Marius' Recommendation Bible
Welcome to my recommendation page with my tips.
My name is Marius in case you forgot and I was happy to meet you on our tour together. Here I share my favorite places in Amsterdam! Checked by myself. And sometimes updat it too of course.
Have fun… It’s a big list. But before you start: You can do me a big favor to leave me a 5-star review on our Google review page with my name on it, please! This is very easy to do and it helps me a lot to go on with the free walking tours! 😃 you are super for that!
Enjoy my personal recommendations and your time in Amsterdam
Tours | Classic Tour, Food Tour, Alternative Tour, Anne Frank Tour
Likes | Long walks with strangers, trade & music production.
Barcelona, Utrecht, Rotterdam
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Calendar
Eating in Amsterdam
The Pantry | Cozy eatery features generous servings of homemade, traditional dishes on the menu and an outdoor terrace.
Moeders | The walls of the restaurant are filled with pictures of customers’ mothers!
De Blauwe Hollander | At ‘Restaurant De Blauwe Hollander’ we have been delighting our guests with authentic Dutch cuisine since 1979. Our menu features classics such as stew (a delectable blend of mashed potatoes and vegetables, served with meat and veal gravy), veal liver accompanied by crispy bacon, onions, and apples, and our globally renowned savory pea soup known as ‘snert.
Staring at Jacob | Staring at Jacob is a cool Breakfast lunch place with delicious food. Very close to my place and I feel like I’m on holiday eating there every time. It’s a treat. Delicious poached eggs or pancakes there. Please book a little in advance. You are not the only one getting the better tips to eat. Also it’s in the upcoming Hallen district area Old West.
La Place | At La Place, I enjoy having lunch because they offer a good price-quality ratio and delicious organic dishes.
Van Kerkwijk | This restaurant, near our tour endpoint, distinguishes itself by not having a menu. Daily options are explained at your table in this charming spot run by Amsterdam sisters, offering delightful soups, salads, sandwiches, and warm dishes, each around €20.
De Bakkerswinkel | Here you can have breakfast, and lunch, enjoy a high tea, have coffee, and indulge in a piece of cake.
Caldi e Feddi | Best price-value for takeaway sandwiches in Amsterdam! Italian place, highly recommended. Be aware that there will be a line with locals around lunchtime.
Ivy and Bros | Another gem in the Waffle shops and Argentinian steakhouses tourist trap Red Light District area. Very friendly people and the best food and home-roasted coffee beans from their fellow food friends Lot61. They close pretty early so breakfast and lunch. Next to the Old Church, ( that also has great pastry and terrace overlooking the weird stuff in that zone)
The Last Crumb (De Laatste Kruimel) | Delicious handmade sweets like French toast and another favorite: Quiche. Climb through a hole and up to the first floor. Take your girlfriend there, she will love it.
Spaghetteria | Delicious pastas in various types and flavors, are truly enjoyable in my opinion.
Food-Hallen | Foodhallen unites diverse flavors, offering fantastic food, drinks, and a vibrant atmosphere across our three monumental venues with 47 stands, creating unforgettable evenings.
Foodhallen | Foodhallen unites diverse flavors, offering fantastic food, drinks, and a vibrant atmosphere across our three monumental venues with 47 stands, creating unforgettable evenings.
Restaurant Blue | This is where you can enjoy a relaxed seat overviewing the heart of Amsterdam’s 360-degree rooftop view. Enjoy the Apple pie there. And flip through their own released Food book pages with delicious meals.
Ron Gastrobar | This famous Michelin Star Chef Ron Blaauw makes food with volume that tastes better that way. He had a Michelin star but returned it since he didn’t want to have the pressure of performing too much and so the team could concentrate on a nice cheque evening with quality food. Not too expensive by the way.
Food Markets
There are 2 great biological food markets on Saturday (best for your cheese shopping) on the Nieuwmarkt Square and the Noordermarkt Square (famous apple pie at Café Winkel here as well). There is a big food market on the Albert Cuyp every day except sunday.
Dinner on the water
Dinner Cruise from Central Station | The boat had comfortable seating, the staff is very attentive, and it was a great way to experience Amsterdam from the water.
Pizza & unlimited beer on the boat | This is a more affordable option but still a good way to start your night in Amsterdam. The advantage of this is that it coincides with the golden hour for pictures.
Drinking in Amsterdam
Pllek | For more alternative places you can go to Pllek. Cool street art around this area at the NDSM shipyard. You can go there by ferry for free and it’s absolutely worth it.
Wynand Fokkink | You can do a gin tasting at this Dutch distillery, the place looks really amazing from the inside. It is just behind where we started.
Poolbar | We end the food tour here, at a nice local Dutch bar with excellent pool-playing facilities. There are also plenty of Dutch games and board games available. I would recommend having a beer here. The staff is friendly.
Paradiso | Paradiso are both legendary rock clubs with the most interesting agenda. Tonight or tomorrow probably your favorite band performs right there. And sold out of course. But get your tickets affordable last minute at the very cool app Ticket Swap also active in your area these days.. Food, Festivals Fun Music, Shows Weird stuff, famous punk bands. like the Rolling Stones insisted on recording their live album documentary there. 5000 people saw Prince perform there. Someone is lying only 1500 spots in this old Rock and Roll Church.
Melkweg (Milky Way) | Only 2 minutes away from Paradiso, this is also a great option. You have to get tickets beforehand, so check what is playing that night!
Go to the areas of Leidseplein or Rembrandtplein; these are squares with loads of bars and clubs, so there are plenty of options for a good night out.
The (legendary) gay areas can be found around the Reguliersdwarsstraat and the Zeedijk.
Museums in Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum, has been voted the most beautiful museum in the world. It is dedicated to honoring Dutch Masters such as Vermeer and, of course, Rembrandt! Yet, don’t overlook the works of Frans Hals. He passionately threw paint onto the canvas, and miraculously, it turned out just right with his wild style. In total, this could become a truly mystical experience.
Van Gogh Museum Discover Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces, such as Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, Bedroom, and his self-portraits. The art is truly remarkable, and when combined with a fantastic venue, it becomes something I would highly recommend. (Get tickets)
MOCO is a must-visit if you want to enjoy more street art. The couple who initially owned a street art gallery around the corner (Spiegelstraat, featuring more cool art and antiques) has transformed it into an Instagram-worthy experience. You’ll find works by high-impact visual artists like Kusama, Hirst, and Warhol. It’s filled with cool stuff! (Get Tickets)
Our lord at the Attic Our Lord in the Attic is my favorite museum in Amsterdam. A great experience, please listen to the audio tour there too it’s highly entertaining. There is a painting of Sinterklaas/Santa Claus there too and that’s where we got the present-giving tradition from! A true pilgrim place for a gift in sockets at the fireplace lovers (Get Tickets)
Royal Palace | The Centre of The Universe, The Eight World Miracle, and home of our king for a couple of days per year and also Napoleon back in the day. As a result the most Bonaparte furniture collection in the world apart from Versailles. Look also at the marble maps of the world on the ground and the amazing sculptures in the building. An esoteric experience where everything falls in place.
Amsterdam Museum of Prostitution | A bit crowded these days, but still worth visiting, this small museum is located just around the corner from Our Lord in the Attic and Royal Palace. Worth a visit to experience a close as you can get how the lives of sex workers were back then and still today.
Stedelijk Museum | Comparable to Tate Modern in London. Modern art, you must like it. I do 😉
Huis Willet-Holthuysen Tickets | This museum offers diverse perspectives and features interactive displays. The dolls depicting the lives of slaves were particularly amazing. The timeline detailing the history of Amsterdam is very well done. Additionally, the interviews with Holocaust survivors are very moving.
Shopping in Amsterdam
To discover charming boutique shops, visit either the 9 streets or Haarlemmerstraat in the Jordaan area.
For the expensive big-brand fashion shops, go to Pieter Cornelis Hooftstraat between Vondelpark and Museum Square.
Another high-class place to shop is Bijenkorf. This is where we started the tour. It’s a big shopping mall with a rich history, mostly for rich shoppers
IJ-hallen is the largest and most atmospheric flea market in Europe, located on the north side of Amsterdam in the NDSM area. Check if there is a market when you are here. I spend a lot of time here myself so hope to meet you at my shop.
Parks & Outdoors
Vondelpark: This is a nice area to walk or bike around. In the summer, locals chill out here in the grass. It’s enjoyable to bike to this side of town.
In Winter, join the Amsterdam Light festival cruise (until 20 January). Or walk or bike all the way along the Keizersgracht,
Tip: Get the free magazine UIT Krant in the Albert Heijn Supermarkt behind the Dam Palace. For all the fun festivals, street food, live music, and musicals. Amsterdam is the number one most cultural city according to Insider.com so check it out for your entertainment.
Day Trips from Amsterdam
Bruges | In a convertible bus, you go from Amsterdam on a 3-hour ride all the way to Bruges. You get a 1-hour guide that shows you around, and enough time to explore the city and shop. You have even been in another country for a day.
Zaanse Schans & Marken | I always thought it was a tourist trap which I never recommended, but then I went there myself and said “Oh sh*t, it’s really nice here.” It’s also the first industrial area in the world. I would recommend taking a ride too there.
The Hague & Rotterdam & Madurodam | If you want to see a lot in one day and go on a high-quality trip, I would recommend this day tour. It will be a full day, but you will enjoy it!
Giethoorn | The real countryside of the Netherlands, this village is truly amazing. And the most beautiful part is that you can ride around there with your own boat. It is a bit touristy, but also very picturesque and so beautiful that you simply have to experience it.
Dam Square
2 hours
All ages
