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Al’s Plaice

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If you’re craving some fish and chips, look no further than Al’s shop. Featuring a variety of fish including the usual cod (kabeljauw), salmon (recommended!), halibut or whatever is available that day. The fish, cut in huge pieces, is usually done to perfection. The coating is crispy if a little greasy, which only adds to the authenticity. The chips are likewise good.

A fish and chips plate is certainly a filling meal. A selection of pies, including the ubiquitous steak and kidney are available too.

The interior is your typical fast food joint, with stools and tables, often littered with English and Dutch newspapers for your reading pleasure. No swank, just good fish. Enjoy!

Info:
Address:
Nieuwendijk 10
Amsterdam 1012 MK
Phone: 020 427-4192

Koninklijk Paleis

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Open daily during the summer for tourists, the Royal Palace is not the home of any royalty, it’s a museum and venue for important state events held by the Dutch royals. Recently renovated and spruced up for the wedding of Willem-Alexander and Maxima this place is worth a visit if you haven’t been inside before.

Of note are rooms replete with their period furnishings, carvings, bas-reliefs of bizarre historical notes and artworks left behind when the royals abandoned the place.

Shiva

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We’ve been coming to Shiva for years now, and I’ve always been very satisfied with their quality food, good service and reasonable prices.

The small restaurant on Reguliersdwarsstraat is warm, inviting and cozy. Large and colorful painted scenes from India adorn the walls, and delightful Indian ragas surround you with the sounds of sitar and tabla, setting the scene for your meal.

On our last visit we ordered the Onion Bahji appetizer, delicious little fritters with herbs and spices, and another appetizer of Chicken Pakora, battered & fried chicken pieces served with a tasty tomato/onion chutney.

Our main courses of salmon curry (the fresh fish of the day) was good, but a special order of Prawns Bhuna was even better. I always love bhuna, as it’s more spicy than most curries, and sometimes I can almost hallucinate from some spice in bhuna (nutmeg perhaps?).

The food was accompanied by a lovely Cote Du Rhone (16 euros), and an order of paratha (fresh bread, like a nan). The entire bill including wine came to 56 euros, not bad for a wonderful filling Indian feast for two.

Info:
Open every day.

Address:
Reguliersdwarsstraat 72
Amsterdam 1017 BN
Phone: 020-624-8713

Amsterdam Historical Museum

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A visit to Amsterdam should include a visit to this unique museum located near the Dam Square. How can you possibly understand Amsterdam as it is now without a look at it’s fascinating history?

The Amsterdam Historical Museum moved into this building in 1975. It was formerly the municipal orphanage (founded in 1520), and a brief history of the building’s previous existence is told in and around the governors room. An interactive program about the orphanage also contains several old photos.

Exhibits of special Amsterdam historical significance are displayed here at the museum.

Info:
Open daily.

The two museum entrances can be accessed from Kalverstraat 92, Sint Luciënsteeg 27 and Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 357. The museum is a twelve-minute walk from Amsterdam’s Central Station, via Damrak, Dam Square and Kalverstraat. Trams 4, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16, 24 and 25 also go to the museum, stopping at Spui.

De Roode Leeuw

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A mild “splurge”. I had 2 wonderful meals at this restaurant on Damrak.

As I travel often, I make it a point to NEVER eat in any hotel restaurant (too expensive, mediocre-to-lousy food).

This restaurant, De Roode Leeuw, was an exception. The steamed mussels were excellent, soups and bisques superb, and the lamsfilet was fabulous. Check out the photo of marrowfat peas with garnishing (tastes even better than it looks, and MUCH better than it sounds). For the excellent service and cuisine, prices were reasonable (great meal w/wine & drinks/dessert/espresso for approx. 30-40 EU maximum). A great “splurge” dinner in a great location. They also have a BRASSERIE with windowed terrace seating for any claustrophobics.

To see pictures of the restaurant, the food served there (including full menus and photos), and get a lot of useful information, goto https://www.hotelamsterdam.nl and click on the “Restaurants” tab on left. (The nice, older fellow in the picture was my waiter). Drill down to the menus & pictures of great Dutch food and try not to imitate one of Pavlov’s dogs.

I ate in Paris, Italy, DAM, everywhere in Europe, and this place was definitely a highlight. No attitudes and friendly staff if you are cool, and dress is casual. Put on your last reasonably clean shirt, have a splif, stroll over to De Roode Leuw and chow. Bon appetit. Enjoy!

x
daveq
ps (I did not stay at the Hotel.. too expensive and modern for my taste though it looked like a good business hotel).

Info:
De Roode Leuw is in the Hotel Amsterdam: Just a couple blocks up Damrak from the Dam square (N towards Centraal Station) on the West side of Damrak, about 2 blocks east of New Church. Hours/info are posted on the website included in this review.

Address:
Damrak 93-94
Amsterdam 1012 LP

Tjin’s Toko

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I discovered this little market by chance one day while shopping at the Albert Cuypmarkt. It didn’t look like a grocery store because the front is a take-away Asian place. But once you enter into the main shop (there’s two doors, one for the take-away), you’ll discover a treasure trove of hard-to-find grocery items from countries around the world.

The three very narrow aisles stock a wide range of products that will remind you of home. Or perhaps some exotic place you wish you could be. Like a good selection of Patak’s curry pastes and condiments, soy sauces including light and mushroom flavored, canned hummous and tahini, real hot jalapeño peppers from Mexico (not the mild Old El Paso ones, which they also carry), Betty Crocker cake mixes and frostings, Mrs. Dash salt-free seasonings, Phad Thai noodles, a good selection of beans, chocolate chips (very difficult to find in Holland, despite so much chocolate everywhere), and too much more to mention. You really need to see this place to believe it.

The manager is very good about locating and stocking items that you can’t find. My request for hummous was filled by my next visit!

The biggest drawback to this place is how cramped it is. You can barely work your way down these short aisles before someone tries to squeeze by. And the lack of space doesn’t leave much room for fresh produce, and the selection in the one cooler isn’t much.

Perhaps success will enable them to expand and increase their selection further. While the prices on some items are very reasonable, others like the cake mixes are expensive (7.50 euros is a lot for a mix that’s around $2.50 or less in the states). But if you’re jonesin’ for that special treat to remind you of home, you just might find it here!

I haven’t yet ventured into the take-away yet, but judging by how busy it is, I’d say it’s a good value.

Update: You might want to check the expiration dates on items before you purchase them, as I’ve noticed certain things that don’t sell remaining on the shelves for a very long time.

Phone: 020-671-7708

Hotelboat Ideaal

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We had a great stay in this houseboat. It was absolutely amazing, comfortable and cosy. We enjoyed the fireplace a lot. Although we were there in December, it was pleasant on the boat, particularly with the heated water bed. It was windy and the water was choppy, but we never felt the boat move. I thought the location was fantastic…. Although we found all the stuff as it was written on the site we still really didn’t expect anything like this. The boat really gave me a feeling of home when I got back there at night. I am sure I want to back sometime in summer and enjoy the sun deck and barbecue.

Info:
for rent all year round

Paleis van de Weemoed

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Situated in the heart of Amsterdam’s red-light district, Het Paleis van de Weemoed, is an old style theatre restaurant full of charm, nostalgia and romance A full evening’s entertainment includes a top quality 4-course meal intersperced with a parade of cabaret stars and wonderful musicians. “The Palace” can be compared to a “30’s Spiegel Tent Dance Salon, the Cotton Club or a small version of the Moulin Rouge. It presents an international programme but remains intimate. Come and enjoy an evening of fine dining and imaginative entertainment.

The Palace is situated in the historical Old Town of Amsterdam. Our 17th century canal district (“Grachtengordel”) is even on the Unesco World Heritage List.

From April 1st our terrace is open on sunny afternoons. Please come and enjoy Amsterdam life with a diner, or dinershow and a drink.

Apotheek Jacob Hooy

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In the Nieuwe Markt area is an ancient apothecary and drugstore named Jacob Hooy at Kloveniersburgwal #10. Operating on this spot since 1743, the shop offers medicinal herbs and various natural remedies. The staff is on hand to help you with explanations of the herbs and their uses, and will help you find what you need.

Check out the barrels and drawers all labeled in Latin with their contents. Now imagine the wonderful aroma of all those dried herbs and flowers – you can sneeze, wheeze or shout with glee – but you will definitely notice it. In fact the interior of this shop is nothing but wall-to-wall drawers, barrels, and jars of herbs, salves, and other personal care items.

Jacob Hooy is also noted for their licorice, in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They say the selection of the sweet sticky black stuff here is Amsterdam’s best, except maybe for the sticky black stuff in the coffeeshops, but that’s another kind of “candy.”

Jacob Hooy offered all sorts of items in the past that we don’t consider medicine today – note the jars with names like OPIUM and TABAK.

This area of Amsterdam was always a market, especially for herbs and spices relating to medicine. Across the courtyard in the fanciful castle named the Waag, Dutch physicians operated a theater for the public dissection of human corpses. This rather grim practice no longer takes place over there, it’s now an internet café and restaurant! Before that the area was known as St. Anthony’s Gate, until the 1600’s when the city tore down it’s perimeter walls.

Blokker

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The popular Blokker chain of stores can be found in most every shopping district in Holland. They sell a good range of household items, focusing on kitchenware, house cleaning utensils, small electronics, plastic goods, seasonal items, gifts and various sundries.

Check out their weekly flyers for specials.

Prices are good but be prepared for crowded tight aisles jammed packed with merchandise and shoppers.

There’s a big three story Blokker on the Nieuwendyke, but most are smaller neighborhood stores like the photo above.

One of my favorite Blokker’s is on Beethovenstraat, in Amsterdam, it is located in the map below, and also found everywhere through Holland.