Amsterdam Weekend Itinerary

Last summer, I went to Amsterdam to celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday. We love a good recommendation and often spend hours reading up online before putting together our holiday itineraries. On this occasion, we focused very heavily on food and drink.

I shared top line recommendations in my reel back in August, but thought I’d add a little more detail here!

Day 1

We took the Eurostar from King’s Cross St. Pancras as it was around the same price as flying but had none of the faff. At Amsterdam Centraal, we hopped straight onto the Metro, which took us all the way to our hotel - a very efficient journey, especially as we were only there for the weekend.

We stayed at Volkshotel - a hotel with affordable room rates in a decent location. Whilst the branding and co-working spaces were super cool, our bedroom was just the below the rooftop club, resulting in a very un-restful sleep…

After dropping our bags, we headed to Little Collins, a perfect casual late lunch spot in De Pijp. We sat outside in the afternoon sun and very much enjoyed the eggs in masala sauce.

After a chilled afternoon, we started the evening with cocktails at our hotel’s rooftop bar.

We then headed to Corner Store in trendy Noord for Asian-inspired sharing plates and great wine, all in a pretty cool setting - think earthy colour palette, light installation, vinyl record bar etc.

After dinner, we headed around the corner to Taverno for more drinks and a bit of a boogie.

Day 2

In my opinion, a gentle jog is the best way to really see a city - even better when it ends at a coffee shop with delicious pastries. Saint Jean was said coffee shop. It is expertly designed too, with lime washed walls and concrete worktops.

We also grabbed some juices from the farmer’s market on Noordermarkt (open every Saturday morning) and browsed a few of the vintage stores around Jordaan.

Lunch was a series of snacks from IG fad spots, including Fabel Friet. Whilst the fries were yum, this could easily be missed, especially if the queue is long.

This was followed by drinks at Twee Prinsen, a natural wine bar with wood panelled walls and flickering pillar candles - the perfect spot for watching Amsterdam’s coolest wander by.

In the evening, we had dinner at Foodhallen, a covered market with a buzzy vibe and lots on offer, but perhaps slightly overpriced food. From here, we headed to Soho House for some chilled drinks and a natter.

Day 3

Sunday started with coffee (shock) at Toki Times - a ‘coffee hangout’ with an industrial vibe. This was followed by a quick brunch at Box Sociaal.

We also managed to squeeze in a boat trip along the canals. We opted for Those Dam Boat Guys for a chilled yet informative tour, learning lots about the facades of the city’s buildings. However, if you’re looking for more of a party vibe, lots of boats with bars crossed our path.

For our final snack, we headed to Cafe Winkel 43 for their legendary apple pie. It was certainly another tourist trap, but also traditional and delicious so please forgive me.

And that’s my 2023 / 2024 reviews complete! Amsterdam’s F&B scene is buzzing, as is the overall vibe - so I’m sure I’ll be back soon to update my list.