Café de Jaren

This bright, multilevel café-restaurant with beautiful canal views is a perennial favorite and buzzes all day. In the morning (De Jaren opens at 10 A.M.), you’ll find locals who come every day and linger over one of the many papers that are set out on a large central table, as in a library. At lunchtime, there’s always a race to secure one of the tables by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Later in the afternoon, you can recharge with a piece of one of the homemade cakes and a cup of strong coffee. To dine in a special setting during the summer months, make a reservation on the first-floor terrace, which overlooks the canals. The menu may not be the most inspired—although some of the appetizers are wonderful and there’s a selection of vegetarian dishes, not always a given in this meat-happy city—but the venue cannot be beat, and the crowd—hip, fun and welcoming—simply puts you in a good mood.