AMSTERDAM: New Hotspots And 3 Things You Should Do
5 New Hotspots And 3 Things You Should Actually Do
Amsterdam has a problem. There are way too many good places. And by the time you've finally tried the restaurant someone told you about six months ago, three new ones have opened.
So here is my current Amsterdam list: five spots worth knowing about right now, plus three things to do when you've had enough of wandering around the canals pretending you're not secretly checking Google Maps.
🍴 5 NEW(ISH) AMSTERDAM SPOTS
01. JINJA
📍 De Clercqstraat
Asian food, cocktails & “let's just order one more thing.” 🥢
Jinja is an Asian kitchen and bar in Oud-West with a menu designed for sharing. Think spicy edamame, siu mai, gyoza, crispy rice, Sichuan beef, seafood, Japanese fried chicken, and cocktails.
Basically: Do not come here intending to eat sensibly.
MTT TIP:
Go with friends.
Order several things.
Share everything.
Regret nothing.
02. SOBA UKOU
📍 Ruysdaelstraat
Your new excuse to eat noodles for dinner🍜
Soba Ukou is all about handmade Japanese buckwheat noodles, prepared fresh in an open kitchen. The menu is deliberately focused: hot and cold soba, seasonal small plates, and Japanese classics. And then there is the drinks list: sake, Japanese whisky, and natural wines.
MTT TIP:
This is not your giant bowl-of-noodles-and-run kind of place.
Sit down.
Order slowly.
Watch the noodles being made.
It is a proper little experience.
03. STADSCAFÉ
📍 Westerpark
Your new “shall we just stay here all day?” place ☀️
The concept is exactly what I want from a city café:
Breakfast.
Lunch.
Coffee.
Borrel.
Dinner.
Terrace.
No need to keep moving.
MTT TIP:
Go for lunch and stay for drinks.
I have a feeling this will become one of those places where you accidentally lose four hours.
04. SHU
📍 Handboogstraat
When dinner is over but you're absolutely not ready to go home🍸
SHU is a late-night cocktail and wine bar in the centre. And when I say late-night, I mean it. Current hours run into the early morning from Thursday through Sunday, with the weekend going until around 03:30.
MTT TIP:
This is not the place for your 17:30 aperitif.
Save it for later.
Much later.
05. RYO
📍 NDSM
Cross the IJ. Eat Japanese. Add Cantonese. Question nothing🍣
RYO is one of the newer additions to NDSM, bringing together Japanese and Southern Chinese flavours. Think sushi and dim sum, Cantonese classics, seafood, and a modern, relaxed dining room right at NDSM-Plein. The kitchen is open for lunch and dinner, with the bar running into the evening.
MTT TIP:
Make this an NDSM evening, not just a restaurant reservation.
Take the ferry over.
Walk around.
Have a drink.
Eat.
Then look at the Amsterdam skyline from the other side of the IJ.
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🚲 3 THINGS TO DO IN AMSTERDAM
01. TAKE THE FERRY TO NDSM AND ACTUALLY EXPLORE IT
Amsterdam, but make it industrial 🚢
Everyone knows Amsterdam's canals. Far fewer visitors spend proper time across the IJ. Take the free ferry from behind Centraal to NDSM Wharf and explore the old shipyard turned creative district. You'll find huge street-art pieces, artist studios, bars, restaurants, festivals and STRAAT Museum.
And if you're lucky, there will be some kind of event happening.
NDSM has changed enormously over the years, but the industrial bones are still there, which is exactly what makes it interesting.
02. FIND AN AMSTERDAM HOFJE
There is a secret garden hiding behind that door. Probably 👀
One of my favourite things about Amsterdam is how much of the city is hidden in plain sight. A hofje is a historic courtyard surrounded by houses, often tucked behind an unassuming entrance. Walk through a doorway in the middle of the city and suddenly: silence.
No bikes.
No traffic.
Just a little courtyard that feels completely removed from Amsterdam outside.
The Begijnhof is the famous one, but there are many others around the city.
MTT TIP:
Remember: these are often residential spaces.
Look.
Don't invade.
Keep your voice down.
And please don't photograph people's windows.
You're visiting someone's neighbourhood, not a theme park.
03. GO CYCLING BEYOND AMSTERDAM
Yes, you can leave the canals🚲🌿
Rent a bike and get out of the city. Head north towards Waterland or Het Twiske, and you'll quickly find yourself surrounded by green fields, canals, cows, windmills and tiny villages. It feels absurdly close to Amsterdam considering how different it looks. And yes, the Netherlands is flat.
Which means you have no excuse.
😂
MTT TIP:
Pack a little picnic.
Cycle out in the morning.
Stop somewhere along the way.
Have lunch in a village.
❤️ MTT AMSTERDAM FORMULA
Japanese: Soba Ukou
Asian: Jinja
Day drinking: Stadscafé
Late night: SHU
Dinner with a view: RYO
Go beyond the canals: NDSM
Secret Amsterdam: Hofjes
Best transport: Bike
Best plan: Don't have one.
Because Amsterdam is one of those cities where you can make a perfect itinerary...
...and then abandon it because you saw a sunny terrace.
And honestly?
That's probably the correct decision.
Before you go, more fabulous restaurants!
The Ultimate Restaurant Guide For Amsterdam - 42 Incredible Hotspots!
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See you on the next trail!
With love,
Diti | My Trendy Trail 💋✈️