from the center and into some of the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Start in the Jordaan, arguably Amsterdam’s most charming neighborhood, where hippie artists and affluent newcomers rub shoulders in mom-and-pop run corner cafes. Then bike through the Vondelpark — perhaps stopping for a drink at Blauwe Theehuis — and hang a right to hit Oud-West, a vibrant enclave where trendy sidewalk cafes, quiet tree-lined streets, and the bustling Ten-Katemarkt are things of note. Or head further afield to the Oost, through wide-open streets that bypass the stately homes of the Plantage and the multi-cultural stores of the Dapperbuurt. Recommended pitstops: Brouwerij ‘t IJ, a craft brewery in a windmill and the tropical wonderland that is Hortus Botanicus. On that note: If you’re a big fan of beer, Amsterdam is home to hundreds of craft breweries, most of which are accessible by bike.
Your trusty new steed can get you as far as you can pedal, with impeccably-marked bike paths stretching all the way to Zandvoort beach, the UNESCO-protected windmills of the Kinderdijk and Marken, a quaint fishing village. If you’re more interested in Rem Koolhaus-style architecture, hop on the train to the modern port city of Rotterdam; or go back in time to Utrecht, where medieval monuments and churches are city fixtures.
Now that you’ve seen Amsterdam by plane, train and bike, it’s time to cross the last mode of transportation off your bucket list and view the city by water. Skip the tourist canal boats, gather some newfound conference friends and rent a Mokum or Sloepdelen by the hour — no prior boat maneuvering experience needed.
