Netherlands (Winter 2023) - Amsterdam (Day 3)
Laundry day - it was finally time to do laundry again. We were able to get away with doing laundry twice on a 3 week trip with just carryon luggage. This laundromat was close to the hotel and charged €14 to do it yourself or he would wash and fold for €15. Hmm…tough call but decided to just let him do it.
Bocca Coffee
Started off the day some coffee after we dropped off the laundry. This was a nice shop that was actually decently spacious so I wish they would have had just a few more seats but we just sat at the bar for our pastry and espresso.
Leaning Houses of Amsterdam
One bartender told us that some of the older buildings were built with a forward lean on purpose. It was so that it would make it easier to winch items up to the higher floors. You can see from the buildings above, some houses definitely have a tilt.
You’ll see some other buildings that tilt because they are hundreds of years old and the wooden supports are giving way but the ones above apparently were built that way.
Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)
We just stumbled upon this place while wandering around. It is a whole street with a floating flower market on the canal. They had tulips of course but also all sorts of other flowers and plants. The buildings along the road also had flower shops in them.
If you wanted to buy bulbs to bring back to the US, they actually had special bulbs to sell for that purpose. I don’t know if they were different or had some inspection certification with them.
Queens Stroopwafels
It’s said that another “must try” food in Amsterdam is the stroopwafel. This was a fancy looking shop in the shopping district in the middle of town. The owner told us that they used to be located a bit further outside of the city center but that the center has just boomed in recent years and the commercial districts here didn’t exist not long ago.
The stroopwafel was good but probably not as to die for as many people say it is. It’s just a semi-crisp waffle with a thin layer of caramel inside. It’s some simple goodness but nothing I would do cartwheels over.
Museumplein Christmas Market
We stayed not far away from the Museumplein which is where a lot of the art museums are located. The square is a big open space behind the Rijksmuseum. During the holidays they set up a Christmas Market here and it was very popular.
Café Old Sailor
I was interested in checking this place out because the few times I walked by it looked like a pretty raucous atmosphere but it was shoulder to shoulder with people and you could barely enter. Went back during the day when it was slightly calmer and you could actually find a seat.
I think being one of the first bars you come across as you walk down the Red Light canal makes this a popular stopping point and everyone in there is in the mood to have a good time. It also seems to be one of the older bars in the area and keeps with the nautical theme throughout the bar.
I kept my France experience going with some pastis along with the Dutch beer.
Juicy Kebab
This shop was one of the “clean” recommendations from the Red Light Bar bartender. I was looking for another Amsterdam food item to try - kapsalon.
Translated, kapsalon means hairdresser. I don’t know why. So you will see a lot of “kapsalon” signs around town but they are for cutting hair. If you want the kapsalon food - you need to find a kebab shop that offers it.
Like many Dutch foods, it is the perfect drinking snack although it’s more like a meal unless you split it. It is basically fries loaded with kebab meat and veggie fixings.
Excalibur Café
This is another bar located along the Red Light canal that kind of has a biker/medieval mix theme. You have motorcycles and weapons on the wall. Some are medieval items and then there’s the rocket launcher on mounted in the back. This is a fun and easy bar with very reasonably priced drinks.
Dutch Courage
Dutch Courage provides a classy cocktail experience in a cozy space. They have decent sized menu that they offer in a fold out little book. I tried their Genever based pickle martini above.
They are a Genever bar and offer a wide selection for tastings. I believe “Dutch Courage” is the nickname for Genever. Having already sampled the liquor, I decided to just stay with cocktails.
Some Amsterdam Night Scenes
Cafe de Druif
This is what we learned is called a “Brown Bar.” It is brown inside of course but the concept is that it is like a local beer and shot bar. We were told that even though they may have the ingredients in the back of the bar to make a cocktail, don’t ask for one. Just get beers or whatever is in the barrels or bottles on the wall. We just got beers like everyone else in there.
It was all locals, no tourists in here and mostly men who seemed to gather here after work to have some drinks with their friends. These types of places all seem to have been around for a while have an old school no nonsense atmosphere.
Hiding in Plain Sight
They refer to themselves here as a non-speakeasy speakeasy style bar. As the name says, nothing is hidden but they also don’t have a name on the door or any signage advertising that it’s a bar. It’s a small space with excellent and friendly bartenders.
We were able to sit at the bar where the bartender explained to us what the “brown bars” are. We tried to visit some of her favorite ones in town but they were all too busy the times we tried to go.
Crystal
Needing a snack at the end of the night, we settled on getting another kebab. This was the only place where I thought the kebab was meh. They didn’t do much to it and maybe they are in a busy enough location that they don’t need to try that hard.