Amazing Amsterdam a foodie dream

1.0 Introduction

Welcome to the first ever food yap. This is an exciting time for us as we begin to expand and thank everyone for there continued support since we began this journey.

So firstly before we begin this YAP I would like to introduce myself. My name is Laura and I am Matthews partner who may be popping up from time to time to write the odd blog whilst Matthew is busy finding more YAPS to write about.

This YAP is going to talk about the amazing Amsterdam. Now we all know Amsterdam for its naughty temptations but there is also a lot to discover food and drink wise with it being home for the fantastic Heineken drink and Dutch pancakes.

2.0 What to do in Amsterdam

Now before I talk about the pancakes and alcoholic beverages that are to be enjoyed whilst in Amsterdam. I must add special recognition for the place as somewhere to go for a few days. Now I stayed in a boat when I was over there but if your not keen on water there is an array of hotels at a reasonable price. So for this part of the YAP I am going to list my top 2 things to do in Amsterdam

Coming in at number two on my list of things to do in Amsterdam would have to be the A'Dam Lookout. Now this compromises of being able to look out onto the amazing scenery of Amsterdam on Europe's highest swing. This amazing swing allows you to be strapped in and swing over the building whilst taking in the amazing views of Amsterdam. now if you are a thrill seeker I would definitely recommend and this is certainly a great spot to get those all important instagram shots. There is also a bar and restaurant situated here however, I would recommend eating within the city as places like this can be more expensive for food and drink.

If your not one for heights then walking on foot to explore the city can be just as fun however, to get a full overview this is a fun activity. Tickets are around 14.50 and children are slightly cheaper at around 8.50. it is cheaper to book online so if this is something you wanted to do then booking online would be highly recommended. This experience is given a 8/10 vibe rating

My number one thing to do would be the Anne Frank house. Now if you are like me and love history and finding out more about the war then this should be in your list of things to do. Now I dont have many pictures of this experience as they kindly ask you not to take photos so I can only explain. The guide is self- guided and you are given headphones where a guide speaks to you. Now I would definitely describe this as an experience as the story is so moving as you are guided through one familys life during the world war 2. I would definitely give this a 9/10 vibe rating and is an absolute must if you are in the city. If you are visiting and know of dates I would recommend buying your tickets online to guarantee entrance. If you wait till the date of your trip you do risk this and usually have to book via phone on the day you want to go and even then tickets are not guaranteed. I did go in 2019 so this may of changed since then. It does cost around 10 euros so is affordable for those on a budget.

3.0 Food Glorious Food

So getting to what this YAP is supposed to be about FOOD! Now I love food. I even studied it at university I love it that much. I love going to different areas and trying different cuisines and Amsterdam is certainly a contender for some of the best food I have tried. I am not going to bore you with everything I had out there but one thing I must talk about is Pancakes. Now I chose this YAP because you would never catch Matt talking about pancakes as he doesn't like them. If you think UK or American pancakes are the best you have tried you really need to try Dutch pancakes now I only went to two places that did this wonderful dish but there are loads of places you can go. They even have an all you can eat pancake boat!

The first place I went to was called De Carrousel where the restaurant is a replica of the traditional carrousel but sells food and drink. Now this first trip is a bit blurry for me as I was a bit tipsy after drinking lots of Heineken at the Heineken factory but if there is one thing I remember is the pancakes! We had ours with butter and icing sugar. So these are not your traditional toppings but it sure did taste dam good. The traditional name which the restaurant use for these kind of pancakes is poffertijes which is like mini pancakes. I think when we went we had around 10 for 7.50 so not too pricey. I must say the restaurant itself was lovely and the staff were so friendly making the experience that bit more sweet. I would definitely give this place a yap rating 8.5/10

4.0 Please sir can I have some more

So after attending one place for pancakes we really could not get enough of them so we made sure before leaving we tried somewhere else and once again absolutely fantastic. This place was called pancakes centraal Amsterdam and we chose to sat outside but there were areas inside to sit. Here we didn't have the pancakes with icing sugar and butter but with Nutella and strawberries. This pancake house get a 8/10 YAP rating. I think if you love a sweet treat that is filling then these pancakes are for you. I think overall, if you are visiting Amsterdam you need to try some of these as it truly is nothing like you can get in the UK.

5.0 Heineken Tour

Now to quench that thirst! One thing you can do in Amsterdam is experience the factory of Heineken. This is a tour which takes you through the making of Heineken and even allows a few tipples along the way. The tour is really good for learning about the manufacturing process and you get around 4 drinks whilst you walk round. Now for those who have done the Guinness tour in Dublin this is a much better experience than Heineken in Amsterdam. Don't get me wrong it is definitely worth doing but the overall experience is better at the Guinness factory. The Heineken factory get a yap rating 7/10

6.0 The final push

Lastly another thing that is a must try is the ice bar in Amsterdam. Now to say it is cold is an understatement but don't let this put you off the experience gives you 4 tokens. 2 which can be used in the bar prior to going in and two once your in the ice bar. There is an array of drinks to be had and if you like cocktails like me this is your go to. Once you actually enter the ice bar you have 2 tokens left now there is a limited choice of drinks in here with either being allowed shots or Heineken. Now I chose to have shots and weren't they just lovely. Now one of the shots I had tasted just like Nutella now if you can't tell already I do have a sweet tooth. So yes the ice bar did meet my expectations and is a good alternative to your average bar. This therefore gets a 8/10 yap rating.

Lastly thanks for reading this YAP today on Amsterdam and I hope to write more soon. If you have any questions or any more requests on foodie things you would like to see and read please don't hesitate to contact. We love hearing from you!

Laura Bailey

YAP Vibe Blogger