Summer in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of my favorite places to visit. It’s home to winding canals, iconic architecture, and a dynamic culture. The people are friendly and even better, the Dutch speak great English.
This year, I visited in June (I had only visited in Spring previously) and found the city buzzing with life. I stayed for a week with locals, my best friend Annelot and her boyfriend Rogier, in the more residential De Pijp neighborhood - just south of the city center.
The weather in the summer months is divine. I was blessed with warm, sunny days for the majority of my time there, with the exception of a couple evening thunderstorms. We wined and dined at outdoor cafes, soaked up the sun on the Northern coast, celebrated a birthday cruising through the canals, and stumbled upon an outdoor food festival - a quintessential summer experience in Holland.
If you’re searching for a summertime destination that offers the best of both old history and new experiences, plus plenty of delicious food in between, look no further. I’ve shared a few of my favorite, locals-only summer experiences you won’t want to miss on your next trip to the Dam.
experiences
A’DAM Lookout is an observation deck where you can literally swing over Amsterdam. Our friend Bryce flew in from Copenhagen for the weekend and joined us on the observation deck and for a ride on the swings. They send you swinging 100 meters out over the edge of the building and above the city. The panoramic views were incredible and if you’re up for it, you can also make a dinner reservation to eat at the restaurant at the top.
A boat ride on the iconic canals is a must in Amsterdam. It’s a great way to see eclectic houseboats and the tall canal houses with their hooks protruding from the gables. For Annelot’s birthday, we took her cousin’s boat out for a ride with some friends. We brought charcuterie and drinks onboard and floated through the city the entire day; past the National Maritime Museum where there is a replica of an 18th-century Dutch East India cargo ship, by the grand InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, through the Red Light District, and eventually venturing down the Amstel River (which the Amstel Brewery is named after) where some people jumped in to cool off.
During my trip, the weather got up to almost 90° F (32° C there). Noordwijk Beach is a quick, easy drive from Amsterdam and an ideal spot to escape city heat. The long stretch of white sand, with its kite-surfers and wavy, coastline grass, is filled with beach clubs where you can eat, drink and relax. We chose to lounge at Branding Beach Club, which had an earthy, Tulum kind of vibe, fresh food, and house music.
You can’t visit Amsterdam without visiting Vondelpark. One sunny day after taking a morning pilates class at PLTS, where they teach reformer pilates and barre in English, we decided to take a stroll through the famous park. We watched the bikers race by, sat down on a bench overlooking a pond, and drank cappuccinos.
FOOD & DRINK
The first night I arrived in Amsterdam, we visited Van ’t Spit for dinner, which is home to the best rotisserie chicken. This BBQ place is popular and the atmosphere is homey and warm. We chose to sit streetside, where we could enjoy the cool Amsterdam evening outside. They serve only rotisserie chicken (half or whole) with homemade side dishes and sauces - you can’t go wrong with any of them!
This same night we went out to Gerard Douplein, a square in De Pijp filled with outdoor patios and heat lamps so you can stay warm while you socialize outside. Lot, Rogier and I ordered gin and tonics and later some of Rogier’s friends from university joined us for a fun night out in town.
The morning after going out in Gerard Douplein, Lot and I walked a few short blocks over to Albert Cuyp, the street market in De Pijp, to grab something to eat. This is Europe’s biggest daily street market, and the best place to buy fresh stroopwafels & poffertjes! Stroopwafels are made from two thin, round waffle cookie filled with caramel and you can get large, made-to-order versions of them in the street markets here which are especially delicious on cold days. Every time I visit Amsterdam, I buy a few tins of stroopwafels to bring home (they’re so almost impossible to find in America!). This was my first time trying poffertjes, which are basically a miniature, fluffy pancakes topped with butter and powdered sugar. As you can probably tell from the look on my face, these sweet treats did not disappoint!
We checked out Rollende Keukens (“Rolling Kitchens”), a summer food truck festival, after the day we spend on the canals. We had drank some Sambuca, tried raw oysters shucked right in front of us, and gobbled down gourmet burgers on the grass. This was a true foodie heaven!
On my last night in Amsterdam, we visited Pesca to celebrate Annelot’s birthday. This restaurant has no menu and offers a dining experience unlike anything else I’ve seen. After being greeted, you select the seafood you’d like to eat from the ‘fish market’ section, and after that, proceed to the ‘wine market’ where you decide what you’d like to drink for the night. After you’re done ‘shopping’, you’re seated at your table and the kitchen prepares what you ordered. This concept is so interesting and unique I would definitely recommend visiting!
If you’re addicted to matcha like me, Matcha Mafia in De Pijp is the place to go. It’s a trendy, Instagram friendly coffee shop that imports the high quality green tea from Japan and serves it up as cute, colorful drinks (complete with latte art).
Other amazing places we visited to eat and drink in De Pijp were Mana Mana for healthy Israeli cuisine, Glou Glou for cozy vibes and natural wines, Sir Hummus for fresh, Middle Eastern snacks and our go-to organic salad bar SLA.
The Dutch are famous for apple pie (apparently it first appeared in a Dutch cookbook in 1514, long before America existed) and Winkel 43 is the place to try. There’s nothing like a warm cup of tea and a slice of appeltaart.
Fun Facts
Beware the extra-steep stairs in Amsterdam. Dutch stairs are half the size of modern stairs, so there’s not much room for your foot. I still have nightmares of falling down these ones leading up to Annelot’s apartment.
My favorite Albert Heijn (supermarket) finds:
‘American’ pancakes
Asparagus tips (genius)
There were many mornings when I would walk out to the kitchen and find Rogier making hagelslag. I was skeptical of this typical Dutch breakfast dish but once I tried it, I understood the hype. It’s a sort of an open-faced breakfast sandwich - a slice of bread, topped with butter and then chocolate sprinkles (they come in a box at the supermarkets). It’s actually delicious (the sprinkles don’t taste anything like the brown ones at home, they’re more chocolate-y and less ‘sugary’). Also according to Rogier, the secret is to gently press the sprinkles on to ensure they completely cover the bread. See photo below for optimal technique.
Gezellig (adj.) means something along the lines of cozy - warm and content, comfortable, or togetherness. If you are familiar with the Danish word hygge, this is the Dutch equivalent. I feel like I had many nights during my trip that were gezellig!