Amsterdam what to eat typical, from the classic stalls where you can find herring and smoked eel with onion, to restaurants and clubs for a good beer or breakfast with hot waffle.
Amsterdam, the Little Venice of the North. Amsterdam, coffee shop and transgression. Amsterdam, Van Gogh and tulips. How many clichés are wasted on this city suspended between land and sea where it seems mandatory to get lost among the canals that are all alike!
In fact, if the first time you were overwhelmed by its architectural beauty and its timeless views, on the second tour you will realize that Amsterdam equals food. I don't think the Dutch are famous for their food, however the streets in the center are a succession of specialty restaurants from various countries, with varying prices and for all tastes.
A typical day in the city, interspersed with various visits to museums, galleries, markets and other must-see stops for tourists, can include numerous stops to satisfy the palate. I will suggest some of them, so that you can be sure that you go home with a couple of extra kilos, otherwise, what holiday would it be?
For a morning sugar boost it is advisable to jump on a good one hot waffle, to your liking garnished with cream, chocolate or other toppings. Amsterdam is cold and humid as you know and this soft and sugary biscuit, also typical of Belgium and Northern France, will warm your heart. Better to accompany it with a American long coffee. Recommended place: Metropolitan in Warmoestraat.
Under normal conditions this is not expected, but being on vacation, your morning is sure to include a snack. So I would say that it is time to jump headlong beer e fish. Sandwich with smoked salmon, pepper, cocktail sauce, sandwich with smoked eel and onions, sandwich with herring or salted mackerel, onions and pickled gherkins. If you love raw fish (actually the smoking and salt preservation process mitigates the strong flavor of these Northern fish), you will eat so many that the aroma of onion and sea (which some inexperienced people would call olezzo) will remain with you. until your return.
Recommended places: the best are i stalls, especially in front of the Flower Market (closed on Sundays) and al food market in Rembrandtplein, but you will actually find kiosks in many corners of the city.
The cold northern afternoons are the ideal condition to stop in one of the typical ones bruin café, typical Dutch pubs with a "dark" atmosphere (precisely bruin) but very welcoming. These small wooden dining places, sometimes lofted, crammed with vintage bottles and trinkets offer quick dishes such as soups, salads, sandwiches, and excellent desserts. I came across a thick pea soup with smoked bacon, apfeltarte (apple pie) with cream and gluh wein. Recommended place: Café T-smalle in Egelantiersgracht.
After an afternoon wandering through the canals or admiring the works of Van Gogh and Munch at the Van Gogh Museum, beautiful not only for the works but also for the tour, the choice of dinner can be anticipated by a appetizer, not very usual in Holland actually, al Café Mandje. It is as traditional as it is eccentric, as well as the first gay friendly bar in town opened in 1927 by Mrs. Bet van Beeren, the legendary character who managed the place until her death in 1982. The welcome is unique: funky music in the background, old-time characters dancing while sipping beer and various objects with 2 fingers of dust hanging from the ceiling. Experience to try in Seawall 63.
The choice of dinner will be a bit difficult if you are undecided. There is something for every taste, from Brazilian to Argentine, from Japanese to Surinamese. I went for a burger inside BurgerFabriek, Warmoestraat offering a wide choice of American, Indian, Mexican and of course Dutch style burgers, as well as the next night for a great Argentinian in The Argentine house in Zeedijk. In both cases, the prices are affordable, as opposed to the portions, which are definitely abundant!
You cannot leave Amsterdam without tasting the typical Dutch distillate, the Jenever, a kind of gin served in a tulip-shaped shot glass filled strictly to the brim. For the occasion, you can go to Proeflokaal de Ooievaar in Sint Olofspoort 1 where you will be welcomed by an old-time barman who will explain how to drink your drink between one bar and the next, or The Elfe Gebod in Zeedijk, a refreshment for solo travelers or in company!
