Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [128]
Eating and drinking | Restaurants | The outer districts |
Surinamese
Warung Swietie 1e Sweelinckstraat 1 020/671 5833. Cheap and cheerful Surinamese–Javanese eetcafé, with only a few seats. Budget prices: nothing over €10. Daily 11am–9pm, Sun from 2pm.
Eating and drinking | Restaurants | The outer districts |
Turkish
Saray Gerard Doustraat 33 020/671 9216. Excellent Turkish eatery in the De Pijp neighbourhood. It’s cheap too, with an intimate living-room ambience and main courses for €11.50–14.50; mixed meze from €7 per person. Tues–Sun 5–11pm.
Eating and drinking | Restaurants | The outer districts |
Vegetarian and organic
De Waaghals Frans Halsstraat 29 020/679 9609. Well-prepared organic dishes in this cooperative-run restaurant near the Albert Cuypmarkt. This place gets busy early so book ahead to be sure of a table. The menu changes twice a month, and though food takes a while to prepare, the results are generous and delicious. Mains around €13. Tues–Sun 5–9.30pm.
De Witte Uyl Frans Halsstraat 26 020/670 0458. Good restaurant serving free-range poultry and meat and organic vegetables; dishes include grilled barramundi and home-made goat sausages. Two-course menu €39.50. Tues–Sat 6–11pm.
Eating and drinking |
Coffeeshops
This is the one Western country where the purchase of cannabis has been de-criminalized (see "Drugs"), the most conspicuous result of which has been the rise of the licensed coffeeshop, selling bags of dope in much the same way as bars sell glasses of beer. When you first walk into a coffeeshop, however, it isn’t immediately apparent how to buy the stuff – it’s illegal to advertise cannabis in any way, which includes calling attention to the fact that it’s available at all. What you have to do is ask to see the menu, which is normally kept behind the counter. This will list all the different hashes and grasses on offer, along with (if it’s a reputable place) exactly how many grams you get for your money. The in-house dealer will be able to help you out with queries. The seedier coffeeshops are concentrated in and around the Red Light District; the more congenial in the Grachtengordel. Current prices per gram of hash and marijuana range from €10 for low-grade stuff up to €25 for top-quality hash, and as high as €60 for really strong grass; most coffeeshops open around 10am or 11am and close around midnight.
The hash on sale originates in various countries and is pretty self-explanatory, apart from Pollem, which is compressed resin and stronger than normal. Marijuana is a different story, and the old days of imported Colombian, Thai and sensimilia are fading away; taking their place are limitless varieties of Nederwiet – Dutch-grown under UV lights and more potent than anything you’re likely to have come across. Skunk, Haze and Northern Lights are all popular types of Dutch weed, and should be treated with caution – a smoker of low-grade British draw will be laid low (or high) for hours by a single spliff of skunk. You would be equally well advised to take care with space-cakes (cakes or biscuits baked with hash), which are widely available: you can never be sure exactly what’s in them and they tend to have a delayed reaction (up to two hours before you notice anything strange – don’t get impatient and gobble down another one!). Once they kick in, they can bring on an extremely intense, bewildering high – ten to twelve hours is common. You may also come across cannabis seeds for growing your own; while locals are permitted to grow a small amount of marijuana for personal use, the import of cannabis seeds is illegal in any country, so don’t even think about trying to take some home.
Although it might be tempting, don’t buy drugs of any sort on the street; if you do, you’re simply asking for trouble. The www.coffeeshop.freeuk.com website gives potted descriptions of all the city’s main coffeeshops. The locations of those listed below are marked on