http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32082
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).]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32082 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31704 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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31704 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31354
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31354 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30093 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30093 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22884 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/]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22884 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19687 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19687 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19409 The clientele are sometimes very interesting ...]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19409 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16762 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16762 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16015 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16015 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15541
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.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15541 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15015 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15015 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14234 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14234 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14227 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14227 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14207 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14207 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14199 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14199 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14188 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14188 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14166
Work off breakfast by exploring the canals, visiting the floating Singel flower market and buying tulip bulbs for green-fingered friends and family. Take in some culture at the Van Gogh museum; alternatively, if the sun is shining, head south for a picnic in Vondelpark.

Spend the evening relaxing over delicious food and wine at Morlang (Keizersgracht 451); on a warm evening, sit on the terrace outside, overlooking one of Amsterdam’s tranquil canals.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14166 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14151 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14151 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14146 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14146 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14130
NEMO is a children's science museum in the main harbour, right next to Central railway station. It has to be the best kids musem in Europe. Every exhibit is interactive, kids can dress up as scientists and blow things up in the lab (carefully helped by real scientists!). They can also appear on TV, wrap themselves up in giant bubbles and watch a fantastic great-egg-race-style show every half hour.

Despite being in Holland, every exhibit is also described in English and the presentations and announcements are also bilingual. The museum is great for kids aged from 4 to 14, and is so big that you can easily spend several hours there.

Once you have exhausted yourselves there, try the Pannenkoekenhuis, a pancake house in a 17th-century warehouse overlooking the canal on Prinsengracht. The kids' pancakes come with toys, games and fireworks to finish the day off with a bang!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14130