| Amsterdam due to its location and proximity to | | | | chicken and fish, along with filling soups and |
| two of the premier beer-drinking nations in Europe | | | | stews... Many places offer dagschotels - dish of |
| - Belgium, where modern beer was more or less | | | | the day, generally available for as long as the |
| invented, and Germany, famous for its beer | | | | restaurant is open- a meat and two vegetable |
| consumption, is a great city to go drinking in. As | | | | combinations. |
| for eating, this may not be Europe's culinary | | | | A wide selection of vegetarian restaurants offer |
| capital, but there's a good choice of ethnic | | | | full-course set meals which are quite reasonable. |
| restaurants, especially Indonesian, Chinese and | | | | Another inexpensive stand-by is Italian food - |
| Thai, and the prices compared to other big-city | | | | pizzas and pasta dishes start at a fairly uniform in |
| standards are quite reasonable. Amsterdam's | | | | all but the ritziest places. Chinese and Thai |
| tradition of cafes and bars serving adventurous | | | | restaurants are also common, as well as the |
| food for a good price in a relaxed and modest | | | | Spanish ones, all of which serve well priced, filling |
| setting is a huge advantage too. | | | | food. But Amsterdam's real area of expertise is |
| Dutch mealtimes are a little eccentric. Breakfast | | | | its Indonesian restaurants, a consequence of the |
| tends to be later than what generally a person | | | | country's imperial adventures. One can eat nasi |
| might expect, and other meals times are earlier | | | | goreng and bami goreng meaning rice or noodles |
| than expected. If one chooses to eat breakfast | | | | with meat are ever-present dishes, and chicken |
| out of the hotel, then very few cafes are open | | | | or beef in peanut sauce -sateh is available |
| before 8 or 8.30am. The typical Dutch lunch hour | | | | everywhere too. Alternatively, order a rijsttafel: |
| is from noon to 1pm, and dinner time in most | | | | boiled rice and/or noodles served with a number |
| restaurants is between 7 and 8pm, quite a few | | | | of spicy side dishes and hot sambal sauce on the |
| restaurants stop serving by 10pm. | | | | side. |
| Though quite small in size, Amsterdam is filled with | | | | In bars one can get sandwiches and rolls |
| places to eat and drink. There is always | | | | frequently open and varying from a simple slice of |
| somewhere convenient and enjoyable to suit | | | | cheese to something so overstated that it's a |
| everyone's budget. Weekends tend to get busy | | | | complete meal - as well as more substantial fare. |
| so for eating out at a favorite joint it is advisable | | | | Dutch classics include broodje halfom, a roll with a |
| to have a booking or geo early before the rush | | | | combination of thinly sliced salted beef and liver |
| hour. Throughout the city there are plenty of | | | | eaten with mustard, and broodje warm vlees, |
| good restaurants scattered all over the city, and | | | | thinly sliced warm pork served with sateh sauce. |
| in much of the centre one can find a bar on | | | | The way to eat in Amsterdam is through the |
| almost every corner. | | | | local style. Though not what is one used to but |
| Dutch restaurant food has higher protein content | | | | certainly quite a tempting fare. |
| than imagination. The staple diet is the steak, | | | | |