You've emerged, blinking like a newborn, from the perilously touristic Damrak street which took you from Amsterdam Central Station to Dam Square. You are hungry and grouchy from a cramped discount airline flight, or maybe you just have the munchies since you stopped along the way at a coffeeshop. Either way, you're low on funds but not keen to try the gross tourist haunts you've seen so far.

Go west, young (wo)man, to Grillroom Sefa (or Sefa Grill-room, or... who knows? They don't even have a website). Sefa has a host of Middle Eastern dishes to take out or eat there, all from 5 to 10 Euros. Fresh, tasty, and served with uncharacteristic (for Amsterdam) friendliness, you can grab a shoarma, a doner, or kebab. Good-sized meals too (the 5 EUR Broodje Doner is all I usually need for the day).

Located at Westermarkt 25, it is only a few blocks from Dam Square, directly across from Westermarkt church, within 100 meters of the Anne Frank house and closer still to a canal where you can dangle your feet over the side and chill out with your meal. They're open until the wee hours as well. Better Sefa than sorry! (Sorry!).

Westermarkt 25, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
+31(0)20 7739212
Google map: bit.ly/13ej6qp

* Jeff is our Been there local for Amsterdam. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/amsterdam-local-jeff-funnekotter.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/jefffunnekotter

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Moeders is an excellent little eatery/restaurant located on the Rozengracht, not far form the Anne Frank House Museum in the centre of the city's beautiful Canal Belt district. What makes this place different is the decor. You will find wall upon wall packed with photos of customers' mothers. You are of course encouraged to bring along a photo of your own mum to add to their collection. High tea and cakes is served on charmingly mis-matched crockery and cutlery and you can also treat yourself to some authentic stodgy Dutch cuisine here. Bring your mother on her birthday and they will have a prize in store for her. Book online for a table to avoid disappointment in such cases.

www.moeders.com/
Rozengracht 251, 1016 SX Amsterdam
+31(0)20 6267957
Google map: bit.ly/Q70liJ

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Excellent food cooked by real chefs in a small and intimate atmosphere. The menu is not huge but the quality is really good and we had a really enjoyable evening meal. It's not the cheapest but it's great value when you consider the quality of the ingredients, the innovative dishes and excellent presentation.

www.restaurantspelt.nl
Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 5A, 1017 DB Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 420 70 22
Google map: bit.ly/UPe4g7

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If you're looking for a true Dutch feeling, Amsterdam can be tough - it does the bikes and canals to perfection, of course, but beyond that the tourist masses and the sheer mix of people from around the world (177 nationalities call Amsterdam home) can leave you wondering what being in real Holland actually feels like.
I would suggest hopping on a bike for a day trip (or even half a day - the pull of the evening's charms in Amsterdam may prove too strong) and heading down the Amstel river. Within minutes of leaving the center, along the road and cycling pathway known as the Amsteldijk, you'll suddenly yourself cycling along the high grasses and postcard-perfect banks of the Amstel. Halfway to the city of Oude Kerk, a very nice place in its own right, you will pass a huge windmill house, then a sculpture of Rembrandt, and then suddenly at the Kleine Kalfje (little calf.)
This very Dutch spot is only 20-30 minutes by bike from Amsterdam's Centraal Station and offers a feeling of really being in Holland. The restaurant itself is cozy and inviting, but the terrace that sits right on the water is the real gem. Boats slip past just meters away, and the glass surrounding this extended patio keeps you sheltered from the country's windy ways. Cyclists and joggers zip past on the other side, and it doesn't take more than a few sips of cappuccino, wine, or beer to imagine yourself moving here.

www.restaurantkleinkalfje.nl
Amsteldijk-Noord 355, 1083 AB Amsterdam
+31(0)20 644 53 38
Google map: bit.ly/TCVWjl

* Jeff is our Been there local for Amsterdam. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/amsterdam-local-jeff-funnekotter.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/jefffunnekotter

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So you've walked (or stumbled) along the oh-so-touristy Leidseplein and its collection of pubs, clubs and cafes, all about as subtle as a pie in the face. Or maybe you're a return visitor to Amsterdam and you've grown a little wiser. Either way, you are looking for something better, cooler, and devoid of Eurotrash. I'd suggest you turn the corner and head to Bo Cinq.

A bar/lounge/restaurant on Prinsengracht, one of the main canals that make up the city center, Bo Cinq (I have no idea what that means - will have to check with them on my next visit) is a great spot for a drink or a bite to eat. Lined with red bricks on both sides of the long, low-ceilinged interior, this place just makes you 50% cooler and relaxed as soon as you walk in the door. The low-slung couches and chairs invite you to lean in or get close to people. If that's not your thing, the other room has a long bar made for standing and mingling.

The ambiance is great - toeing the line but staying well on the good side of pretentiousness, with good tunes and good-looking people hovering near the 30-year-old mark. The vibe is good for groups and singles, though you won't feel like you're in a meat market. Subtlety is the key to the place, in the food and the mood. Later in the evening, it fills up and the energy follows suit.

They have other things going on each week, including a canal boat tour that leaves from just outside its doors - check out the website: bo5.nl/index.php

It's not cheap, mind you, with pricey cocktails appetizers that are a little too precious for my taste - they quality is great, but one might prefer some heartier fare when having a few drinks. But overall it's well worth a visit.

(Tip: if you want to use your phone here or you're waiting for an SMS that hasn't come, head outside for a moment. Inside, you're surrounded by too much brick and only the heartiest of mobiles will have a signal).

bo5.nl/
Prinsengracht 494, 1017 KH Amsterdam
+31 20 622 0682

* Jeff is our Been there local for Amsterdam. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/amsterdam-local-jeff-funnekotter.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/jefffunnekotter
Google map: bit.ly/pO3GJS

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When strolling around Amsterdam, one is amazed at the sheer number of sandwich shops. From gourmet to barely OK, the "broodje" is as ubiquitous here as raindrops and smelly cheese. It's fine - for the first few weeks - but you soon begin to dread the bread.
Enter Tomatillo. Their slogan is "Beyond the Broodje", and they couldn't have done a better job of adding something to the Dutch lunch (and dinner) table. Their Tex-Mex menu offers everything from burritos to tacos to tostadas, washed down with a cool Dos Equis or Negro Modelo and followed up with a amazing brownie or rhubarb crumble. All entrees are under 10 Euros, which helps the digestive system too.
It's all made fresh, tastes great, and friends from the UK and the States who know about such things claim it is one of the best places they've been to in town. I'll second that - I've tried everything on the menu.
You can sit down here, order a delivery, or just as easily take it away and turn the corner and park yourself on the grass in Vondelpark, not more than 200m away.

Overtoom 261, 1054 HW Amsterdam
+31(0)206833086
www.tomatillo.nl
Open 12:00-21:00 (closed Mondays)
Google map: bit.ly/pSwwdC

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Amsterdam is known for many things, but a good steak is definitely not one of them. But there is a gem to be found just south of the city centre named Café Loetje. Skip the dime-a-dozen "Argentinian steakhouses" that dot the tourist areas - they don't come close to matching Loetje (pronounced "loot-yuh").

Cooked only one way – rare (you could ask for it differently, but you then risk betraying your outsider status) – and served in a light gravy with fries and a side salad, the steak is a favourite among locals and the location in a residential neighbourhood provides a respite from the tourist masses. While everyone else ambles back to the centre or the city, head here after a day at the nearby Van Gogh museum. Price-wise, it is quite reasonable.
The staff are busy but refreshingly friendly, the atmosphere casual, noisy and clean, and they won’t take reservations for less than six people, but standing around with a beer or wine while waiting for your table to become available is part of the fun. To add to the casual atmosphere, you may see a dog or two lying around. As for what to order … other menu items look just as tasty, but you don’t want to make a mistake and miss steak.

www.cafeloetje.nl
Johannes Vermeerstraat 52
+31 (0) 20 6628173
Google map: bit.ly/nPyyhU

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According to locals this is one of the best in the city. Fabulous satay dishes, gado gado and top it off with a coffee and what can only translate as 'streaky cake'. You'll need to reserve or else standing room only at the bar which simply means you'll get into conversation with other diners. A great evening will ensue...

www.samasebo.com
P.C. Hooftstraat 27, 1071 BL Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 662 8146
Google map: bit.ly/gppssA

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We have just returned to France from a week's holiday in Amsterdam. I have a few suggestions for other travellers. We had previously stayed at www.hoteltoren.com. Great place. Very charming and family run (which we like). This time around we rented an apartment through www.apartments-for-rent.com/amsterdam.
We booked an apartment in the Jordaan area on the Prinsencanal. We were very lucky to meet some young guys the first day we arrived. They run a small boat rental business called www.boothurenamsterdam.com (which translates into boat rental amsterdam) The guys who run it are amazing and give us a whole list of fun things to do in the neighbourhood. We did not leave the Jordaan area except for a brunch at the www.bakkerswinkel.nl in the Westerpark.
The boat rebtal guys suggested little Amsterdam gems like www.tazzina.nl and www.cinemaparadiso.info/

www.boothurenamsterdam.com
www.apartments-for-rent.com/amsterdam
www.bakkerswinkel.nl
www.hoteltoren.nl

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Set in the Museum Quarter, the restaurant is only a stone's throw from the city's most popular museums and makes an ideal dinnertime stop. It is also fairly reasonably priced in what is otherwise a rather pricey area. The service was friendly, personal and relaxed. More importantly, the food was divine. Good quality, carefully cooked - relaxed dining as it should be on holiday.

Willemsparkweg 6, Museum Quarter
Tel: 020 662 62 06

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From the outside, it just looks like a bar near the red light district, but this place serves the highest quality Thai food in Amsterdam. The rice noodles are particularly fresh and delicious. Thoroughly recommended!
The clientele are sometimes very interesting ...

www.butterfly-thaicafe.nl/
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 160
+31(0)20 6232064
Google map: bit.ly/rgCUdP

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Great meat feast and happy friendly service.

Reguliersdwarsstraat 57, 1017 BK Amsterdam, 020 626 50 80

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Just off the route of the #2 tram lie a number of interesting restaurants, notably, Le 4 Stagioni, a former butcher's shop, with antique tiles portraying the four seasons - le 4 stagioni.

- Palma, Johannes Verhulststraat 104, www.restaurant-palma.nl/do.php?lg=eng
- Oud-Zuid, Johannes Verhulststraat 64, www.restaurantoudzuid.nl
- Le 4 Stagioni, Johannes Verhulststraat 32, www.le4stagioni.nl
- Pulpo, Willemsparkweg 87, www.restaurant-pulpo.nl/index.php?pag=diner

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Yes, I know that Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania, not Ethiopia, but this little eatery specialises in Ethiopian-style dishes - and you can hold the predictable jokes too.

There's a limited but great-value repertoire here, and on an empty stomach the all-in get-your-hands-dirty dishes are to die for. If there's a group of you, order a variety of mains (all served on a stodgy bed of pancakes) and you can pull off a massive dinner for under 15 Euros per head.

Rapenburgerplein 6
+31 20 6223485
Bus no.22 from Centraal Station

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When visiting Amsterdam, try the Supper Club, a great, chilled out place that includes a five-course surprise menu, which is fab. The music is great and is suitable for all ages. The meal finishes at about midnight, and then there is a nightclub to which you get free entry if you have the energy.

www.supperclub.com/

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In Amsterdam, the former city glasshouse has been restored and turned into the light-filled, airy De Kas restaurant, with smaller glasshouses around the main room used to grow herbs and vegetables. Book for dinner in high summer and start with a glass of champagne flavoured with a basil leaf, followed by delicious, seasonal food like confit duck, grilled fish, fresh salads and tiny jellies made from fresh berries. They serve one daily, five course menu so all you need to do is book a table, turn up and relax - neatly avoiding both menu dilemmas and dinner envy.

Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3
1097 DE
www.restaurantdekas.nl/4menu_eng.php

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A fantastic restaurant, if you like steak or lobster with great service and a cosy atmosphere, is Restaurant RED (Keizersgracht 594).

www.restaurantred.nl/

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Academie OT301, the former Netherlands Film Academie, is a legalized squat featuring two large performance/rehearsal spaces, a cinema, cafe and gallery space with cultural activities and events. Check it out for the mega-cheap organic vegan restaurant. A meal costs €5 but must be reserved from 4pm on the day; dinner is served at 7pm.

ot301.nl/
Vereniging Eerst Hulp Bij Kunst
Overtoom 301, 1054 HW Amsterdam
Google map: bit.ly/n1HnzP

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Club 11 is great. It's on the top floor of an otherwise deserted warehouse, the walls are covered in graffiti and you use what looks like a service elevator to go up. When you get there, it's a huge open space with great views of the city. Tasty food, too.

Oosterdokkade

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Restaurant De Waaghals in Amsterdam is the best veggie restaurant ever - amazing desserts!

www.waaghals.nl/

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