Café Loetje: Amsterdam's Best Steak, a Cold Beer & a Tourist-free Patio

Ah, summer in Amsterdam -- the perfect time of year for hours of lounging on café terraces. But it's also high season for visitors, which means fighting for those in-demand spots in the sun! If you'd rather not join the hordes of tourists that flock to Leidseplein for mediocre bar food at elbow-to-elbow tables, head to Café Loetje in Amsterdam's Museum Quarter neighborhood instead.

While you won't find tourists at Café Loetje (well, maybe a few who've been tipped off, too), what you will find is the best steak in the city, a choice of cold beers (don't worry, they have more than Heineken; try the Belgian brews) and a laid-back, local vibe. And although I won't complain about the heat wave in Amsterdam at the moment, the late-afternoon shade of the big sidewalk patio is a welcome escape from the sun.

So after Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum, stay in the neighborhood and dine at local secret Loetje. But don't tell anyone else on your way!

^{Pictured: Sidewalk Patio at Café Loetje
© 2006 Shannon McAllister, licensed to About.com}