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• here, we feel like we are in a Vermeer painting

• view from the bed onto the beautiful Keizersgracht

• really llovely - breakfast in the hidden garden

In Jordaan, the former working-class neighborhood, lies this little gem of a hotel, right on the Keizersgracht, perhaps the most beautiful canal in the heart of Amsterdam's canal ring.

The view from the room over the enchanting canal is so dreamy that it truly tempts us to have breakfast in bed. 

However, the delicious breakfast lovingly prepared in the large ground-floor salon, with a view of the charming garden, is worth tearing ourselves away from the morning view of the gently swaying canal boats.

And right outside the door awaits one of the most delightful quarters of the Dutch capital.

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• Parisian flair in a historic townhouse

• a stroll in Vondelpark right outside the door

• Croissants for breakfast – in a velvet armchair with a garden view

A touch of Paris graces the elegant Maison Elle, with its lush green garden.

Breakfast in the morning means croissants, pain au chocolat and café au lait…

And when we enjoy it on pale blue velvet chairs in front of wood-paneled walls, we almost have to remind ourselves that we are not in France, but in Amsterdam and that the famous Rijksmuseum, with its old Dutch masters, is just a five-minute bike ride away.

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• stay overnight in former bridge keeper's cottages

• small architectural gems right on the waterfront

• what we particularly love – the whole city is our lobby

For lovers of Dutch architecture, especially Amsterdam’s iconic bridges, SWEETS Hotel offers a truly unique experience.

Scattered throughout the city, these suites are nestled in charming former bridge houses that have been lovingly restored with meticulous attention to detail.

Each of these small houses has been expertly redesigned and outfitted for maximum comfort, blending skilled design with perfect space utilization.

Staying in one of these gems is a magical way to discover Amsterdam from an unparalleled local perspective.

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• Hygge at Café am Sarphatipark

• When we need a little cinnamon bun break in De Pijp

• Coffee is rarely prepared with such love

We are often asked if we love Amsterdam more than our other favorite - Copenhagen. Thankfully, at the Scandinavian Embassy, we don’t have to choose.

Here, the coffee tastes as exquisite as it does at Atelier September and the cinnamon rolls are as fragrant and fresh as they are in the far north and yet we find ourselves in the heart of our beloved Amsterdam.

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• the filter coffees are a hit

• so delicious - the seasonal bundt cakes

• sunny day tip: take it all for a picnic in Vondelpark around the corner

The Coffee District combines everything coffee lovers dream of - carefully selected specialty coffee, a great selection of delicious fresh pastries, bright spaces in Scandinavian design and a fantastic shop with stylish coffee accessories.

For those who can’t get enough, there are courses on roasting and brewing that can be booked for yourself or a group of friends.

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• two cute shops in  Jordaan  and  Museums Quartier

• hand-rolled sourdough bagels from the stone oven

• our favourite travel provisions for the journey home

Wandering through Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, a little sustenance is just what you need.

At Breadwinner, hand-rolled sourdough bagels fresh from the stone oven are baked with organic ingredients.

In the small, bright shop with a handful of seats outside, we have our choice of plain sourdough bagels, salted, poppy seed or sesame, onion bagels, jalapeno and cheddar, or two sweet options - cinnamon raisin or chocolate.

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• a quiet nook on Lijnbaansgracht

• we love the homemade apple pie

• Noortje and Inge prefer Fair Trade and organic products

This café is the quintessential prototype of a trendy coffee shop - a bit of home office, a bit of a meeting spot for friends, a community table, design coffee equipment for sale, large windows, stylish furniture and incredibly skilled baristas.

We get exactly what we want – a delicious cappuccino, an excellent pour-over coffee, and a scrumptious apple pie, all accompanied by the cozy buzz of a bustling café.

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• an idyllic little garden in the middle of the red-light district

• coffee and cake in the Oude Kerk

• here we can take a breather to the sound of birdsong 

For many visitors to Amsterdam, the heart of the city often means wandering through the Red Light District.

But we also see the many picturesque corners with their historic, crooked houses, old fountains, and small squares... and the enchanting garden of the Koffieschenkerij in front of the cozy, repurposed parish rooms of the Oude Kerk.

This oasis, where sunlight filters through the leaves of the trees and a few sparrows chirp among the flowers, is perfect for enjoying coffee and cake.

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• a small cabinet of curiosities on Leliegracht

• for those who, like us, love to collect treasures

• butterfly boxes, beetles, oddities 

The little store on Leliegracht is filled with lovingly collected works. Butterfly boxes and iridescent green beetles, jewelry and antiques sit alongside handmade candles and artisanal soaps, while art prints hang above marvelous curiosities.

Apothecary cabinets and old glass display cases are filled to the brim, inviting exploration. It’s nearly impossible to leave without a small treasure in tow.

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• perhaps no secret - but too beautiful to leave unsaid

• vintage shops, vinyl stores and cafés in Amsterdam's oldest streets

• our favourite stop - eating fries on one of the canal bridges

The picturesque streets between Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel have long ceased to be a hidden gem, but perhaps that’s precisely why we want to write about them.

Sometimes, even after being discovered by many enthusiastic visitors, a recommendation manages to retain its old charm.

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• buy visually appealing everyday items

• sustainable, fair, plastic-free since 1974

• perfect for both - gifting and treating yourself

Behind large, bright windows in a classic brick building in Amsterdam's Oud West lies the enchanting household goods store, Dille & Kamille.

Enamel dishes, linen tablecloths, bergamot soap, acacia wood cutting boards, wildflower seeds, and garden gloves – everything that makes a home cozy and functional is available here.

Naturally, it’s easy to find a suitable gift for loved ones back home at Dille & Kamille. But treating yourself here is just as delightful.

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• perfect for a bite to eat

• healthy detox teas to sinful meatball truffle sandwiches

• our favourite souvenir - stroopwafel chocolate

Whenever a spontaneous craving or thirst arises in Amsterdam, the local deli chain STACH is always exactly where we need it.

Often found in charming corner shops, sometimes with a few seats for a quick break, STACH is always delightfully colorful and appetizing.

Moreover, they offer a lovingly curated selection of local products that make for wonderful food souvenirs.

Isn't it the most beautiful thing letting yourself drift without a schedule, daydreaming by the water for an afternoon, guiltlessly transitioning from the finest bakery to the most delightful ice cream parlor or enjoying an endless breakfast?

We believe, this approach can often provide a deeper sense of a metropolis’s rhythm, than a rigid cultural itinerary and sometimes it reveals the true treasures of a city.

Even if it’s just a brief weekend trip, it would be a pity to let haste and stress intrude. After all, when a city is enjoyable, we are bound to return.

Here, we share a few personal tips and secrets on how to savor a wonderful city walk and how to make our Amsterdam-Day truly perfect.

At the turn of the year 2025 to 2026, Google has come up with a gift for its numerous users.

From now on, the pages, tailored to the most common search terms by artificial intelligence and consisting of generic lists and platitudes will no longer appear at the top of the search results.

Instead, the search engine will give preference to pages that have clearly been written by people who have real expertise and present unique and genuinely personal experiences.

And so an artificial intelligence is currently checking whether our texts sound like artificial intelligence to an artificial intelligence. The thought makes me feel slightly dizzy.

The smell of toast and coffee fills me with an incredible sense of warmth. It carries the promise that this day will start off right. It always has.

As a child, I begged my parents endlessly to let me try their coffee. When they finally gave in and allowed me a sip, the disappointment was crushing. It was bitter, harsh and nothing like the comforting aroma I had imagined.

I didn’t touch coffee again for a decade.

I can still picture my parents’ satisfied expressions, convinced they had won a small victory in parenting.

That was long before baristas in suspenders started crafting latte art, before we could choose from five different kinds of milk, before tiny backyard roasteries began popping up in hip urban neighborhoods.

But one thing has never changed - my love for the smell of coffee.

I’m rarely the type to march through the supermarket, checklist in hand, darting from aisle to aisle like a woman on a mission.

More often, I meander through the shelves, half-lost in thought, on the lookout for inspiration.

That’s probably why the shopping cart of the lean marathon runner catches my eye - tofu, low-fat cottage cheese and a suspicious number of eggs.

It reminds me of a story a friend recently told.

In his office, an employee asked to speak with him urgently, in private.

Oddly, the man had skipped both his direct supervisor and that supervisor’s boss, going straight to my friend - the boss’s boss… 

“Do you have anything gluten-free? So, no milk?”

“You mean lactose-free?”

“I’d prefer vegan.”

“Well, we have a fruit salad or some of our sandwiches can be made vegan. There’s also a bagel with…”

“I’ll take the scrambled eggs.”

“Ah. Okay. I thought you wanted something vegan?”

“No, just gluten-free. I always say vegan for that.”

“Alright, so we’ll leave out the toast with the scrambled eggs to keep it gluten-free?”

“No, that’s not necessary. Toast is fine.”

Anyone thinking this conversation is made up couldn’t be more wrong.

The late nineties had faded into the past and the enthusiasm of the new millennium was beginning to wane.

I had graduated from the Technical University of Munich as an architect and decided to stash my Buffalo platforms along with the low-rise jeans in the attic.

But slipping into the black turtleneck of the architecture guild in my late twenties didn’t quite feel right.

The creative spark of my studies had fizzled out in the dusty routine of office life, bogged down by liability clauses and dull government regulations.

I couldn’t muster much excitement for the idea of arguing with the building authority.

So my husband and I surprised our parents with the plan to open a café  with a concept store.

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• Swedish bakery in Copenhagen's Østerbro district

• freshly baked all throughout the day

• so good - no queue could be too long for us

I know people who have a coffee table book filled with photos of puppies. On particularly dreary days, they flip through the pictures of fluffy bundles with big eyes and floppy ears to lift their spirits. 

For me, my mood brightens instantly when I look at Juno the Bakery's Instagram. 

I immediately feel the anticipation that comes with patiently waiting in line in Juno's front yard.

The joy I feel while stuffing a much-too-large bag with appetizing pastries is nearly tangible, and just like that, my spirits are lifted. 

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• Japanese soul food and Danish natural wines

• from delicate trout ceviche to savoury gyoza - it's all delicious

• our place of choice for a laid-back night out - relaxed, cosy and incredibly welcoming

This Izakaya fits perfectly into the vibrant, fresh Vesterbro district.

The cool team and the casual look of the space create an easygoing atmosphere.

The relaxed crowd gives the impression that everyone has known each other for a long time.

There are wonderful selected sakes, natural wines and a house-made Jah IPA, served in a chilled glass.

Small street food-style dishes are made for sharing with friends while listening to reggae tunes.