The only predictable thing about Amsterdam’s weather is that it will rain at some point.
It might be a day long downpour or just a passing shower, but either way you’re bound to find yourself out enjoying the canals and suddenly need to take shelter.
Enjoying the calm before the storm!
Snuggly pink jumper // White jeans
Pink suede bag // Pink suede loafers
The clouds gathered, thunder rumbled overhead and we made a dash for a dry spot.
With some nice dry white wine…
Bliss!
“Where should I eat in Amsterdam?” is a question I get asked again and again.
It’s a city that attracts a lot of weekend visitors from all walks of life, and the one thing they all seem to have in common is a love of good food.
The best advice for breakfast and coffee options is to take a stroll around “De Negen Straatje” or The 9 Streets neighbourhood. It’s filled with great little shops, lots of coffee houses and hip juice bars.
It’s also home to a great little lunch spot I thoroughly recommend.
Just check out this spread…
It’s called Libertine Cafe and is a great allrounder.
Pop in for baked eggs, pizza, a comforting bowl of pasta or something lighter.
We went for the works.
A couple types of bruschetta.
Some of the famous Dutch asparagus.
Cheesy cauliflower.
And my favourite, the vongole.
Spicy, garlicy, fresh and comforting.
Just the thing for a lazy lunch watching the rain fall onto the cobbled streets outside.
Be sure to give the orange almond cake a try too.
You can then spend the rest of the afternoon exploring The Nine Streets.
Stock up on art, fashion, homeware.
Maybe indulge in a spot of dream-house-hunting.
Just duck into a café when the drizzle starts up again!
Frizzy hair be damned!
The sun’ll come back again, don’t panic.
And you can wander off along the canals again.
Having worn ourselves out and shopped ’til we dropped, we headed back to the hotel for a hot bath and a snooze.
We stayed at the very pretty (and conveniently located) Pulitzer.
For supper I think it’s worth going a little further afield. Jump in a cab and make your way to the Oude Pijp neighbourhood. Achingly hip but more understated than Amsterdam’s fancier areas, this is the place to find cool new foodie spots doing cool new foodie things.
Like Arles.
A very modern French restaurant, run by a French chef (from Arles), serving the very best of local, seasonal Dutch produce.
The wine list is extensive and impressive.
The food is thoughtful, beautiful and refreshingly light.
Flavours you would never think of putting together (like asparagus, orange and eel) work beautifully.
Classic tartars get a modern twist with soy and a slow cooked egg yolk.
Perfectly poached egg in green asparagus veloute.
Morel mushrooms with runny egg and red wine sauce.
Incredibly deep, rich and complex.
Duck with peas and parsley. Just spectacular.
All followed by salted caramel rice pudding.
With three courses for under 40 euros, it would be a crime to miss out on this place.
Book ahead, take a cab so you can make the most of the wine.
Only an hour’s flight from London, why not make Amsterdam your next weekend break? It truly is a foodie’s paradise.
