Until the late 19th century, the Museum Quarter lay outside the city limits, a region of small farms and market gardens. Then the city council designated it an area of art and culture, and plans were conceived for the first of Amsterdam’s celebrated cultural institutions. With its great museums of art, an internationally renowned concert hall, the city’s largest park and a clutch of exclusive shopping streets, the Museum Quarter is today one of Amsterdam’s most impressive areas.
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Morning
Depending on your taste in art, start the day either in the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum . If you choose the former, be selective, and do bear in mind that from late 2003, the main building will be closed for restoration, (see Rijksmuseum). Whichever museum you visit, you should aim to spend the whole morning there. The Van Gogh Museum has a useful ground floor café, and you can end your visit with a browse in the museum shop next to the main entrance.
Next, cross Museumplein to the Concertgebouw and pop in for a look. Make your way to Art Deco Brasserie van Baerle (Van Baerlestraat 158) for lunch. It has a lovely shady garden and is popular, so it’s worth booking a table.
Afternoon
Head back to Paulus Potterstraat and Coster Diamonds, where you could take one of the halfhour tours. Afterwards, walk along Hobbemastraat until you reach the elegant shops of P C Hooftstraat. Turn left and window-shop your way along the street.
If your feet are up to it, spend an hour or so strolling around the Vondelpark, finishing either at the Blauwe Theehuis)or the Nederlands Filmmuseum’s Café Vertigo, which has a lovely terrace overlooking the park. You could end with a visit to the Hollandsche Manege, which opens till midnight on weekdays.
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This bakery with seats inside is an ideal spot for breakfast, lunch or high tea – but beware, it can get crowded.
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This polished contemporary brasserie is popular with Dutch celebs for its well-reputed wine list, imaginative French cuisine, languishing lunches and hedonistic Sunday brunches.
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Founded in 1914, this store has one of the largest collections of sheet music in the world.
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A relaxed, spacious bar popular with a younger, trendier crowd.
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This charming café-bar has an open kitchen from which delicious lunches and dinners are served. Ideal for relaxed, sunny days or warm, intimate evenings.
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A fushion menu at this nonn- touristy café-restaurant, which is popular with the locals.
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Designer café on Museumplein created as an ode to the members of the CoBrA art movement. Wine and dine in the restaurant, or go Japanese at the stylish sushi bar.
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One of the world’s great concert halls, the Concertgebouw was built in 1888, designed by A L Van Gendt in Neo-Dutch Renaissance style with a colonnaded Neo-Classical façade. In the 1980s, the building was discovered to be in danger of collapse. In time for the centenary of both the concert hall and its world-famous orchestra, new foundations were laid, and the building was restored and enlarged. Amazingly, all this took place without its having to close.
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Every Wednesday at 12:30pm (except in summer) there are free lunchtime concerts here. Atmosphere informal, quality unsurpassed; queue early.
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Restaurant price categories
For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
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