Van der Linde is an oasis in a hard-to-handle street. It may take some time to get in – there’s always a queue – but once you’re in you’ll forget about all the Amsterdam-Hash-It stuff outside. This confectionery shelters you from harm by feeding you with whipped cream that’s as soft as velvet. You’ll find it in the famous ice cream, truffles, cakes – the one with meringue comes highly recommended – and mergpijpen (literally: marrowbones). Van der Linde’s dirt cheap versions of these filled marzipan rolls are smaller than the ones other confectioneries sell. Eating these treats is like eating a box of chocolates: you can go on forever. It’s like: one extra, why not? Something this size can’t be too bad! There’s some marzipan and a little bit of chocolate. True, the marzipan is filled with whipped cream and whipped cream only, but that’s just a dairy product. Mmm, well, how fattening can dairy be? This whipped cream tastes light as a feather, all frothy, with a touch of vanilla. It is simply irresistible.
Banketbakkerij Van der Linde
Mergpijpen, one, €0.95
Nieuwendijk 183, City Centre
+31 (0) 20 624 82 13
Opening hours: Monday 1pm-5pm, Tuesday-Thursday 11am-5.45pm, Friday 9am-5.45pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm
Amsterdam has many Moroccan fish shops. Eager to discover the best of the bunch I asked a Moroccan cab driver to help me out. Without any hesitation he said: ‘
For most Amsterdam people going to Geuzenveld is like going abroad. Okay, it’s not exactly close to the action, but it’s not that far. Most certainly not considering the jackpot you’ll find at your destination: 
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