Nestled on a quiet street in Amsterdam Oud West, Café Panache is part New York bar, part warehouse-style restaurant. The dark room has corrugated walls and unfinished parquet flooring in a nod to its past life as a market storage space. 90s hip hop thumps through the speakers as you chow down on caramelised pork belly and barbecued shellfish. The menu leans towards continental European but still feels inventive. Hop over to Waterkant for a cheeky drink after – if you haven’t fallen under the spell of the flirty bartenders here.

Located right in the centre of Amsterdam’s most notable sights, Buffet van Odette offers light-yet-nourishing breakfasts and lunches, with lots of vegetable-based options meaning you can fill you up without overindulging. Sunny days call for a canal-facing table outside, with a well-stocked table of cheese plates and chilled white wine. On rainy days, cosy up inside the intimate restaurant and gorge on a heaping skillet of oysters.

After a day or two you’ll notice that Amsterdam is a pretty casual city. You’re far more likely to see girls rocking sneakers rather than stilettos and will likely snack on bitterballen (meatballs) over molecular gastronomy. But if you are in search of something a bit swankier, Wilde Zwijnen is the place to go. Wooden tables butt up against creamy walls and exposed brick, while potted plants bob like jellyfish beneath the skylight. Choose between an ever-changing three- or four-course menu celebrating the freshest of local Dutch ingredients.

This homely French bistro in De Pijp is just the ticket if you fancy a bit of French cooking. Opened by Master Chef’s Alain Caron and his sons, expect all the classics such as garlicky escargots, French cheese and charcuterie as well as extensive wine list. It’s the kind of place which will leave you feeling all warm, glowy and full – perfect whether you’re with friends, parents or a date.

While the sushi craze has reached unparalleled heights in New York, London and Tokyo, there is a distinct lack of quality Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam. Still there are some options. It might sound strange but hop in an Uber and head way (and we mean way) east to the undergraduate student residences at the Science Park. There you’ll find Kitsanin Thanyakulsajja, a university student running an omakase supper club called Ephemeral, where for just €60 you be served a tasting menu along with just five other guests in his dorm room. We think he might just be the next Jiro Ono.

Situated on a quiet, leafy street, Lavinia is the quintessential spot for a lazy brunch, particularly on a rainy day (which, let’s be honest, aren’t few and far between in Holland). With brick walls, giant pots of fresh flowers and candles flickering morning and evening, it can feel like huddling into a welcoming stranger’s living room. The brunch menu is bursting with fresh and satiating foods, all prepared in their open, airy kitchen. Come at breakfast and try the creamy oatmeal laden with homemade raspberry jam, almonds and elderberries, or the granola with Greek yoghurt and berries.

A short ferry ride from Central Station in the rising Amsterdam Noord, this local favourite is worth setting aside a whole summer’s day for. Pllek means ‘beach’ in Dutch and on sunny days this restaurant throws open its monumental doors for people to come and lie on the stretch of manmade beach that stretches out onto the IJ River. Visitors can lie in shored rowing boats or bring their own towels to enjoy a punch of Dutch sun. The atmosphere is unmissable in warm weather, and since Noord is still relatively under the radar, Pllek is a far more appealing place to hang out in the summer months that the repellently busy Vondelpark.

Apple pie is Holland’s soul food; they take it very seriously. With this in mind, we searched high and low for Amsterdam’s best slice and found it in the guise of Winkel, one of the city’s oldest cafes. Follow your nose along Prinsengracht until you see a striped green and white awning and a swarm of beautiful people eating giant slices of pie on scrubbed wooden tables and you’ve found Winkel. The rest of the menu contains Dutch classics like pea and ham soup and rye sandwiches, but don’t mess around with all of that. Get straight to the point and order yourself a glass of fresh orange juice and apple pie, which you’ll see come piping hot out of the dumb waiter. This cinnamon-filled concoction will fast become your favourite thing to munch on during a weekend (and weekday) afternoon.

Venkel is a bright, airy and revitalising pitstop. The menu is packed with health benefits – they serve pretty much every seasonal vegetable you could think of and offer up a rainbow of fresh juices. Oh and Venkel means ‘fennel’ in Dutch (one of the only words of this frankly impenetrable language that we can actually remember).

A sunny café doused in its signature shade of canary yellow, the Kanarie Club epitomises playful yet structured Dutch design. Minimalist furnishings and exposed-brick walls compliment the wrought iron structures overhead. Upstairs, the pool bar (open every evening but only serving cocktails Friday and Saturday) centres on an drained, aquamarine-tiled swimming pool, complete with yellow velvet cushions fashioned as rubber rings. The menu is equally bold with standouts including baba ganoush focaccia and a kimchi burger. Opt for mini magnums and mocchi on ice for dessert.

One of two daintily-named coffee houses in the city (side note: “coffee house” sells coffee, “coffee shop” sells other, greener-hued products), Two for Joy is located on Haarlemmerstraat, the vibrant stretch of road dotted with vintage boutiques, curiosity shops and the city’s oldest cinema. They offer a delightful array of baked cakes and brownies, as well as fresh sandwiches, soups and small bites. But ultimately, Two for Joy is beloved for its coffee, which is roasted in-house and sends plumes of bittersweet scents gliding into the street outside.

You only need to attempt to park your bike outside G’s to realise how much of an institution this “Really Nice Place” is. But with a little perseverance, you’ll find yourself nestled in the loving arms of one of Amsterdam’s most friendly establishments. This is a place that understands the art of tending to a hangover and offers breakfast specials complete with two bloody Mary’s per person. The menu is separated into sections; “foreplay,” “the main act,” “happy endings,” “tipsy,” “hot” and “sober,” and contains every element necessary for a boozy Saturday brunch or a sobering Sunday morning feast. Expect piles of perfectly cooked eggs, glistening French toast, fresh fish and succulent bacon, all finished with the varying artistic stamps that make this such a treasured hub of the thriving Jordaan district.

An eco-patisserie with some serious Instagram weighting, Sticky Fingers is located in the Conscious Hotel. Whisperings of pink run through the café, with butcher tiles, fresh flowers and a vintage popcorn machine placed counter-side. Order a coffee to go or pull up a stool by the window and browse through one of the coffee table books on display. If you’re feeling peckish, banoffee pie and a pretzel make for an excellent, albeit unconventional, combination. All food is homemade and organic.

One of the city’s most blogged about spots serves up the green stuff against a backdrop of blush pink. As its name suggests, this café is all about avo, with the foodie staple running across the menu. Avocado pancakes, avo and eggs, breakfast bowls packed with every 20-something’s favoured superfruit, are just some of the delectables available. Chef Jaimie van Heije takes the ubiquitous avocado on toast to a new level with his pumpkin panache variation proving a standout choice. Catering to flexitarians, vegetarians, vegans and pescitarians, all avocados are sustainably and responsibly sourced. The front window is also emblazoned with avocados so you really can’t miss it.

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.

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.