Not to Miss: Amsterdam’s Best Fries & Most Colorful People Watching

While gallivanting around Amsterdam for AIFW, we mentally bookmarked some of our favorite spots.  Below, your guide.  FOODThough we normally stick to anything resembling a brasserie (best bang for your buck), the adorable Proef is a great stop while visiting Amsterdam, especially if you’re there for AIFW, since this charming tapas-but-not-tapas restaurant is located along the Westergasfabriek where all the shows are held.  Proef’s spot is charming as it is – picnic tables, paper chains strung from the lighting, and painted signs give the atmosphere of a farm-to-table joint – and the backyard garden, from which most of the ingredients originate – seal the authenticity.  We suggest absolutely anything on the totally fresh and every-changing menu.Proef, feather extension While you’ll likely find yourself in a 2am line at one of the city’s many Chipsy Kings, we suggest holding your appetite for the far more superior Vleminckx.  This stall in a wall is found on a tiny, relatively quiet side-street off the Spui, which is sometimes filled with people waiting for their turn at a paper cone filled with the crispiest, fluffiest fries made to order.  The secret?  The fries are hand cut on site, fried, then fried again the next day before serving to customers with whichever sauce they demand (we suggest a combination mayonnaise and curry ketchup).  The only downside is that they close at 6pm and at 7pm on Thursdays.  Strategize wisely. Vleminckx, Voetnoogstraat 33  BEERThe perfect accompaniment to fries?  Why, beer, of course!  Even with plenty of options in this brew-loving city, you’d be hard-pressed to find any beer bar better than In de Wildeman.  The bar specializes in all kinds of Dutch and Belgian beers, meaning you can get a taste of everything from the more commercial De Koninck to the rare Westvleteren, which is brewed in very small quantities in the Trappist Abbey of Westvleteren in Belgium and served just colder than room temperature.  Sit at one of the outdoor tables and enjoy the company of actual Amsterdammers while you can – the bar closes at 1am on most nights and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, which is actually a bit later than most others.  Bierproeflokaal In de Wildeman, Feather hair In a city like Amsterdam, you’re bound to see anything from a family of four riding the same bike – with groceries – to cross-dressing soccer fans donning neon orange wigs.  Café Luxembourg, found right on the busy Spui square, gives the perfect spot from which to leer at a safe distance.  Grab a table at the front of the outdoor porch where all the seats face the Spui rather than other diners.  Don’t Hair extensions bother with the menu unless it’s late (they serve food until 11pm on most nights, much later than most restaurants in Amsterdam) – all you need is a beer, fries and curious eyes, and you’ve got the perfect evening starter.Café Luxembourg, Spui 24, +31(0)20 6206264 —NATALIE HORMILLA