Amsterdam food/tickets/activities

[Bimgy85]

Hi, I know about most of the attractions by now and I guess it's just choosing which ones to go to!

Did you buy your tickets on the official websites or are there any discounts available?

Also, is Amsterdam really that expensive to eat out? Can you recommend nice restaurants? Within budget.. Chinese/Japanese/dutch.. I hear good things about Indonesian too?

We are going next week for 4 nights. Also for spending money I am thinking €600 would be enough for myself for 4 nights to be comfortable? I don't want to be worrying as I won't be back anytime soon and I want to be able to splurge!!

Any must do/sees/eat? Is the Amsterdam swing look out worth it?

Check out how to buy fast track tickets to the museums you want to go to. Some of the discount tickets mean you have to join very very long queues for the main attractions.

I purchased a fast track ticket online outside the Van Gogh museum despite the fact entry was included in my bus tour ticket because the queue was so long.

Do not bother with the sex museum. It's dull and just a waste of time.

Anne Frank House pre-book otherwise you'll be waiting hours.

Make sure you have an Indonesian rice table! Absolutely fantastic.

I have only ever bought via the official website, such as the Van Gogh Museum's one when visiting there.

@HollowTalk why is the Indonesian food so great? Which restaurant would you recommend? I see one indrapura or something showing up on google? :)

I haven't had one for years, but when I went we had thirty little bowls of different things - I love that sort of thing, rather than one big meal.

Look at the I Am Amsterdam website. We bought tickets here which gave us free entry to some museums and free bus and trams, also one free boat ride. Film/cinema museum is lovely, get free ferry across river from behind main train station. Book tickets for Van Gogh museum online in advance. Banksy exhibition is near and good. Food is expensive ! . Can get bus to small village with windmills, which is definitely worth a visit.

This pancake house is heavenly and it's on the same street at Anne Frank's House

pancake.nl

We went in April

Indonesian restaurant near the Rijksmuseum called Srikandi was amazing, food picture attached!

The Rijksmuseum is fantastic, you can easily spend all day there. Also try a trip round the canals, get the boat near Anne Frank house, we took a smaller one which was fun

*as Anne Frank's House

Have a look at these Amsterdam blogs:

48-hours in Amsterdam

where to stay in Amsterdam

Amsterdam accommodation

@Shoxfordian that looks amazing! Was something like that expensive?

I don't remember it being really expensive
Was completely delicious and I've been hunting for a good Indonesian place in London ever since

The rifstaffels can look expensive when you're looking at the menus but you get soooooo much food. It's a fairly unusual kind of food so definitely worth trying out. Haven't seen it anywhere in the UK.

Anne Frank's house has to be prebooked, the queues are hours long otherwise. I think we queued for the Rijksmuseum too, so another one that's worth prebooking to save your time.

Pancake house on same street as Anne Frank house is fab. It's a couple of doors away & a pancake will def fill you up!
I also love the vergulde gaper - a bar on the same street. You get great bar snacks there - I love bitterballen which are great to have with a beer.
Indonesian food is one of the best meals to have - go for a rijstafel which is basically a feasting menu. I like Kantijl & de Tijger and Tempo Doeloe. It's not super cheap but it's worth it & a massive meal.
For museums its best to book in advance both Rijksmuseum & Anne Frank House you can do it with. I also really like the Van Gogh Museum. Haven't been in years but quite liked the Heineken experience & the Jan Six House.
Amsterdam is sadly quite expensive but if the weather is nice it's also a great city to just wander about. There's an area in the Jordaan called the 9 streets that has lots of fun & quirky shops etc.

Zaanse schaans is windmill village, an hour on the bus

We are off to amsterdamn in October...so lurking with interest

Heineken experience is fantastic!! We did a canal tour and the experience on one ticket.

Agree with pp re booking Anne Frank, it's so busy!

We didn't book for dinner anywhere - just wandered around and found places to go. Dutch food is delicious

If you want a waking your, we used That Dam Guide and they were great. Pricier than others but so informative and really lovely guide.
The Foodhallen in the west side good for a change of scenery and lots of good food options.
Be aware that lots of cafes and some restaurants are cash only or only take maestro. They don't seem to like visa for some reason

Ugh, tour not your!

Would really really really recommend Blauw for a rijstaffel.

For sightseeing, the hidden church and the Portuguese synagogue were highlights for us in telling us something much more about Amsterdam. It's also incredibly moving about the effect of the Holocaust on the Jewish population, possibly more so than jostling for elbow room at Anne Frank's House.

If you want an amazing blow out meal then Johannes is superb and a bargain compared to doing the same thing in the UK.

@AnnaMagnani thank you for that info, the Jewish museums /holocaust would really really interest us. I believe there are some museums regarding that? Which are best?

Deffo gonna check out these rijstaffel or however you spell it we are foodies and would absolutely love that tapas style a feck load of little bits in front of us.

Found a comedy cafe that does English stand up comedy's on Thursdays so deffo gonna do that to keep one night occupied

The Jewish Museum is right next to the Portuguese synagogue. It is v interesting but DH and I found the synagogue more so and they covered a lot of the same material - the synagogue is still in use and it is v moving learning about how the community were originally refugees from Spain, and how they coped or didn't trying to rebuild after the Holocaust.

If you are foodies then do look at Johannes, it is one of my all time favourite meals. You will need to book.

www.bikingamsterdam.com/en/blog/biking-amstel-river/
you can stop half way in a little village that has a great cafe.

whatsupwithamsterdam.com/ndsm/
NDSM, some great restaurants