Martin Sollmann (1968)

De OCCII (pronounce “okki”): an independent music venue – one of my regular spots to see live bands. Nothing much more than a music venue. It is not a bar, you should check it out when there an event. But the Subbacultcha events circle around a couple of locations, and the OCCII is one of them. They have a programming of their own, and you should check the event calendar to be up to date. I finally got a good pic of the bar and the location (by Kasper Vogelzang) – usually in this location I am right in front of the stage.

Well, everything about Amsterdam is small, and a venue with about 200-250 m2 is considered a large space, even if it is not, if you are accustomed to spaces in other cities. If you think of a larger garage you come pretty close to what the OCCII originally was: It used to be one of the first (horse-) tram sheds in Amsterdam. Squatters occupied it in 1984, and it now operates as a volunteer-run, independent concert/event hall.

The programming ranges from indie/ free jazz/ hardcore/ electronic to dance parties of all kinds of style. It is not an expensive place, € 7 entry for an evening full of live music is reasonable, and you might bump into a surprisingly high quality performance.

Just to say: De Basis is one of my fav spots in Amsterdam – It was a love-at-first-sight encounter – and if you are following my blog you know the kind of places I like. De Basis looks like they had something like 500 Euros left and asked the guy with the screwdriver to build them an interior. Unvarnished triplex. And instead of throwing the waste material to the garbage he used it to build a giant tree that extends from the basement floor (some 60′s chairs and a vintage table) to the ceiling of the main floor.

Nice people, good music – bit more up-beat than my other spots, refreshingly energetic, less alternative, and so is the crowd: you feel the beat of the city, and you can’t help to get that Berlin feeling. Even though the guys behind the bar pretend not to be claiming that feeling, actually claiming the opposite: this is Amsterdam, not Berlin. Right so, who wants to always be identified in comparison with someone else? As if that co-existence is your only right to exist at all.

And: bring your own food. Order on-site from a delivery service or just head across the street, get something from Albert Heijn, and heat it up in one of their microwave ovens… You are cordially invited to supply your own dinner!

Another update: Final closing down event (party) 25th of May!

Food and beer in an an old industrial style building. In Amsterdam, medium sized industrial production facilities were often hidden behind unspectacular entries in common apartment environments. The production facility itself usually extended behind the building into a one-story garage. In this setting Stadscafe van Mechelen settled down to offer all sorts of Belgium beer and classic dishes with products of local and sustainable oriented suppliers.

The setting is nice, informal, and – different than the usual Amsterdam cafe – it is a kind of a large space (read: in context). Which is positive. But also provides a pretty loud soundscape. So – no dinner for two with candlelight (okay, why not – it only wouldn’t be my first choice for that), but absolutely good for you and your fellows to hang out and have a beer all together.

Van Mechelen is open from 09:00, and I guess it is a little quieter in the morning, probably also a good place for a breakfast with a laptop (they bring the breakfast, you the laptop) – and the kitchen takes orders until 22:00.

I am always fond of those industrial styles, and here the whole setting is not industrial like in alternative-lifestyle-industrial, but kind of settled, well designed industrial style. Good. A new spot in Oud-Zuid, and different than all the others…

One bizarre place I found myself at the other day: Well, I have written about “Chef” earlier, but I had not been to the upstairs room yet. What you will discover is an extra (living) room which is so personal that I wondered if I should be sitting there at all. Talking to the victorian style dressed guy I met upstairs, he revealed this place to be a museum – for tea pots! Just find out yourself – and don’t be intimidated by the private atmosphere. Well, the other day, some tourist girls took off and went back down because they didn’t feel comfortable to find themselves in someone elses living room…

Savory quiches and all kinds of sweet cakes. Traiterie Chef is a small, family-run lunch room/café in the heart of Amsterdam, right in the center so unfortunately I don’t come there often. (The main shopping area is something that I am trying to avoid as much as I can).

To be honest: I got to know about Traiterie Chef by a totally excited post by one of my Facebook friends. Well, I had to find out if that excitement was justified – and I was craving chocolate. So I went downtown and found out that they not only serve the – indeed – most delicious chocolate cake but also very tasty savory quiches. In fact, they looked so good that I first tried the onion/leek/chili quiche and saved the chocolate cake for later.

Check out their FB page!

Hannekes Boom – one of the few spots in Amsterdam which has something like a beer garden. Well, what’s the difference between a terrace and a beer garden? I guess it’s beer tables and wooden benches rather than chairs and round tables. An overall nice concept in a perfect location. The tree (of Hanneke – Hannekes Boom) is in fact not only one, and if it’s hot in the city, after a day of shopping, or spent at the library (a fantastic place with very nice view as well) next door, I come here to crush down on one of the wooden benches.

For worse weather conditions you’ll be fine inside, next to the giant woodstove. No “sitting on top of the bay” but still a nice view outside to the old Amsterdam harbor, a hot chocolate replacing summertimes’ cold beer, still staring at the sea – well, the old harbor then. Boats are eventually docking at Hannekes Boom, and there is enough beautiful scenery (and people) around to make you feel like you’re at the right place…

Organic food, live music on a regular basis, that outdoor feeling around that wooden cabin that Hannekes Boom actually is – and all that so close to the overcrowded Damrak and central station. If only those tourists knew – but luckily they don’t (did I tell you that this blog is for insiders only?).

Let there be sun!