Amsterdam

't Arendsnest

Excellent biercafe serving only Dutch beers and liqueurs, including jenever. Around 30 beers on tap, 17 or so which change regularly, and over 100 bottled. Very friendly bartenders who know beer well and give great recommendations. Try the €8 sampler, which gives you 12cl (1.2ml) samples of 3 beers with a glass of water and some crackers.

Sun-Thu 16:00-24:00, Fri-Sat: 16:00-02:00

420CAFE

Known for their moderate prices. The music played here is Classic Rock & Frank Zappa.

10am-01am

AFAS Live

Formerly Heineken Music Hall

Large-scale music venue with plenty of international stars having performed here. More "headliners" are booked in Amsterdam for AFAS Live than any other venue. Best reached by train or metro (station Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA).

Akbar

Indian restaurant, Muslim (halal) / Hindu (no beef). Good quality dishes from different regions of India.

Main courses €15-20

Albert Cuyp Market

Largest street market in Amsterdam, and the best-known street market in the country. It is iconic for the "De Pijp" neighborhood and its working-class inhabitants. There is something for everyone here, whether you're looking for delicious Dutch treats, clothing or second-hand cameras. There's also a wide array of stores that cater to the city's Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish and Moroccan inhabitants, giving the market and neighborhood a strong multicultural feel. Can get very crowded, so watch out for pickpockets.

Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00

Albina

It's cheap and very good. If you arrive around dinnertime you probably have to wait for a table. The surroundings are depressing but the food is so good you will come back anyway.

€6

Allard Pierson Museum

The Allard Pierson Museum is the archaeological museum of the University of Amsterdam. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Cyprus, the Greek world, Etruria and the Roman Empire are revived in this museum. Art objects and utensils, dating from 4000 B.C. till 500 A.D. give a good impression of everyday life, mythology and religion in Antiquity.

Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat Sun 13:00-17:00·€6.50

Amstelstation murals

In the hall of Amstel railway station, there are several murals created in 1939 by Dutch artist Peter Alma, including a large mural at each end of the hall with a train motif.

Amsterdam Centraal railway station

This beautiful building is an attraction in itself, so if you did not arrive in Amsterdam by train, it is well worth making a special trip to look at the station's facade. The station was built between 1881 and 1889 on three artificial islands. It was designed by Pierre Cuypers who also designed the Rijksmuseum in a similar neo-late-Gothic/Renaissance style. At the time, the project was highly controversial as the new station would effectively cut off the city from the IJ waterfront. Politicians in The Hague pushed it through anyway, and now it is widely regarded as the most beautiful station in the country.

Amsterdam Dungeon

The Amsterdam Dungeon is a horror tour through several dark chambers with live actors.

11:00-17:00 daily, 24 Dec-8 Jan 10:30-17:30 daily, 2 Jul-4 Sep 11:00-18;00 daily·€21

Amsterdam Music Theatre

Het Muziektheater

Opera, dance, ballet and other performances. Holds a free lunch concert on Tuesdays.

Mon-Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat Sun 12:00-15:00

Amsterdam Pipe Museum

Pijpenkabinet

Unique collection of smoking pipes in an authentic canal house from 1670. In the historic ambience of the collector's house, his collection of pipes covering 2,500 years is displayed. Visitors get a personal tour by enthusiast volunteers of the foundation that also runs the speciality shop in the basement: a huge selection of nearly 3,000 modern briar pipes are for sale, next to collectables and books on pipes and tobacco.

Closed · opens noon tomorrow·EUR 8

Amsterdamse Poort

Largest shopping centre in Zuidoost and indeed one of the largest in Amsterdam. All the usual big chain shops, but toward the eastern end, particularly in the "Shopper Hal" a lot of local/Caribbean/African places. Be sure to try the sausage or tripe from one of the vending cards, but beware the 'pepper' is very spicy.

Anne Frank House

Anne Frankhuis

The house where the Jewish girl Anne Frank wrote her diary while hiding with her family from the Nazis. One must buy tickets online, only 20% are issued on the same day so buy them in advance. During high season tickets can be sold out a month in advance. To be safe, you should book 6 weeks in advance. Museumkaart is valid, I Amsterdam Card is not valid.

9:00 - 22:00 (shorter on some national holidays, closed 25 September)·€16; 10-17 € 7; 0-9 € 1

Athenaeum Boekhandel

One of the most renowned bookstores of Amsterdam because of its wide array of fiction and more academic titles. It is very popular among local students; however, their study books are also interesting reading material for non-graduates. They have a particular large selection of books in the humanities, including history, media, language, culture and international relations. Also has a Newscentre with a wide variety of newspapers and magazines.

Mon–Sat 10:00–19:00, Sun 11:00–19:00

Begijnhof

The Begijnhof is a late medieval enclosed courtyard with the houses of beguines (Roman Catholic women living in a semi-religious community). It is a very picturesque group of historic buildings, mostly private dwellings. House number 34 is the oldest home in Amsterdam. The courtyard also has a Reformed Church and a hidden Catholic chapel. Surprisingly, it feels like a serene oasis as it is surrounded by the chaotic Kalverstraat and Spui. Entry to the courtyard and surrounding gardens is free, but be careful not to disturb the local community still living here.

Belgique

One of the smallest bars in Amsterdam, there is seating for at most 15 people. Specialising in Belgian beers, extensive menu that includes some hard to find beers on tap. This place is smoke friendly so don't be surprised to see people rolling joints as they drink.

14:00-01:00 daily

Beurs van Berlage

Take a guided tour and check out the view from the top of the old stock exchange tower. It was built in 1903 (by Hendrik Petrus Berlage) and is considered the beginning of modern Dutch architecture. Costs €3.50, located on Beursplein near Dam Square.

Biertuin

Oktoberfest-style biergarten, so expect long tables and a wide variety of bottled beers available. It has a nice atmosphere during warm summer evenings. Try the Hamburger Deluxe or chicken menus. And come early, as it is often crowded. Reservations cannot be made, but you can wait outside with a beer until seating is available.

Sun-Thu 11:00-01:00, Fri Sat 11:00-03:00·€15-20

Bijlmermonument

In 1992 a Boeing 747F jumbo freighter crashed into two flats in the Bijlmer. This is a monument to the people on the ground who died or lost their houses in the disaster. 39 residents are known to have died, but due to many unregistered illegal immigrants living in the cellars of the flats at the time, which were completely incinerated in the crash, it is possible that more died than could be accounted for. The monument was designed by architect Herman Hertzberger and is built around a tree that survived the crash, with the names of the known victims and mosaics laid by survivors. The foundations of the destroyed buildings are also still visible.

Bijlmermuseum

Protected monument to the original 1960s urban vision of the modernist Bijlmermeer expansion of Amsterdam. It consists of the high-rise flats Gooioord, Groeneveen, Grubbehoeve, Kikkenstein, Kleiburg and Kruitberg, the brutalist metro viaduct running between them and the parks they are all located in. You can get a tour of parts of the Grubbehoeve flat by appointment, but if the weather's good just grab supplies for a picnic at the Ganzenhoef or Kraainest shopping centers and walk underneath the metro line.

By appointment

Bimhuis

World-class jazz and improvised music venue, five minutes by foot from Centraal Station.

€14-18

Bitterzoet

This placed used to be alternative, but changed ownership and is now more hip hop and R&B oriented. Check their agenda to see what they're doing.

Bloemenmarkt

The world's only floating flower market, open daily on the Singel between Koningsplein and Muntplein. It is very touristy, but you could do worse than buying your tulips here. Make sure you buy pre-approved bulbs if taking them to the U.S. or Canada. They will have the holographic licence and export tag on the bag.

Blue

The selling point of this cafe is its 360 degrees view over Amsterdam. Its interior is minimalist and stylish. A great place to have a Dutch cup of coffee while taking in the views. Unfortunately, it's only open at daytime as evenings are reserved for private events.

Mon 11:00-18:30, Tue Wed Fri Sat 10:00-18:30, Thu 10:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-18:30

Boom Chicago

The Amsterdam comedy institution since 1993. English language sketch and improv comedy show with extensive use of video, music and the internet. The troupe is sharp and skewers current events, trends and life and local events in Amsterdam. Perhaps the best comedy show in any city. Good food is served before the show and drink service continues all night.

Brasserie Hoekenrode

Large cafe under the Hampton/Hilton hotel. During the day mainly caters to the nearby office crowd, but in the evenings it gets more local.

Mon-Fri 10:00-23:30, Sat Sun 12:00-23:30

Brouwerij 't IJ

Its label with an ostrich egg is a visual pun, as IJ and 'ei' - the word for egg - sound the same in Dutch. East of the centre, close to Artis Zoo, in a former bath house beside a windmill. A small-scale brewery where delicious beer in several varieties and strengths is brewed and sold - at a bar - on the premises. The beer is available at some specialist beer shops, and is of high quality and, in some cases, alcohol content. Internationally renowned!

Wed-Sun 15:00-20:00

Brouwersgracht

This canal is sometimes cited as the "most beautiful street of Amsterdam". The name, "Brewer's Canal", refers to the many beer breweries along the canal in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nowadays, there's just one distillery left, De Ooievaar, that has been located here since 1782 and specializes in Dutch jenever and liquors. The warehouses here used to store goods such as coffee, spices and leather, but now serve a residential purpose. Traditional warehouses with the row of spout gables can be found at Brouwersgracht 196–188, and at 204, 206, 208 and 210. Also check out the wide-open red shutters at Groene Valk (192) and Grouwe Valk (194). Geloof, Brouwersgracht 218, shows the typical "neck" gable designed by Philips Vingboons.

Burgermeester

Yes, they serve burgers here. But don't expect a McDonalds wannabe. They are quality meat, fish or vegetarian burgers. The place is so popular that they opened 2 more branches in the city. Great if you want to have a quick and inexpensive bite. Order the 'mini trio' so you can taste three different small sized burgers.

Closed · opens noon tomorrow