Everyone talks about the “new normal” these days, and yet in the past year that normal seems to have shifted several times over. Remember in March 2020 when we were genuinely scared to leave the house? When even a trip to the supermarket felt like a risky undertaking? And yet here we are a year later, with covid cases every bit as high as the first wave (if not higher), and pretty much anything that takes place outside now feels… well, acceptable. Life (if not as we know it) has moved on – and we’ve all adapted to our new realities, whether we like them or not.
5 Amsterdam Food Walks for Spring 2021
I’ve rounded up five of the Amsterdam food walks I’ve come across – although I’ve only done the first one so far, with the fourth lined up for this weekend. So please don’t read these as endorsements, but rather as information. It was getting hard to keep track of them all on Instagram and Facebook, so I decided to list all the details in one place. Lekker lopen, foodies!
Rondje Oost
So this one I can endorse, having walked it a couple of weeks ago. Rondje Oost covers most of Amsterdam Oost (unsurprisingly) and stops at seven locations – primarily for beer but food is available at several of them. My favourites were the lamb pastrami tosti from Thuskomme and the salmon crostini from Poesiat & Kater, although we enjoyed all of them – even in the rain! The route also takes in various cultural stops, which you can read about on the sheet that you’ll receive at the beginning. You can start the route at any of the stops: KNUS, Brewboys, Studio/K, Bar Joost, Thuskomme, Poesiat & Kater and Nomads. Don’t forget to collect stamps along the way for 25% off your meal once places open up again!
- Cost: you buy your drinks/food at each stop, but we spent about €37.50 pp overall
- Dates: Thursday through Sunday until further notice
- Info: instagram.com/rondjeoost
Tasty Walk
Not just in Amsterdam but all over the Netherlands, Tasty Walk works via a coupon system that’s valid for a month or that you can book on a specific date. From their website, it looks like there are dozens of different walks in Amsterdam, most of which take in six stops over routes of varying lengths. There are no clues as to the type of stops or food/drinks included, so you’ll have to take your chances!
- Cost: around €36 pp
- Dates: from now until 11 April currently, but all walks say that new dates will follow
- Info and tickets: tastywalk.com/Amsterdam
Le Food Walk
Another initiative that’s offering lots of different options is Le Food Walk, organised (I’ve heard) by Your Little Black Book. In April, they’re peddling five walks: in Oost, Centrum, Zuid, De Pijp and the so-called LAWA (Lange Wandeling) that runs through all of them. They all have between five and seven stops, with different permutations of food and drinks.
- Cost: €39.50 pp (€45 for the LAWA) plus a €1 ticketing fee
- Dates: throughout April
- Info and tickets: @lefoodwalkamsterdam
Natural Wine Walk
Wine Stories is organising a Natural Wine Walk through Amsterdam West, with five stops serving five different wines plus a couple of bites to keep you from falling over. I’m doing this one on Saturday, so ik ben benieuwd, as they say!
- Cost: €42 pp
- Dates: 2 and 3 April (but keep an eye on @winestories.ams in case they add more dates)
- Info and tickets: winestories.stager.nl/web/tickets
WOGO Cocktail Walk
I can’t quite figure out what WOGO stands for, but they’re in the business of cocktails – so that’s a good start! Their cocktail walk involves walking from bar to bar, marked on a map that you download on the day of the walk (the site doesn’t state which neighbourhood). You then receive discounts from participating bars along the way.
- Cost: €4.95 pp plus (discounted) cocktails
- Dates: 3, 4 and 5 April (but keep an eye on WOGO’s website in case they add more dates)
- Info and tickets: wogo.city
A few tips…
A couple of drinks into a food walk, it’s easy to forget we’re still in the midst of a pandemic. So do bear in mind that it’s still your responsibility to stick to the rules: avoid crowds, keep your distance, and don’t sign up with a massive group of your mates. Keep a mini-bottle of hand sanitiser in your bag for use along the way, and bring your own bottle opener so you’re not sharing germs with everyone else who’s used the bar’s one. Toilet breaks can be a challenge, so keep a look out for any public bathrooms and don’t forget your facemask for when you go inside. Finally: wear layers – we all know Amsterdam weather can change faster than you’re going to drink that first beer the day the terraces reopen…