There’s more to the ‘Dam than stroopwafel and smokes, the Dutch capital is a place of contradictions, where order and chaos make for strange – though polite – bedfellows. It’s cosmopolitan with a village mentality, steeped in history but propelled by innovation and neat as a pin but not afraid to get dirty. Here straight-talking residents brush shoulders with disorientated tourists. Luckily, you needn’t be one of them. Our weekend city guide to Amsterdam turns those red lights green, so you can navigate the city like a (old) master…
FRIDAY: EVENING
Soho House Amsterdam, Small Plus room
From Schiphol airport, the fastest – not to mention cheapest – way into the city is by train. Hop aboard and you’ll be saying ‘Hallo!’ to Amsterdam Centraal within 20 swift minutes. From there, it’s a 10-minute walk to Soho House Amsterdam, an art deco marvel housed in the city’s former stock exchange, the Bungehuis. As you check in you’ll notice the restored timber panelling, kaleidoscopic stained-glass windows and original mosaic floors which lend each floor of this seven-storey stay an air of old-world glamour. Peek around and you’ll also find a Cowshed spa; a gym with canal views (complete with a sauna and steam room); a contemporary art collection inspired by the Dutch masters and a rooftop terrace with a pool overlooking main shopping drag Spuistraat. Ease yourself into the weekend slowly with a splash about at sunset and a CBD facial (you’re in the ‘Dam, after all…), to be followed up by Club House Picantes and heaped servings of homemade pasta at ground-floor Cecconi’s.
SATURDAY: MORNING
Stedelijk Museum souvenirs
Take breakfast in bed, surrounded by Soho House’s signature retro-luxe decor, and – if you’re in a Plus room – picture-perfect canal views to match. Once risen, stroll southward to the city’s museum quarter, which is home to some of Europe’s most celebrated art works. The Rijksmuseum is an Amsterdam right of passage, with a collection spanning 800 years and works by the holy trinity of Dutch painting; Rembrant, Jan Steen and Frans Hals. In the Hogwarts-esque Cuypers Library, one of the Netherlands’ oldest – and most extensive – historical art archives, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch takes pride of place. The controversial painting has gathered a cult following and several conspiracies over the years, which claim the painting subtly discloses a murder plot among the militia officers it depicts. Whatever you believe, its ethereal use of light and shadow is remarkable.
Fast-forward some 400 years by crossing over to the Stedelijk, the city’s largest contemporary art gallery. Affectionately known as ‘the bath tub’ on account of its sleek white architecture, the permanent collection features work by the titans of Modernism – Picasso, Warhol, Mondrian, Rothko, Lichtenstein – while the gallery’s rotation of temporary exhibitions are dedicated to more recent artists and movements. Guests of Soho House can borrow Stedelijk membership cards, granting them free entry. Round the corner, Reflex Gallery has its proverbial finger on the city’s creative pulse with an enviable roster of upcoming artists on their books.
SATURDAY: AFTERNOON
Athenaeum Boekhandel
Head back north, stopping along the way at Kramer Kunst & Antiek, where Eduard Kramer and his family have been peddling their wares for over 60 years. Stepping inside this historic shop is a bit like stepping inside a Golden Age still-life with all its trinkets and treasures, from Bartmann jugs and Rumer glasses to 17th-century Dutch tiles, Delft blue pottery, Asian porcelain and more. Next, head to Huis Marseille, a photography museum housed between two 17th-century houses, whose ornate interiors have been kept largely intact. And if you like that, you’ll love House Bartolotti, another antique canal house – once one of the largest, and to this day, perhaps the grandest – which boasts a Rococo-style blue room, original Jacob de Wit ‘Witjes’ (marble-resembling grisaille paintings) and wall hangings depicting bucolic Dutch scenes.
A short hop away in De Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets) shopping district, you’ll find De Knopenwinkel, a kooky, old-school shop selling buttons – lots of buttons – alongside paintings, handmade bags, antiques and vintage clothes; and Athenaeum Boekhandel, a world-class newsstand selling books, DIY zines and specialist magazines on just about any topic you can think of; cats, astrology, gardening – you name it.
Just around the corner lies one of the city’s most unexpected haunts; the Begijnhof Chapel. Like magic – or time travel – an unassuming timber door leads to a peaceful 14th-century courtyard and chapel. It was once home to the Beguines, a Catholic order of women who sought to imitate Christ; and is said to be the site of what’s known today as the ‘miracle of the host’, which is celebrated annually in a silent, candle-clutching procession which, somewhat ironically, marches right through the city’s ‘red light’ district.
SATURDAY: EVENING
In the evening, wander around Jordaan, the best-preserved part of the city known for its great restaurants and bars. Once home to Amsterdam’s working-class communities, it still feels decidedly local, if not a little bougie. Start your evening with a couple of pre-dinner drinks at Café Twee Prinsen, a cosy spot for small plates, craft beers and natural wines. On balmy nights, their terrace is the perfect place to people-watch. For dinner, make a reservation at Balthazar’s Keuken on the Elandsgracht, where head chef Wanne de Vries creates a new set menu every three weeks inspired by the seasonal offerings of his local suppliers. Round it off with a slice of Winkel 43‘s famously crumbly apple pie and a glass of red at Bar Parry, tucked away on a quiet side street. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, hit Chicago Social Club (dubbed ‘the soos’ by locals) where records – and disco balls – keep spinning till the small hours.
SUNDAY: MORNING
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Start your Sunday morning with a stroll across the city where a hearty brunch awaits at Dignita Hoftuin, a garden café set at the back of the city’s Hermitage Museum. Here, you can tuck into Ayurveda-informed plates of garden-grown veggies, homemade soup, jam-slathered breakfast brioches and nutty granola bowls. And you can do it with a clean conscience, too. Guided by the motto ‘eat well, do good’, the café works closely with an organisation that provides training to victims of human trafficking. While you’re in the area, take a peek around the Dutch National Opera and Ballet building. Designed in the 1980s by Wilhelm Holzbauer and Cees Dam, and known unofficially as the ‘Stopera’ – a name taken from the protest slogan ‘Stop the Opera’ once used to rally against its construction.
Since it’s a weekend, vendors will be out in force at Waterlooplein, Amsterdam’s oldest market which has been trading in the same spot since 1885. Expect all kinds of second-hand goods from vintage clothes and used cameras to records, bikes and jewellery. If you’re feeling up to it, you could even get a tattoo.
SUNDAY: AFTERNOON
Mediamatic
As soon as the clock strikes noon, you’re good for a bitterballen stop at De Sluyswacht, a historic, lop-sided pub with a canal-gazing terrace. From here, you can continue your pub tour at Café de Druiv, a former distillery with cask-lined walls and bags of character. For a more wholesome start to the afternoon, take a dip at Marineterrein, an inner harbour in the shadow of the imposing science and maritime museums. In colder months, you can warm up in the Nordic-style Kuuma sauna, while in the summer, the gardens here make a lovely spot for a picnic.
Mediamatic is our next stop, a project space that stages workshops, events and exhibitions that exist at the intersection of art and nature, followed by a short trip out to the city’s Eastern Docklands, where the green floors and pink walls of Bisou gallery – a quirky, by-appointment showroom – stages a curated selection of contemporary artworks, ceramics and vintage furnishings, all available to purchase.
Many visitors to the city never make the journey across the IJ into the Noord neighbourhood, but it’s well worth the short ferry ride. Once the city’s industrial heartlands, in recent years, the area has undergone a rapid redevelopment, and is now a buzzy hub of wine bars, restaurants, galleries and cultural centres. Book a spot at Fromagerie Kef’s tasting room, where you’ll hear the stories of passionate cheese-makers, and sample their labours of love, too. Take the urbanite lawyer who fell in love with a farmer’s son and dedicated her life to dairy, for example, or the man whose wife’s aversion to blue cheese propelled him to develop his own.
SUNDAY: EVENING
Café Modern
Cheese and wine are a classic combo, so having done one, it’s only fair you give the other a whirl. Chateau Amsterdam is an urban winery in the heart of Noord, where they make wines on-site using grapes sourced from European producers. Learn more about their process – and make for an ample aperitivo – with their five-flight tasting tour. For dinner, head to Café Modern. This kitsch-y space might not look like a former bank with its disco-ball-mirrored walls, mid-century hanging lamps and palettes of primary colours, but the vaults downstairs are a dead giveaway. Expect seasonal, contemporary fare with a fun twist and cork-popping wine pairings. Finally, listening bar Murmur makes the perfect finale for your canal-flanked pit-stop, where sound artists and musicians perform live most evenings.
NEED TO KNOW
Flights Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport lies south of the city and takes around 40 minutes to reach by car, depending on traffic. Take the train from Amsterdam Centraal and you can cut that time in half, arriving in just 20 minutes.
Transport Go Dutch and explore the city by bike. Rentals can be found all over the city, and hired all day for around €10. The city’s blue-and-white trams are another sustainable option, with 24- and 48-hour tickets available to buy on-board.
When to go April is a no brainer. Not only do those famous Dutch tulips rear their heads for the dawn of spring, but, come the 27th, the whole city turns orange in celebration of King’s Day. It’s a great day for shopping, too, with a city-wide street market from 6am to 8pm.
What to buy Shop Dutch-designed homewares at Pols Potten in the East Docklands, or head to Reestraat in Jordaan for made-to-measure leather shoes from Terra Iberisch Aardewerk.
Good to know Keep some Euros handy when frequenting bruin cafés, which are often cash-only; pre-book museums to avoid queues (especially in summer); and don’t be offended when, emerging from the changing room, the shop assistant offers you an honest opinion – such is the Dutch way.
See our full collection of hotels in Amsterdam, or get inspired for your next weekend break.