Supperclub is a unique Amsterdam institution, and eating a set menu while propped up in a bed in an all-white room, while any manner of performances go on around you, is either your idea of a dream or a nightmare. Go anyway and be sure to wear nice socks.

An unrepentantly old-school, open-sandaled type of vegan eatery, De Bolhoed is the most popular vegetarian restaurant in town. Italian, Mexican and Middle Eastern dishes all make appearances, and yes, there's plenty of tofu. Service is friendly and the helpings generous.

If at first sight you thought Latei was a second-hand shop selling 50s and 60s lamps and trinkets, you'd be right. But Latei also makes some of the best coffee and snacks in Amsterdam. And, oddly enough, very popular and fun couscous nights.

Located on one of the most scenic canal junctions in Amsterdam, De Belhamel has an Art-Nouveau interior that is just as breathtaking as the view. The food does some neat hopping between French, Italian and Dutch, with seafood the hit of the main courses. Book an outside table in summer.

After a move to brighter but less enigmatic surrounds, thankfully the no-nonsense Thai menu and cooking remain intact. Go for the selection of starters, one of their spicy beef salads (very hot!) and the Pad Thai Gai (stir-fry noodles with chicken).

This cool Dutch label for men and women specialises in casual, functional fashion in neutral colours and natural fabrics. The name is a nod to the owners' earlier experience in wholesale clothing where they spent much of their time laundering garments.

A mind-boggling array of kooky trinkets cram this store - from quirky action figures (we love the Crazy Cat Lady and Albino Bowler!) to mini-patron saints, foreplay dice and voodoo dolls. Travellers love the Wash Away Your Sins Soap.

This funky orange-and-red-walled store is home to a mind-boggling range of cool yet very wearable womens shoes - from colourful beaded summery espadrilles to 1940s style two-toned suede and leather court shoes. Their clogs are also very cool.

Art lovers should brave the crowds to view the treasures of the Van Gogh Museum, which holds many of the artist's most famous works. Five hundred drawings, 200 paintings and over 700 letters make up the collection. Any visit to this museum brings the genius and vision of this tortured artist to life.

From the dour lumpen-life of The Potato Eaters to the bright, childlike colours of The Yellow House in Arles and the sombre beauty of Starry Night, the Van Gogh museum has curated the strongest ever showing of the artist's works. Born in 1853, Van Gogh had a short but amazingly productive life. He didn't begin painting until he was 28 years old, and produced most of his work in the last four years of his life, spent in France. Already predisposed to mental anguish, a virulent argument with his friend the painter Gaugin tipped him over the edge and caused him to cut off his ear. This self-mutilation was only the beginning of a steep spiral into madness, exacerbated by (as some have suggested) tertiary syphilllis. In 1890 he died by shooting himself in the head to escape institutionalisation.

In the 1970s the Vondelpark used to be a haunt for hippies; these days it's less of a political hotbed but still one of the city's most beautiful green spots. Laid out as a green belt for the bourgeoisie in the 1860s, the English-style Vondelpark offers a wealth of ponds, lawns, thickets and winding footpaths to while away the hours.

The elongated park was named after the Netherlands' Shakespeare, poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel.

In the 1970s word spread that Amsterdam had tuned in and turned on, and hordes of hippies hit the Vondelpark to drop out. The park became famous worldwide as an open-air dormitory for those seeking an alternative way of life. These days it's illegal to sleep here. The park is now a mecca for joggers, frisbee throwers, children chasing ducks or kites, couples in love, families with prams and football players.

If you've only got time to visit one museum, Amsterdam's answer to the Louvre is it. Even with most of its rooms closed for a lengthy renovation (scheduled for completion in 2008), the Rijksmuseum still offers a stunning feast for art lovers, with 17th-century masterpieces, silverware, Delft pottery and icons of Dutch history to be admired.

More than 80,000 people a year cram into Amsterdam's most famous canal house and, with precious little space for visitors, it might rank among the lowlights if not for its towering subject matter: the ordeal of a young girl who documented the horrors of WWII like no one else did. Expect long queues and lengthy delays, particularly in the middle of the day.

Anne Frank received a diary for her 13th birthday, three weeks before she went into hiding, and the attic in which she wrote that diary is the focus of this moving, often upsetting place.

By July 1942 the Germans were tightening the noose around the neck of Amsterdam's Jewish population and Anne (13) and her sister Margot (16), along with their parents, went into hiding in the family's business premises. They survived there, hidden in the attic, until betrayed to the Germans in August 1944 - a date tantalisingly close to the capitulation and defeat of the Third Reich. No one knows who betrayed them.

The Franks were among the last Jews to be deported. Anne died in the Bergen concentration camp a few weeks before liberation. Otto, Anne's father, was the only surviving family member.

It's not surprising, really, that an old sea-dogger from the East India Company is permanently dry-docked somewhere in Amsterdam. The Dutch got rich sailing the high seas and their relationship with water is fundamental to the national psyche. This museum also owns what is probably the world's best collection of shipping memorabilia.

The museum is housed in the imposing Admiralty's Store building, where in the 17th century the East India Company loaded their ships before embarking on the nine-month journey to Jakarta. On the top floor, enjoy city views the way most landlubbers don't - through a periscope. Or, if you're a real salty, watch an engaging re-enactment of a trip to the East Indies in the film room. Sadly, the collection is difficult to navigate for visitors who can't read Dutch; you may be frustrated by the pitifully small number of translations provided for the huge array of exhibitions.

This botanical garden was established in 1638 as a herb garden for the city's doctors and moved to the Plantage in 1682. It became a repository for tropical seeds and plants brought to Amsterdam by the West and East India Companies' ships. Coffee, pineapple, cinnamon and palm oil were distributed from here throughout the world.

The herb garden itself, the Hortus Medicus, is renowned for its research into cures for tropical diseases.There's a lot to see: the wonderful mixture of colonial and modern structures includes the restored, octagonal seed house; a hyper-modern three-climate glasshouse with subtropical, tropical and desert plants; a monumental palm house with a 300-plus-year-old cycad, claimed to be the world's oldest pot plant (it blossomed in 1999, a rare event); a butterfly house that's a hit with kids and stoned adults; a newly refurbished cafe with a very pleasant terrace; and of course the Hortus Medicus, the medicinal herb garden that attracts students from around the globe. Catwalks in the greenhouses allow you to see the plants from below and up close.

This museum will help you understand how Amsterdam grew from a fishing village on the banks of a stagnant swamp to a bustling metropolis. It makes you realise just how implausible it is that this town ever got built without bulldozers, electric pumps or mosquito repellant.

The engaging displays, housed in a labyrinthine monastery building dating from the 17th century, begin with a slick techno-aged aerial map of Amsterdam showing how the city was developed section by section, canal by canal. You can then take a three-part tour of the city's history that moves from the mid-14th century to present day. By the time you leave you'll realise what an astounding place Amsterdam is and how fitting it is that there's such a wonderful museum to eulogise it.

Named after the millionaire's widow who bequeathed this monolithic mansion to the city in 1889, the Willet-Holthuysen is decorated in the high-camp neo-Louis XVI style. It features a series of authentic period rooms and an annual programme of exhibitions. The garden out the back is a grand place for a rest.

The Milky Way - housed in a former dairy - must be Amsterdam's coolest club-gallery-cinema-cafe-concert hall. It has a vibrant and varied program of events, from international DJ club nights to live Brazilian jazz.

The high ceilings, cosy mezzanine and mellow atmosphere make Blincker a popular theatre cafe. At the rear of the Frascati Theatre, it gets crammed with a young student crowd having a pre-theatre meal or post-theatre drinks.

This once-elegant grand cafe has seen better days although its faded charm still makes it undeniably atmospheric. These days it's over-run with tourists who enjoy people-watching from the sunny terrace. But if you prefer to hang out with the locals, head inside for a drink.

This is one of Amsterdam's oldest (1665) and most authentic brown cafes. It has stained-glass windows, sand on the floor, good-humoured service and a cuddly black-and-white cat to add to the loveability. The outside terrace, overlooking one of the prettiest parts of Prinsengracht, is an added bonus.

An excellent stop on a bar hop, this casual bar gets pretty packed with students and arts-media types. Have a drink al fresco (private parties are often held on the front terrace), or stay inside and get the bartenders working up some of their renowned cocktails. Order some bar snacks, hang out a while, then see where the night takes you.

Oozing Victorian elegance, the Hotel l'Europe welcomes you with a marble lobby graced with Dutch Master paintings, glam chandeliers, 100 rooms (some have terraces and all have handsome marble bathrooms), and smart extras like a shoe-shine service and boats for canal cruises.

Built in 1899 (and still imbued with the feel of that era), the l'Europe's lift has a little banquette and cut crystal sconces. Even the most basic rooms boast lots of space - a rare commodity in this crowded city - and on your welcome you might find fresh flowers, fruits or sweets. The hotel's Excelsior restaurant and gym (said to be admired by no less than Governor Schwarzenegger) with 'plunge pool' are equally impressive. Can-do concierges are famous for being able to secure anything, from tickets to the Van Gogh Museum to reservations at the town's toughest tables. Last but not least are the commanding views of the River Amstel; in summer the terrace cafe La Terrasse is one of the Amsterdam's prettiest - make time for it even if you don't stay here.

Formerly known as Blakes Amsterdam, the Dylan is a temple of style. Created by London hotelier Anouska Hempel, it combines 17th-century canal house-style with contemporary Asian-influenced decor. This really is about as chic as it gets.

The complex where the Dylan now stands was once a theatre and later a charity house. Slink through the 17th-century canal house's courtyard entrance, past the gorgeous staff, and ensconce yourself in the restaurant or the black-and-white lobby. In its 41 rooms, decor comes in a variety of styles (think black-and-white kimono rooms with black Belgian marble, or La Carmona style, inspired by the spice traders of the East India Company). All feature fluffy towels, silk pillows piled high and spacious bathrooms. Plus, there's free health club access.

Private, sophisticated, and intimate, the Seven Bridges is one of the city's loveliest little hotels on one of its loveliest canals. Eight tastefully decorated rooms incorporate lush oriental rugs and elegant antiques. The owners have an obsessive pride in their hotel, and it shows.

Named after the seven bridges you can see from the hotel (they're situated at the confluence of the Keizersgracht and Reguliersgracht canals), this hotel is in an undeniably beautiful location. You're just steps from the nightlife of Rembrandtplein and the Amstel.

Room five is the largest and quietest, with private balcony and garden views; other rooms look outward. As much as the setting, the service also sets this hotel apart: morning sightseeing will seem superfluous after breakfast (hot croissants and strong coffee served on fine china) is delivered to your room. The hotel has high-speed Internet access in all rooms.