The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: TOKI

Coffee was never one of my go-to drinks. Don't get me wrong I like the warm and cozy taste, but the dependence that people have on the drink wasn't something that I wanted for myself. A couple of years ago during summer I was working on my thesis and got this obsession with iced almond latte's. For three days straight I would drink about three large coffees a day - I made them in this mason jar that I had - and I felt like the typical student, sweating away over uni work and drinking coffee to keep going. On the fourth day I woke up feeling the grumpiest I have ever been and immediately stopped. I think that's the closest I have gotten to having that 'I need my morning coffee' feeling that people always say they have. Plus I felt like it didn't give me more energy at all so I switched back to water and tea.

Fast forward to me stumbling upon TOKI. A small café near the Haarlemmerdijk in Amsterdam. Usually when I am out and about I always order a chai latte, turmeric latte or green tea, but at TOKI I wanted to give it another shot - mainly because they serve the coffee with a tortoise spoon and it would look so good in pictures. I ordered an oat latte and a slice of their banana cake, and sat down in their airy space full of terrazzo tables. It was a Friday after all so I opened my laptop to do some work - it was a Covid free world back then - and observed the people around me. It's a proper local café where you can do bit of work on your own, meet friends for a chat or grab a quick coffee to go. When the latte and cake arrived I wasn't disappointed at all. I LOVED the coffee, which was surprising to me and the cake was the cherry on top. The creamy topping and moist cake go so well together and I enjoyed every single bite as I sat there typing away.

Since then - this was december 2019 - I have been back a couple more times and always go fo the same combo: an oat latte and a slice of banana cake. I know they have plenty of other baked goods and lunch foods, but once you try the banana cake you honestly don't want anything else. The staff has been super friendly and helpful every single time I've been there and even when it's busy - people in Amsterdam love coffee -they pay attention to every little detail. 

I'm very sad that I cannot visit Amsterdam as much as I used to, but when I am there I always pay TOKI a visit. On your own or with friends, I'm sure you will love this gorgeous space as much as I do. They also opened a café in Berlin which has the same kind of relaxing atmosphere as their big brother in Amsterdam. So if you are ever in Amsterdam - or Berlin - don't forget to go for a coffee and banana cake break at TOKI, I'm sure you won't regret it. 

Have you ever been to TOKI?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Vegan Junk Food Bar

I love me a burger and fries. Shake Shack is my bae -do we still use that word in 2018? I don't know but it fits in this particular situation- and whenever I go out for dinner I usually end up in a burger place -or sushi, looooove sushi-. I am all about trying new things and when I heard there was a vegan burger place in town I was all for that. I am not vegan but do like to whack out my vegan cooking skills from time to time and trying out vegan burgers and Dutch 'bitterballen' was something I just had to do.

Vegan Junk Food Bar is quite new to Amsterdam and already has two locations: a small burger bar near 'Vondelpark' and a proper restaurant in the neighbourhood 'De Pijp'. Due to a mix up I went to the restaurant and my friend was at the burger bar. So I hopped on a tram to go and meet her. I think I recommend the place in De Pijp, just for the fact it's a bit bigger. The burger bar was very light though so better for photos. It's just whatever you fancy really.

I ordered the normal VJFB burger and my friend had the double burger. The normal burger consists of: plant-based beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red, spring & fried onion mix, pickles and VJFB sauce. The double has an extra patty, jalapeños and fried onion rings. With that, we also ordered Parm Á San and Truffle fries and some Amsterdam Bitterballen. The food came fast and I have to say it was so freaking good! The burgers by itself looked totally Instagrammable and tasted even more amazing. The fries were to die for and the bitterballen actually tasted almost the same as the real deal. I have had some vegan burgers before -even tried to make one myself- but I have never tasted something like this. I think even a meat lover will like this place and that is saying something. 

A lot of people still think of vegan food as boring and I love that the Vegan Junk Food Bar is kicking ass to prove the opposite. Safe to say it was one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life. The sauce, lettuce and everything worked so well together. The only downside is that it's a bit pricier than your usual Shake Shack combo, but hey it's all worth it knowing that you are eating all the plant based goodness!

Have you ever tried a vegan burger? What are your thoughts on them?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Benji's

Move over Bar Botanique, because there is a new urban jungle in town. And with that I mean they have lots of plants and the prettiest interior ever, not a humid rain forest with exotic animals, because chances are you will find that at the Artis Amsterdam Zoo and not at Benji's which is the newest hotspot discovery of mine.

Benji's is located at the Wibautstraat, near The Breakfast Club and Volkshotel. It's very loved by locals and people who love that healthy brunch. I also find it's a good laptop club café. Perfect for working and studying in a different environment than your own home. There are enough places to sit down, including a huge couch with fluffy cushions. The overload on plants is amazing too and the staff is very friendly. 

I am a huge sweet tooth so when I saw they had red velvet pancakes on the menu is was like HELL YES! They have lots of savoury items too, but I only had eyes for my pancakes. The friend that I was with ordered a goat cheese and fig sandwich which looked amazing too. Now my pancakes were really tasty, the only thing that was wrong was that they were tiny. When I order 11 euro pancakes I expect something like The Breakfast Club in the UK, but this was not it. I understand that it's healthy and stuff but a bigger portion won’t hurt anyone. We also ordered banana bread to share, but I basically demolished that since I didn't get a lot. The thing my friend ordered was really good though, so I guess I just ordered the wrong item on the menu.

Benji's is an amazing place when you have a healthy appetite, are obsessed with plants and love a good Instagram photo. Just don't order the red velvet pancakes haha. 

What do you always order for brunch?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Lavinia Good Food

All I think about is discovering new cafés in foreign cities. When I go on holiday I always track down Instagram to see what is hot and what is not. With all this going on I kind of forget that Amsterdam, the city that is right around the corner, also has many exciting food spots. Including my newest discovery: Lavinia Good Food.

Now this café has been on my list for ages. I have the tendency to go to the same places, check my top 5 brunch spots in Amsterdam for that, and when I was going to meet up with one of my friends we decided that new must be better, so instead of popping into Metropolitain -my favourite brunch place- we sat down on the comfy couch at Lavinia. They have two spots in Amsterdam and I went to the café on the Kerkstraat, which is close to all the shopping streets and the flower market. 

I love the atmosphere at Lavinia. It's very chill, homey and perfect for catching up with friends or working on your uni work. It's a healthy café, so perfect for everyone's dietary requirements. 

Cactus plants and art work decorates the walls and right in the middle you find a huge table full of yummy cakes and cookies. There were a few empty tables, but the couch was empty too, and I think a couch is the most amazing spot for catching up and drinking tea. 

We both ordered a smoothie bowl and a slice of cake. I went for the banana cake and my friend picked a vegan brownie. Everything was really delicious and instagrammable. We got the food quick too, which is a bonus for me. Especially when I'm in a hangry mood I want to dig in as fast as possible. Since it is healthy and stuff some items on the menu are a bit overpriced, but that’s just the charm of eating vegan and gluten-free I guess. 

Would I recommend this place? Yes! I think it's very cute, they have a good range of healthy foods and their couch is super comfy. Want to read more about hotspots in Amsterdam? Click here!

Have you ever been to Lavinia Good Food?

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My top 5 brunch spots in Amsterdam

If I could put brunching as one of my hobbies I totally would. It would be right next to sleeping and binge-watching Netflix, because aren't those things the best? Anyways, it's safe to say I know a thing or two about brunch in Amsterdam. I write about new food hotspots on my blog all the time and this time I wanted to put my faves in a single post. If you are going to Amsterdam on a trip or are just for one day. These are the places to eat at!

1. Metropolitain
A classic when it comes to brunching and lunching. It's part of Café de Paris and near Dam square, so really close by. I love the chill atmosphere and it's always busy with locals. I did manage to find a spot when I was there so I think you will too. You can also hop over to Café de Paris upstairs since they have the same menu as Metropolitain during the day. They have some amazing egg dishes (with lots of avocado and bacon), salted caramel crêpes and some lovely French toast. I would definitely recommend the Eggs Metropolitain and the Famous French Toast. So good!

2. Teds
One of my recent discoveries, but definitely deserves second place. Again, also a popular place by Amsterdam people and there might be a bit of a queue depending on the time and day you want to visit. Teds is near the Bilderijkstraat (one of the best hotspot streets in Amsterdam) so if there is a queue you will find another spot in no time (maybe the café on number 4?). Unless you don't mind the wait. The interior is to die for and has the infamous 'bonjour mon amour' sign. On the menu you will find French toast, Nutella pancakes, chicken avocado sandwiches and eggs Benedict (or Florentine or Norwegian). As you may know, I’m a sweet tooth, so I definitely recommend the French toast with banana and bacon. Ooh and the fries are not so bad either. LOVE THEM!

3. Corner Bakery
This place is blowing up Instagram right now. Every hip blogger and vlogger is spotted here and there is a reason for that. The tables at Corner Bakery are fully Insta proof with cute tablemats of marble, pink and dots. The food looks amazing too. Think colourful freak shakes, lots of decorative fruit on the side of your pancakes and cute baskets full of the most amazing sandwiches. It can be really busy here, especially since it’s on everyone's brunch list, so my advice is to go early and not right around lunch time. Just do it for the cute Instagram photos!

4. Gallery 3
Also one of my recent discoveries. Just around the corner from Ted's and not as busy and well known. Gallery 3 is a little café that I love a lot. It's perfect for a laptop club session or staring outside the window and watch all the cyclists go by. The owner is really friendly and the food is aaamazing. They serve all the brunch dishes I love: avocado toast, French toast and three kinds of pancakes. THREE! That's a winner right there.

5 .Pluk
Another Instagram favourite. I went here quite a while ago but I would still recommend it to anyone. Pluk is part of the 'Nine Streets' (nine streets with more independent shops) and the perfect café for a healthy lunch, take-away or cute gifts. When you walk in you see all these cakes on the counter that make you drool. On the opposite side you will find lots of cute gifts and home goodies. The stairs will take you to the first floor where you can take a seat. It's small and a bit cramped but totally worth the wait. You order your food downstairs at the counter so do keep that in mind when you try not to fall down the stairs. I have tried the sandwiches (of course the one with avocado) which was really nice. And the carrot cake is pretty tasty too. Definitely pop into Pluk when you have the time. Even if it is for a quick to-go juice.

Wanna find more hotspots? Click here!

Which brunch hotspot is your favourite?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Gallery 3

Amsterdam is the kind of city where you will discover new little cafes every week. You'll be on a tram or cycling to your next destination and that's when you spot all these new treasures. I was actually on my way to Ted's (the place with the Nutella pancakes and banana French toast) when I spotted this hidden gem called Gallery 3. It didn't take me long before I tried it out and I have to say, it's my new favourite place in the city.

You can find Gallery 3 on the Bilderdijkstraat 175h, near the Foodhallen, SNCKBR and Mook Pancakes. The interior is all white with a gorgeous art print on the wall and the cute flowers on the tables give it a homely feel. One of the things I also like about the place is that there is always a seat. I hate to fight over a table at the popular cafes, but the lucky thing about Gallery 3 is, that it’s new and not that well known (yet) so whenever you are in a hangry mood you can immediately sit down and order everything on the menu.

Now the menu consists of every brunch item I like. Avocado toast, three kinds of pancakes and French toast topped with lots of fruit and syrup. Ooh and also a few other things like salads and sandwiches but why bother when you can choose PANCAKES. I tried out the buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit and the French toast. Both with a ginger tea and a freshly pressed juice. You know to balance it out a bit. 

Both meals were amazing. The pancakes were big and fluffy, the French toast was delicious and the fresh fruit just made it all better.

It's definitely my new go-to place for chatty lunches with friends. The owner is very friendly, the food is even more amazing and it's not too pricey. I kinda want all of you to go there, but then you will like it as much as I do and the place will be crowded in no time. But still if you ever need a brunch spot in Amsterdam this is the one!

What is your favourite brunch dish?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Ted's

Brunch is one of my favourite things. Going to a hip café for some avo on toast or cooking up French toast at home: I LOVE IT. Now there is a café in Amsterdam that does brunch the best and that's Ted's.

I first went to Ted's a couple of months ago and OMG how happy I was when the food arrived. I ordered the French toast with banana and bacon and I happily covered it in lots of maple syrup and demolished them all.
It didn't take long before I payed them another visit and this time I ordered the Nutella drizzle banana pancakes -Doesn't this sound like the best thing?-.  And okay yes I also ordered the French toast, but I shared it with a friend okay. Don't make me feel bad about ordering the entire menu. 

Before we talk more about the food -my favourite subject ever- I will share a bit more about the ambiance and location. In Amsterdam it's located near the Bilderdijkstraat. Such a lovely neighbourhood with other hotspots like Gallery 3, Happyhappyjoyjoy, Mook Pancakes and the Food Hallen. It's a tiny cafe, but I have always managed to find a seat. And if it's too busy just hop to one of the other food places I mentioned! The staff is very friendly and considering there are only two of them it could sometimes take a while. Not the best to cure your hangry mood. The place is nicely decorated and full of Instagrammable quotes and lights. Overall, a lovely place to hang around and have a bite.

Because besides pancakes and French toast they also serve egg dishes, sandwiches, burgers and cake. Basically everything you need to complete your brunch. The fries there are amazing -so is the mayo- and the cheesecake is pretty tasty as well. I always order a fresh ginger tea when I'm there because that's what I order everywhere. The spiciness of the water with a hint of lemon is what gets me going the entire day. And the thought of those Nutella pancakes helps a lot too. Obviously!

What is your favourite brunch dish?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Bar Botanique

Amsterdam has so many nice food spots that I sometimes don't even know where to go; there is SO MUCH choice. Luckily I have a list in my phone of all the good places that I've never been to before and a few weeks ago a friend and I decided to go to the one that was on top of the list.

Bar Botanique is located in the east side of Amsterdam, near Artis Amsterdam Zoo. The reason why it was so highly on the list was because the interior seemed pretty AF whenever you saw a photo of it on Instagram. And we weren't disappointed.

When you step a foot inside Bar Botanique you enter this tropical urban jungle full of plants, marble tables and velvet couches. There is enough place to sit and there is this chill vibe in the air that makes it the perfect laptop club spot.

We both sat down in the comfy sofas and had a look at the menu. There is so much to choose from and I highly recommend going here either for breakfast or lunch -my favourite foods-. Their evening menu is also pretty tasty with pizza, hamburgers and cocktails, but I have yet to discover that. 

After contemplating for a while we both went for an omelette. -Two ladies next to us had it and it looked really good-. With my fresh ginger tea by my side I demolished those spinach & bacon eggs. It was served with some slices of toasted bread and I loved the way it looked. It also tasted great and I was very full afterwards. Sometimes I go out to eat and the thing that I ordered is so tiny that you can hardly call it breakfast. Luckily that wasn’t the problem here.

I will definitely come back for another brunch date at Bar Botanique. If they up their service a bit this place is the dream for every Instagram foodie because it has everything you need. Yummy food? Check! Marble on everything? Check! Gorgeous interior? Check! Do I need to say more?

What is your favourite thing to have for brunch?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Sticky Fingers

When I scroll through Instagram I always have a look at where people are eating. I even screenshot it for future references and I overall enjoy seeing where people go and what food they serve there. One place kept popping up in my feed and that was Sticky Fingers. Because of the pink wall it was hard not to notice it when I looked at my feed and I instantly knew: I have to go here. 

A few weeks later it was finally time: I met up with a friend at Sticky Fingers for a big catch up. It was easy to find and the café is actually part of the Conscious Hotel. Besides being the new big thing in Amsterdam it wasn't that busy when my friend and I entered the pink space. When we had our drinks and baked goods more people entered so I guess it’s just luck. 
Sticky Fingers is an organic bakery where you can get hot drinks and yummy pastries. If you are really hungry I advise you to go somewhere else, but for a coffee to go, friendly catch up or solo laptop club sesh it's the most ideal place. It's quiet even when there are a lot of people there sipping their latte and talking which makes it a perfect place to work in. Bring your laptop and you are good to go.
Now onto the food, besides the pink wall one of the important parts. I went for tea and picked a flavour out of their tea bar. I sniffed every tea and finally picked one. It can be so hard sometimes! Because I skipped breakfast -I know bad me- I had a croissant and a banoffee pie. This all together was €10 which I think is a bit expensive. The banoffee pie was amazing though and I will totally come back for that. They have a lot of other flavours too like lemon meringue which I have to try. 

The overall vibe, as I said, is very relaxed. The wall with pink tiles behind the counter is definitely a big eye catcher and you cannot skip this place without taking a quick snap of it. Everything for a pretty insta feed, right?

What is your favourite pastry?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: The Breakfast Club

Eating in the morning is not my thing. I know skipping breakfast is a bad thing, but I don't take my time to properly eat it. If I quickly need to go to work I take a banana on the go and that's it. However if I have time I go all out. I think that in the morning you have the nicest options. Pancakes, French toast, waffles, can ya tell I love sweet things?
You can probably imagine my excitement when I went out for breakfast at The Breakfast Club in Amsterdam. No, it's not the same as the oh so popular Breakfast Club in London, but it's pretty good.

TBC, as I will now call it, have a few restaurants in Amsterdam. We went to the one on the Wibautstraat, mainly because it's close to uni. And strangely enough this is the first time I ever went there. I just never knew there was a Breakfast Club that close to uni. Maybe that's for the better though haha. 
It wasn't busy at all when we went in around 11:00 AM. I like that because I was not in the mood to queue up and it's nice to actually hear each other when you have a catch up with a friend. The interior is very stylish and Amsterdam-esque which totally helps with the chill vibe that was there.
I went for a city breakfast. They are served with fresh OJ, coffee or tea and food from your favourite city. I went for the New York breakfast, buttermilk pancakes with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and banana. Thank god for the maple syrup jar on the table because I love my pancakes to bathe in maple syrup. 
The best thing was that you could choose any coffee or tea from the menu. Cappuccino, fresh ginger tea, you name it! I went for the ginger tea because that's all I drink at the moment. It has the right amount of spiciness and with a bit of honey it's the best combination.

Back to the pancakes. They were really tasty. So fluffy and in combination with the syrup and fresh fruit a dreamy breakfast for me. I will definitely come back for a stack of these babies!

What is your favourite breakfast?

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Snow in Amsterdam

A week ago the most insane thing happened: it snowed in Amsterdam. Now I have seen snow before, but that was a long long time ago. And I was kind of happy that it stayed as far away as possible from the Netherlands. 
Snow is lovely in December. The white fluff that falls from the sky makes me even more festive and is part of my hot chocolate and binge watching Christmas films routine. When you are inside with your hot drink and snuggly blanket and look outside to see snow falling down and children making a snowman. That's the true Christmas spirit. However I do not like it that much in February. Especially when I have to go outside. On my bike. And hope not to fall down and smash my head on the ice that will give me a huge bump and a seriously bad headache. -Told from my own experiences-

Luckily I didn't smash my head open. Instead I went to Amsterdam to meet up with a friend for a tour of Amsterdam. She had never been so I was the tour guide and showed her around. First we had breakfast at Corner Bakery -surprise surprise I had the pancakes- And then we walked to museum square to take a photo with the IAMsterdam sign and to visit the Rijksmuseum. When we left the museum there was a huge snow storm. We were both not able to see anything because of the snow and we did not fancy a 30 minute walk to central station, so we took the tram. 
When the tram took us to central station we walked over to the boats for a canal ride. -has to happen when you are in Amsterdam- Luckily the snow had stopped so you could actually see something. For lunch we went to De Drie Graefjes. If you ever visit Amsterdam please go here to eat red velvet cake, it's the best! After lunch we had even more food when we walked all the way to the Albert Cuyp market for a fresh stroopwafel. A stroopwafel are two thin crispy waffles with caramel in between. It's the most popular Dutch cookie and especially when you buy them fresh they taste so good.
After a break at Zoku -it's a hotel but there is a big lounge upstairs where you can come in for a drink and some nibbles- we walked through the Red Light District to our dinner location: Happyhappyjoyjoy. Well after that Asian food feast I was very happy and I enjoyed it a lot. So the name is definitely well suited. I will write some more in dept posts about Zoku and Happyhappyjoyjoy, so those will be on the blog soon.

Overall I had a lovely day strolling around Amsterdam -even with all the snow-. It's nice to sometimes be a tourist in your own city. I did one of those boat rides when I was really young so it was fun to do it again now that I'm older. I'm also going to write a few blogposts about Amsterdam. See them more as guides about what to do, where to shop and some Dutchie things that you have to do when you visit this little country!

Have you ever been to Amsterdam? What was your favourite thing about it?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: The Cold Pressed Juicery

To start 2017 in a healthy way I am telling you a bit more about one of my favourite juice places in Amsterdam. You will find quite a few Cold Pressed Juicery stores in Amsterdam but I decided to go to this one on the 'Herengracht' which is close to Dam square. 

It's small but has all the healthiness you need. You can get healthy juices, superfood smoothies, power shots and yummy snacks. I tried the The Fix, a juice with kale, cucumber, romaine, celery, ginger, spinach, parsley and lemon. It was very gingery and although I love a cup of fresh ginger tea, there was a bit too much ginger in this juice. Next time I will probably go for another juice that is less healthy. -basically a juice with more fruit. I need my sweetness!-

I love the bottles that the juices come in. They are so stylish and are amazing to carry your water in. Since I tried out Joe & The Juice in London I have really missed a fresh juice and I'm happy that I can go to this place to get my health shot. Because nothing is better than to start a new year fresh and healthy!

What is your favourite juice?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: De Wasserette

A few years ago I discovered 'De Wasserette' in Amsterdam. It's this little lunch café on a corner near the Albert Cuyp market and located in 'De Pijp', my favourite neighbourhood in the city.
I kind of forgot about the place, since there are so many other good spots to visit, but last week I went there again and I've come to realise how much I've missed it.

As I said it's on the corner of a street and very petite in size. In the summer they have a huge terrace which is awesome if you want to drink a cup of coffee and enjoy the sizzling sunshine. Luckily they also have heaters, so we took a seat outside. Surprisingly, it was so warm that we had to take our coats off. You can also sit inside, but there were not that many spots left.

When I go to De Wasserette there is only one dish that I order from there. Not that the rest tastes terrible, but this lunch dish is so good that it's the only thing I've eaten there: bread with mashed avocado, chicken, crispy prosciutto and lots and lots of parmesan cheese. As you can see on the photo above, you get SO MUCH CHEESE. Love it!
I also had a fresh ginger tea to go with it and that made it one of the best lunches I had in ages, Do make sure that, if you go there, you have to order the food inside and when it's ready they will bring it to your table. They have amazing service and our food arrived so fast. Great for when you are extra hungry and can't wait to eat all that avocado goodness. 

I will definitely go here a lot from now on. Especially on those hot summer days where you want to enjoy a homemade lemonade, catch up with friends and soak up the sunshine!

Have you ever been to Amsterdam? What was your favourite part of the city?

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The Art of Banksy

Last week a friend and I had a chatty day catching up. We began our journey at Metropolitain, a brunch place right in the centre of Amsterdam and ended at our favourite place to eat red velvet cake: De Drie Graefjes. In between those food feasts we went to The Art of Banksy, an exhibition at the 'Beurs van Berlage' with a lot of Banksy's work. I actually wanted to go for quite a while now, so I was happy we finally did.

Even though I wanted to go I don't know that much about his work. I have seen a few paintings on the interwebs and they looked very interesting. Same goes for the spooky amusement park he created last year. I loved to see the meaning behind every artwork. Mainly because a lot of them are so true!

If you go to Amsterdam soon I would really take a look at this exhibition. You only have till the 8th of January though so be quick!

What do you think of Banksy?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: MOOK Pancakes

In the Netherlands we like to eat a lot of pancakes. We have the crepe style ones that make the perfect dinner, yup we eat those for dinner, or the small pancakes that we like to call ''poffertjes''. Now because we like them so much you will see pancake restaurants everywhere and today I went to the hippest pancake spot in town: MOOK Pancakes.

It's located near The Foodhallen which is a huge food market where you can find everything your hungry stomach desires. So I definitely recommend having a look there as well, after you’ve eaten the pancakes of course.

At MOOK Pancakes you have a wide selection of organic pancakes; even vegans will have the most delicious options here. I went for The Blue Magic which is a stack of pancakes with fresh berries and banana, maple syrup and grated coconut. It's one of the simpler pancakes they offer and I really liked it. They were so fluffy and soaked in maple syrup: my favourite!  

You can also go for The Vegalicious: oatmeal pancakes with avocado, hummus and fresh vegetables, The Pink Lady: smoked salmon, crème fraîche and dill or The Heavy Mama: banana, grated coconut, dates, honey and walnuts. Just a few of the more savoury and sweet pancakes they have. 

Besides the super yummy pancakes they serve a lot of healthy juices and soothing teas. I went for a watermelon juice and it was YUM. It also came in this super cute bottle which makes it even more fun to take a sip of that healthy pink drink.

After eating that stack I was so full. We also went to Corner Bakery that morning so we had a food feast, but ya know: sometimes you got to treat yourself with some good food, as long as it's not every day you shove it all in your mouth –aka me with Christmas- it should be fine! 

What is your favourite pancake topping?

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Seeing Jake Bugg and Blossoms

Last Friday, a friend and I went to see Jake Bugg in Amsterdam. I wasn't the biggest fan of him. Mainly because I never heard of him before. I recently get notifications on Facebook of this club when there is a new artist performing at their venue. I did this because I always miss the memo that people are performing. I hear about it way too late, the concert is sold out and I get so mad at myself for not being informed - aka Troye Sivan's concert -.
Now I got this Facebook notification about Jake Bugg's concert. His name sounded interesting so I googled him and actually liked his sound. I then put myself on ‘interested’, so that I was able to look him up when I got home. -otherwise I really forget these things-  Then one of my friends messaged me and said that she saw that I was interested and asked if I wanted to go. As the concert enthusiast that I am, I immediately said yes and the rest is history,

The British band Blossoms was his opening act and I instantly liked their indie vibe. Guys with long hair and British accents who make great music? What's not to like? When I got home I bought their album on iTunes and I'm actually going to their gig in February with the same friend. I love discovering new bands this way!
The concert was at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, the same venue when I went to see DNCE (and Joe freaking Jonas liked my Instagram photo?!). I like the whole atmosphere and intimate vibe there. We got good spots as well so we could see everything. I'm very tall, so I can always get a good peak at what’s going on. One of the perks of having long legs I guess..
Then it was Jake's turn to perform. He performed really well live and oh man that guy can do so many things with a guitar. I didn't know many of his songs, so I went in there not knowing anything about his music. I always get kind of annoyed at myself when I don't know the lyrics to songs when I go to a concert, but sometimes a girl is just not in the mood or doesn't have time ya know. I think that's the best part about going to gigs: singing along and swaying along with your favourite songs. 

I will be able to do that next time though when I go and see Blossoms, but The 1975 concert will come up first at the end of January. So many exciting things ahead! :)

Do you listen to Jake Bugg or Blossoms? What are your favourite songs?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Corner Bakery

Whenever I'm on the hunt for a good brunch spot I make sure to keep my eye on Instagram. I find this is the best way to see where people eat and when a name pops up more than once you know it's the place to be. Corner Bakery in Amsterdam is a place that kept creeping up in my feed and the photos of delicious sandwiches, pancakes and froot loop shakes made me kind of excited as well: I just had to try it!

On a Friday, a friend and I decided to do a food and Instagram day. We took photos of each other’s outfits and of the food we ate of course. Our first stop was Corner Bakery. We went around 11:30AM and it wasn't busy at all. Twenty minutes later the whole place was packed and we were so lucky that we were able to grab a good seat. Whilst sipping on my chai latte I took a look around the place. It's quite small and very popular amongst locals. Definitely a place where I would come a lot for Sunday brunch. 

The menu was really good. Acai bowls, pancakes, eggs, sandwiches, salads, you name it. I'm definitely more a brunch kind of person and even though French toast and pancakes are my go-to pick I went for a sandwich, which in the end was a very good choice. It was full of bacon and avocado and you know that is a combination I can't resist. It came in this cute basket that is totally Instagrammable and we both demolished our sandwiches because it was that good. 

Next time I'm definitely ordering French toast. Oh yes, there will be a next time, because once I find a hidden gem like this I keep coming back!

What is your favourite brunch dish?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Metropolitain

When I am in Amsterdam and have to go somewhere I usually take the tram. It's the best way to get around in the city -besides cycling of course- and this way you get to see some of the gorgeous buildings too. A place that I see a lot when I take the tram is Café de Paris. A restaurant that has been talked about A LOT. This café also has a brunch spot right underneath the stairs: Metropolitain. It's the favourite Sunday brunch place of many bloggers and even on a Saturday my friend and I spotted a popular Dutch blogger. How exciting?

Now this isn't just a café that is talked about a lot. One visit to this place and you know exactly why people come back to eat the lovely French toast and eggs Metropolitain. We went around 12:30pm on a Saturday and we were quite surprised when we managed to find an empty seat. There were some spots outside too but we decided to sit inside and enjoy the perfect Instagramable interior.

We both ordered the French toast. I had seen this dish on Instagram a lot and knew that it's the thing that you should order when you go and eat there. The other things on the menu looked pretty good too, so I will definitely go back for another round. I also went with homemade lemonade. There were three flavours, but I chose Limoncello. Homemade lemonade with actual lemons sounds pretty amazing to me and it tasted really good.

As Instagram addicts we first had a short photoshoot when our food arrived. The presentation of the slices of French toast was amazing and we both had to contain ourselves before immediately digging in. That first bite was heaven though. Love me some French toast!

The toast was served with maple syrup, blueberry mascarpone and topped off with lots of red fruit. It was honestly one of the best French toast I have ever tasted and for the past few days I have constantly been daydreaming about that amazing meal. I must go back soon!

I really recommend popping into Metropolitain when you are in Amsterdam. The price is quite good and the food is delicious too. Ooh and a few gorgeous Instagram pics never hurt, right?

What is your favourite brunch dish?

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