Live Like a Local: a 48-Hour Guide to Amsterdam

When

When
asked to describe his nieghbourhood, local driver Mike
smiles. “This is one of the oldest parts of the city. You’re not
really an Amsterdammer unless you’re from the Jordaan,” he says.
Flanked by canals, this was once the poorest part of Amsterdam,
though you’d hardly know it from the hip shops and cafés jostling
for position here today.

The Pulitzer Amsterdam‘s origins date from 1960,
when Peter Pulitzer (grandson of Pulitzer Prize founder Joseph)
first arrived in Amsterdam and bought 12 dilapidated houses along
the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht canals of the Jordaan district.
He kept purchasing, and, ultimately, the Pulitzer Amsterdam was
born in 1970 as the city’s first five-star hotel, constructed from
25 historic properties, linked together by a maze of quirky
passageways.

Now, 52 years later and following an extensive renovation and
refurbishment programme, the hotel remains a benchmark five-star
stay in the city. Architect Jacu Strauss (who slept a night in
every one of the 225 bedrooms to feel out their individual
character during renovations) has managed to sensitively marry
contemporary design with the hotel’s cultural and literary
heritage, paying homage to the former inhabitants throughout.
Glints of copper in Jansz. – the hotel’s bright restaurant – are a
nod to coppersmith Volkert Jansz, the building’s original owner,
while the piano suspended from the ceiling and trumpets lining the
walls celebrate the area’s thriving live-music scene of the
1960s.

It was this scene that first propelled the Jordaan into the
city’s creative spotlight. These days, the neighbourhood’s
burgeoning art scene is what’s drawing the biggest crowds, thanks
to spaces that range from established pop-surrealist gallery
KochxBos
and antique shop Zebregs&Röell (run by Amsterdam’s youngest fine
art collector, Dickie Zebregs), to burgeoning community art spaces
like Droog and
Paleis.

Immediately surrounding the hotel is Nine Streets, a network of
boutiques and vintage shops loved by the creative types who
gravitate here. More a move towards circular fashion than a drive
to set trends, the uptick in vintage stores in the neighbourhood is
described by Sa’id, of family-run Tailors of
Amsterdam, as “a bid to encourage people to upcycle, rather
than buy first-hand”. Other vintage emporiums worth stepping into
include Episode,
Bij Ons and Terra,
which sells quirky secondhand shoes including traditional Spanish
boots and espadrilles.

While strolling through the neighbourhood, use the spire of the
Church of Our Lady as your guiding star – you’ll soon find your way
back to the Pulitzer, which stands on the same street as this
spectacular landmark.

The perfect weekend-break guide with Pulitzer Amsterdam

EAT

Jansz.

Brightly lit with copper lanterns, the Hotel Pulitzer’s
laid-back restaurant is a masterclass in easy elegance. Expect
meticulously crafted contemporary dishes such as burrata laced with
local stracciatella.

Collins

Following the runaway success of the brunch menu at its sister
outpost, Little Collins, Collins offers a grown-up roster of
natural wines and an all-day menu of small plates. High fives, too,
for its zero-waste ethos.

DRINK

Café ‘t Smalle

Originally a gin distillery, Café ‘t Smalle is an atmospheric
bar serving fresh coffee to caffeine-addicted locals throughout the
day, and locally brewed beer and bitterballen (a traditional
meat-based snack) come evening.

Winkel 43

Easy to spot, thanks to the queue outside, Winkel 43 is a café
and bar hugging the left side of the Noordermarkt. Make it your
coffee-and-apple-pie pit stop after a morning spent wandering
around the market.

DO

Noordermarkt

The stomping ground of choice for foodies, this Saturday
farmers’ market sells fresh produce from local greengrocers,
cheesemongers and butchers. On Mondays, the site is taken over by
antique vendors.

Museum of the Canals

Delve into the history of Amsterdam’s canal houses at the Museum
of the Canals, an interactive waterside exhibition space featuring
films and audio about the city’s traditional homes.

SHOP

Daily Paper

Now with three outposts, of which this was the first, Daily
Paper is one of only a small handful of Black-owned fashion outlets
in Amsterdam. Come here to shop for covetable street style and
activewear.

X Bank

An urban concept store and events space, X Bank showcases local
crafts, art and clothing exclusively made by Netherlands-based
designers in an eccentric old building in the heart of the
Jordaan.