9AM : Score an early-bird speciality coffee at Friedhats Fuku Café owned by Dutch barista champion Lex Wenneker, and either sip it at the adjacent Westerpark or join the city’s early morning bicycle rush hour and explore Amsterdam at daybreak.
9AM : Enjoy an indulgent brunch at Box Sociaal where an eclectic menu ranges from locally smoked haddock on sourdough to coconut-milk-infused warm oats with fresh mango, all served up with micro-roasted coffee.
10AM : Upgrade your home entertaining ensemble at Edible Treasures, a food concept store that offers a curated selection of artisanal food and a feast of table- and homeware design, in one of Amsterdam’s chicest hoods.
11AM : Escape the canal crowds and catch a ferry north to STRAAT, Amsterdam’s monumental ode to street art. While there, marvel at the rapidly gentrifying shores of the IJ River and stroll through the post-industrial landscape of the former NDSM shipyard.
NOON : Share lunch plates at Bambino, an Italy-meets-Lowlands farm-to-fork bistro from the team behind BAK, one of Amsterdam’s most vocal champions of plant-heavy and locally sourced modern Dutch cuisine.
2 PM : Load up on streetwear at Patta. Cult brand Patta has put Dutch streetwear on the map, and the Zeedijk store stocks exclusives and Amsterdam-specific collaborations.
3PM : Stop for a mid-afternoon stroopwafel at Lanskroon. There are many stroopwafel (syrup waffle) vendors in Amsterdam, but this popular canalside bakery serves up the crispest, freshest honey and coffee/caramel varieties in town.
4PM : Retreat to the Rijksmuseum’s ornately flowered garden. The perfect launchpad to Oud Zuid (Old South), one of Europe’s most beautiful neighbourhoods and a veritable masterclass in Amsterdam School architecture and urban planning, where Dutch pragmatism, brick ingenuity and early 20th-century social values come together.
6PM: Descend into the white tiled and pale-wood decor of the Akasha Spa at the Conservatorium. There is a vast offering of treatments, along with an 18-metre lap pool, hammam, Vichy shower and Watsu pool. Even the changing rooms, stacked with thick bathrobes and herbal teas, are perfectly luxurious.
8PM : Experience fine dining in the easy-going Dutch style at Coulisse. This delectable restaurant situated in a former theatre hits all the right notes with an open interior, locally produced ingredients and massive wine list.