Caro's Local Guide to Amsterdam
Food Scene
Trendy cafe 3min walk from my place, good brunch and dinner option, or just head there for drinks.
24 residents recomanen
No Man's Art Gallery
90 Bos en LommerwegTrendy cafe 3min walk from my place, good brunch and dinner option, or just head there for drinks.
Delicious and affordable breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe with good coffee. 4min walk from my place.
43 residents recomanen
Samen - Lunch and Juices
72 Bos en LommerwegDelicious and affordable breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe with good coffee. 4min walk from my place.
Best coffee in Amsterdam 2min walk from my place! There is a queue for a reason :)
21 residents recomanen
Friedhats FUKU Cafe
136 HS Bos en LommerwegBest coffee in Amsterdam 2min walk from my place! There is a queue for a reason :)
Local Hero
92H Jan van GalenstraatGreat brunch spot nearby, worth booking on the weekends.
Cheap Surinamese roti 5min from my place, eat in or takeaway. I recommend the kipfilet roti or the veg meal roti. Also on ubereats.
44 residents recomanen
Ram's Roti
107 Jan van GalenstraatCheap Surinamese roti 5min from my place, eat in or takeaway. I recommend the kipfilet roti or the veg meal roti. Also on ubereats.
Tasty pizza with unusual toppings, also GF options. good beers on the sunny terrace by Erasmuspark.
117 residents recomanen
Eetwinkel Buurman & Buurman
171 MercatorstraatTasty pizza with unusual toppings, also GF options. good beers on the sunny terrace by Erasmuspark.
Cool bar serving pizzas in Westerpark, they have good djs on the weekends.
6 residents recomanen
Radio Radio
3 PazzanistraatCool bar serving pizzas in Westerpark, they have good djs on the weekends.
Huge indoor street food market and bars in the Oud-West, lots of choice and a great buzzy atmosphere, a must-visit if it's your first time here. There is also a nice food market outside on the Ten Katestraat. 20min walk or 7min cycle.
1500 residents recomanen
Foodhallen Amsterdam
16 BellamypleinHuge indoor street food market and bars in the Oud-West, lots of choice and a great buzzy atmosphere, a must-visit if it's your first time here. There is also a nice food market outside on the Ten Katestraat. 20min walk or 7min cycle.
Fun atmosphere, good service (a rare thing in Amsterdam!) and delicious Asian food, also nice cocktails... another of my favourite local tips in the Oud-West, opposite the Foodhalln.
Branie
26a huis Ten KatestraatFun atmosphere, good service (a rare thing in Amsterdam!) and delicious Asian food, also nice cocktails... another of my favourite local tips in the Oud-West, opposite the Foodhalln.
Cute locals wine bar and restaurant, 20min walk or 7min cycle from my apartment. Reservations recommended! https://www.binnenvisser.nl/
57 residents recomanen
Café Binnenvisser
36 BilderdijkstraatCute locals wine bar and restaurant, 20min walk or 7min cycle from my apartment. Reservations recommended! https://www.binnenvisser.nl/
Great spot for falafel and local craft beers, only 12min walk from my place. Also on ubereats.
57 residents recomanen
Kauffmann - Falafel & Beer
4b Reinier ClaeszenstraatGreat spot for falafel and local craft beers, only 12min walk from my place. Also on ubereats.
Quirky lunch and dinner spot right in the city centre, hidden down a leafy alley.
33 residents recomanen
Kapitein Zeppos
5 Gebed Zonder EndQuirky lunch and dinner spot right in the city centre, hidden down a leafy alley.
High end restaurant on the Singel canal, pricey but so worth it for a special occasion!
63 residents recomanen
BREDA
210 SingelHigh end restaurant on the Singel canal, pricey but so worth it for a special occasion!
Pendergast
14 Groen van PrinstererstraatExcellent BBQ joint for the meat lovers! Close to Westerpark.
Bars & Nightlife
All the bars in Westerpark (5min cycle or 20min walk from the flat) have great outdoor seating and terraces, including Pacific, Ton Ton, Radio Radio... a great area to spend an evening!
428 residents recomanen
Pacific Parc
23 PolonceaukadeAll the bars in Westerpark (5min cycle or 20min walk from the flat) have great outdoor seating and terraces, including Pacific, Ton Ton, Radio Radio... a great area to spend an evening!
There are a few Troost bars in Amsterdam, great if you love craft ales.
178 residents recomanen
Brouwerij Troost
21 Cornelis TroostpleinThere are a few Troost bars in Amsterdam, great if you love craft ales.
One of my favourite local brown bars in the centre, cosy atmosphere and board games.
114 residents recomanen
Festina Lente
40B LooiersgrachtOne of my favourite local brown bars in the centre, cosy atmosphere and board games.
Café Thijssen
107 BrouwersgrachtBrilliant brown bar in the Jordaan.
Great bar and restaurant in Amsterdam NOORD, big outdoor terrace if it's sunny! Catch the ferry to NDSM.
1052 residents recomanen
Pllek
59 T.T. NeveritawegGreat bar and restaurant in Amsterdam NOORD, big outdoor terrace if it's sunny! Catch the ferry to NDSM.
Another good craft ale cafe with outside seating, 12min walk from the apartment.
TEARS | Butcher's Tears tap
10 Jan van GalenstraatAnother good craft ale cafe with outside seating, 12min walk from the apartment.
Fun wine bar next to Vondelpark where you get to pick and choose which wines you taste and how much, great selections and tasty food too.
20 residents recomanen
Rayleigh & Ramsay Overtoom
2 ZocherstraatFun wine bar next to Vondelpark where you get to pick and choose which wines you taste and how much, great selections and tasty food too.
Pub in the Oud-West, one of my favourite 'brown bars', a locals pub with good selection of beers
84 residents recomanen
Café L'Affiche
39 Jacob van LennepstraatPub in the Oud-West, one of my favourite 'brown bars', a locals pub with good selection of beers
Japan-themed karaoke bar on the main gay street in town, the bar is really fun even if you're not going to use the karaoke booths! This whole street (Reguliersdwarsstraat) is full of buzzing bars and nightlife.
7 residents recomanen
Duke Of Tokyo
37 ReguliersdwarsstraatJapan-themed karaoke bar on the main gay street in town, the bar is really fun even if you're not going to use the karaoke booths! This whole street (Reguliersdwarsstraat) is full of buzzing bars and nightlife.
Tales & Spirits
5-7 LijnbaanssteegCentral cocktail bar, delicious drinks.
Brewery with a famous windmill in Amsterdam Oost, great outdoor terrace by the water.
1100 residents recomanen
Brouwerij 't IJ
7 FunenkadeBrewery with a famous windmill in Amsterdam Oost, great outdoor terrace by the water.
Parks and green spaces
Gorgeous park round the corner from my apartment, a good local hangout, great for lazy summer afternoons and you can even swim from the deck in the big canal. There is also a cute cafe in the centre of the park with nice outside seating.
19 residents recomanen
Erasmuspark
Jan van GalenstraatGorgeous park round the corner from my apartment, a good local hangout, great for lazy summer afternoons and you can even swim from the deck in the big canal. There is also a cute cafe in the centre of the park with nice outside seating.
Pretty swimming lake with a man-made sandy beach, about 13min cycle from my flat.
109 residents recomanen
Sloterplas
OostoeverPretty swimming lake with a man-made sandy beach, about 13min cycle from my flat.
Beautiful forest Amsterdamse Bos, it is only about 35min cycle away. Great for walks, there is also a lake in the middle where you can swim, and a goat farm!
547 residents recomanen
Bosc d'Amsterdam
Beautiful forest Amsterdamse Bos, it is only about 35min cycle away. Great for walks, there is also a lake in the middle where you can swim, and a goat farm!
For one of the best swimspots in Amsterdam, head to Bogortuin on Java-eiland.
26 residents recomanen
Java Eiland
For one of the best swimspots in Amsterdam, head to Bogortuin on Java-eiland.
Art & Culture
Incredible contemporary art gallery in an old munitions factory, one of the coolest places to see here in my opinion! It's out the city in Zandaam, but worth it for a day out, the exhibitions are 10euros but there is also a cafe, bar and sunny terrace. It's open Thurs-Sunday and you can catch the ferry there from Centraal station: https://hethem.nl/en/Het-Hem/Route
Het HEM
1 WarmperserijIncredible contemporary art gallery in an old munitions factory, one of the coolest places to see here in my opinion! It's out the city in Zandaam, but worth it for a day out, the exhibitions are 10euros but there is also a cafe, bar and sunny terrace. It's open Thurs-Sunday and you can catch the ferry there from Centraal station: https://hethem.nl/en/Het-Hem/Route
Smaller than the big museums but very cool photography museum on the central Keizersgracht canal. Worth a visit. https://www.foam.org/
792 residents recomanen
Escuma
609 KeizersgrachtSmaller than the big museums but very cool photography museum on the central Keizersgracht canal. Worth a visit. https://www.foam.org/
Super cool cinema showing arthouse and indie movies, also a bar and restaurant. About 10min cycle from my place in the Oud-West.
69 residents recomanen
LAB111
111 Arie BiemondstraatSuper cool cinema showing arthouse and indie movies, also a bar and restaurant. About 10min cycle from my place in the Oud-West.
Another great photography museum, set in a beautiful old house on the Keizergracht canal.
99 residents recomanen
Huis Marseille, Museu de Fotografia
401 KeizersgrachtAnother great photography museum, set in a beautiful old house on the Keizergracht canal.
Daytrippers
Long sandy beach and sand dunes, 30min on the train out of Amsterdam. Take the direct train from Sloterdijk to Zandvoort aan zee. Even nicer is Bloemendaal beach with its cute beach bars, you can exit the train at Haarlem and take the bus 81 to Bloemendaal aan zee.
56 residents recomanen
Zandvoort Beach
13 Boulevard de FavaugeLong sandy beach and sand dunes, 30min on the train out of Amsterdam. Take the direct train from Sloterdijk to Zandvoort aan zee. Even nicer is Bloemendaal beach with its cute beach bars, you can exit the train at Haarlem and take the bus 81 to Bloemendaal aan zee.
Art gallery and sculpture garden in the Veluwe forest. Perfect for a day trip, ideally if you have rented/own a car. The museum has the 2nd largest collection of Van Gogh in the world. One hour drive from Amsterdam
231 residents recomanen
Museu Kröller Müller
6 HoutkampwegArt gallery and sculpture garden in the Veluwe forest. Perfect for a day trip, ideally if you have rented/own a car. The museum has the 2nd largest collection of Van Gogh in the world. One hour drive from Amsterdam
Another wonderful contemporary art gallery with a private collection, set on beautiful grounds. The museum is outside Den Haag about 45min drive. Stop off at Wassennar beach afterwards and it's a perfect day out!
87 residents recomanen
Museu Voorlinden
90 BuurtwegAnother wonderful contemporary art gallery with a private collection, set on beautiful grounds. The museum is outside Den Haag about 45min drive. Stop off at Wassennar beach afterwards and it's a perfect day out!