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. So freshly improvised, it 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.

No, I am sure this place will be home for the young and hip, the artistic avantgarde, for some time to come.

Ad: bring your own food. That means literally: 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!

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Basis Amsterdam | Bars, Restaurants (Delivery!) | Beer € 2
Vijzelstraat 66 | Center
Sun – Thu 16:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 16:00 – 03:00

THE SUMMERSEASON opened on 28th of April entry is free, but they want you to bring your own log (of wood – probably for a campfire)

I am sitting on the quay wall, my feet dangle over the water. The little movements of the water surface of the bay reflect the late afternoon sunlight. Behind me there is a sandy beach and old industrial buildings. Run-down. Rusty. Roest. That’s the Dutch word for rust. And it resembles the atmosphere of this place. The melancholic feeling of transitoriness.

If the weather is good and and I need to calm down from a stressful day at work I come here, enjoying the peaceful timelesness of this place. And like me, many other young, creative, hip and alternative people are attracted, probably for the same reason.

But Roest is not only a beach bar, it lends it terrain for all kinds of synergetic activities. So you could bump into the Sunday market, an alternative food and art market or the Unity festival, an afternoon dance festival with ‘open minded information on the use of drugs and alcohol’. The huge industrial hall used to be part of Roest with club nights by ‘De Club’. Unfortunately a concession disagreement stopped the club activities.

A good combination: when the sun slowly fades away and the first cold autmn winds creep under your t-shirt, go and have dinner at Rosa en Rita, which also resides on the terrain…

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Amsterdam Roest | Bars, Music, Relaxing | Appetizers € 4
Czaar Peterstraat 213 | East | +31203080283
Thu 16:00 – 01:00, Fri 16:00 – 03:00, Sat 12:00 – 03:00, Sun 16:00 – 01:00

The beautiful & delicious cakes invite you to be obeyed.

Pompadour has a great location on the corner with the famous Spiegelstraat. It is modern and clean and quite large: a good spot for lunch with delicious lunch dishes.

They became famous thanks to their chocolates & cake. They have great éclairs and lovely apple & apricot tarts. But the famous raspberry a la neige with white chocolate is also tasteworthy.

Pompadour also has a branch in the 9 streets (Huidenstraat 12), with a romantic and Marie Antoinette style.

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Pompadour | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cake & drinks p.p. € 12.00
Kerkstraat 148 | Center | +31203300981
10:00 – 18:00 daily

I must admit I’m not the best in bargain hunting. Every once in a while I try to do my best at flea markets or vintage stores but most of the time I have to face the facts: I’m incapable of finding the nice clothes in the midst of all the junk. Still I keep on trying because I do know people that do succeed and I can’t stand the idea that I might miss out on a great bargain just because I didn’t give it a try…

So I gave it a try at the IJhallen in the North of Amsterdam. Every month there is a huge flea market here where people sell mostly clothes but also other things. For an entrance fee of 4.00 you are free to spend as long as you want to rummage around the piles and piles of stuff that are on offer.

The market is usually partly inside and partly outside. Make sure you dress up warm cause both places are cold in wintertime!! The stuff people sell is really very cheap so if you do have an eye for a bargain you rally can’t miss this.

Also the trip over to the market is worth while. You take the free ferry from Central Station over to the NDSM part of North, I always enjoy this!

(Check the website for the upcoming markets)

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IJhallen | Relaxing, Shopping | Entrance adults € 4.00
T.T. Neveritaweg 15 | North
09:00 – 16:30, check website

In Holland it’s not as popular to drink whisky as it is in many other countries. I can safely say Jim Morrison would have never written the Alabama Song if he would have lived in Amsterdam. But I’m sure he would have found this amazing place just off Leidseplein.

According to the owner the place holds more than 1401 kinds of whisky (I haven’t counted them, so I guess I have to take his word for it) from Scotch to Canadian and from Single Malts till Bourbon. Be aware that it only has a limited offer of other (alcoholic) beverages. The place has two different entrance doors and the liquor cabinet is placed in between, creating a u-shape sitting area with a small amount of bar stools and, against the walls, little seats and snug areas. Because of the confined surface everything is placed almost on top of each other. A lot of bottles are mounted along the walls, thus the visitors are literally sitting between the merchandise. But all of this gives the spot a real living room feeling (in Dutch: huiskamergevoel).

When you’re looking for a bar near Leidseplein and you wanna go to something else then the blatant bars in the area, this is the place to go to. Take in account that it’s a popular spot for many Amsterdam whisky drinkers/lovers. Especially in the weekend the place is packed.

For groups of 10 and more the bar offers tastings, also during the day (bookings are necessary).

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Whisky bar L&B | Bars
Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 82-84 | Center | +31206252387
Sun – Thu 20:00 – 03:00, Fri – Sat 20:00 – 04:00

The ones who have been to Örtakoy, Istanbul will understand the next scribble better than those who haven’t been there. In Örtakoy (but also in other places in Turkey) you’ll find a real simple tidbit: kumpir. Most of the people I know who ate this delicacy were straightaway addicted.

Kumpir is a stewed potato, mashed within its own skin with butter, cheese and salt and then filled with peas, corn, olives, mushrooms, red cabbage and grated carrots. Afterwards it’s topped with ketchup and/or mayonnaise.

As far as I know there are only a few places in Amsterdam where you’ll find kumpir. Three of them are recommendable enough.

The first place is located at the Osdorpplein (#677) in the West of Amsterdam, King Kumpir. I think they see themselves a bit as the Turkish variant of Burger King (hence the name), but their kumpir is okay.

The second place is located on the Kinkerstraat (#186): Döner Plaza. It gives the possibility to add meat to your kumpir, but I don’t think the original one in Turkey has this option. You can also get döner kebab, ‘kapsalon’ and Turkish pizza.

The third place is located at the Dapperstraat/markt (#94) in Amsterdam East, MarDo IJs & Kumpir. This kumpir might be the best in town. For €0.50 extra you even get a cup of ayran (Turkish yoghurt) with it. According to their name/menu they also sell ice cream and another Turkish delight, kunefe (puff paste), but I haven’t seen it yet.

At all three places the standard kumpir price is € 3.50.

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Kumpir | Snacks | Stewed potato (portion) € 3.50
Dapperstraat 94 | East | +31651469098
09:00 – 21:00 daily

I was planning to go to Pakhuis Wilhelmina for quite some time… and as soon as I was there for my ‘initiation’ I regretted waiting that long.

Hardrock karaoke is hilariously fun. What is it about? Well, it’s quite simple and both similar to and different from regular karaoke: a live (backing) band plays the songs while visitors sing. Of course the band is limited by the songs they can play, but all famous sing-alongs are present. On one of the walls you can see big posters with about fifty songs, varying from Lenny Kravitz to Mötorhead and Steppenwolf to The White Stripes.

There are a couple of things which make this karaoke a zillion times better than the regular version. First of all, the band and its front-man put on a terrific show. They play pretty good and loud, sing along and joke around with the visiting singers. The lyrics are written on big posters and held up in the air by a member of staff (primitive, but nevertheless part of the show). Furthermore, the public sings, jumps and head-bangs along, giving the brave singers on stage the real ‘live’ experience. And every participant has to finish the song with a final jump (often on the final chords of the band/song) to earn the promised Tequila shot for their bravery.

For both singers and audience this evening is rocking! Go check it out and get on stage, if you dare!

P.S. they sell bottled beer (€ 2.25), always an advantage in my opinion.

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Hardrockkaraoke @ Pakhuis Wilhelmina | Bars, Music, Festivals & events | Entrance fee € 5.00
Veemkade 576 | Center | +31204193368
1st Thu of the month 22:00 – 01:00

In between the train tracks just outside Sloterdijk station stands a beautifully renovated trolly car. This car was about to be turned into scrap metal when a persistent entrepreneur came along and, with a lot of hard work, turned the wreck into a unique lunch spot. After searching for a permanent location the trolly found its pitch at the spot mentioned above, where it is expanded with a nice terrace. This already makes it worth a visit.

But, and probable more importantly, the friendly and talkative entrepreneur serves tasty sandwiches, small salads and good coffees. If you want something refreshing, you can choose one of the smoothies (100% fruit). And there are different (tapas style) hot snacks and toasted sandwiches on the menu. Everything is prepared fresh from the pretty compact kitchen inside the tram. A lot of employees from the companies in the area know this place, but also more and more commuters swing by for a bite to eat.

The place is open for group lunches, company drinks and other events as well. Inside there’s place for twenty people, outside on the terrace for another fifty. It also hosts a couple of events itself, one of them “Trammeland“, a monthly house party (next edition: 12th of June). And on the 10th of June there’s a salsa party.

Enough reasons to check it out, I would say. Especially now the weather is getting better.

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De Amsterdamsche Tram | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Sandwich € 3.95
Carrascoplein 10 | West | +31642601402
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00

Have you ever been to a Berlin living room cafe? Vintage furniture, a bit run-down, Cafe Brecht is all about “Gemütlichkeit” – coziness, the translation is an approach at best. One of the ancestors of your German grandmother could have lived here, nothing would have changed, only time would have eroded the walls since then, and a bar and more lazy chairs would have been added.

Tea is being served in a teapot that looks like being taken right out of your grandmothers cupboard, there is freshly made cake, also a thing that you might be familiar with if you know a typical Berlin living room cafe. A selection of several German beers complete the menu.

It is very relaxed inside, time doesn’t seem to play a role, you can tell by the knitting gear that decorates the tables and invites you to just continue knitting, just like you grandmother would have done. Since its opening three years ago, Brecht became a rather popular spot – the closer the weekend the more crowded the evenings – this is the reason they gave up on the poetry readings and live performances they used to have: lack of space.

Actually what I like most about Brecht is that they sell my favorite brand of German beer – which is the original black forest beer “Tannenzäpfle”, and it’s the only place where you can get it in Amsterdam (correct me if I am wrong).

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Cafe Brecht | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Tannenzäpfle € 3
Weteringschans 157 | Center | +31206272211
12:00 – 01:00 daily

On the edge of the city, between the suburb ‘Buitenveldert’ and the city of Amstelveen, on the banks of the river Amstel, you’ll find this ideal spot for some self-reflection. It only consists of a stretch of grass with a statue of the painter Rembrandt, a couple of park benches placed around it and a old mill, called ‘de Riekermolen’. I used to live on a student campus close by, passing this spot many times. Especially on my way back home from an evening out I used to stop here. Nowadays it’s still on the route of my favorite duration course (running).

Why this place offers me the moment of self-reflection? I think it’s because of it’s plain beauty. The whole year through you can watch walkers, runners, cyclists, rowers and boats passing by. Between April and September you can also cross the river with a little ferry (only for pedestrians and bikes). On one side of it you’ll find a bar-restaurant called ‘Het Klein kalfje’ (originally a toll-house and afterwards an inn) with a very nice terrace and on the otherside you’ll find the Amstel park.

The mill, dated back to 1636, was placed here in 1961, when it had to move from it’s original location in the west of Amsterdam. The statue was placed here in 1969 to commemorate the 300th dying day of the painter, who liked to paint alongside the banks of the river.

I guess I’m not the only one who found this spot captivating, you might find it as well!

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Amsteldijk | Relaxing
Amsteldijk | South
24 hours daily

Across the canal from the cultural centre of the University of Amsterdam and around the corner of its Law faculty, this bar was really one of my favorite spots when I was a student. A bit old-fashioned, but snugly decorated, the place still breaths some genuine Amsterdamnes. This is even more reinforced by the owners and the residential cat (Kasper, almost 17 years old).

Check out their hamburger for lunch! It can, in my humble opinion, compete with the hamburgers at the more famous burger bars: unknown in its simplicity but très delicious. It’s also on the menu as a main dish and then comes with fries and a little side salad. The rest of the menu is a bit plain, with chicken kebab, spareribs and steak, but here the same device is at place: simple, but good.

Next month, from the 8th of June till the 1st of July, the bar will show both inside as on their terrace football matches of the European Championships. As advertising they came up with a cool lottery. The TV screen they’ve specially purchased for this will be raffled, with a lot of other stuff (a bike, shirts etc), at a party at the end of the championships. You’ll get a lottery ticket with every € 10 you spend.

If you wanna try something other than the trendy bars or lunchrooms I suggest you to hop in a place like ‘t Gasthuys.. and please don’t forget to pet the old cat.

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‘t Gasthuys | Bars, Restaurants (Diner) | Medium hamburger € 5.75
Grimburgwal 7 | Center | +31206248230
10:00 – 01:00 daily

Just having celebrated their first anniversary, the CC Café is looking back on a year full of live music of all possible styles. We’ve seen singer/song writers, the Amsterdam Songwriters Guild, blues and jazz, latin and world music, and a variety of individual styles on the open mic evenings. The man behind the bar is René, and he does not hesitate to make you feel personally involved with CC café. Chances are that he still remembers your name when drop by next time.

The pup is more stylish than the other venues I have written about. (it’s not a venue, it’s a pub). A bit more designed, dimmed light, a velvet curtain behind the stage and black lights, it’s certainly not a rock’n roll bar. You enter the bar at street level, in the back it splits up into two floors, downstairs you will find a quiet area, the smoker’s lounge. The top floor offers a small stage, fully equipped with a drum kit, PA, microphone, a keyboard etc.

The programming does undergo some changes once in a while, and is not too easy to memorize, but you’ll find all info on the website. 3 Euros contribution required. You pay at the bar, but they give you the chance to leave after your first beer if you don’t like the show.

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CC Muziekcafé | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.50
Rustenburgerstraat 384 | South
Sun – Thu 20:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 20:00 – 03:00

Friday Next is a lifestyle store, exposition room and café all in one, a concept which is not that common (yet) in Amsterdam. But this concept store has a great inspirational collection of design furniture, jewelry, great leather bags and more wannahaves.

The bright store feels like a very nice decorated apartment, where you will find the café in the midst of the store. Here you can enjoy a coffee or a lunch, prepared with the fresh products of Marqt next door (see the Marqt article). Given the amount of laptops I saw during the week, this spot lends itself perfectly to get some work done.

Every two to three months a designer or famous international brand is asked to expose their work here. Furthermore this store is an inspiration for everyone who likes to pimp their home with an unique item! Definitely worth a visit when you’re near the Overtoom.

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Café Friday Next | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Sandwich € 5.50
Overtoom 31 | South | +31206123292
Tue – Fri 09:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

If you don’t feel like going for some drinks to the city centre, try Zola in West. Here they serve some nice sandwiches for a good lunch when you drop by after checking out the shopping street ‘Kinkerstraat’ and the ‘Ten Kate market’.

When the weather allows it is very comfortable at the terrace which is conveniently situated to the waterside. The furniture inside looks fresh with the wood and typical light purple color on the walls.

Dinner is pure and simple, I like to go for one of the salads or the spicy Thai fish cakes. They serve some good cocktails at the bar and on Friday night you can enjoy yourself till late with the special night: Drink & Dance. It could get pretty busy on the Friday nights. 

When it gets busy the service can be a bit chaotic, but other than that this place is an all-rounder, its suitable for pre-dinner or after work drinks, lunch and dinner!

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Café Zola | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Fusion) | Main Course € 15
Kinkerstraat 87 | West | +31206183858
Mon – Thu 15:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 03:00, Sun 11:00 – 01:00

Laura Dols is the most famous vintage store in Amsterdam, situated in the trendy Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets). Here you will find all kind of unique pieces, most of them originating from the 50s, like dresses, hats, clutches and pumps.

I like to go here for a special outfit for an event like Christmas or a ball/gala. In the basement they have a tremendous amount of the most beautiful glamour, ball and cocktail dresses, all nicely arranged by colour. The prices are very affordable and the staff is always willing to advise you or lend a hand to zip up your dress.

The staff is always busy ironing the new incoming clothes, since the collection is refreshed daily. Every piece is checked and cleaned, so no dirty or smelly clothes! Laura Dols only sells quality pieces, so it’s worth a visit to score your unique item to stand out of the crowd!

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Laura Dols | Shopping | Cocktail dress € 35
Wolvenstraat 7 | Center | +31206249066
Sun – Mon 13:00 – 18:00, Tue – Wed & Fri – Sat 11:00 – 18:00, Thu 11:00 – 21:00

This place is one of my favourite squares in Amsterdam, due to the big green lawn and it being less busy in comparison with the Vondelpark. Nowhere in Amsterdam will you find a square of this size. Museumplein (“museum square”) is a place where youngsters, students, elderly and tourists all come together to enjoy the green, play sports or read a book on one of the many benches.

The museum square is surrounded by the three big museums, namely: the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Rijksmuseum. And on the other side of the street you will find the beautiful Concert Building.

The lawn was recently renewed with a new grass-field. They say the grass is so strong that it will easily hold all the upcoming events on the square with thousands of people. Under the elevated shaped triangle lawn, also called the donkey ear, there is a supermarket where you can buy some refreshments.

You can also go to the Cobra café close to the Rijksmuseum, where they serve some great sandwiches and they have a big busy terrace! In the summer you will find a big pond which turns into a cool ice rink in the winter, next to this cafe.

So combine some culture and relaxation at the museum square, since they are just minutes away from each other!

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Museumplein | Art & culture, Relaxing, Theaters | Free
Museumplein | South
24 hours daily

This place was formerly known as Boom Chicago, named after the American comedy club that is housed here with edgy sketches on actual themes and a lot of funny improvisation.

Since March they changed their name from BC12 to Chicago Social Club. Besides comedy you will find a lot of good house/techno parties on the agenda! I like this place because it is not a massive club, rather intimate with only one dance floor that attracts a cool, mixed crowd of people looking for a good night out.

When you enter the venue you can first have a drink at the large bar, but if you can’t wait to party, walk a little further where the deep house, techno or sometimes hip hop will welcome you. Just check out the agenda on their site to see if there is a party of your taste. On weekdays the bar is open till late, and I can recommend the nice apple martini’s they serve here.

On Friday and Saturday you have to pay for entrance, the rest of the week the bar is free of charge. More in for a night full of American humor?, check their calendar.

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Chicago Social Club | Bars, Music, Theaters | Club entrance € 12.50
Leidseplein 12 | Center
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 03:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 04:00

Beadies is a shop that makes me very happy every time I visit, due to the big collection of beautiful beads and romantic accessories. Everything is nicely arranged in wooden cabinets in this tiny store in the famous Nine Streets. They sell a large amount of beads of which you can design your own perfect piece of jewelry, like earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

From Monday to Friday you can make your own jewelry at the big wooden table in the back of the store. When you don’t feel like being creative don’t worry, they also sell the handmade pieces made by Beadies or you can tell the employees what you like and they will make it for you that same day, custom-made!

It can be a bit pricey, but most of the pieces are real eye catchers! I think the style you will find here can best be described by romantic Ibiza meets Sex and the City glamorous, most of the accessories are very feminine, classy and fashionable. It is worth a visit to find the perfect gift or just something beautiful to cheer yourself up!

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Beadies | Art & culture, Shopping | Bracelet € 10
Huidenstraat 6 | Center | +31204285161
Mon 11:00 – 18:00, Tue – Wed & Fri – Sat 10:30 – 18:00, Thu 10:30 – 21:00

Their webshop is already a favourite of many fashion lovers, but last year I Love Vintage opened up a boutique along one of the canals in the city centre. This cute, but bright and organized store is really a must if you are looking for some nice vintage leather boots or pumps.

Next to the big collection of vintage shoes and bags from the 50′s till the 90′s, they also have a nice mix of dresses and cardigans. But not everything is vintage, you will find new stuff as well like the cool collection of accessories.

The back of the boutique is also used as studio where they have photo shoots for the website and as storage for all the items on the site. So before you come to ILV you can write down the items you will like to try on or you can search through the whole collection on a touch screen in the store. Just give the details to one of the friendly employees and she will get the item for you.

I like to visit the store once in a while for some new inspiration and to score a unique item!

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I Love Vintage | Shopping | Leather boots € 40
Prinsengracht 201 | Center | +31203301950
Mon – Sat 09:30 – 18:00

Since this place is a little tucked away in a neighborhood in Oost, you could easily miss it. But you should not miss it, since this is a really cute and good brunch and lunch spot! Their motto is: stop eating shit, eat good food!

The products they use are mostly organic or honest, which you can taste. They have an extensive menu, with sandwiches served on slices of bread, fresh smoothies, soups, homemade carrot cake and my favorite chai tea’s.

Beter en Leuk means Better and Pleasant, and the atmosphere in this place is very relaxed with little benches in- and outside with comfortable pillows. Next to being a lunch spot it is also a small boutique, where you could find organic beauty essentials, clothes and gadgets. The high tea I can also recommend! And for the ladies; once in a while they offer workshops or special shopping evenings. So if you want to try something new, and you are in Oost give it a try!

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Beter & Leuk | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Coffee € 2.20
Eerste Oosterparkstraat 91 | East
Wed – Mon 10:00 – 17:30

Why should one visit an Irish bar in Amsterdam when he or she can experience something better instead? Cause… when in Rome, do as the Romans do!

During your stay you should really try out a typical ‘Mokum’* bar just once. Throughout the city you have a couple of local pubs where they still have little carpets on the table and all kinds of kitsch on the wall (this was very popular in the Netherlands in the 60′s and 70′s). And I’m not talking about The Old Sailor or café Nol, which became a sort of sad joke by trying too hard to be authentic.

One of the best bars in this field is Ruk & Pluk (the name is even for the Dutch a little bit awkward, but most probably has a valid meaning for the intimates), a jolly place with regulars from all walks of life. The manageress is a lovely woman, always up for a chat and the place is often decorated with a theme: at the moment it’s obviously ‘Holland’, regarding the Dutch soccer team and the Olympic athletes this summer. The music is best to be described as a mix of Dutch tear-jerkers and international sing-alongs. Don’t be surprised if at a given moment the crowd does start to sing along as loud as possible.

Ps. take in account that a lot of visitors, despite the prohibition, still smoke inside. You yourself will smell like a chimney after a while.

* Mokum is the Yiddish word for “home town” or ‘safe haven”.

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Ruk & Pluk | Bars
Linnaeusstraat 48 | East | +31206653248
Sun – Thu 15:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 15:00 – 03:00

There is something about the Linnaeusstraat between the Mauritskade and the intersection on the other side of the Oosterpark. On not even half a mile you’ll find six totally different bars, with their own atmosphere and audience. If you like the variation it’s definitely worth a pubcrawl.

First in line is East of Eden (Linnaeusstraat 11-A), a neighbourhood bar opposite the Tropenmuseum. The different sitting areas are ideal for small groups. When it’s crowded it can take a while before they take your order.

Next is café Museum (Linnaeusstraat 29), an old fashioned “bruincafé”. On Saturday between 15:30 and 18:30 they host a Jazz jam session. The place is nothing fancy, but enjoyable enough for a couple of drinks.

The third bar is the trendy Spargo (Linnaeusstraat 37-A), a spot where a lot of yuppies hang out. They serve both a huge lunch and dinner menu. Decent quality, decent prices… and there’s always crowd there.

Next you’ll find Pata Negra (Reinwardtstraat 1hs), a Spanish tapas place. It can be very crowdy and noisy, especially in the weekends, but that’s what gives it this typically Southern temperament.

The fifth place is called Boom (Linnaeusstraat 63), a small place which focusses more on dining. This spot is a bit more considerate than the rest, making it  perfect for a serious chat and a good glass of wine.

The final spot located at the intersection is caffe Milo (Linnaeusstraat 71hs). This bar is especially known as a lunch place, but they serve a good dinner as well. And you’re always welcome for drinks too.

Six places, six different experiences!

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Linnaeusstraat | Bars, Restaurants
Linnaeusstraat | East
09:00/10:00 – 01:00/03:00 daily

This spot comes closest to what Americans consider a deli… and a fine one it is. It has a good selection of different delicacies, varying from salads to ready-made fine foods. It also has a nice choice of cheeses and sausages.

One of the things I really yearn for from time to time is their lasagna. For € 1.50 per 100 gram you can choose between salmon-spinach, bolognese or pumpkin-goat cheese (the first one is my absolute favorite) and they also have a mousaka (same price). Furthermore they have many different salads (€ 3.95 per 250 gram), homemade vegetable soups and two or three different types of quiches (€ 1.50 per 100 gram). Too bad they don’t sell my beloved wraps anymore.

You’ll also find (biological) fruit juices, soups, vegetables etc. Whatever you’ll find at your deli back home. So whenever you’re (a) lazy (cook) and have some extra bucks to spend, you can find your supper here.

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Sterk Staaltje | Shopping, Snacks
Staalstraat 12 | Center | +31206249065
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 19:00, Sat 08:00 – 18:00, Sun 11:00 – 18:00

I discovered this small Mexican Restaurant in the Jordaan a while ago. A friend of mine told me that this was one of the best Mexican restaurants and I do agree! Good food, nice ambiance, affordable prices and delicious margaritas!

Especially the fresh mango margarita is a must, I already added it to my list of cocktail favorites. Although I’ve never been to Mexico I did get a taste of what Mexico might be like, due to the bright yellow bar, the warm loud colors on the wall and the music!

The restaurant is a bit small and could fill up quickly, to make a reservation can be a smart idea or show up late like we did. The menu is simple and offers soft tacos, enchiladas and salads in different varieties of beef, pork, chicken or shrimp. Every meal comes with rice, a salad or the traditional black beans. I tried the beef taco which was nice with the guacamole and the portions were more than enough!

They have a variety of good Mexican beers, and many tequila’s! I had a good time here and because of its location it’s a great start for a night out to discover the many bars the Jordaan has to offer.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Los Pilones | Bars, Restaurants (Mexican) | Taco dish € 15.50
1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 6 | Center | +31206200323
16:00 – 00:00 daily

Don’t mock the dead… but don’t ignore them either.

That’s most probably the idea behind the only funeral museum in the Netherlands (as far as I know). The name “Tot Zover” (‘Till So Far’) is sort of a wink, a play on words. When they opened late 2007 they also had a remarkable poster, saying ‘open due to circumstances’ (while normally we use ‘closed’ instead of ‘open’). So far the little mockery the museum allows itself.

The rest of the museum, which is located at cemetery ‘De Nieuwe Ooster’, is set up sober and discreet. At the permanent exhibition they show the different rituals and practices of burial traditions. There is also some general information and objects about the history and future of burying, active life termination and cremation.

Till the first of July 2012 there’s a temporary art exhibition, called ‘Afterlife’. Contemporary Dutch and foreign artists give their perspectives about the final destination, both in the museum and outside in the cemetery. In the Tropenmuseum, which is only two kilometres away, there’s also an exhibition about the dead, called ‘Death Matters’. If you’re in the mood you can visit them both on the same day.

The museum also takes effort to make a visit enjoyable for children. Not only do they have materials for classes, but also for infants there’s an activity: make and decorate your own mini-coffin (for deceased pets).

In the meaning of the famous age-old adage “Memento Mori” and the famous Kansas song, visit it and remember… all we are is dust in the wind.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Tot Zover | Art & culture, Festivals & events | Entrance adults € 5.50
Kruislaan 124 | East | +31206940482
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 17:00