De Pijp is one of the most vibrant and exciting areas of Amsterdam. With its charming narrow streets and diverse population, it’s a place that has something for everyone, and we love it. De Pijp is located by the popular area of Jordaan, and is much of the area was built in the 19th century to house labourers, but since then house prices have skyrocketed and many celebrities have their homes here now.
The area is also known as Amsterdam’s Latin Quarter, a reference to its high population of university students because Latin was once spoken at universities and there are still lots of students living here. This is in part because it’s so easy to get to, with tram lines 3, 4, 12,16, 24 and 25 all passing through De Pijp, and the area can be busy, but it has a more laid-back feel than some of the more central, touristy areas.
You can buy, eat and drink just about anything in De Pijp, due to its gloriously multicultural population. So, one minute you might be buying Turkish peppers at Albert Cuypmarkt and the next you could be eating sushi or Indonesian food. Here are our favourite places to eat, visit and drink in De Pijp:
Top 5 places to eat
1. Dope
đź“ŤEerste van der Helststraat 65-53, 1073 AD
Dope serves the most fantastic pizza. It’s proper, homemade, tasty fare and if you’re vegan or vegetarian then you’re going to love the selection of plant-based pizzas they serve. You can also order Dope to your house if you want to try a slice of De Pijp from your own sofa, and you can read more about Dope on the Facebook page.
2. Dutch Pancake House Candela
đź“ŤBilderdijkstraat 61, 1053 KL
Everyone loves Dutch pancakes because, let’s face it, they’re addictive. If you want something sweet in De Pijp then you can head down to Dutch Pancake House Candela and stuff your face with a variety of lovely Dutch pancakes. What could be better than that? There’s also a chocolate shop attached to the pancake house, serving tasty things to bring home with you. Visit the website to read the menu.
3. Hearth
4. Sir Hummus
5. Rocca
đź“ŤFerdinand Bolstraat 26, 1072 LK
Downstairs at Rocca there’s a secret (okay, not so secret) speakeasy-style bar. Fans of fantasy will love the themed cocktails, based around three mythical creatures of the sea – sirens, nymphs, and mermaids.
From yellowfin tuna to Piri-Piri chicken, the menu is enough to make you salivate. There are twists on classics and then there are tried and tested delights such as prawns cooked in garlic with allioli, and creamy burrata mozzarella with basil pesto, almonds, and cherry tomatoes.
Top 5 places to visit
1. Albert Cuyp Market
đź“ŤAlbert Cuypstraat, 1073BD
As Europe’s largest daily market, this one had to feature on our list. it has 260 stalls, from delicious food stalls to bric-a-brac, there’s plenty to browse through and lots of lovely stall holders to speak to who will share their knowledge of the products with you.
2. Kinderboerderij de Pijp
đź“Ť Lizzy Ansinghstraat 82, 1072 RD
Kinderboerderij de Pijp is one of the only petting zoos in the city, and we love it! Here you can snuggle with some farmyard animals and observe them all being adorable. They’re closed to visitors because of the pandemic but we’re hoping that they’ll reopen soon so we can catch up on some well-needed animal therapy. You can read about the animals that live here on the website (and we would highly recommend it if you need a mood-booster).
3. Sarphatipark
Sarphatipark is named after Jewish doctor Samuel Sarphati who gave so much who, in his day gave 100% to De Pijp, trying to make the area a more pleasant place for residents to live. A stunning monument was erected in the 19th century of Samuel Sarphati in Sarphatipark. During World War 2, the Nazis had his monument removed because of his faith and percieved ethnic background. However, just 12 days after Amsterdam was liberated from the Nazis the people of Amsterdam put his monument back in its rightful place – Sarphatipark, where you can now see it standing proudly.
4. Rialto
At Rialto, you can see the coolest and most fascinating international films, and this cinema has the friendliest atmosphere. Check out the website to see what they’re showing, once they reopen.
5. Huis met de Kabouters
Top 3 places to drink
1. Brouwerij Troost
đź“ŤCornelis Troostplein 21, 1072 JJ
This gorgeous brewery is located within an old monastery and they’re constantly brewing new and intriguing beers, to the delight of their customers. Plus, if you get a bit peckish drinking all that beer, they’re now serving pizzas! You can book a table on the website.
2. Tapmarin
đź“ŤVan Woustraat 130, 1073 LT
Tampmarin has been in Amsterdam for 49 years now, and it really is a fantastic place to spend the evening. They play live sports on the TV and post-pandemic you could pay to access the taps yourself and pull your own pint, although we’re not sure they’ll be letting people rubs their hands all over the taps at the moment. There is a darts board though, and that’s always a plus for us! Check out the website to read more about Tapmarin.
3. Cafe Sweelinck
đź“ŤEerste Sweelinckstraat 11, 1073CK
Cafe Sweelinck is just one of those places that feels like home. You can sit in a comfy seat and enjoy a lovely refreshing beer at the end of your day spent exploring De Pijp and really relax here. It’s never so busy that you have to squeeze past anybody to get through the door, and the staff are super friendly. You can read more about this charming place on the website.