hetismij

If you want to grab a non classical concert have a look at what Paradiso and Melkweg have on offer while you are here.
Big names sell out fast but lots of good lesser known bands and musicians to enjoy, ranging from jazz and blues through to trance and dance depending on who's playing.
www.paradiso.nl
www.melkweg.nl

stepsbeyond

Glad to share with someone interested!

It occurs to me to add that the Time Out Guide to Rome is organized by neighborhood, with good descriptions of non-obvious things to do in each one -- although I haven't seen the latest edition (I hope they didn't change a good thing!).

If nothing else, if you do want to go to Testaccio for a walk, read up on it first, even on the Internet. And you might enjoy wandering into the delicatessen Volpetti in Testaccio and getting inexpensive eats to go. But it's even a feast for the eyes and nose, even if you don't buy.

http://www.volpetti.com/contatti.php

Governator

hetismij and stepsbeyond,

This will certainly help me in my quest to experience the local culture. Thanks for putting these things on my radar.

stepsbeyond

You surely won't have time do all these things, but given your food budget, it does occur to me to add that one of the best 15e sit-down lunches in Rome is the buffet at the classy Il Margutta on via Margutta -- which is the street where Roman Holiday was filmed in part and a fun place to stroll-- and is just of the Piazza del Popolo. Dinner is price, lunch is cheap:

http://www.deliciousitaly.com/ristorante.php?id=18

Also, if you are walking near the Campo dei Fiori, it is marvelous to take the few extra steps to the Portico d'Ottavia, a highly atmospheric corner of Rome few seem to know about, where at one corner an ancient Roman theater served as the ground floor basis for the Renaissance apartment building that top it.

If you are in the main piazza in the villagey-Trastevere, it is very much worth it to stick you head into the small church of Santa Maria for its glittering mosaics. If you are near the Pantheon and pass that silly elephant with the obelisk, take a wander through the church, another Santa Maria, the only Gothic church in Rome.

Palenque

Apart from patat and food from Febo or other fast food, I can't imagine you would find anywhere in Amsterdam to eat for under €15. Certainly not an evening meal.>

Well you have forgot perhaps about this legendary Amsterdam restaurant, which serves old-time Dutch food for i think well under 15 euros.

Restaurant De Keuken van 1870 - Traditioneel Hollandse Keuken met ... - [ Translate this page ]
Momenteel wordt er een nieuwe website voor De Keuken van 1870 ontwikkeld! Onze excuses voor het ongemak. © 2009 WEBdesign by XANA | De Keuken van 1870.
www.keukenvan1870.nl/

hetismij

I could have added pancakes of course.
I am not familiar with De Keuken van 1870, and since the website is down (and seems to have been for some time) while they redesign it I am unlikely to get familiar with it for a while.

hetismij

Actually I just looked at some Dutch reviews of it - and they all say it is terrible. Now if the Dutch say the food is grim and the service worse then I would believe them, as they are normally easily satisfied. Only good review was for the vegetarian stampot with cashews. Sorry Pal.

Governator

Hi, I didn't realize there were a few more posts.

Stepbeyond, thanks for the restaurant and touring tip. I just copied it to my notes.

I found this in Amsterdam, sounds reasonable

http://www.restaurantlexpress.nl/

They've got hoofdgerechtens (entree?) for E15.75 which as I write is around $21.5, good value for French food.

Palenq, thanks for the tip, I'll enjoy some pancakes for sure while I'm there . I had some pancakes along the canal in Utrecht more then 10 years ago, they were pretty darn good.

Governator

I also read that there are many cheap places to eat in the side streets around the Leidseplein. Any recommendations there?

Palenque

Good value meals IME are often had at Dutch department stores like Vroom & Dreesmen (sp?)- their cafeterias with down-home Dutch foods.

And check out La Piazza, in a shopping mall on the pedestrian shopping street not far from the Muntplein.

Palenque

FODOR'S REVIEW OF KEUKEN VAN 1870

Keuken van 1870
Address: Spuistraat 4, Centrum, Amsterdam | Map It
Phone: 020/620-4018
Price range: ¢-$
Cuisine: Dutch
Location: Old City Center

Fodor's Review:

This former soup kitchen, where sharing tables is still the norm, offers the best and most economic foray into the world of traditional Dutch cooking. The kitchen serves such warming singularities as hutspot, its more free-ranging variant stampot (a stew made with potatoes, greens, and chunks of cured sausage), erwtensoep (a sausage-fortified, extremely thick pea soup), and, naturally, a full range of meat, fish, vegetable, and potato plates. The restaurant continues to serve a daily three-course meal for a measly EUR 7.50. Bless 'em.

Credit Cards: No credit cards Closed: Closed Sun. No lunch

Palenque

De Keuken van 1870
Spuistraat 4, Amsterdam
020 - 620 40 18.
Details

Write a reviewSend to a friendCuisine: Dutch
Read User Reviews
Is this your business?
Overall 3.3
Food 4.0
Service 0.0
Atmosphere 3.0
Value 6.0
your comments review this restaurant
The food is ok, traditional dutch, and it's cheap, 7,5 euro for a daily menu, The soup and main dish were good (champignonsoup and bal-gehakt with zuurkool)//meatball and smashed potato-sauerkraut//

"service" is another story, unfriendly boss?/waitress(little black lady named ruut or ruth, she wouldnt tell me), denied our table of 3 a jar of water while other tables had some standing right there (we did order other drinks)

very slow and uninterested service, the second waitress wasnt of any help either, i had to go and ask at the counter for our food (a daily menu!) after digesting the soup for 25 minutes.

had to make noise to get the desert ,a few spoonfuls of a 50-cent-a-liter pudding vla - its yummy!

after living here 3 years i thought i got used to typical "rough" dutch service.

I was wrong:

this was a colossal combination of unfriendly service and stingyness in one

but the food is good, specially the soup, for the price

Well the last line is what i would be interested in - good food for the price - i can put up with poor service, etc for a good food meal for 7.50 euros - no this is not a traditional restaurant but an experience

Governator

Hi Folks,

I changed Amsterdam to 4 nights, canceled 2 nights in Bruges and am doing 3 nights Ghent.

I need some touring and eating tips for Ghent. Thanks.