T A B L E_T A L K

Travelers remember the strangest museums they've encountered in Table Talk

__INSIDER'S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM .|. PAGE 2 OF 2

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Tulips fields, the Rijksmuseum, diamond factory tours and the Heineken brewery make up the first-time visitor's mantra. But once you have found lodging, you might want to consider budgeting time instead to explore a few of Amsterdam's most recent attractions.

Set in the harbor, between Centraal Station and the Maritime Museum, is the new Metropolis science and technology center. Virtual reality displays are the high point of this cutting-edge complex designed by Renzo Piano (architect of Paris' Pompidou Center), inaugurated in 1997 (open daily, telephone 0900-9191-100; address Oosterdok 2). The view from the rooftop cafe alone is worth the visit.

Another new and unusual attraction is ArenA, the 51,000-seat Ajax soccer stadium and concert venue, opened in 1996. It has a sliding roof and includes a shopping center, restaurants, gift and souvenir boutiques and an Ajax Museum (open daily, telephone 020/311-1333; address Amsterdam ArenA, Zuidoost; accessible by Dutch Railways trains, via Duivendrecht or Bijlmer, or by subway to Strandvliet/ArenA or Bijlmer stations).

Mainstream culture aficionados should note that the Rijksmuseum's newly re-opened South Wing will house the Van Gogh Museum's collections from September 1998 through April 1999 (the Van Gogh will be closed for renovation).

If Amsterdam's spring and summer tourist crowds prove an irritant, or if you are set on top-end culture with an exclusive twist, Artifex is a specialized tour operator that can get you into the Royal Palace when it's closed to the public and show you the city's art and architecture treasures that others miss. Artifex's made-to-measure tours are pricey (550 Dfl per day, plus tax). Clients include international corporate executives, heads of government and the like (342 Herengracht; telephone 020/620-8112, fax 020/620-6908, e-mail info@artifex-travel.nl).

Boat tours are still the best way to see the city and its maze of canals lined by about 6,800 historic buildings (for information on the half-dozen main tour operators, call or visit the VVV Amsterdam Tourist Office). If you want an antique saloon boat all to yourself, however, you should hire one -- captain and hostess included -- from Aquadam (service available March through November; Hilton Hotel Marina, 138-140 Apollolaan; telephone 020/421-2374).

A cheaper sightseeing alternative -- the price of a bus ticket -- is the new Circle Tram, a streetcar that runs in a loop around central Amsterdam, stopping at tourist attractions and big hotels. For visitors with limited time, the tram has one distinct advantage over boats: It is fast.

Renting a bike and bumping around town like a local is an option for anyone wanting to stay fit. Bear in mind that Dutch bikes are usually heavy, old-style one-speeds and Amsterdam streets are cobbled, so the challenges are not lacking. Bikes can be in short supply in high season; the bigger rental companies are more likely to have bikes on hand, and Holland Rent-A-Bike (247 Damrak; telephone 020/622-3207) even has mountain and multi-speed bikes. Take-A- Bike, at Centraal Station (telephone 020/624-8391), has hundreds of bikes to choose from.

A favorite activity of bike-riding locals is a cycling tour of the city's centuries-old Brown Cafes, so-called because they have a patina of smoke and age. Start at the 1629 Cafe Karpershoek (facing Centraal Station), Amsterdam's second-oldest cafe. Head west to the Jordaan neighborhood near Noorderkerk for Cafe Papeneiland, opened in 1642, and nearby Cafe Hegeraad (mid-1600s), Cafe 't Smalle (1786) and Cafe Chris, the city's oldest (1624). Southwest of the Jordaan, at Spui in the center of town, is Cafe Hoppe (1670), a literary hangout. Swing east to Cafe de Sluyswacht (1695) and its terrace overlooking the Oude Schans canal. Wind up at Cafe de Druif (1631), near the Maritime Museum.

Eating used to be a chore in Amsterdam, unless you liked a constant diet of pot roast, pancakes and raw herring. Over the last decade, though, the city has become one of the Continent's foodie havens.

Amsterdam's top-rated French restaurant is now La Rive, a two-star Michelin luxury operation at the Amstel-Intercontinental Hotel (Professor Tulpplein 1; telephone 020/622-6060).

Smaller and hipper, Christophe (Leliegracht 46; telephone 020/625-0807) remains a favorite of local gourmets. Bordewijk, an ultramodern designer restaurant in the Jordaan neighborhood, spins together French and northern Italian dishes (Noordermarkt 7; telephone 020/624-3899).

The newest French-inspired place in town is Le Hollandais, a small, casual spot run by chef Adriaan van Canstein, who learned his craft at Christophe's (Amsteldijk 41; telephone 020/679-1248).

Traditional Dutch fare is limited indeed, which explains why locals have accepted the food of Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, as their own. Consequently some of the world's best Indonesian restaurants are in Amsterdam. They serve a parade of small dishes -- chicken, beef, lamb or goat with peanut, chili or macadamia nut sauces -- called Rijsttafel.

The list is long, but two Indonesian restaurants stand out as the city's most authentic -- meaning spicy food designed to please demanding diners: Long Pura (Rozengracht 46-48; telephone 020/623-8950) and Tempo Doeloe (Utrechtstraat 75; telephone 020/625-6718). A full meal with beverages at either can get pricey ($50 and up per person). Just remember, you can always go Dutch.
SALON | March 23, 1998

David Downie is Wanderlust's correspondent in Paris and the author of "The Irreverent Guide to Amsterdam," published by Macmillan.