With its old-school grandeur and a prime location overlooking the Amstel River where it meets the Rokin Canal, Hotel de L’Europe is an ideal base for exploring the city. Recent renovations have refreshed the interiors and added a new wing while carefully preserving historic details. But one of our favorite touches? Management not only requires all staff to speak Flemish or take lessons, but also pays for the classes—a remarkable commitment to keeping the language alive.

We love this stylish stay that’s part guesthouse, part shop, part restaurant—set right on the canals. Pro tip: the suite with its own private terrace and lounge can only be booked by emailing directly. It’s a friends-of-friends kind of room tucked above the cafe and shop, but drop them a note and tell them Yolo sent you!

One highlight of this historic Dutch cafe's 1920s interior is the rounded wooden bar, where they serve a great selection of jenevers (gin’s Dutch ancestor), and where their cat Arie has a permanent spot on one of the bar stools. Order an appel schnitt with your coffee; the cafe gets them fresh from their neighbors at Patisserie Kuyt.

The massive window and yellow-and-white striped awning brighten even the dreariest days in Amsterdam. Since dishes change daily, there’s no printed menu, only a killer wine list written in pencil, focused on Burgundian bottles with a modest markup.

This convivial Dutch-French bistro was opened by Margot, the former sommelier at De Klepel. Parlotte has a similar vibe to one of our other favorite wine bars in the city—with a mustard-yellow facade, mismatched wooden chairs, and a massive skylight, it’s both elegant and unfussy. They serve a seasonally-focused set menu that changes daily, alongside excellent oysters, charcuterie, and wine. It's definitely one to book ahead.

This art-deco-meets-art-nouveau cafe has hosted Amsterdam’s artists, writers and other creatives for over a century. It’s lined with cozy banquettes you can sink into for hours, and it’s one of the few spots where you can still find a table on a Friday night without booking days in advance. Head here before or after catching a movie at the Tuschinski theatre around the corner.

This cozy canalfront cafe serves some of the best traditional Indonesian food in town. Amsterdam has no shortage of great Indonesian restaurants, but this spot is a favorite—for a frothy Bintang and a steaming plate of nasi goreng, it hits the mark every time.

A rare Amsterdam lunch spot that goes beyond sandwiches, this charming restaurant serves a French-influenced menu with a strong wine list. In summer, ask for a waterside table overlooking the Brouwersgracht; in winter, retreat into the elegant, cozy dining room.

At Noordermarkt, you can always find something: antiques, vintage clothes, organic produce, fresh flowers, and picnic supplies. Or you can just go for a drink at one of the many cafes around it, like Winkel, where a coffee and a piece of fresh-baked apple pie is the perfect excuse to linger and watch the mix of tourists and locals go about their shopping.

This beloved local bookstore chain opened its magazine-focused newsstand in 1969, and it’s still going strong with an unparalleled selection of independent journals and newspapers. It’s the kind of place you could spend hours in and never leave empty handed (especially since they carry Yolo Journal).

A favorite stop for antique tableware; this store is overseen by an elegant woman who has been collecting china all her life. The floor is stacked with precarious towers of porcelain (best to visit without a toddler or clumsy friend in tow) that look like they could come tumbling down if you so much as sneeze in their direction.

You’d be hard pressed to find a kitchen shop anywhere in the Netherlands with a stronger selection than this humble storefront in de Pijp. Its maze-like aisles are so densely packed that the shop eventually had to expand into an additional space across the street. You’re practically guaranteed to walk out with something you never knew existed but now can’t fathom living without.

The vast Museumplein is home to Amsterdam’s most famous museums, which are outstanding, but their popularity comes with crushing crowds. For a more intimate experience, head to the Rembrandt House, the former home and studio of the artist. The small museum offers a look at Rembrandt’s life and craft through artworks, sketches, prints, personal artifacts, and live presentations that cater especially well to children.

Housed in a stately mansion on the Amstel, the Six Collection holds an incredible private art collection including Rembrandt’s portrait of Jan Six I. Since the building is still the Six family residence, visits are by appointment only, with a free hour-long tour led by local art historians. It’s well worth the effort for a chance to be alone with masterpieces in such intimate rooms. Without a booking, you can sneak a glimpse at Rembrandt’s portrait of Jan Six from the street outside Amstel 218.

Set in a 17th-century canal house on the Herengracht, this fantastic small museum uses clever interactive audiovisual exhibits to tell the story of Amsterdam’s canals and history. It’s one of the best places to begin for an introduction to the city’s history.