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Restaurants,
Cafes & Bars |
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Restaurants
 Of
all the things Amsterdam can offer, a wide choice of food and drink
must stand high on the list. There are more than a thousand restaurants
to choose from in Amsterdam, and a complete list would fill a whole
book. Not surprisingly, most restaurants are in the city centre, and
just walking there you will pass many of high quality. There are particularly
many restaurants around the Leidseplein. Thanks to the many nationalities
in the city you can choose from Greek, Turkish or African dishes,
to name but a few. Of course you can also enjoy a Hollandse
stamppot (Dutch Hotchpotch) or a pancake.
Many restaurants have a terrace where you can eat outside, or have
tables on the street. When the weather is very hot (above 25C), the
rules change and just about every restaurant moves on to the street.
Cafes &
Bars
 Due
to the many students in the city there is a wide range of low-budget
eetcafes (cafes with pub-style meals).
There is little distinction between a cafe and a bar in Amsterdam.
Both sell alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, food and coffee. The
kitchen in a bar or cafe usually closes at 21:00. A very nice property
of Amsterdam, that you certainly don't find everywhere, is that you
pay the same price wherever you sit, it doesn't cost more to sit outside
on the terrace. Coffee is served Hollands
with evaporated milk, espresso, cappuccino,
and verkeerd ("reversed"), which is with lots of hot milk
(the Dutch version of a Caffee Latte).
Beer-lovers should try a witbie (white
beer) like Hoegaarden or Dentergems,
with or without a slice of lemon. You can drink beer and wine from
age 16, and spirits from age 18. Amsterdam is a paradise for beer
drinkers, but alas the wine drinker is usually left with a "choice"
between red and white.
Bruine cafes
 Throughout
Amsterdam you can find the so-called "Bruine cafes". These
are cafes with old-fashioned and homely interiors. Over the years
the walls and curtains have lost their color and each object has its
own story. Often the cafes have a number of regulars. They come every
evening to chat or play a round of cards. There is a cozy atmosphere
and often instead of music the chatter of guests can be heard. You
can also have a bite to eat in many of these cafes.
Grand cafe
 Amsterdam
has a long and rich cafe tradition. A trend in the last 15 years is
the grand cafe. This type of cafe distinguishes itself from the traditional
Bruine cafe in both size and decor. The grand cafes are spacious with
plenty of natural light. They usually have a trendy design. They often
feature a reading table with Dutch and international newspapers and
magazines.
Coffeeshops
 As
you are probably aware, Amsterdam has a policy of tolerating the sale
and use of soft drugs. This activity is centered around so-called
smoking cafes or "Coffeeshops" as the Dutch euphemistically
call them. Whether you wish to avoid them or patronize them, they
are easy to recognize: they are usually dark, have a characteristic
smell, and tend to use words like free, high, happy, dreams, and space
in the name of the cafe. |
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