Amsterdam may not be the culinary capital of Europe, but there's a good supply of ethnic
restaurants
, especially Indonesian and Chinese, as well as
eetcafés
and bars which serve decent, well-priced food in a relaxed and unpretentious setting. We've also listed a handful of places to get just a snack (though you can do this easily enough in many bars), as well as the best of the city's so-called
coffeeshops
, where smoking dope is the primary pastime (all sell a range of hash and grass - ask to see "the menu"). Restaurants have been divided into
budget
(under ?9),
inexpensive
(?9-14) and
moderate
(?14-18), denoting the average cost per person for a starter and main course without drinks.
Cafés and snacks
Café Esprit
, Spui 10a. Swish modern café, with wonderful sandwiches and superb salads.
Gary's Muffins
, Prinsengracht 454, near Leidseplein; also Reguliersdwarsstraat 53, near Koningsplein. The best muffins and bagels in town, with...
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Restaurants
Akbar
, Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 33, near Leidseplein. Fabulous South Indian food, with a fine choice across the board. Plenty for vegetarians. Moderate.
De Blauwe Hollander
, Leidsekruisstraat 28, near Leidseplein. Dutch food in...
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Bars
Café Vertigo
, Vondelpark 3. Attached to the Film Museum, a wonderful place to while away a sunny afternoon (or take refuge from the rain) with a spacious interior and a large terrace overlooking the park.
Last Waterhole
, Oudezijds...
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Smoking coffeeshops
The Bulldog
, Leidseplein 15 and a couple of other outlets. The oldest, biggest and noisiest, not at all the place for a thoughtful smoke.
Global Chillage
, Kerkstraat 51. Celebrated slice of tie-dyed dope culture.
...
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