Summer in Amsterdam

This July, my husband and I took a 10 day trip to Europe, the first time since Covid. I couldn’t believe it had been that long since we were back. The trip was everything I could have wanted and more. We spent 4 amazing days in Amsterdam. I really took to the city. It is actually pretty relaxing and slow paced there in Summer. I loved walking around and watching the locals put tables outside of their houses to have dinner al fresco. The sunsets were gorgeous, as well as sunrises (being jet-lagged has its perks). Amsterdam is a bit weird in a good way, but the people were so nice and helpful.

We stayed at Hotel The Nobleman for the first 3 nights and the Andaz the last night. The Nobleman is a gorgeous boutique hotel that definetly had darker Rembrant aesthetic. Each room is based on a famous Philosopher,. We stayed in the Spinoza room which had a beautifully painted ceiling, and a brass bathtub. The complimentary breakfast was so good as well. I really enjoyed the dutch pancakes. The last night, staying at the Andaz was drastically different incredibly bright and loud with crazy decor. It was a bizarre hotel but so fun, just look at that goldfish wallpaper! We also had a large terrace with views of the city which was so nice.

A few highlights of the trip:

The Cheese: There are so many cheese shops, and a lot of them have a ton of free samples. Loved all the cheese here! My favorite cheese was the Boeren Goudse Opleg at Bar Perry.

The Ryks Museum: I didn’t love the inside of the museum, it was the outside that I really enjoyed. The building itself is a wonder, and the gardens surrounding the museum are free to visit.

The Siren and The Secret Garden: These two restaurants were probably the most amazing and over the top bars/restaurants I have ever been to.

The Pulitzer Hotel and the Waldorf Astoria: We went to both bars here and they were exceptional. The Waldorf especially, the mixologists made every cocktail we had bespoke to us. The Pulitzer bar is dark and lovely, I had my first Bitterballen here.

The Coffee Shops: There are so many cute little coffee shops all around town, we tried a few different ones everyday. The pastries were so good and fresh. I also enjoyed a famous Stroop Waffle from Hans Egstorf it was warm and gooey but definitely a lot of sugar and larger than I expected.

Cons: The Bicycles! This was the only drawback. I LOVE that the city does not have a ton of cars and is very green/eco friendly. However, watch out for the bikes especially when they are turning a corner.