The final leg of our European adventure ended with a bang!

This was my third visit to Amsterdam and was by far the best. Tommaso and I stayed at my friend Minée’s apartment in the city center. She lives with her coworker in a 3 bedroom apartment (we stayed in the guest room) with an awesome rooftop deck overlooking the city .

Our first night we chilled at Hannekes Boom, a quirky waterfront café where everyone got a few drinks.

After a few hours, the three of us had dinner at Ciel Bleu and you can read my review here.

The next day we all grabbed lunch at Broer where I tried a Dutch specialty, bitterballen. Crispy hot croquettes filled with meat and gravy served with pungent mustard. Quite addictive.

We spent the entire afternoon at Brouwerij ‘t IJ, also known as the windmill brewery which was poppin’ on a sunny Saturday. Of course I had to take numerous photos of all the cute doggies at the brewery.

The following day was another beautiful sunny day out and we walked a few hours around the city center. Amsterdam is such a charming city with its architecture and elaborate canal system.

For lunch we went to Café George near Minée’s old apartment which was much needed since we didn’t have dinner the night before! We were all starving to say the least and devoured the food.

After a satisfying lunch, we took an hour long canal cruise through the city which I hadn’t done before on my previous visits. The cruise was extremely relaxing and we could have easily taken a nap on the boat.

After the canal cruise we walked through Dam Square, the main plaza, with the Royal Palace on one side.

After our afternoon adventures, we had an afternoon snack at Winkel 43 known for their apple pie. The crust was crispy and crunchy but still had a nice doughy consistency and the apple filling had just the right amount of sweetness. It was perfection. If you’re ever in Amsterdam, this apple pie is not to be missed!

For dinner we went to Hummus Bistro d&a for a Mediterranean feast. We ordered the sampler that came with various dips and spreads, flatbread, salad, vegetable dishes, falafel, and shakshuka. Perfect for a group to share.

Our final day in Amsterdam started bright and early. We first walked through the Jordaan district where the Anne Frank House is, a must see when visiting the city. Both Tommaso and I have visited the museum twice before and it’s usually booked weeks in advance so be sure to get tickets early. The museum is a former canal house where Anne Frank, her family, and others hid from Nazis during WWII.

We wanted to have lunch at Foodhallen, basically a hip foodcourt, but when we arrived the majority of the booths were still setting up. Since we were quite hungry, we had a quick lunch at a nearby café called The Breakfast Club.

After lunch we went to the Heineken Experience where it used to be the historic Heineken factory built in 1867. In 1988 they relocated their factory to a small town a few hours away from Amsterdam to manufacture a larger production of the famous beer at a more modern facility.

After the Heineken Experience we walked through Albert Cuyp Market and got some fresh stroopwafel, another traditional Dutch speciality. Warm thin layers of dough are stuffed with a caramel syrup, a tasty sweet snack. We also visited the Van Gogh Museum since Tommaso had never been (I went on my first visit to Amsterdam years ago). Here you’ll find over 200 paintings, 400 drawings, and 700 letters by artist Vincent Van Gogh. Some of his most well known artwork are showcased here such as “Sunflowers” and “The Yellow House”. Unfortunately his artwork didn’t become successful until after his death in 1890 when he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound.

After our stroll through Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market, we had to stop by Winkel 43 again. The apple pie is just too good!

Our final night we had a chill dinner at Yama Ramen now called Hinata and shared a bunch of appetizers and got our own bowl of ramen.

My last stop before heading back to California was truly amazing especially since I was with an old childhood friend. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my month long trip. Without a doubt I will return to Amsterdam in the future especially now that Minée lives there!