📍 Foodhallen, Kinkerstraat
Continuing our little food tour of Amsterdam, we went in search of Foodhallen – We’re both real advocates for food halls, knowing you get authentic fresh food, and lots of it whenever you tend to end up in one! Foodhallen was EXCEPTIONAL! We actually turned up around lunch time but there wasn’t much open so decided to return in the early evening and check out what food delights this food market had to offer! And the choices were endless! Always taking the time to do a reccy around the 21 different stops in the market and hash out our decisions – out first stop was to the a Mexican Stall – Taqueria Lima.
We’ve got a bit of a thing for tacos… So of course this was a good first choice. We tried the Al Pastor tacos that were out of this world but the Chipotle Braised Beef Tacos pictured above were the best of the bunch so juicy, definitely a bit messy so grab the tissues if you’re heading here, and so so tasty! All cooked fresh to order by the loveliest ladies, and they were so good in fact we ended up going back for more after! Just couldn’t resist!
We stopped off for some steamed char-siu buns, which were also absolutely delish and actually very filling. There were a few Asian stalls dotted about, seafood stalls galore, stalls with endless sweet treats, pizza, pasta, Bitterballen stalls definitely worth another stop for authentic dutch food if you can fit them in, Dim Sum galore, burgers – endless opportunities to try some fantastic food you may not have had before.
We headed to the bar here in Foodhallen afterwards for some cocktails – definitely worth a stop even just for one. Laid back, very chilled vibes here too, a mix of late workers, friends and families – a great way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon with friends, drinking lovely cocktails and exploring so many different food options and it comes alive in the evenings. A definite visit if you’re coming to Amsterdam!! Should not be missed!
📍 Cannibale Royale, Handboogstraat
This was a definite visit on our list and we we’re really looking forward to it! We’d been given glowing reviews and after having a quick Tripadvisor scan we were absolutely sure we wanted to eat here! This is very comparable to Flat Iron here in London – Fast food steak, but so so well done! Only here at Cannibale Royale you get a bit more choice of steak or whatever else you may fancy from the menu!
We decided to share a steak and share a rack of ribs – BEST DECISION EVER! After reading that the ribs were not to be missed, and not wanting to miss out on the steak this was our compromise! We went for the Bavette steak, and the cannibale’s favourite ribs accompanied by crispy and fluffy sweet potato fries – The steak was beautifully cooked, and melt in the mouth! So much flavour and complimented beautifully by the sauce served with it, could quite easily have smashed another steak after this! The ribs though – falling off the bones, sweet and a little spicy were some of the best I’ve had. This is a definite recommendation for any meat lover visiting ‘Dam. There’s two restaurants here located at different ends of the city – we booked this one simply because there was a bar nearby that we wanted to stop in for some cocktails afterwards.
📍 Flying Dutchmen Cocktails
Speaking of the cocktail bar we wanted to visit – here it is! Flying Dutchmen Cocktails – our naughty treat after a lovely meal. So glad we did a little research for this place! When we arrived there was just one more couple in the bar – oh dear… We initially thought! But of course we were wrong!! This turned out to be one of our favourite stops on the trip. A small cocktail bar, beautifully decorated, with an extensive but very well put together cocktail menu, with varying types of classic cocktails through different periods of time in history. Such a clever concept ‘Cocktail development through the ages’ and definitely something for everyone on this menu. If you’re not sure what to choose, ask the staff – on this evening two lovely ladies were pleased to aid us in our choices – so knowledgeable, and knew which questions to ask to help you make your final decision. We ended up trying a few cocktails while we were here, sitting back in the bar taking in the atmosphere, big windows wide open on the canal and enjoying the summer evening warmth. Would once again highly recommend coming here for a few drinks if you’re looking for a well tailored cocktail experience.
📍 The Blue Tea House
My last recommendation, as I’m sure you’ll find yourself here. We merely stumbled across this little cafe in the middle of Vondelpark! Thirsty from walking and in the heat of the midday sun we stopped for a light refreshment – and I could have sat here all afternoon people watching! A lovely mix of people – couples, families, catch up lunches, quick snack stops and lazy wanders filled this outside space. Very reasonable priced, homemade cakes lined the bar, hand made pizza as a speciality on the menu, and lovely refreshing soft drinks we knew this was the place to stop. It was just a quick stop for us whilst exploring the park but a memorable one – so much so I wish we’d tried the pizza here (by the slice or the whole shebang!)
And so concludes this little Amsterdam guide. We absolutely 100% want to return here, we had such a good weekend, and it being just a short 1 hour flight from London City airport for us it was the perfect way to spend my birthday weekend. Whatever the occasion or time of year, Amsterdam has it all to offer. Fantastic selections of food wherever you look, pubs and bars galore I’m sure there’s something here for everyones tastes! So cheers, and on to the next trip we go!
