Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s got everything a hipster like me needs, awesome cafes, good restaurants, amazing cityscapes (for instagram backgrounds obviously), and all kinds of fun and quirky things to do, plus you can bike everywhere!
Eat
Kantjil & Tijger: Some of the best Indonesian food I’ve had outside of Indonesia! This place consistently gets recommended to me by Amsterdam locals whenever I ask about Indonesian food in the city, and it does not disappoint .
Ted’s Place: Hipster brunch with delicious food and communal tables. There can be a bit of a line on weekends, but what brunch with out having to wait for it?
Coffee & Coconuts: Brunch, coffee, work cafe, and totally beautiful inside. Plus they have fresh coconuts which I love!
The Avocado Show: AVOCADO EVERYTHING! Seriously it’s a whole restaurant based around avocados, so hipster.
Pesca: A sort of kitschy fish market style restaurant, you pick out your seafood, sides, and wine as you go through the “market”, then you sit down and enjoy everything!
Croissanterie Egstorf: Two words, Fresh Stroopwafel. If you’ve never had a stroopwafel, it is the most delicious cookie-waffle-caramel thing, and you can get them all over Amsterdam, but this spot has awesome ones fresh off the press!
Wok to Walk: There really isn’t anything inherently hipster about Wok to Walk, but it’s awesome take out noodles and I’m kind of obsessed with it.
A Hipster’s Guide to Barcelona
Drink
Coffee Company: Quiet little coffee shop with lots of light, good coffee, and free wifi.
De Balie: The ultimate work cafe, it’s two stories with tons of tables and plugs and of course wifi. They also have a full menu of coffee drinks as well as food. It is our go-to spot for work days while in Amsterdam.
Cafe Gollem Beer Bar: There are actually several locations around Amsterdam now (the first time I went there was only one!), but all of them are cozy, homey, little bars with a very hip Amsterdam feel. They also have quiet a few of their own specialty brewed beers.
Whiskey Cafe L&B: For the whiskey lovers out there this is heaven, an entire bar dedicated just to that sweet brown liquor. They have more bottles than I could count and the bartender is really helpful in picking out what you want and like.
Cafe Belgique: Right off the main touristy shopping area and down a little alley is this cute little Belgian beer bar. It’s tiny but awesome and perfect if you love those Belgian beers!
Packing for Europe – Summer or Fall
Do
Rent a bike and bike around: Get around the city like a local and rent a bike. It’s fun and makes getting around the city super easy. Amsterdam’s bike infrastructure is crazy awesome, they’ve got bike paths that go all over as well as designated bike parking areas for when you get to your destination. It’s honestly easier to bike places than to drive, which makes sense as there are four times as many bikes in Amsterdam as there are cars. There are bikes shop all over which makes renting one for the day or the week or however long you’d like easy. And if you need to brush up on your biking etiquette check out this Guide to Biking in Amsterdam for some good tips.
Electric Ladyland: “The only museum of its kind in the world”, Electric Ladyland is a museum dedicated to fluorescent art – that glow in the dark, black light poster kind of fluorescent. But it’s not really a museum in the traditional sense, this fascinating exhibit is in the basement of a house and the hippy owner gives you the tour and the whole spiel about fluorescent everything. I know this sounds weird, and it definitely is, but it’s also awesome and a totally unique experience.
Street Art: Amsterdam has some really cool street art. You can take a tour to see some of the best in the city or you can wander around and catch glimpses of it everwhere.
These tours look pretty rad: Street Art & Alternative Walking Tour; Street Art N Alternative Amsterdam Walking Tour; Original Europe Tours Amsterdam
Vondelpark: Get outside and enjoy some green space in Vondelpark, it’s like the Central Park or Golden Gate Park of Amsterdam. Walk or bike around the paths, picnic on the grass, and just enjoy greenery.
Jordaan Neighborhood: Jordaan is one of the cutest neighborhoods around with its winding streets, canals, and classic Amsterdam buildings it’s honestly the best place to take photos. There are also plenty of indie boutiques, vintage shops, and hip cafes to check out as well.
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