There are few dishes that can be described as quintessentially Dutch, and those that do fall into this category are a far cry from the elaborate creations of French or Italian cuisine. Almost every large town, however, has a wide range of restaurants specializing in their own brands of international dishes including American, Balkan, British, Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Indonesian cuisine, a result of the Dutch colonization of the East Indies, with its use of spices and exotic ingredients, is particularly delicious. Restaurants usually have table service. Bars and cafes generally have the same, though some are self-service. There are no licensing laws and drink can be bought all day. Bars open later and stay open until the early hours of the morning at weekends.

National specialties:

• A typical Dutch breakfast usually consists of several varieties of bread, thin slices of Dutch cheese, prepared meats and sausage, butter and jam or honey and often a boiled egg.

• A working lunch would be koffietafel, once again with breads, various cold cuts, cheese and conserves. There will often be a side dish of omelette, cottage pie or salad.

• Broodjes (sandwiches) are a common daytime snack, served in the ubiquitous sandwich bars – broodjeswinkels.

• Lightly salted ‘green’ herring can be bought from street stalls (they are held by the tail and slipped down into the throat).

• Erwtensoep (thick pea soup served with smoked sausage, cubes of bacon, pig’s knuckle and brown or white bread).

• Groentensoep (clear consommé with vegetables, vermicelli and meatballs).

• Hutspot (potatoes, carrots and onions).

• Klapstuk (an accompaniment of stewed lean beef).

• Boerenkool met rookworst (frost-crisped kale and potatoes served with smoked sausage).

• Seafood dishes are often excellent, particularly in Amsterdam or Rotterdam, and include gebakken zeetong (fried sole), lekkerbekjes (fried whiting), royal imperial oysters, shrimps, mussels, lobster and eel (smoked, filleted and served on toast or stewed or fried).

• Flensjes or pannekoeken (25 varieties of Dutch pancake) are a favorite Dutch dessert.

• Wafels met slagroom (waffles with whipped cream).

• Offertje (small dough balls fried and dusted with sugar).

• Spekkoek (alternate layers of heavy buttered sponge and spices from Indonesia), which translated means ‘bacon cake’.

National drinks:

• Coffee, tea, chocolate and fruit juice are drunk at breakfast.

• The local spirit is jenever (Dutch gin), normally taken straight and chilled as a chaser with a glass of beer, but it is sometimes drunk with cola or vermouth; it comes in many varieties depending on the spices used. Favored brands are Bols, Bokma, Claeryn and De Kuyper.

• Dutch beer is excellent. It is a light, gassy pils type beer, always served chilled, generally in small (slightly under half a pint) glasses. The most popular brand in Amsterdam is Amstel. Imported beers are also available, as are many other alcoholic beverages.

• Dutch liqueurs are excellent and include Curaçao, Parfait d’Amour, Triple Sec (similar to Cointreau) and Dutch-made versions of crème de menthe, apricot brandy and anisette.

Tipping: All hotels and restaurants include 15 per cent service and VAT. It is customary to leave small change when paying a bill. &Euro;0,5-1,00 is usual for porters and doormen, and around 10 per cent for taxi drivers and waiters. Hairdressers and barbers have inclusive service prices.

Note
Bulbs and plants may not be exported except by commercial growers, or by individuals with a health certificate from the Plant Disease Service. A reasonable number of bulbs for own personal use are allowed.

Nightlife
Large cities have sophisticated nightclubs and discos, but late opening bars and cafes are just as popular in provincial towns. There are theaters and cinemas in all major towns. Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city, with some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe. There are legal casinos in Amsterdam, Breda, Eindhoven, Den Haag, Groningen, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Valkenburg and Zandvoort; all have an age limit of ‘over 18’ (passports must be shown).