Hey Shirai, guess who's coming to Amsterdam :P

[Sugami]

It's me by the way

I'll be in your lovely city on March 23rd to 25th. This time I have an itinerary and hopefully won't get lost

Any recommendations for places to see or restaurants to eat at or bars/pubs to go?

[Shirai]

You're lucky I see this, as I do not frequent MP that often anymore.

Now, tips!
Traditional Dutch good food: http://www.haesjeclaes.nl/?language=en_EN
I cannot recommend this place enough, their food is excellent and not too expensive.
I have taken several foreign friends here and it's always been great.

Other than that, places to see:
I can recommend that you get a ticket for Amsterdam's Hop on Hop Off: http://www.citysightseeingamsterdam.nl/en_GB/

Of course our museums, Heineken Experience if you like beer, the square behind the experience also has a couple of good places to eat and there's the Albert Cuyp Market a little further.
And Artis Zoo, if you like zoos.

[Sugami]

Sweet, I'll add that restaurant to my list.

I did the hop on hop off bus last time, more interested in staying for the whole tour this time round.

There's a couple of museums I missed last time though I did visit the cat museum I visited a market, the flower one, think it's a different one. Not really one for zoos but since I didn't go last time I might do this time. Cheers

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

I SO recommend the Rinks museum and the vanGogh museum.

Word of warning, do NOT eat marijunated foods before intense visual input.

[Sugami]

Those are the two I missed out on last time (along with Anne Frank museum) so they're on my list this time

I don't intend on taking any kind of drugs other than alcohol and caffeine

[Shirai]

I don't intend on taking any kind of drugs other than alcohol and caffeine

Good!
Because these:

Are not some "Meanwhile in Amsterdam" joke by Imgur or 9Gag unfortunately, but hard reality, very hard reality...

[Sugami]

Yeah I noticed those signs, I also had two people try to sell me drugs Not like there's not enough legal drugs in Amsterdam to do anyways, I don't see why people would feel the need to purchase illegal and very dangerous drugs *sigh*

Well I had fun, accomplished what I had set out to do (mostly) but failed on the food and drink front I took a list of 5 restaurants and 5 bars to visit, didn't get to visit any, though I did visit the House of Bols, which I loved I tried finding Le Garage on the first day, got lost and when I finally found it they had closed for lunch So after that I just decided I'd go to the most convenient place to save time. Got lost trying to find the Temple Bar Irish Pub, twice in two days Couldn't find the Penis Fountain in the RLD, I'm sure it's no longer there now!

Anyway if you're interested in seeing some of the crappy photos I took:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

[Shirai]

Looks like you had fun.

By the way, that church across Central Station is the Saint Nicholas church.
Your hotel wasn't too far from where I live by the way.

[Sugami]

Oh you live near the NH Schiller? That's pretty central, it's a pretty sweet spot to base your holiday around I might stay there next time, overall quite happy with the place

[Shirai]

I don't quite live around the corner but a 15 minute walk is pretty close for me.
I live on the edge of the city center myself, close enough to where everything happens but not in the middle of all the noise.

[Sugami]

Probably closer then the last hotel I stayed at , though wasn't too bad. Hotel Pein or something in the Museum Quarter, kinda down an alley than ran parallel to the small part of the park.

Heck I don't even live a 15 minute walk away from my town center, more like an hour's walk or a 10 minute car ride

[Sugami]

Who's got two thumbs and going to Amsterdam again in October? This guy!

[Shirai]

Haha, nice.

[Sugami]

Yup found out there's actually loads more musuems than originally thought so still plenty to do and doubt will be able to see all of them too

[Shirai]

yeah, tell me about it.
I live in Amsterdam and I haven't seen or even found all of them! Sometimes I even go "They have a museum for that? In Amsterdam?!

[Sugami]

If you can think of it, Amsterdam has a museum for it
I saw the cat museum the first visit, obviously the best museum there is
1 week to go now

[Shirai]

cat museum

Why didn't I know about this?!
Recommendation: Amsterdam's very own CAT CAFE!
(You will need a reservation, I can help with that but send me a message as I don't read this forum every day.)

1 week to go now

Have fun!

[Sugami]

You didn't know about the Cat museum?! http://www.kattenkabinet.nl/

TBH it's not great but I got a free postcard with a cute kitty in cotton wall and there was a sleeping cat inside, catception!

[Sugami]

Pictures!

Day 1 - https://www.facebook.com/david.pike.712 ... 838&type=3
Day 2 - https://www.facebook.com/david.pike.712 ... 838&type=3
Day 3 - https://www.facebook.com/david.pike.712 ... 838&type=3

Cats were mostly lazy and looked to be sleeping most the time, one wasn't in the mood to be petted but he/she'd jump up on your lap briefly. I didn't have a lap cat for long sadly

[Shirai]

How was the cat cafe itself? I haven't gone there yet.

[Sugami]

It's pretty small, capacity is probably around 10-15. Can see a lot of the cat furnisher on the walls from the photos. They make good hot chocolate, I just had a croissant.

Turns out we have one as well next time you're in London, I'll have to find it myself

http://ladydinahs.com/

[Shirai]

I'll certainly look for that one when I hit London again.
I haven't been there for a while, it'll likely be some time next year when I go again though.