Amsterdam’s hidden gems

Holland | 1 Comment

You may remember that we sent our blogger Rosie and her friend Bella on a rail-and-sail adventure to Amsterdam this March. Little did we know the gems they would uncover on their trip. Here, Rosie tells us about a few hidden treasures for eating and drinking in Holland’s capital.

DAY

Cafe Koko

Oudezijds Achterburgwal, 145  1012 DG Amsterdam,

“Cafe KOKO combines two of my great loves: coffee and clothes. The cafe serves coffee sourced from Antwerp, alongside a boutique that sells and celebrates European fashion, with Finnish labels R / H and SAMUJI, Berlin-based designer Potipoti, and Spanish shoemakers Eva vs. Maria. They also find inspiration closer to home with Dutch labels Monique Pool Mans of Delft and Bravado.These are all housed in a beautiful space comprising of vintage and antique furniture, and gorgeous local photography. The best find of the weekend.”

Koko1

Coffee Bru

Beukenplein, 1091 KG Amsterdam

“Coffee Bru is tucked away on the unassuming Beukenplein, nestled between an upmarket fromagerie and an art supply store, right on unassuming Beukenplein. Run by a group of coffee obsessives, it has quickly caught the attention of its local area and become a cool hangout spot for a lazy latte. They also encourage you to contribute to their collection of drawn-on coffee cups, and post the picture on their Facebook page.”

Stach

Van Woostraat, 15411, 1073 LW Amsterdam

“Stach is ‘not any delicatessen store’, according to its owner, rather a characterful eatery with lovingly packaged meals cooked instore, and their famous focaccia sandwiches assembled in front of you. The seating area upstairs affords a lovely view of the antiques district where this hidden gem sits, but we ate our food on the go. Delicious!”

StachNIGHT

Mata Hari

Oudezijds Achterburgwal 22, 1012 DM Amsterdam

“We thought we had stumbled across a hidden gem, but then we heard New York Times and Vogue shouting about Mata Hari, and we realised we were onto a winner. By day, Mata Hari is a chilled place to sit at ease, read a newspaper, play a board game with friends and enjoy their excellent coffee. By night the place comes alive, cocktails flow, and excellent Mediterranean food   is shared round. They also serve excellent European draft beer, including Zatte brewery.”

Mercat

Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 1019 BM Amsterdam

“Mercat surrounds you with Spanish food, with large display cabinets showing off the immaculate cured meats, olives, tortillas, and pinchos which comprise its extensive menu. The restaurant thrums with activity, the waiters are crisp and convivial, and the bar acts as an enoteca,  offering a grand selection of wines to accompany the tapas on offer.”

Why not book your transport from Harwich to Hook of Holland with Stena Line and discover these for yourself?