I unlocked a new country in November: The Netherlands! I only visited Amsterdam, but it was still a great trip. If you’re new here, I spend a few days in London then head to a different city/country every November. In 2023, I decided to finally cross Amsterdam off my bucket list. Read through for my experience and recommendations, or scroll to the bottom for a free, downloadable itinerary. The itinerary doesn’t include many of the popular tourist spots in London, but you can refer to my previous London blog posts or add a hop-on, hop-off tour to yours so you can see most of the big sights in one day.
Where I Ate/What I Did in London
To get through the list of places I’ve saved, I tried a bunch of new spots in London this time around. I usually stay at the Doubletree by Hilton – Tower of London and at this point, I’ll keep returning when I can. It’s walking distance from Leadenhall Market, which I didn’t realize until this trip. There’s a Nando’s there and a few cute coffee shops, including Hagen. I enjoyed a flat white while marveling at the Harry Potter filming location and the Christmas tree at its center.
I had afternoon tea at The Ivy Chelsea Garden, where it was only £32.95 per person, and the treats were among the best I’ve had during tea. The restaurant itself is so stunning, although the seats are close together. I had dinner with friends at Fatt Pundit after doing a little shopping in Covent Garden and I enjoyed the food! It’s an Indo-Chinese restaurant where the food comes out in small plates, so my friends and I ordered a little bit of everything. I enjoyed my food and the cocktail, but the standout for me was the crackling spinach (I might be biased as a spinach girlie). We ended the night at the rooftop bar at the Doubletree by Hilton, and although the views were incredible, the drinks were not. And they were overpriced. Thankfully, the Hilton brand’s rooftop bars make a comeback later in the trip.
I spent that Saturday in Notting Hill taking in the colorful houses and the Portobello Road Market. I found a few cool things, but it got a little overwhelming because there were so many vendors (and so many shoppers). I’d go again though. I stopped by Lift Coffee on the way to the market and Buns from Home on the way back, and I’d recommend both places for a little treat… or two. Electric Cinema is also in that area, which I recommend going to if there are any movies you want to see. The movie experience is unlike any other.
The last big event in London was heading to Mayfair to look at the Christmas decorations and dine at Bacchanalia. I saw so many mixed reviews and was worried that the restaurant was all hype, but my friend Ashley and I had an incredible experience. We split one of the flatbreads to start, and it was good, but I will think about the chicken on their autumn menu forever. Their tiramisu was also great. The interior is just as stunning as it looks online, and the service was good. It’s a splurge, but worth it in my opinion.
Where I Ate/What I Did in Amsterdam
The next morning, we were off to Amsterdam by plane. The flight was pretty short and we took the bus from AMS to the city center. We were able to check in at our hotel, Hotel van de Vijsel, as soon as we arrived and started to explore the area to get something to eat. We almost missed our canal cruise as the time got switched with no notification, but thankfully I called the cruise company and figured everything out. I enjoyed our evening canal cruise with Flagship Amsterdam (booked through Viator) and think everyone should go on one during their first trip to Amsterdam. It’s such a beautiful way to see the city.
The next day, Ashley and I went to Pluk for breakfast where I had some pretty good pancakes with fruit. It’s first come, first serve, but the tables cleared quickly. We took a short walk to Fabel Friet and were lucky enough to wait less than ten minutes in line for the viral Parmesan truffle mayo fries. The mayo was a little heavy on my stomach, but the fries were good. You aren’t able to eat directly outside of the store as you would block residences, but there are benches around the adjacent canals. While walking around the area, we stumbled upon Beadies (which I recognized from social media) and decided to make our own charm necklaces to commemorate the trip. We explored the area and took pictures by the canals while waiting for our necklaces to be assembled, then headed back to the hotel so we could rest up before going to the Anne Frank House.
There are no photos allowed inside the Anne Frank House, but it was such a moving experience. You should book months ahead of time as the time slots fill up pretty quickly. After the experience, Ashley and I headed to Winkel 43 to try Dutch apple pie and warm up with some hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was more of a warmed-up chocolate milk, the Dutch apple pie was okay, and we made friends with the people sitting next to us. It’s also worth noting that there was a line outside, but there’s a pick-up window that you can go to that moves a lot faster. We ended our night at LuminAir, the rooftop bar at the Doubletree by Hilton – Station Centraale. The ambiance was incredible and the food and drinks were great. The service was a little slow, but the servers were great.
The next day was museum day! There is no shortage of museums to visit in Amsterdam, but Ashley and I decided to visit the Rijksmuseum (another spot I would buy tickets for in advance, but this can be done a few weeks prior). We walked over from The Coffee District, which was pretty close to our hotel. I enjoyed my flat white and gingerbread bundt there and would go again. The museum was incredible, and the highlights were the indentured workers exhibit (because my ancestors were indentured workers who went to Trinidad) and the library. Once we worked up an appetite, we hopped on the tram and went to the Foodhallen. It’s exactly what it sounds like- a food hall with different cuisines, so there’s something for everyone. For dinner that night, we set out a little further from the city center (by tram) and went to Bar Botanique. It’s good to know the peak hours in the red light district (if you are visiting the red light district).The ambiance, drinks, and service were great, but the steak frites left a little to be desired. I found the trams fairly easy to navigate once you get used to tapping in and out with your card or phone, and once you get used to the entrances vs exits. We were supposed to go on a bar crawl once we got back to where we were staying, but the rain was too intense. There are quite a few cocktail lounges I’d like to try the next time I’m in Amsterdam.
On our final day in Amsterdam, Ashley and I started at Chun, a place that went viral on social media last year. I had the ribeye bulgogi toast (halal) with a matcha latte and I loved it. We got there as close to opening as possible and didn’t have to wait too long in line. After we ate, we walked around until we found some souvenir shops, then grabbed stroopwafels at van Wonderen. There are many cheaper places to try stroopwafels, but I loved the Smarties one I got from van Wonderen for ~€6. We then found the Fault in Our Stars bench (and other filming locations) and headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner at ‘T Heemelrijck. The restaurant is a modern take on traditional Dutch cuisine, and everything I had was phenomenal. I got the beef stew and a Biscoff creme brulee.
Other things you may want to know: the weather was very rainy and cold in November (which probably explains why we didn’t have to wait too long for popular things), and the city was easy to navigate by tram. Take care when crossing streets/walking because there are bikes everywhere. If you get injured in an accident while biking, a Boston, MA bicycle accident attorney should be able to help you file a claim. Those who have recently been injured in a road accident should consider hiring a personal injury attorney to protect their rights. Injured in St. Petersburg, FL? The personal injury lawyers from Kogan & DiSalvo law firm can help. Also, hiring a Sacramento slip and fall accident lawyer will help guide you in this situation to make the right decision.
I liked Hotel van de Visjel’s industrial aesthetic (although it can be quite dark for others), how helpful their staff was, its proximity to Museumplein and several tram stops, and their continental breakfast is pretty good; I recommend reserving it the night before to save a few euros.
And now that you’ve made it through the entire post… thank you for reading!
Click the image below to download my six-day London and Amsterdam itinerary:
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