My husband and I are leaving for europe in less than a month and amsterdam is our first stop. We'll be staying near central station. What do you guys recommend to do in the evening? Like some nice restaurants or bars?
it depends on your budget. there are some nice restaurants in amsterdam, but the dutch food tends to be very bland and tasteless. apparently they do a pretty mean indonesian style food. ive never tried it. i did go to a nice argentinian steak restaurant. the steak was good, but the pepper sauce was blah! as always you can never really go wrong with an italian. if your staying near CS you can always walk down to the lovely leidseplein or rembrantsplein areas. (or take the tram if your lazy) theres loadsa bars and restaurants. boom chicago is a great laugh, its like a improv comedy show that serves food and beer. the food is slightly overpriced but its nice. have a ball!
Congrats on getting your arrangements finalized, not too mention picking Amsterdam as your first stop! In terms of nightlife it depends a lot on your interests. I second the suggestion to head down to Leidseplein. There are several live music clubs linked below, as well as street performers, tons of bars and restaurants. http://www.bourbonstreet.nl/ http://www.waterhole.nl/ http://www.cafeblackandwhite.com/ As for using the tram, it has NOTHING to do with being "lazy". It's all about saving your energy and having the freedom to visit places outside of Centrum. It's great to walk around certain areas but walking more than you "need" to is senseless. The tram system in Amsterdam is second to none and should be taken advantage of. Visit the GBV outside of Centraal Station http://www.gvb.nl/english/travellers/touristguide/index.html Day Passes allow you to use all the trams in town for one reasonable cost. Day Passes come in 24, 48 and 72 hour incriments. Obviously if you're into partaking of the fine herb on offer in A'Dam then you'd want to check out the link below for more advice and info. http://www.coffeeshop.freeuk.com/General/Map.html Have fun and do some more research to ensure you make the most of your time while there.
