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The Best Christmas Gifts from Amsterdam

This Christmas we challenge you to be more creative with Christmas gifts you bring home from Amsterdam! It’s time to find a worthy alternative to typical Dutch cheese, stroopwafels, tulip bulbs and Delft blue pottery that you usually would get as a souvenir from Amsterdam. This city has so much more to offer when it comes to original presents and fresh ideas. So let us share our favorite unusual Christmas gifts with you.

Scratch maps or solar queens from By Popular Demand

How about a scratch map as an original Christmas present from Amsterdam? A world map poster becomes personalized when your friends take a coin and scratch the surface to reveal the countries they have visited. Look for more of such unique gifts at By Popular Demand, where weird lamps, quirky socks, tote bag with a map of Amsterdam on it and funny pillows only start the list.

Raadhuisstraat 2

scratch-map

Moustache wax or special knives from Concrete Matter

You can find truly manly Christmas gifts at a bit posh Concrete Matter store that has prepared a huge collection of presents for him. Whether it will be whiskey disks to chill a drink without diluting, moustache wax for a great look, a radiometer to have a fancy object or a high quality pocket knife to use while camping, any gentleman would appreciate items from this shop. Just focus on what your man likes and you won’t leave Concrete Matter without a nice buy.

Haarlemmerdijk, 127

Street Art Calendar from ASA

Amsterdam Street Art is proud to present a limited edition calendar 2017. Explore the pieces by 14 greatest street artists of Amsterdam and give this wall calendar as a gift to your friends. The most talented guys did their best to create this unique art item that can add up a nice vibe to any place. Teleport Hotel embraces street art (maybe you have noticed one of the colorful rooms with the street art pieces already) and loves ASA!

Prinsengracht, 64

Wall vases or paper animals from Store Without a Home

If you want to add some creativity to your friend’s cozy place with your gift, then Store Without a Home is the best destination. Choose among extraordinary interior goods like wall vases, 3D puzzles that you can use as wall decorations, storytiles, porcelain monkey masks and lots of other design accessories. This shop hosts interesting shapes, conceptual designs and inspirational items that you will want to get even as a Christmas gift for yourself

Haarlemmerdijk, 26

paper-animals

Gluhwine chocolate from TONY’s Chocolonely

Since there is no Christmas without chocolate, why not bring an exceptional bar made in Amsterdam? We can’t emphasize how good 100% slavery-free TONY’s Chocolonely chocolate with a story to tell, but Christmas special edition suppresses all expectations. This year’s flavor is milk chocolate with gluhwine! Yes, you’ve heard it right-gluhwine as a flavor, and believe us-it’s delicious!

Polonceaukade, 20

tonys

Coloring book of Amsterdam at Athenaeum Boekhandel

In the times when coloring is not only suitable for kids, but is much appreciate by adults, get a stress relieving gift from the Netherlands-a coloring book of Amsterdam. Your friend will be making the city alive with colors, while you will be sharing you crazy stories from our vacation. Lots of details, recognizable spots and the most famous streets of the city are ready to be colored.

Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat, 1

A colorful mug from Blond Amsterdam

We don’t suggest you a boring mug as a present (that would be way too cliché), but instead we recommend you a bright collection by Amsterdam’s local brand. Blond Amsterdam will help you choose a very personal mug that shows the interests, profession or character of the future owner. Their blond girl is easily recognizable and will make an amazing gift for any ladies.

Gerard Doustraat, 69

blond

 

 

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A Taste of Amsterdam with Awesome Food Tours

Contrary to the common stereotype that the Dutch food is boring and plain, we want to assure you that the local Amsterdam cuisine will surprise you with a full range of flavors and ingredients. You just have to know the right places to go and the best food items to try so that to feel the deliciousness of the food here and want to have more. Specially for those who like to discover cultures through food, we’ve prepared a list of cool food tours around Amsterdam.

Dutch Food Tour

Combine typical Dutch food with a historical experience in the most beautiful areas of Amsterdam- the Jordaan and Canal belt and dare to try all the local specialties. This tour won’t limit you to good old cheese and freshly made stroopwafels, but will indulge you with 6-7 tastings, including the raw herring and other yummy surprises. You will be trying Dutch cuisine both on the go and seated, while the whole tour will take 2.5 hours. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about local culture with your taste buds and see the most charming neighborhoods of the city. Your participation comes at a price of €49, of course all the food and drinks included.

dutch food tour

Street Food & Drink Tours with Hungry Birds

Hungry Birds attract the guests of Amsterdam by their personal and fun approach to food tours, as they make you feel like a visiting friend rather than a tourist. Their focus on street food make them stand out from other tours. Top it up with not only Dutch food but also ethnic/colonial specialties brought in by the migrant birds, and you get a super authentic experience in Amsterdam. These guys ask you to come hungry, as you will be tasting 8-10 different local foods and drinks for 3.5-4 hours. The places depend on whether you choose the Market Birds option (exploring the delights of the Albert Cuyp Market) or the City Birds tour, when you will be flying around small family businesses. Both choices are €69 each per person, while their Thirsty Birds tour around the local bars will cost you €79 per adult.

street food tour

Jordaan Food Tour

Get off the beaten path in the Jordaan revealing hidden courtyards, narrow back streets and awesome personalities of the local folks with a great sense of humor. Eating Amsterdam Tours will take a good care of you, introducing you to friendly shopkeepers, telling funny stories and presenting you with a high quality selection of 12 food tastings. During the 4-hour tour you will discover the delicious flavors of such must-try Dutch specialties as the home-made apple pie (in a 400-years old café!), Amsterdam’s tastiest smoked sausage, borrelhapjes that go so well with the authentic beers and mouthwatering desserts. This food trip will be €77 per adult and leave your stomach full and happy.

jordaan food tourAmsterdam’s Favorite Food Tour

If you prefer a more personal experience with a local, then this food tour in the heart of the hippest neighborhoods of Amsterdam De Pijp might be the right decision. Not only you will explore the vibrant part of the city with the cosmopolitan market, chilling locals and stunning architecture, but you will experience the true taste of Amsterdam. Fried fish from the market stall, new collective café, Surinamese-Javanese restaurant and 5 tastings are just a few from the things you can expect from this 2.5-hour tour. Guided by big foodies or even professional chefs, you will pay €44 per person.

favorite amsterdam's food

Prefer to eat alone?

Would you rather not join the food tour, but taste the local cuisine on your own? Then this City Food Routes might be handy for you to explore the neighborhoods of Amsterdam, trying the best what they have to offer, getting the freshest ingredients to cook at home/in the hotel or checking out the greatest cafes in the areas all over the city. You might need the help of Google-translate for this site, but the places you’ll discover will be worth it.

city food routes

So what’s the taste of Amsterdam for you? Is it the sharp taste of old gouda cheese, the sweet taste of stroopwafels, the pickled taste of herring or the smoked taste of a Dutch sausage? No matter what it is, we’re sure you would like it!

Do You Fancy an Ice Cream in Amsterdam?

If you’re lucky to find yourself in Amsterdam on a hot summer day, then most likely you’ve already thought about getting an ice cream or maybe even two.  Unexpectedly this cold delight can be exceptionally good in the Netherlands, you just have to know the right spots where to get it from. We’ll reveal our favorite ice cream stores in Amsterdam specially to you, but don’t have too much of the delicious gelato! You’ll be surprised with all the innovative flavors and yumminess of the Dutch IJs!

Monte Pelmo

This tiny ice cream place is a true hidden gem of the Jordaan, where you see a happy kids smile on the locals’ faces, including the men that you didn’t think were capable of smiling at all. Monte Pelmo amazing gelato has been one of the most loved ones in Amsterdam since 1957, and you can tell from a huge queue in front of it. How about a tiramisu ice cream, passion fruit sorbet or crazy blue Smurf taste? Try them all and enjoy while strolling the coziest neighborhood in the city.

2e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 17Gelato Monte Pelmo Amsterdam

Pisa IJs

The best real Italian-style gelato often served to you by Italians themselves can be found at this small stand next to the RAI convention center. It’s worth a bike trip from the hotel, as Pisa IJs has up to 60 flavors per season, and no other places can beat it in variety. Go for Bounty one or After Five (mint with pieces of chocolate). Recently they’ve also opened a new location in the center close to Albert Cuypmarkt.

Scheldeplein t.o. nr 10 and Eerste van der Helststraat 62-B pisa ijs

Koel

Do you prefer frozen yogurt to regular ice cream? Then how about an innovative idea of a self-service shop in the heart of Chinatown in Amsterdam? All you need to do is to pick your size, fill it up with delicious frozen yoghurt, add some toppings and indulge yourself!

Zeedijk 127

De Ijsmakerij Amsterdam

Some ice creams are so good in Amsterdam that you need to put an effort to find them. The example is the creative flavors like 3 peppers or lemon-basil sorbet of de Ijsmakerij that can be tried at Noordermarkt  on Saturdays or at local cafes like MOES or BRET on any other days. Their cold desserts are made of organic milk from a closeby farm and fresh ingredients.

Metropolitan

This shop might be a bit too touristy and all their pastries and chocolates look better than they taste, but that could be a fine spot to grab an ice cream while sightseeing downtown in Amsterdam. It’s great that everything is homemade here, but the highlight is the beer sorbets made together with the local beer brewery. That can count as an unusual flavor, can’t it? Or would you rather taste their gin & tonic sorbets?

Warmoesstraat 135

winkelen-amsterdam-metropolitan-60009-1s

Banketbakkerij van der Linde

This tiny ice cream shop will surprise you with having only one type of their signature delight, which is half ice cream and half whipped cream. The coolest part is that you can’t even tell a difference from the look at it (it seems to be a regular ice cream from a machine), and discover which side is which only after tasting it. Next time you shop in the heart of Amsterdam, don’t miss this thick, creamy and most importantly original ice cream.

Nieuwendijk 183

Banketbakkerij van der Linde

IJsmanschap

Are you done with all these typical ice cream places in Amsterdam and want to see something completely different? Then first in the city spot that sells gourmet handcrafted ice lollies is waiting for you. IJsmanschap introduces this idea of lollies made in sorbet and gelato flavors that go perfectly well with chocolate or nuts topping.

Van Spilbergenstraat 2 hs