This was our 4th visit to Amsterdam, and the main purpose was to just go and chill out for a weekend which was something we did. After going back now this time I think it will be some time when, or if, we visit again. Not saying that Amsterdam is rubbish, but it’s got a limited appeal if you want to do something more than drinking etc – in my opinion anyway (and yes I realise about the museums, but once you’ve done them you don’t normally go back, and if the sun is out I don’t like spending time inside!)

On landing, which was a Friday, it was raining. Great start! It rained all afternoon and into the evening, and at one point we did get a bit wet, but hey it’s only water – ain’t gonna kill ya. We were staying in the NH Doelen hotel. Great location about 7min tram ride from Centraal and pretty good central location for walking round the bars, hopping onto trams etc. The first night wasn’t that great, mainly because of the noise from outside the hotel. This hotel is an old building and suffers from noise leaking in. To top it off, the bloody place was robbed in the early hours of Saturday morning, and we had the Police bashing the nightdoor in around 6AM. This was the second time the hotel had been hit, and the same nightwatchman! We asked for a room change, and got one with no fuss, this time at the back of the hotel adjacent to the canal – much better. The staff were really friendly and helpful so it wasn’t a total nightmare of a place

After checking in we found the closest bar and got some beer in, which is good. We also got some Bitterballen ordered as soon as we could, if you’ve not got a clue then look here – they are seriously addictive! Then, as custom has it, en route back to the hotel we stopped for frites with mayo – nom nom nom!!!! This was all done by about 3pm – marvellous! During the other drinking times over the weekend, I had my first try of Westmalle Dubbel, what a glorious tipple. 7% so fairly chunky, but had some real sweet notes to it; think of burned sugar, toffee. Not the kind of drink you knock back, but well worth a look if you are out there.

So, getting onto the main thing – the food. Before leaving the airport we wanted some breakfast and thought we would try Gordon Ramsay’s “Plane Food” as we were flying from T5 in Heathrow. Nice food, haphazard staff. Considering this is an airport place, and time being of the essence, they failed. First off, they forgot the coffee order, and then bought 2 lots over (and tried to order 2 even though we only had 1). We then had to ask twice for the bill – again this is taking time and planes don’t wait (I may be over-egging a bit, but it annoyed me). The food was lovely – perfectly poached eggs Benedict. Nice place too, comfy seats, airy feeling etc. Just a shame the staff were crap.

The first proper meal we had was at Ristorante d’Antica. A restaurant we stumbled upon whilst looking for another place. I must say this was the best Italian meal I’ve ever had AND we also got a free chef’s table, well sort of, as our table was about 20ft from the open kitchen and I had an uninterrupted view of the chefs doing their business. For my starter I had Carpaccio Cipriani – Thinly sliced fillet of beef with Parmesan cheese and a mustard truffle dressing. I was expecting a small side-plate sized portion, but how wrong was I! The plate resembled a charger size – and the beef was about 2″ in diameter and filled the outer rim of the plate. In the middle was a pile of rocket and the waiter then grated a bowlful of Parmesan. The beef was mild in flavour, but melted like butter when eaten – great start. My main was Spaghetti capesante e zucchini – Spaghetti with scallops and zucchini. Probably the best scallops I’ve tasted too – perfectly cooked, cut into quarters and in abundance in the bowl. Really nice, fresh dish. Deep but light sauce, perfect homemade pasta. Really, really nice. Pudding was Zabaglione – my first ever try. This was served with vanilla ice-cream. The dish was like eating spoonfuls of air, drenched with alcohol (a little bit too much for me) but was sublime – will be trying this myself!

Whilst dining we also saw the waiters (some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of being served by) perform their little theatrical pieces, one of which was serving Pasta al Parmigiano – Home-made green spaghetti, made from spinach, with a tomato sauce and mushrooms, at table flambéed with whisky in a Parmesan cheese. Imagine a car tyre, that was made of Parmesan – that was this chunk of cheese on a trolley. The chef had poured the whisky into a big ladle in the kitchen, placed it under a pot to heat it up (but not ignite it). When the dish was ready to make, the waiter would then light the alcohol in the ladle, and pour this burning liquor over the whole top of the cheese – effectively a sea of blue flame atop the Parmesan. He then deftly worked the flame and cheese, thus melting it, and then added the pasta onto the melted cheese, twiddled it into a pyramid shape, and plated it. Spectacular! It smelled fantastic too – I was tempted to order myself one there on the spot!!!!

One time for lunch we stopped at Werck, just next to Ann Frank’s house. Very minimalist, but warming atmosphere. I had the Werck burger which was cooked just right – slightly pink in the middle, and served with some really crisp, fresh salad and the ubiquitous frites and mayo – well worth a visit if you are that side of town.

Sunday morning we went to Gartine – a place that the Lonely Planet app pointed out was worth the visit, and it really was. This, I think, is a hidden gem that the locals use, and it’s down a tiny alleyway that we walked past the day before trying to find it! When we did find it, we were just plain lucky because all the tables had Reservation on them, but someone was just finishing up and the table was free for 1 hour. For breakfast! I mean, breakfast! WOW! The cafe is small – holding about 8 tables I suppose (maybe 10?). The thing about this place is all the food is homegrown and produced. We had brioche, with melted chocolate and homemade lemon curd. Drool. Seriously good curd. Had little bits of lemon in it, and had a great twang to the taste. They also serve delicious teas. A table next to ours had the big breakfast (which I was in awe of) – I can’t fully remember all of it, but there were piles of cakes and croissants which has to be a good thing!

Our last evening meal was at Krau Thai Classic, literally 3 mins from the hotel. Another great find. Quirky little restaurant with a really steep staircase – think of the royal navy ships! Really friendly staff, and a slightly crazy chef who said he would bring us the chef’s special after our starters (chicken satay, really good satay, and steamed pancake rolls), and if we didn’t like them we didn’t have to pay. He turned up with a plate of 6 Thai Basil leaves, with chopped bits in them, and tamarind sauce dolloped onto them. He showed us how to roll them, and then stuffed one into my mouth! They were really fresh tasting, almost a palette cleanser. Our mains were spot on too. Chili beef, Thai green chicken curry, sticky rice and a noodle dish. Very nice food indeed.

Our last place to eat was Puccini about 5 doors down from Krau. Lovely little cafe, with a nice ambiance. Very tidy and cosy, friendly owners. Had a great portion of scrambled eggs and warm ham.

So that was that. Thoroughly enjoyable weekend, some great new places found, and sunny days. Luvvly jubbly