Restaurant Recs: London, Paris, Amsterdam

Rules is wonderful. A beautiful and historic restaurant with delicious food and a great bar upstairs.

If you are looking for the Rules of Paris check out Le Grand Vefour.

La Fontaine de Mars is another good choice. It is an atmospheric traditional Parisian restaurant with very good food. It is one of our Go To places, especially on Sunday Nights when a lot of places are closed. That part of rue St. Dominique is one of my favorite restaurant rows in Paris. Dozens of excellent restaurants within a few blocks of there.

For London, go to St. John Smithfield and get the beef and kidney pie with bone marrow

Amsterdam:
These are all outside the center (Centrum) of town but easily walkable, or better yet, bikeable from the center. Since most tourists don't leave the center and canal zone, you will see where locals actually live and play.
Kartika- Indonesain which is sort of the offical food of amsterdam
Lalibela Restaurant- Ethiopian, great food
Balthazar's Keuken- Seasonal, changing menu
Rainarai Westerpark- North African
Brouwerij Troost Westergas (brewery near Rainarai) Westergas is a big, new park created where a gas works used to be. Its nice to walk around.
Buurtboerderij 'Ons Genoegen'- A small farm on the other side of Westergas that has a cafe good for lunch. They have mentally disabled adults working there, teaching them how to be somewhat independent. The food is good but the farm setting is amazing considering you are just a 10 minute bike ride from the canal zone.

In the canal zone
Soup en Zo - Spiegel- amazing soups, very small place

De Pizzabakkers- Great takeaway pizza. We either sit on the canal wall with our feet dangling and eat or if you get an canal side table at at Proeflokaal Arendsnest, a great Dutch beer only craft beer bar around the corner, and ask the waiter nicely if you can bring a pizza there, and give him a slice....thats what we like to do.

In Vondel Park, amsterdams Central park
Blauwe Theehuis (Blue Teahouse)- A midcentury flying saucer looking building with multiple outdoor terrace levels. Great place to have a beer, wine and tapenade and people watch. One of my must visit places when I am in Amsterdam. It is hidden back in the trees so can be tough to find the first time.


Renting a bicycle opens up so many areas that a tourists usually doesn't get to see and besides the city center, its easy to ride a bike there. My wife, who can ride but gets nervous in heavy bike traffic, which you can get in to there, is fine riding except in the center where there are no bike paths. I can recommend a bike rental place if you go this route. I haven't even mentioned De Pijp neighborhood which is full of bars, restaurants and shops or Noord which is across the Ij river, take the free ferry, and is a funky, artsy area.

Windmill, Hawksmoor, Dum, Dishoom, in London. Also if you are landing at Heathrow, take the express downtown and grab a full english breakfast at Raffles across the street from Paddington.

London: If you are there on a Sunday, get the "traditional Sunday roast" at The Mayflower in Rotherhilde. Why is it called The Mayflower? Because THE Mayflower anchored at or near that spot in the 1600s. When I was there it was all local clientele other than myself. I needed a cab to a soccer match and they called one for me. Great folks.

Fish & Chips at Stanhope Arms in Westminster was terrific

Ye Olde Cheddar Cheese was also nice. Had a great lamb shank.

In Paris, we really enjoyed Le Petit Pontoise in the 5th arr (walking distance from Notre Dame). Great service and wonderful meal in an intimate setting!

Good list
Add Restaurant Blauw Amsterdam

Or go to Haarlem and check out Lachende Javan

You’re welcome. If you are staying more than two days in Holland get an OV chip card. It gets you access to all public transportation in entire country.
Have a great trip.