The Amsterdam of May
6 golden addresses
Why always far away? Amsterdam is just as fun and you quickly save a few hundred bucks on your plane tickets that you can spend delightfully at the local boutiques. Just so you know.
1. The hotel
Amsterdam is the city with the highest concentration of nice hotels. The Amstel, The Dylan, the Conservatorium Hotel, Waldorf Astoria, W, Hyatt Regency and so on. But the absolute, absolute, absolute best hotel that scores the highest on all fronts (location, rooms, decor, bar) is the Pulitzer. It consists of 25 historic canal houses and therefore no room is the same. What they all have in common are the most comfortable beds and house soap Santal 33 from Le Labo, our favorite. Furthermore, there is an excellent bar, the breakfast is extensively elaborate (with champagne) and they deserve an award for the best smelling hallway. And one more thing: you are right in the nicest part of the city. In the heart of Jordaan, around the corner from the 9 Streets. And don’t come to me with nonsense that everything was better and more fun in the past, because those 9 Streets are still amazing.
2. Depth
Have you shopped enough and want a moment of reflection, then go to the Begijnhof (next to the American Book Center on the Spui to the left) and light a candle in the English church or the Catholic church. The courtyard is so quiet and beautiful, as if you are walking in a small village instead of the heart of the capital.
3. Laundry Industry
Don’t think they are gone just because you can’t find them on the Rokin; they have moved to a beautiful building in the Sint Luciënsteeg in Amsterdam. It is a local brand with international allure. Beautiful materials and also produced in good factories and all that for a very reasonable price. My score: the sweater with the text ‘I don’t give interviews’ (Brad Pitt has one too), a jogging pants in the shape of trousers (so it can be casual and chic but is comfortable in both cases) and an ankle-length coat (I can’t think of another word for it) that has a special lining that makes it really warm without looking bulky. And honestly, I wanted more, but I held back for a moment. Just a moment.
4. Coffee and chocolate
In Amsterdam, you can get coffee in many places (and good ones too) but I find Screaming Beans at Singel 276 a lovely spot. Choose from regular milk, oat milk or soy milk and all kinds of nice coffee-related gifts. And a handsome barista, you can’t say no to that.
I always buy chocolate at Puccini. And preferably the flat crispy ones covered with the cocoa sugar developed by Puccini.
5. Cheese is bought here
Of course, De Kaaskamer in the Runstraat is top-notch, but with a bit of bad luck, you’ll be behind four groups of tourists all choosing a souvenir for home. My tip: walk a bit further to the Tromp store on Elandsgracht. Same ‘collection’, more staff and fewer customers. Just a tip.
6. Food
If I’m in a hurry and hungry, I order a noodle soup at the Golden Chopsticks at Oude Doelenstraat number 1 (towards the red light district), if I want to linger, I do that either at Jansz. (restaurant of the Pulitzer), at Bussia in the Reestraat or I slurp an oyster at The Seafood Bar on the Spui. By the way, they have the best selection of snacks at good old Luxembourg on the Spui. First, buy some nice magazines at Athenaeum and then settle down there on a lovely late Saturday afternoon in the conservatory.
