The real Dutch capital is far removed from its notorious seedier side, says Alison Dayani.

Like a Roman banquet, I hardly had to lift a finger as I shared a long bed with friends and strangers while endless courses of gourmet food were at my beck and call.

Downstairs, we had left the dungeon of a bar with its handcuffs, poles and unisex toilets that you could peer into through a window in the corridor.

But, hey, this was Amsterdam.

A fabulous vibrant and open-minded city where anything goes and simply everything is at your fingertips. Culture, art and history – as well as the notorious sex clubs and cannabis cafes.

Back at the restaurant, I was feasting on five courses, including raw fish, duck and an oriental soup at the avant garde Supperclub, a sister to one of the same name in London, which is hidden down one of Amsterdam’s many delightful small alleyways.

It wasn’t as risqué as it sounds, much of it seemed for appearance’s sake. We supped while a DJ created an ambient mood, then a fantastically talented and sassy violinist jumped on the bar to perform on her neon violin. The whole atmosphere is what makes the Supper Club one of the hottest eateries in town. Definitely worth making an advance booking.

But that’s not just what the Dutch capital is all about.

The city’s reputation has been hijacked in many ways by its more colourful side – the red light district, the neon bars courting scores of stag and hen dos – but the everyday Amsterdam is full of historic, fascinating and bohemian quarters.

A distinctively continental place where cafes, museums, tulip stalls, canals and bicycles are at every turn, a city unique in having cyclists outnumber cars.

If you want to become one of the majority, Mac Bike rental shops are dotted around and one is ideally located next to Central Station. While the canals offer a leisurely way of getting around, with boat tours leaving every 15 minutes from the station, the trams are the best way to reach the array of attractions quickly.

Among them is the must-see Van Gogh Museum, with the largest collection of the artist’s work plus other exhibitions about his contemporaries. The audio guide adds an extra dimension about his extraordinary life.

The Grachtenhuis is one of the newest museums in the city and perfect for all the family. With plenty of special effects and films, it highlights the history of the city and its canals in an interactive way, based inside a grand old mansion at Herengracht 386.

A 15-minute walk away from there is the must-see Anne Frank House, at 267 Prinsengracht. It will prove poignant even to those who have not read the wartime diary of the Jewish teenager hiding from the Nazis. The house where Anne and her family hid in a secret attic no longer looks the same from the outside, but the loft space where they dreamed of freedom and feared capture has been preserved along with artefacts and photos that bring the horror of it all to life. The museum also has filmed interviews with Anne’s father, who survived the war, and others that knew her, plus copies of pages from her diary.

This is a good area to stay for a while and explore. With plenty of bohemian charm, there are also lots of pretty boutiques lining the streets.