Ahh Amsterdam. The place most people know as the land of the Red Light District and legalized pot. While those are interesting things about the city, they don’t even come close to my favourite part of visiting.
Filled with bikes, brown bars (blue collar joints that play awful yet great classic Dutch music), and beautiful people, this city has a ton on offer.
I was lucky enough to have a friend lend me a bike right after arriving. I aptly named her Stella, and she led me to experience this Dutch capital just like a local. While it took me almost running into a car to realize that this ‘grandma bike’ had breaks that activated by pedaling backwards (a feature I didn’t know still existed), two pedals really are the best way to get around this city.
With markets and restaurants galore, Amsterdam has a lot happening in the food scene (that personally I don’t think they’re given much credit for). Dutch food can be sometimes weird, but if you have an open mind it’s almost always delicious.
One of my first meals was a pastrami, walnut, brie, and pickle sandwich. No, that wasn’t me roaming through a fridge at 3AM hacking a Frankenstein sandwich together. That was on a menu. In a restaurant.
By no means an American standard, but when in Rome. Right?
While that wouldn’t be the first restaurant I’d check out, there’s a ton of great eats in this city. You could spend all day on tripadvisor, but I know you’re hungry so let’s get to the point: if you only had 24 hours in Amsterdam these are the spots to hit!
Table of Contents
Breakfast – Hakeshlacke ot Omelegg
If you’re lucky enough to have a Dutch friend that you’re staying with, you have to get them to make you a hakeshlacke. Comprising white bread, butter and sprinkles, this is as traditional Dutch as it gets. I thought my friend was joking when she served this to me for breakfast, but then she pulled out the box. These sprinkles are specifically for breakfast. I repeat: the Dutch have breakfast sprinkles.
When you don’t have a friendly Dutchman or Duchess to whip up breakfast, no need to fret! Omelegg is the place to go. With a few locations in the city, this cheap brekkie will be way under 10 euros, and fill you right up to start your day.
Lunch – Fried Kibbling at Zeevishandel De Graaf Roos
With huge food and shopping markets all over the city, there’s no better place to find a cheap, delicious lunch. During my week in Amsterdam, I spent my days taking Stella to as many markets as I could, seeking out where the best stroopwaffel could be found.
While it turned out that all the stroopwaffels were equally incredible, there was one market in particular that wins the lunch award: Dapper Market.
Here you can find amazing spicy chicken wings, pizza, and a flurry of other goodness. However, what caught my attention (and was one of the only instances ever of me ever going back to a restaurant while travelling) was the fried kibbling.
Found at the Zeevishandel De Graaf Roos stall, this fish shop takes everything you could find in the ocean, tosses it in their amazing batter and throws it into the deep fryer. You’ll smell the stall way before you see it, but with a constant quick moving line, this is the place to eat.
Yes, I know it’s all fried and not particularly good for you. But trust me, this is the place to spend your cheat day.
Kibbling is usually white fish, fried up and served with garlic mayo. While you could get anything from the stall and I’m sure it would be fantastic, I was told that kibbling is one of the more traditional Dutch foods. If you’re like me and always looking to experience a city like a local, it’s hands down the right order.
Essential Midday Snacking
Now that you’ve spent your day biking through the markets, exploring the alleys and wandering around the canals, I’m sure you’ve worked up quite the appetite for dinner. It’s a good thing then that your next stop is to sample some incredible Dutch cheese for your appetizer.
I didn’t realize this before coming here, but the Dutch make incredible cheese that rivals what I’ve had in France and Italy. And they get creative with it too, with varieties of blue, green and red cheese available!
Visiting the Cheese Museum, you’ll have the chance to give your lactose intolerance a seizure. With every one of their hundreds of cheeses with a toothpick sample at the ready, this is an amazing stop and somewhere I recommend all of my friends going (so far everyone has loved it).
Did I mention it’s free?
So sample your heart out and buy something if you love it. Cheese sampling just puts the biggest smile on my face.
Also, be sure to get a photo with the wooden clogs in the basement!
Dinner – Chicken at Bazar
Now, onto dinner.
With an exceptional amount of restaurants to choose from in this world class city, one of my favourites was a middle eastern restaurant called Bazar. Situated in what looks like a converted synagogue, this place does a mean (and beautifully presented) chicken.
The restaurant itself is hectic. Tons of tables, two floors, and families running around, all centred around a circular bar in the middle.
With fantastic hummus, great portions and cheap prices, this place serves up an amazing variety of North African dining. Of special note was the chicken. Tender, juicy, and with all types of spices, it really hit the spot with some couscous. However, you really can’t go wrong here. They also have a ton of vegetarian options.
Midnight Snacking
All over the city are 24 hour food slots that operate like vending machines but for hot food. There’s a wall filled with various options (burgers, fishsticks, etc.), and on the other side are people cooking away. You pay for the meal, unlock your little door and gnosh away!
So, if the introvert in you in craving some nourishment at 2AM but you can’t be bothered to talk to another human, then find yourself one of these snackbars.
24 hours in Amsterdam and you’ve done it like a local. Taking your bike everywhere you can, eating all of the essentials, and having a blast the whole way through. Kudos to you if you’ve learned some Dutch, or made some friends at a brown bar!
Hopefully one day you can come back to this city and experience it for all of it’s deliciousness, one kibbling at a time.
