Amsterdam - off the beaten track

[tiptowin]

Am going to Amsterdam next month and looking for some recommendations beyond the usual (anne franks, van gough etc)

• particularly any 'cool' cafes or buildings.

anyone?

Watching with interest.
Going with DH in December.

Have a good hol OP

Look for the Cat Boat, it's a cat rescue on a canal boat.

I love food markets, so Foodhallen was great - a converted warehouse space with loads of food stalls from all over. I also liked Dappermarket, it wasn't very touristy and was in an immigrant neighborhood with loads of cheap delicious food.

Also, Winkel 43 for apple pie, yum. You can see what my priorities were when I was there

What kind of things do you like and I can compare and post a list of recommendations based on that - do you want hotels etc too?

hahaha lifebeginner mine are pretty much the same.

thanks for the suggestions, thetemptation that sounds AMAZING!!

Are you going with kids?

I heard Electric Ladyland is interesting too but a word of caution, we turned up at a time it was supposed to be open and it wasn't - the owner is a little bit eccentric and closes up at his leisure!

electric-lady-land.com

Mikes bikes do a country tour where you see windmills and a cheese and clog maker, we really liked it!

Anerak - thank you, that would be amazing!! Hotel is already booked.

I love architecture, nothing better than a wander around a new city to find all the unique houses/buildings. Museums & churches are always good, but I like something a bit unusual - I've heard 'our lord in the attic' is worth a visit. Apart from that, any cafe/restaurant that is a little different - either food wise or a treat for the eyes.

We also want to hire bikes and I've read somewhere that you can bike into neighbouring towns & see the windmills? Not sure if that's actually possible without it being a full day event though. We're only there for 3 days so don't want to stray too far.

Cats already mentioned but the Cat Museum - in a canal side house is great and quirky

have added howwillthispanout - thank you

I’ll second Mikes Bikes tours. We did their 3 hour city tour on our first day to get our bearings. If we’d had time I would have booked the countryside tour too.

Bazar for lovely food in a beautiful setting.
www.hotelbazar.nl/en/restaurant-bazar-amsterdam/

EatingEurope food tour.... bloody marvellous day! Excellent value.

The Tropenmuseum is one not so many people seem to go to but is very interesting. It is the history of places that were part of the Dutch colonies.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropenmuseum

Amsterdam is best to just wander around canals, little shops and funny cafe's/restaurants

I prefer a day there without a plan.

3 days, I'd maybe venture out to the Hague or Utrecht

Also, I would not cycle in central Amsterdam it is bonkers with cyclists/trams/buses and cars, just bonkers busy

Museum of bags & purses is interesting.

tassenmuseum.nl/en/

If you like really odd and weird then try the Vrolick museum.. not sure of spelling.

Wander around the 9 streets - lots of independent (and vintage) shops and cafes.

For the evening, supperclub is pretty cool (I think you need to book in advance), but you need to be into that kind of thing.

Apt does great cocktails

Theatre Tuschinski is stunning, Art Nouveau and Deco.
Cinema and performance space.
Reguliersbreestraat, it's quite near the floating flower market.

And the Jordaan District, just behind Prinsengracht and just west of Central Station.
Pretty streets and houses, interesting shops, bars, restaurants.

The church in the attic.
Haarlem and in particular St Bavos Cathedral and the Frans Hals Museum.
Lovely cafe in Singel.

Church in the Attic is wonderful.

We also v much loved the Portuguese Synagogue - beautiful building and a great insight into the Jewish community and how it has rebuilt itself after the devastation of the Holocaust. We went to the museum across the road afterwards and the Synagogue was much better.

For places to eat, would recommend Blauw for rijstaffel and Johannes for a witty high end should have a Michelin star affair. Johannes would be unaffordable for us in the UK and prob the best meal I've ever had. Blow the budget and have all the courses.

Also - go to the Hague for the day. The Maurithuis is a fantastic gallery, much more accessible in size than the Rijksmuseum, minus all the crowds and every painting is world class.

If you are into Vermeer this is your chance to see it properly without being elbowed in the face, and it is also the home of Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Personally my favorite is Paulus Potter's giant life size cow, complete with flies and cowpat