Amsterdam Archives ⋆ The Dining Traveler

24 Hours in Amsterdam

Jessica van Dop DeJesus — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 23:52:00 +0000

Amsterdam is a place that I never get tired of visiting because I always discover something new. Have you been to the city too many times and want to experience something different? Headed on a business trip? This is my 24 Hours in Amsterdam guide, perfect for what to experience even if you’ve already been to the key spots like Anne Frank House, a Canal Tour, and Rijksmuseum.

Amsterdam

Stay: We stayed at WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam. The hotel is just ten minutes away from the city center, tucked in a residential area near the Westerpark, a park on the west side of Amsterdam. One of the things we loved the most about the hotel was the original art throughout the hotel. From a Smart Car with graffiti in the lobby to a hand painted mural in the room, the experience was like stepping into an eclectic art gallery. We loved the breakfast buffet at the hotel, it had everything from pancakes to the traditional Dutch hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles served over bread). The hotel is located in a residential area, which I appreciated because you get a local feel. Tip: Go to Albert Heijn, the Dutch supermarket chain a few blocks from the hotel to stock up on cheese and stroopwafels to take home. Much cheaper than at souvenir shops.

Discovering New Spots by Bike

See: The WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam allows guests to rent bikes from 6,50 EUR for four hours to a full day rental. There is a bike lane that takes you from the hotel straight to the city center. If you love architecture, make sure to stop by the Paleis van Justitie(courthouse) on your way to the center. There are some amazing structures in that area to include modern residential buildings and the gorgeous lobby of the Room Mate Hotel. Get lost on the streets of Amsterdam by bike, pay attention to the street art, peer into the windows of the gorgeous homes that have lined the canals for centuries. It’s a great way to discover small cafés like Scandinavian Embassy, a gourmet café recommended by fellow blogger Alla from Live Like You’re Traveling. Spend the afternoon people watching on your bike at Westerpark. It’s a place where locals come together with their kids, their dogs, and most importantly, their bikes. The center of the park has art spaces, cafes, and restaurants. Tip: Don’t be intimidated by bike riding in Amsterdam. Click here for safety tips.

Mussels at Mossel and Gin

Eat: Sometimes Amsterdam does not get the best reputation for food but I beg to differ. During previous trips, I had an amazing dinner at Serre at Okura Hotel, delicious Indonesian at Long Pura, and Mexican at Los Pilones. During my last trip, my friend Rickerd, a local architect and his partner invited us to have dinner at their new home. We had a lovely vegetarian meal but what made the dinner special was the coziness of eating at a home with good friends. You don’t have friends in Amsterdam? Geen probleem! You can book a dinner in Amsterdam with locals via Bookalokal, which pairs local hosts with travelers and locals alike to share a meal at a home.

Guest Room at WestCord Art Hotel

Before we departed we had a lovely lunch at Mossel and Gin at the recommendation of the manager of Art Hotel Amsterdam. The restaurant is a beautiful wooden space that sits in the middle of the Westerpark. I can write a whole post about this restaurant! The restaurant has a two page menu dedicated to Gin cocktails. From the classic gin and tonic to a lavender blossom, their gin cocktail menu makes it hard to choose just one! The restaurant specializes in Mussels and Gin (hence the name). We tried several variations but the winner was the mussels with coconut milk and thai chilies. There’s something about the sweetness of the coconut with the spice of the chili on a plump mussel from Zeeland (the coastal area of Netherlands where the mussels come from) that makes me still think of the restaurant even a month after my visit. Tip: It’s not all about the mussels, make sure to order the oysters as a starter!

Amsterdam Canals

The phrase I use to describe the Netherlands and particularly Amsterdam is stylish simplicity. You can see this with the bicycles roaming the city, with a gin cocktail, or peeking into the lovely homes long the canals of the city. Even if you’ve been there dozens of times, you can still discover a beautifully hidden space.

Mussels at Mossel and Gin

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Breakfast in Amsterdam

Jessica van Dop DeJesus — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:27:00 +0000

As I write this, I realize this will probably be my last trip to The Netherlands until the end of next year. The Dutchman will be moving to DC soon. My frequent trips to Europe will be exchanged for discovering the Americas with my future husband, who also shares the same love for travel as I do. Last Saturday, I landed in Amsterdam and before heading to The Hague. The Dutchman decided to take me for a breakfast stroll in Amsterdam.

For our stroll, the street which came to mind was Prinsengracht. I fell in love with the street since my first trip to Amsterdam in 2006. I love looking at the beautiful ancient homes. I enjoy the lack of curtains as I can look into the delicately painted ceilings of the homes paired with modern furniture and open kitchens.

We ended up eating a simple Dutch breakfast of bread, cheese, and ham at Brasserie Bâton. We sat at the bar tables facing the windows and watched the mix of people: the gang of young Italian men on weekend holidays, the stylish model riding her bike, and the gentleman with his hat and tweed jacket who has lived in the neighborhood his whole life. One of the things I have always appreciated from Amsterdam is how such a mix of people can live in perfect, beautiful harmony.

We ended our morning with unexpected shopping. The Dutchman parked right in front of a beautifully curated vintage shop, Rumors Vintage in Haarlemmerstraat. I underestimated the cold and rainy weather of the Northern European fall and failed to pack a warm enough jacket. I left Rumors Vintage with a beautiful vintage tweed hunter jacket, which is now my companion for the rest of my European journey.

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Euro Adventures: Dutch Edition

Jessica van Dop DeJesus — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 00:10:00 +0000

Although being in a long distance relationship is tough, one of the perks is that I get to go to Europe a few times a year. It’s my third time crossing the ocean in the last year and feel fortunate to have the resources to do so. This time, I was fortunate to see the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Even after 6 years of living in Europe, it still amazes me how different things can be within less than 100 miles in Europe. My adventure began and ended in The Netherlands, the land of my love. This post covers the highlights of my time spent in the land of tulips and canals.

Boathouses on the Canal, Amsterdam

The most recent times I have been to The Netherlands have given me a greater sense of the land and its people (doesn’t hurt I have a very private guide). Having a Dutchman in my life has opened my eyes to a very diverse country in every sense: terrain, food, and culture. My journey began in Amsterdam where I landed. I found an amazing deal via Jetsetter to stay at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam. We loved how the hotel is away from the tourist traps of Leidseplein or Centraal Station. Our room on the 16^th floor had a gorgeous view of the city on a hot summer day. The canal which ran along the hotel dismissed the tourist canal boats for small boats filled with locals having drinks with friends celebrating a rare day of sunshine. That evening, we had a lovely dinner at the terrace of Serre, one of the restaurants of the Okura. It was a beautiful warm evening with a late sunset, perfect to begin a lovely, 9-day vacation in Europe.

Cava on the Beach, Scheveningen

After a lovely day in Amsterdam, we returned to Den Haag, where the Dutchman lives. I was surprised with how the hot weather was this time of the year. Usually, summer in Northern Europe can be very unpredictable and at times cold. This was the perfect opportunity to do something I had never done in my years living in Europe: swim the North Sea. We headed to beach of Scheveningen, the Den Haag seaside neighborhood. The weather was hot, perfect for a glass of bubbles in the morning before we took a dip in the cold ocean. Not only was it my first time swimming in the North Sea, but it was my first time doing it naked! The beach was already crowded at 10am on a Monday. We decided to move to the nudist section. It was my first time in the environment, but I felt very safe. People were minding their own business, reading their books and playing with their children. I have to admit there was no ogling which cannot be said about “clothed” beaches (I lived in Miami). What I love about the experience is how free it felt to swim in the open ocean in my natural state. It was a marvelous connection with nature, glad I had the courage to do it.

Sunset by the Canal, Delft

After a lovely day on the beach, we went to the town of Delft for dinner. Delft is known for its blue and white pottery, its university, and for its history with the House of Orange (the Dutch royal family). The architecture is amazing. Buildings from the 17th and 18th century are kept in pristine condition. As we strolled alongside the small canals which hug the city, I could not help but to wonder about the lives lived during those times. We ate at a small restaurant which terrace was a small boat. As we slowly rocked, we watched people rolling by on their bicycles, young students carrying their case of Heineken , and admired the stillness which existed in the whole scene. I left the city wanting to return and discover more of its charm.


Dinner with a view, Delft

Every time my Dutchman and I say goodbye, I feel as a piece of me stays with him. The first days without him are the most difficult. I am grateful we have the resources to be able to see each other as much as we do and to get to learn new things about each others’ culture. I feel more in tune with The Netherlands every time I visit. If you do go to this beautiful Kingdom, please see beyond the inner canals of Amsterdam.

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