traveldk.com

The man at the next table may be writing a novel; the couple across the way arguing politics. An interesting, literary clientele gives an edge to this classic “brown café”. There might even be a jazz band playing, and some locals swear that the French-fries you can have with your beer are the best in town.

In the middle of the Begijnhof, the pretty English Reform Church got its name from the English (and Scottish) Presbyterians who worshipped there after it was requisitioned in 1578. There has been a church on this site since the end of the 14th century.

The flat brick façades of these typical 19th-century warehouses, punctuated by shuttered, arched windows, seem to stretch endlessly along the dockside. When owned by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), they were declared part of a free port, and no duties were levied here on cargoes in transit. Now they have been converted into offices and apartments, served by pleasant cafés and restaurants with tables outside in summer.

Like raw herring, this pea soup is another Dutch favourite that some foreigners find hard to love, with a consistency akin to wallpaper paste. Try it at Dorrius, which serves genuine Dutch food.

One of Amsterdam’s biggest and most exciting clubs, which can hold up to 2,000 people, has a huge dance floor, hi-tech lighting, a multi-media environment and, as you would expect, a stunning sound system. At weekends it attracts a big out-of-town crowd.

In the same family for three generations, this elegant hotel mixes modern facilities with traditional surroundings and a warm atmosphere. Baby baths and high chairs are available, and babysitting. A new wing with 20 rooms should be ready in 2005.

The décor leaves a little to be desired, but the fresh food at this Assyrian café makes it perpetually popular. A favourite haunt of revered (and feared) Amsterdam food critic Johannes van Dam.

One of a handful of typically Jordaan boutiques in this area – with a trendier edge than most.