The famous flea market is the Saturday one at the Noordermarkt - definitely worth a visit.

There's some great food to be had in Amsterdam. Indonesian is particularly good - I used to always go for a rijsttafel at Temo Doeloe on Utrechtsestraat, but that always needed booking a fair way in advance. A friend living there took us to a local one out in the Nieuw Zuid, which was outstanding, but I wouldn't be able to tell you where it is from memory!

Dutch food tends to be on the hearty side - think shoulder of lamb, stews, smoked sausage. The classic lunch dish is an uitsmijter ('bouncer') - 2 or 3 eggs (should be 3) with bread and cheese, ham, or, if you're lucky, cheese and ham. You'll also find chicken satay with fries everywhere.

Street food tends to be based around fries - which they do extremely well. Normally served with mayonnaise (although satay sauce is always available), but if you're feeling brave, there is always 'patat oorlog' - literally 'war potatoes' which is served with a variety of sauces and chopped onion (supposedly looking like the aftermath of a war) - contents may vary.

And then (and we're getting into the depths of unsophisticated drunk food here) there is FEBO. Nothing to do with order of serving meals on flights, but a ubiquitous, yellow-coloured chain that sells fried stuff. Fried stuff in little individual heated compartments in self-serve rooms. Similar food is served in staff canteens at lunchtime, too - we always used to refer to it as UFOs (unidentifiable fried objects). It's... An experience.

But this is an international city. There is food from all over available here, and lots of it is great quality. It's too long since I was going there regularly to give you particularly up to date recommendations!

For wine, just look for any 'grand café' or 'brown café' - the latter are more beer-orientated. Do try 'jenever' - a gin-style spirit. There's some great ones dotted around the city - http://www.loosje.nl/ is one of the more touristy but deservedly popular ones. Bar snacks (especially bitterballen) are definitely worth trying.

Otherwise, it's just a thoroughly lovely city. The red light district is concentrated in one area (around Oudezijds Achterburgwal), with many of the coffeeshops and seedier elements of nightlife around there and Leidseplein (and the walk in along Damrak from the station). But that means it's controlled, and you can go and have a look (it's perfectly safe - the seemier side tends to come out after midnight) but then enjoy the rest of the city for what it is.

There are some wonderful city centre neighbourhoods (like the Jordaan, the 9 Straatjes, the Plantage, de Pijp) and some great museums (the newly refurbished Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum and the unrelentingly modern Stedelijk museum - prebook any popular ones!) including lesser known ones (I always enjoy FOAM). Water is all around, whether you want to relax near it, or travel on a boat.

Do watch out for bikes, though. They are such an inherent part of Dutch culture, they kind of have right of way over, well, everything!

It's very easy to get out and about, too, by both bus and train - can make recommendations if you're interested.