A four-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal transports you to Noord, a tranquil world of floating homes, art galleries, and inexpensive waterside bars. The evening sun glints across the quiet marina, and the wooden gable ends of the houses lean gently into streets where silence is broken only by the occasional bicycle. At Cafe 't Sluisje in Nieuwendam, a glass of decent, affordable wine costs little, and even on a picture-perfect night, every customer speaks Dutch.
This area, once Amsterdam's industrial heartland, now exudes a hippy, alternative vibe. Houses have tables, chairs, and even sofas outside their front doors, turning sunny evenings into convivial street parties. Down by the water, sculptures by local artists peek through long grass, and you can swim in the canal. Cafe de Ceuvel, a former shipyard turned shabby-chic collection of vintage houseboats, offers organic beers and wine at water's edge tables, with rooms available in moored boats from about €150 a night.
Noord's best-known area is NDSM, a shipyard larger than ten football pitches, home to art galleries, museums, and outdoor installations. A free ferry from Centraal Station takes 15 minutes, passing the futuristic Eye Filmmuseum. Pllek, made from repurposed shipping containers, serves brunch to dinner, with meditation, yoga, and live music, plus movies on its beach overlooking the city.
For a local experience, venture to Johan van Hasseltweg, where corrugated iron warehouses house Oedipus brewery, offering citrusy beers and smash burgers, and Chateau Amsterdam, an urban winery open Wednesday to Saturday. At the water's edge, De VerbroederIJ beach restaurant has its own food garden and pigsty. For a special meal, Hangar serves burgers and salad with great wine, offering spectacular ambience with tables right by the water.
