Being 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the sea, Amsterdam was hardly anyone's choice for a beach holiday until sand was tipped on the artificial islands of IJburg, where 45,000...

One of the most interesting venues in Amsterdam, Wilhelmina is often overlooked by casual clubbers. Is it the club's IJ-oriented location? The absence of bouncers? Or bottles...

A dirty old rockers bar where musos, journos and everyone else who refuses to grow up gets smashed in one big, sloppy melée. The soundtrack is the entire back-catalogue of...

A new fixture in Amsterdam's subculture, DNA has become a sparkling promoter of fresh talents in the world of independent rock and electronica. It may keep itself to itself,...

Housed in a once-squatted school above a gym, the left-of-mainstream Cavia specialises in obscure, queer and/or political pictures. You can also rent it for film parties of...

Deep in the north and deeper within a warehouse, this is post-industrial dining at its best. Yes, it's about location, but there's also some excellent and affordable cookery...

This former youth prison has been re-invented as one- to five-star accommodation complete with a new 'cultural embasssy'. Fitting in nicely in this harbour neighbourhood which...

Designed by Danish architects 3xNielsen, this is one of the most innovative musical complexes in Europe. Effectively a replacement for the IJsbreker, the Muziekgebouw retains...

A shipbuilding yard at the beginning of the last century, NDSM is now a cultural complex that's yet to be completed, a state of affairs that's rather in step with the...

This transformed old ferry in the Western havens - amidst a neighbourhood of students living in revamped shipping containers - is all-round intriguing, if a bit out of the way.

The home base for this catering company is a tiny deli, which feels like the kitchen of the lovely proprietor. Besides superlative coffee and fresh juices, enjoy salads,...

The oldest cinema in Amsterdam to remain in regular use, The Movies has been circulating celluloid since way back in 1912, and it still exudes a genteel atmosphere of...

On the sprawling terrain of the city's former gas works, the Westergasfabriek reopened in 2003 with much fanfare after years of renovation, asbestos removal and soil...

Through the large windows of this cubic building you get great views of the eastern docklands. Come for soup and sandwiches by day and a daily menu of Mediterranean dishes by...