Hi there, my name is Sandra and Amsterdam is the city where I was born. In my opinion, this city is amazing! We have so many good restaurants from all around the world, beautiful museums, romantic canals, city parks, a world famous concert hall etc. And the great thing about Amsterdam is that it is a really small city. It actually is a big village compared to other cities in the world.
I have been a host to many people staying at my apartment and they always told me that they loved their stay in Amsterdam so much thanks to all my recommendations. After receiving so much positive feedback I decided I want to share all these cool places with the rest of the world.
When I travel myself (I have been to many places all around the globe) I love to end up at those special places that are not stuffed with tourists, but where I will always remember that wonderful dish that was prepared with so much love, or where the staff just made me feel so welcome that I spent all day or night at that specific place. I hope that my recommendations will contribute to your unique experiences in this beautiful city.
In the city centre of Amsterdam you can visit our Royal Zoo Artis. It is the oldest zoo in The Netherlands and one of the oldest zoos of Europe. During summer they open every Saturday night and extra activities are being organised (concerts, workshops etc). To visit the zoo you have to buy a ticket but if you just want to sit down and relax you can go to Artisplein (a charming square, free access), grab a chair and watch the flamingos. More information: www.artis.nl
Foto: Artis
Although Rayleigh & Ramsay doesn’t call itself a wine bar, at this new hotspot you can taste more than 100 different wines from all over the world. They even have wines from countries like Armenia, India and The Netherlands. By adding money to a card that you will receive, you can poor the wines yourself. You can choose between half a glass, a whole glass or even a sip. If you don’t spend the complete amount that you’ve added to the card, you can get back the amount left in cash. They have a lunch and dinner menu as well and delicious bites like oysters and cheeses. Address: Zocherstraat 2.
Last January (2017) Michele Sabatelli opened Casa Sabatelli, a small, hip Italian restaurant, at de Kinkerstraat. He visited Amsterdam four years ago and noticed that there was no place in Amsterdam that served authentic Italian pasta, so he decided to do it himself. Michele is from the south of Italy, Puglia, were his father owns a pasta factory. At Casa Sabatelli they serve gnocchi, oreschiette, spaghetti as well as homemade salads. It is a cute little place were they have a couple of tables downstairs and two swing chairs at the window. Upstairs you can find the restaurant. You will feel like you’re in Italy and the good thing about this place is that the food is not expensive! Address: Kinkerstraat 230.
Inside De Foodhallen you will find De Kanarie Club. It is a new concept where people can go for breakfast as well as cocktails or a fancy dinner. At this place you can bring your laptop and work for a couple of hours, but you can bring your kids as well as they can entertain themselves in de area upstairs where they built a space that looks like a small empty swimming pool. Address: Bellamyplein 51.
This ecological pastry shop opened its doors less than 3 months ago, just around the corner from the Vondelpark. All the delicious cakes and treats are homemade and do not contain any artificial colourings. Decorated with a wall made of pink tiles and recycled furniture, the interior is sustainable and trendy. Have a look at the wall that is made of furniture that they received from various neighbours! Sticky Fingers opens its doors at 7am for the early birds who like a yoghurt & granola breakfast while they watch the city wake up. Address: Amstelveenseweg 3.
Foto: Sandra Nicolai
On February 11th and 12th, 60 professional dealers of interior design objects from all over Europe will come together at the Kromhouthal in Amsterdam-Noord. During these two days you can buy design objects from several famous designers like Charles & Ray Eames to Mies van der Rohe. The entrance fee is 10 euros on Saturday and 5 euros on Sunday. More information: www.design-icons.nl
Ed van der Elsken was one of the biggest photographers and documentary filmers of the 20th century in The Netherlands. He looked for colourful personalities and beautiful girls in the streets of cities like Paris, Tokio and Hong Kong and cared for making a personal connection with them. You can see the largest overview of his work in 25 years at the Stedelijk Museum. More information: www.stedelijk.nl
Jeroen Swolfs wanted to visit every country in the world to take pictures of local daily life. It resulted in the project Streets of the World, which consist of 200 street pictures of 200 countries that show us a positive view on the world. A refreshing response to all the negative news that the mass media focuses on. You can visit the exhibition for free from Monday to Friday 9 AM – 6 PM at Felix Meritis.
From December 1st until January 22nd Amsterdam lights up for the Amsterdam Light Festival. You can see more than 35 artworks from various international artists in the streets and canals. The artworks are found alongside two routes (a walking tour and a boat tour). See more at: www.amsterdamlightfestival.com
From November 16th to 27th, Amsterdam will transforms itself to the international documentary capital of the world. This event, IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), welcomes some 2.500 international documentary professionals in Amsterdam during eleven days of films. It is unique for the presence of many filmmakers, the variety of genres, its debates, workshops and much more. Tickets and program: www.idfa.nl