Tell anyone you are going to Amsterdam, and the response will either be: “Gorgeous weekend break!” or something about the city’s seedier reputation. Guess what? All things can be true. You will spot stag-dos and students hanging outside coffeeshops (licensed cannabis retailers), but you will also see a more chill crowd, usually American or English, who have realised that this is the perfect weekend getaway.
The Dutch capital is small but mighty, walkable but also full of distraction. And for Londoners, the city ought to be top of your list, thanks to the deeply civilised Eurostar. Take off from St. Pancras, bypass Paris, Rotterdam, and stay seated until you pull into Amsterdam Centraal. Perhaps it is everyone’s unfailing politeness, or the abundance of bicycles, or the tranquility of the canals, but you get the sense that everyone here knows how to chill. 48 hours in this city is enough to leave you arriving home, feeling rested, and energised just enough.
Where to eat and drink
Great news if you are a fan of TikTok trends and queueing: Amsterdam is overflowing with viral foodie locations. Fabel Friet (fries), Chun (matcha and toast), Van Stapele (chocolate cookies) all command half-hour long queues, full of people starving for virtual and culinary content. Away from those hotspots, Amsterdam has a few highlights. Balthazar’s Keuken serves up a thoughtful, fun menu (you pick one of two mains, and you get five, perfectly-sized starters) in a romantic setting. Its sister location, Bar Parry, is delightful.
When it comes to watering holes, stick with the locals and avoid anything could have existed in Shoreditch a decade ago. The Pulitzer Bar is heady with old-school glamour, while Café De Eland and Café de Pieper have a historic buzz if you want your fill of charming ol’ boozer abroad (I would not blame you). One of the great pleasures of walking about Amsterdam in the evening is that there is no shortage of casual places for a drink, full of friendly, genuinely curious people.
Where to stay
Peak into any of those towering canalside buildings, and you will see what looks like the unmistakeable sign of an Airbnb, which I’m sure are lovely. But to relax over a weekend, you are better suited to a hotel. The Dylan, with its ideal location in the Nine Streets (the picturesque roads that connect the canals), is the place to stay. The building used to be a theatre, and you can feel that history in the thoughtful restoration. Our room, a suite which overlooked the canal, had beamed ceilings and delightful nooks. And it is hard to imagine a better way to relax after a day of city exploration than soaking in the expansive bath (with Aesop products to boot). To eat, there’s Michelin-starred Vinkeles, run by chef Jurgen van der Zalm, and the very pleasant OCCO bar-brasserie which overlooks the hotel’s much-Instagrammed courtyard. Speaking of photogenic: the crowd at The Dylan is discerning, so pack nice clothes for an evening aperitif.
Prices for a double room begin from €350 per night including breakfast
What to do and see
Everyone will tell you to visit the state museum, Rijksmuseum, and you should. Home to Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh (heard of them?), it is a one-stop shop to check any number of classics off your list, though do not miss out on the ceramics on the first floor or Asian collection in the lower ground. Earlier this year, the gallery gathered the largest number of Vermeers ever: that exhibition is sadly over, but it gives you a sense of the museum’s ambitions. Should you wish to cram your city break with more culture, you are in luck. Try out the Stedelijk (for modern art) or the Van Gogh Museum (for, well, that one is obvious). A visit to the city’s many smaller galleries, like Fons Welters, will please anyone searching for something slightly off the beaten path. Plenty of newfangled “immersive experiences” have popped up. Avoid those.
Depending on the weather, and Amsterdam shares a climate not dissimilar to London, you might simply want to spend your hours walking about its districts. The Nine Streets, which, with their boutiques, cafés and antiques shops, feel, and there’s no other word for it, quaint. The ever-so-slightly-bohemian De Pijp is worth a wander if you want to check out its sprawling outdoor market, Albert Cuyp Markt. Jump on a bike to Vondelpark. And while it might be the most cliché thing one could do, there really is nothing like learning about a city from the water. Booking a boat tour might not make you the coolest person alive, but it might make you the person with the best photos.
There’s no getting round the illuminated, scarlet elephant in the room: many people travel to Amsterdam for its Red Light District. The area, which dates back to the 14th century, is filled with coffee shops, bars, and of course, legalised prostitution. The district now has a one-way system and security guards so even among the stag-dos and teenage interrailers, it never feels too rowdy. It is worth a visit, even if it just for the discussion on the way home.
How to get there
Sure you could fly, but the Eurostar really is your friend. The journey from London to Amsterdam takes about four hours, which is three podcast episodes or one well-paced novella, and you don’t have to fuss with any airport lines. On the way there, you can comb through recommendations. And on the way back, you will be reminiscing about them.
