Amsterdam is one of those cities that you've heard is amazing, you believe is cool, but that actually puts you into a state of awe when you experience it for yourself.
As one of my fav bloggers, The Journey Junkie, put it, most people come to Amsterdam for the obvious reasons: to legally smoke marijuana...to visit the red light district...orrrr to legally smoke marijuana.
What I didn't realize until I first reached the city and saw for myself, was how breathtakingly beautiful, rich in history, lively and completely musical a city it is. The people are charmingly and overly friendly and there is a contagious, positive energy in the air that we felt all weekend long.
It beyond lives up to par. Here is a compilation of a few spots that made Amsterdam one of my favorites, (and not at all because of legal marijuana or the red light district!)
Food Worth Checking Out:
Metropolitain (Spacious, bustling and beautiful brunch and lunch restaurant with mimosas and a mean avocado toast. This place immediately cured our jet lag.)
CT Coffee & Coconuts (Awesome 2 story brunch and lunch spot that used to be an old movie theater. Great size for accommodating big parties and so good that we came back twice.)
Bulls & Dogs (Cozy, fireplace ambiance, simple menu and to die for "freakshakes".)
Schatte Moutje (This place is a restaurant completely devoted to potatoes in all forms. What ?! Everything is fresh, cooked on the spot and paired with so many spread and dip options you won't know what to do with yourself.)
Most Happening Streets/Areas:
Oude Pijp and De Pijp areas (These areas are in the south of town and was where we stayed. It was a very young and lively area, with great food, bars, boutiques and barkers always filled with young people our and about at night. So worth checking out! We specifically liked Gerard Doustraat St and Eerste van der Helststraat St.)
Red Light District: (Of course you have to walk through it at some point, it was eery and heart wrenching but an experience in itself.
If I could say one thing on it, it is don't take pictures of the women and "sex workers" in their windows. We saw tourists and visitors pulling out their cameras and it made me cringe; for these women that is their job, that is their work and regardless of how appalling it is to us, how they got there or why they are doing it they still deserve a level of respect. I found it so disgusting to see people photographing them... like zoo animals.)
Jordaan District (The left side of the city, where you see the postcard pictures of the canals and more boutique-y shopping than the bigger name brand shops in the center of the city.)
De 9 Straatjes (The 9 Streets: streets of more local shopping, restaurants and cafes.)
Must Hit Adventures:
Bike Tour (The city is known for its bike friendliness and accessibility; there are actually more bikes than there are cars and bikers completely have the right of way over cars and pedestrians. We did our bike tour through and absolutely loved our guide, in just 2 hours she took us past a majority of the points of interest in the city. We did this on our first day so that we could get a bit of the lay of the land.) I Amsterdam sign (This is of course a must do, and since there are a few iAmsterdam signs around town it really doesn't matter which you go to. The first and probably most famous and popular is the one in the museumplatz between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.)
Dam Square (The main and most famous square in Amsterdam that has seasonal carnivals. Don't forget to try the famous waffles & stroopwafels!)
Friendship Booze Boat Ride (One of my favorite things we did this weekend. A friend recommended this boat company specifically and they couldn't have been better! Super chill, young, fun staff that keeps the tour alternative, funny and interesting. Leaves out of the red light district, is 15 euro per person for the hour. You can get drinks on board, full bar.)
Bloemenmarkt (Floating flower market set on the canal with stalls on the water selling fresh flowers, succulents and souvenirs.)
Going Out at Night:
Leidsplein (I was told that this is known as the big clubs area and I see why: look for Chicago Social Club, Sugar Factory, Melkweg and Jimmy Woo.)
Rembrentplein (This is a large square with door to door bars and clubs all facing in to the square. Both nights they were crawling with young people having fun, restaurants and coffee shops open into the night.)
Coffee Shops:
I know you were thinking it... and it is Amsterdam after all! All I'm going to say is the oldest one in Amsterdam and most unique in my opinion is Dampkring. The coffee shop was in Oceans 12 and Brad Pitt comes back every time he's in town. It has a very Alice in Wonderland decor feel and is much more homey and cozy than another's in the city. There's great music, a cat that lives there that is completely stoned, and they make incredible milkshakes.
What more could you ask for?