We try to visit all of these restaurants on a regular basis. (Pity us!) The more stars you see, the more likely it is that you run into us. Give us your feedback if we miss great places. We will go and try them out, too! One word of advice: in the Leidseplein area there are quite a number of rip-offs. So be careful if you choose to go out for food there. Known exceptions: Japan Inn, Moshi Moshi, Wagamama. De Compagnon - French. Gulde Hand steeg 11 (an alley off Warmoesstraat), tel. 4211556. Best restaurant we can recommend - informal and cozy, great service and excellent dishes. View of the water of Damrak. Reservations are a must. Sichuan food - Chinese. Reguliersdwarsstraat 35, tel. 6269327 - Chinese restaurant with Michelin star level! Ever seen before? Try their duck in 5 ways. Amstel 212, tel. 6277879. Stylish and excellent, still quite a relaxed atmosphere. It is not too big, and if you are lucky and get a table at the window you have a great view over the Amstel river. They serve unique combinations and surprising dishes. But never over the top. They have a theater menu for early diners who want to go to the opera (which is just on the other side of the Amstel river). Varend Restaurant - Sailing Restaurant. Tel. 4194141. Departs every Sunday 7 pm. From Pont 13 in the Houthavens close to the Rochdale 1 boat. Price 75 euros incl. dinner and drinks. This is quite unique: cruise the canals and the IJ harbor while having a culinary diner served by restaurant Pont 13. Reservation a must online or by phone. Prins Hendrikkade 59-72 opposite the central station. Tel. 5564885. Excellent and expensive, one Michelin star restaurant. Worth its price. Professor Tulpplein 1, tel. 5203264. One Michelin star restaurant in the Amstel Hotel. Dine with the stars in the stars! Ponte Arcari - Italian. Herengracht 534, tel. 6250853. Best classic Italian restaurant around. Tiny little place with a traditional menu and friendly, professional service. We once spotted the mayor of Amsterdam eating out on the terrace, and we planned to test whether he has good taste. Well: he does. This place is highly recommended. Do not miss it. Mitsukuni - Japanese. Reguliersdwardsstraat 43, tel. 6830388. This Japanese restaurant opened in the summer of 2007 and it immediately was a favorite. It is a new addition to a couple of restaurants by the same owner. We used to go to Japan Inn near Leidseplein, but now can stay closer to home with this new place. Food is even better than at Japan Inn, and prices very moderate. Entremeses y mas. Reguliersdwarsstraat 38. tel. 6236303. Recently opened Spanish tapas restaurant Got a rating of 9.5 (out of 10) by Johannes van Dam, the famous journalist on Amsterdam restaurants. On the most recent visit, however, we had the impression it got a lot more expensive than before. That's why we took away one of our stars, and only one remains 'cause it still was very tasty! Sahid Jaya - Indonesian. Reguliersdwarsstraat 26, tel. 6263727. Very well prepared Indonesian food. Try there rijsttafel. Also possible to dine outside in there nice garden (Dutch weather allowing it...). Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 5, tel. 4202224. Close to the Central Station, west side. Best classical Dutch food restaurant in Amsterdam. Since 1890. Restaurant Knus - Basque. Knus means something like cosy. Well: it is. Very tasty appetizers: Montaditos, Basque Tapas are their specialty. You can make a complete meal out of them. Their tasty and unusual dishes (Steak with chocolate sauce) and very attentive and friendly staff make this one an excellent choice for a special evening. Utrechtsestraat 41-45, tel. 6226376 - French food in a Dutch way - a classic. Brasserie Harkema - French - Nes 67, tel. 4282222 - Hugely popular with everyone that wants to belong (to whatever). Nice menu, quite simple, but cooked with fantasy and care. Reservation taken from 3 pm onwards. Wilhelmina Dok - French. Noordwal 1, tel 6323701 - basic French restaurant: go there for the view and for a completely different atmosphere. It is on the other side of the IJ (the natural port behind central station) Take the ferry to Vliegenbos, that is the ferry departing just right from the big one, then walk to your right along the waterfront for 5 minutes. It is in the picture at the top of the page. The ferries are free of charge. De Theeboom - French. Singel 210 tel. 6238420 - French owned, so revive your dining experiences of France here. Lucius Visrestaurant - Fish. Spuistraat 247, tel. 6241831. Fish restaurants some of our guests raved about. Peperstraat 10 tel. 6270280 a€“ Portuguese owned, alternative scene, fusion Portuguese kitchen, tasteful dishes. Arc - Fusion - Reguliersdwarsstraat 44 tel. 6897070 - trendy and tasteful, gay profile. Getto - Mediterranean. Warmoesstraat 518, tel. 4215151- nice alternative, camp ambiance, gay clientele, tasteful dishes. Morita-ya - Japanese. Zeedijk 18, tel. 6380756. A very alternative setting. Do not be scared - their Japanese food is excellent and quite unlike what you would normally see on the menu outside of Japan. MT Ondinaweg 15-17, tel. 6337162 - nice food and drinks. Located on the former NDSM wharf on the other site of the IJ. Take the small ferry boat from the back of the Central Station to NDSM and walk 1 minute. MTV staff does eat here too! Engelbewaarder - Dutch. Kloveniersburgwal 59, phone 6253772, a number of houses down from the Korenbloemen apartment. Best choice in the neighborhood - local 'eetcafe' with jazz sessions on late Sunday afternoons in winter. Highly recommended for a tasty bite. With a terrace on the canal in summer. Lately many people seem to have discovered the excellent value for money. You may need to make reservations nowadays if you want to make sure you can get in. Zeedijk 72, tel. 6201442 - great Thai food eat on nr 72 and take out from the opposite snack bar at nr. 77 also called Bird. You also can try to squeeze into the snack bar and join a table, good to meet strangers! Kloveniersburgwal 38, tel. 4222447. Opposite the Korenbloemen apartment. Best Malay food around at bargain prices. Also take out. If the menu shows two peppers meaning that the food is spicy, then you better believe them: it is spicy. Gerrit van Beeren - Dutch. Koningsstraat 54, tel. 6222329 - A classic and local Dutch eetcafe. In summer dinner is served in the courtyard. Eat Mode - Asian Fusion - Zeedijk 105 - Fusion cooking they claim, ideal for a quick and inexpensive bite to eat. Order at the counter and pick up your dishes when your number appears. Nam Kee - Chinese - Zeedijk 111 - one of the many good Chinese restaurants in the area. Kam Kee - Chinese - Zeedijk 103 - great Chinese food. Golden Chopsticks - Chinese - Oude Doelenstraat 1 - great Peking duck and other Chinese food, open until late at night, try here when you find other restaurants in the area closed. Gelderse kade 23 tel. 4205225. Best Indian restaurant in the Nieuwmarkt area. Tisfris - open for breakfast. St Anthoniebreestraat 142 - a 2 minute walk from your apartment - best local coffee shop, for breakfast and lunch. Opens for breakfast daily at 9 am. Oosterdokskade 143. The recently opened Amsterdam Public library offers a marvelous top floor terrace with a magnificent view of Amsterdam and a cool catering by La Place. Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat 5 - for a very traditional Dutch style sandwich, nice atmosphere, great when you are in a hurry. Take out is referred to as 'Export'. Rembrandt Corner - open for breakfast - Jodenbreestraat 2 next to the Rembrandt house is the place for early birds to have breakfast. Open all days from 8 am for breakfast and later for lunch, offers wide variety of breakfast and lunch choices. Meuwese - open for breakfast - Rokin 119/121, tel. 624 12 43. Opening for breakfast at 8 am Monday - Friday and 9 am on the weekend. Five minute walk from the apartments. De Bakkerswinkel - Warmoesstraat 69, tel. 4898000 - de Bakkerswinkel means Bak...

Trams and Buses - Most local transportation in The Netherlands can still be paid for with the 'strippenkaart', which you can buy in every tobacco shop or newspaper stand. Closest to your apartment is Kiosk 43, Nieuwe Hoogstraat 43, opposite the metro entrance. Minimum stamp a€˜2 strippena€™ in the machine as you enter. Always ask a local how many strips do I need to go to or try to figure it out the map. If you are staying in the center (including the Museum district) you are fine with two strips stamped per person. Do not forget to stamp as the fines are high. A new system is on his way, however: the OV chip card. Buy a non-personalized card with enough credits from the vending machine at the entrance of the subway or other places. Hold it to the entrance sensor on entry at the beginning of your trip and to the exit sensor at the exit at the end or your trip. It deducts your fare automatically from your card. By Car - Parking at the Transferium. Cars are not a way to get around in the city, and parking is no fun either: it will cost you up to 4 Euros-something per hour. Parking in the street is very impractical as you will have to fill the meter daily. Parking garages like the Waterlooplein Parking are usually a fraction cheaper. We advice you to bring your car out of city center as soon as possible after unloaded your luggage. We suggest the P + R parking in the Transferium ArenA. It costs 5, 50 euros for 24 hours, including free metro tickets. Save your stamped tickets to qualify for the special fare and be sure you mention you want P+R as they tend to charge you the full non-discounted amount if you don't specifically ask for it. From Arena it is very easy and fast to reach your apartment by the subway. Holland has a pretty good transportation system, which makes it easy for you to get around and visit other places in Holland or even Belgium. Canal Bikes - Rent a canal bike, you can do this at several locations (Keizersgracht corner Leidsestraat is one). A tourist favorite and a lot of fun, they even have small roofs now to protect you from the sun or the rain. Rent a Bike - Close by is McBike, the bike shop (the funny small glass building) on Mr. Visserplein on the corner with Jodenbreestraat next to the Moses and Aaron church. Enjoy Amsterdam as the Dutch do and bike along the canals and do not forget to go to the Vondelpark by bike. You may also cross the IJ by ferry and find yourself in a completely different world, just 10 minutes out of the city centre. Ask for a map and ride along the Nieuwendammerdijk towards the village of Durgerdam, or maybe even to Marken. Rent Skates - Skates can be rented at the far end at exit Amstelveenseweg; join the skaters here or tour Amsterdam with the Friday Night Skate. Buying yourself a Visit Amsterdam pass, gives you unlimited tram travel, free entrance to the museums and a canal boat tour. Three different routes with 14 stops are offered by Canal Bus. Their tickets are valid till the next day noon. In Amsterdam you can buy your ticket at e.g. the Rijksmuseum or at the shop in the NZ Hollands Koffiehuis (opposite Central Station) or pre order them online. Canal Cruise - Take a regular canal cruise or even better take a candle light tour with cheese and wine (departure from Rokin near Spui or opposite the Central Station). Our favorite, however, is the Lovers dinner cruise. Departure from the Lovers booth opposite the Central Station. Reservation required tel. 5301090. (It sounds silly, but we do still love the cruises ourselves as you can see the canal houses much better from the water then from the streets). There are several tours on foot or by tram or boat as advised by the Arcam, the Centre for Architecture of Amsterdam. Airport Taxi Service De Meerlanden. If you would like a pre-arranged taxi for an airport transfer, then contact + 31 20 6475994. The rate for up to three guests is € 30. Taxis within the city - Taxis in Amsterdam have a bad reputation. Some taxi drivers refuse to do short rides (e.g. from Central Station to the apartments, which should not cost more than € 8-10, others will take you but will do a little city tour rather than taking you straight to the apartment). From central station it better is to take the metro to Nieuwmarkt station (a 30 second ride exactly). If you need an airport transfer by taxi, then order a pre-arranged taxi (€ 30, whereas other taxis may charge € 45 or more). If you need a taxi within Amsterdam call 6777777, the Taxi Centrale Amsterdam. We ourselves try to avoid taxis if we can. In Amsterdam you find taxis of another kind: the ones on water! Not to save money, but to have a lot of fun. Phone 5356363 for reservations. Yes, bike taxis! You can't miss them: they are all around in the city centre. A very relaxed way to tour. (for you, not for the driver hauling you up and down bridges and fighting the other traffic). Stop them in the street, or make an advanced booking: 06 11529967.

 Central situation
 Hairdryer
 Heating
 Access to internet
 Ironing facilities
 Kitchen
 Clock/radio
 Fridge
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Phone at reception
 Phones in rooms
 TV sets in rooms
 Common room with a TV set