We spent two years living in Amsterdam, and while we certainly did not see each and every sight there is to be seen there (we famously left visiting the Rijksmuseum until our very last day), we did manage to find to find ourselves a few secret spots in the city.
(And trust me, in a place that is as touristed as Amsterdam, having a handful of your own hidden spots is important.)
And now that we have moved to Manchester, I suppose it’s time to start sharing some of our secrets.
To be clear, I am not saying that doing touristy things in Amsterdam is bad thing, as I love the Canal Belt, the cheese shops, the Heineken Experience, and standing in giant wooden clogs and as much as the next person.
It’s just that we have always been proponents of mixing together those type of experiences with authentic local experiences.
So without further adieu, here are a few of my favourite secret spots in Amsterdam for those seeking a little solitude off-the-beaten path or are interested in having an authentic Amsterdam experience with locals.
Small disclaimer: these spots will skew towards Oud West (Old West) and Oud Zuid (Old South), the two neighborhoods we lived in during our time in the city. Both areas have plenty of spots to stay in, and naturally, I can’t recommend either neighborhood enough as a base in Amsterdam.
The Benches at the Corner of the Schinkel & Jacob Van Lennep Canals
This little haven in the Old West neighborhood is located right around the corner from our first apartment in Amsterdam. Since space was at a premium at home, we loved to head out here on sunny days to have a picnic or enjoy a few drinks. The Schinkel is one of the busiest canals in Amsterdam, and at this intersection with the smaller Jacob Van Lennep, there are multiple benches and a picnic table that are perfect for sitting at and enjoying the sights of ships and boats plying the waters.
The Big Bookshelf
Right around the corner from the benches, at 37 Lootsstraat, you will find a quirky and colorful giant bookcase built into the side of a residential building near a school. It is vibrant, fun, and anyone who loves to read will certainly appreciate it. Best of all? No one seems to know about it outside of the locals.
Withlocals
Not so much a hidden spot, but an under-the-radar online address, Withlocals is a website we relied on heavily when we first moved to Amsterdam. Withlocals offers all kinds of activities, tips, and private tours which connect people with locals. In fact, if it wasn’t for Withlocals, we never would have heard of the Pathe Tuschinski, an historic Art Deco & Art Nouveau movie theater we ended up falling in love with.
And if you really want to go off the beaten path with them, they also offer experiences in nearby Eindhoven and even in bordering beer-loving Belgium.
Café De Doktor
Okay, so this tiny bar in the heart of the center of Amsterdam isn’t exactly hidden, but ‘The Doctor’ definitely flies way further under the radar than it should. Opened and run by the same family since 1798, Café De Doctor offers a step back in time with its soundtrack of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday amid the flickering candlelight.
Cafe De Doktor hides in plain sight in the middle of the maelstrom that is the Amsterdam centre, but if you are lucky enough to have the place to yourself like we did a few times, you won’t believe how magical and calm the atmosphere is. The only downside? They are only open Wednesday to Saturday.
Vondelpark Wintertennis Clubhouse
It’s very hard to to get off-the-beaten path in the Vondelpark. Trust me. On nice days, seemingly every square inch of the park is covered in picnickers and partiers. Generally speaking, the further you go back in the park away from the centre of town, the more solitude you will find, but there are few truly ‘hidden’ spots.
Except between October 15th & April 1st that is. That’s when winter tennis takes place in the park, and just besides the clay courts, a clubhouse serves up beer, wine, and coffee in a cozy setting. We never saw a tourist in there.
Cornelis Schuytstraat Street
We spent our second year in Amsterdam in the Old South neighborhood, and we fell in love with its Cornelis Schuytstraat from the day we moved in. The cafes are great: Brasserie de Joffers feels Parisian with its woven chairs facing the street; across the street, Brasserie Van Dam serves up great sandwiches and there’s also an amazing old school butcher on the street called Slagerij Van Dam. On Saturdays, right around the corner from Cornelis Schuytstraat, you will find the ZuiderMRKT, an upscale green market perfect for a lunch snack.
Basically, the whole neighborhood around this street is calm and quiet, and rarely visited by tourists, even though it sits almost right behind the Rijksmuseum.
The Pond on Sophialaan
Technically part of a small lake located in the Vondelpark, this pond is cut off from the Vondelpark and is surrounded by stately homes in Old South. At 20 Sophialaan, you will find a bench at the best spot to view the peaceful pond, and if you go through the gate, you can walk down to a little wooden dock and find even more serenity. As an added bonus, the dock faces west, so it’s perfect for sunset picnics.
Café Gent aan de Schinkel
We always just knew this cafe as ‘Cafe Gent’, so it looks like we never saw the entire name on the sign when we were there. Oops. Cafe Gent aan de Schinkel is located just outside of the Vondelpark, on the aforementioned Schinkel canal. They have a great range of Belgian beers but the star attraction is their sprawling terrace full of picnic benches right on the canal.
The Spiegelgracht Cycle Lane
This teeny little canal is located right in the heart of the UNESCO Heritage Site (in between Prinsengracht and Lijnbaansgracht near the Rijksmuseum), so it isn’t a hidden away place, but many people walk by it without noticing how quaint the dainty waterway is.
And what’s better is there is this small little lane next to it for cycles only (you’ve been warned, pedestrains) we loved whizzing through on our way home. Don’t have a bike? Well, just sit on the terrace at Café Huevel instead and watch the action like we used to do.
Ten Kate Friet
I may have saved the best for last, as the fresh-cut and fried fries from this unassuming stand in the Ten Kate Market are the best frites in Amsterdam, hands down. In fact, I would say that they were the best we have ever had outside of Belgium.
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