cafe Archives - Page 2 of 2

Best Amsterdam Terraces

Note: This is an old version of dutchgrub’s best Amsterdam terraces. For the up to date version with a map, please see http://s19.c69.myftpupload.com/best-amsterdam-terraces/

Amsterdam is a different city when the sun comes out. The locals know all too well that sunny days are precious and head for the parks, terraces and boats in masses. It’s quite amazing how everyday life just stops, everybody drops whatever they have been doing, and heads out for that perfect spot in the sun.

Not surprisingly, there are plenty of terraces and finding the right one is not easy. Having seen the standard recommendations in the recent TimeOut and the local NL20 magazine, I decided to publish my own list. Their recommendations seem to focus mostly on trendy places and ignore some of the intricacies of Amsterdam including weather, crowds and the ubiquitous lack of service.

So here are my picks for best terraces in Amsterdam where you can enjoy great drinks and a few snacks. All of them have great location, mostly off the beaten path and situated in such a way that you can actually sit in the sun if it decides to shine. Beware, many of the terraces around the canals will be in the shade from the late afternoon on. And all terraces provide a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, service with a personal touch rather than unpleasant crowds, plastic chairs and overwhelmed staff.

Brouwerij ‘t IJ

At micro brewery Brouwerij ‘t IJ you can sip a range of home brewed Belgian-style beers on a great terrace under an old Dutch windmill. What more can you ask for? Its simplicity and quirkiness has made the brewery very popular. On sunny weekend afternoons the terrace literally spills over as the thirsty crowd claims each and every inch of the brewery’s pub, the terrace and the pavement of the nearby streets. There is an interesting mix of regulars, locals, families, beer enthusiasts and tourists. You have to walk to the counter to pick up your own beer, choosing from a pilsner, three trappist, a wheat and two specialty beers.

www.brouwerijhetij.nl
Funenkade 7
1018 AL Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 622 83 25

Gent aan de Schinkel

Gent is a mix of restaurant, local bar around the corner and lovely outdoors cafe in the summer. It’s located in an old building next to a drawbridge over the Schinkel canal by the western exit of Vondelpark. The restaurant has a monthly changing organic menu. The regulars enjoy sitting on the high bar stools and drinking Affligem, Chouffe, Palm or one of the other Belgian beers on tap. And on a sunny day it seems as if anybody who lives west or south of Vondelpark gathers around one of the outside tables on the sidewalk or in the small beer garden right by the Schinkel. In case you are looking for a place to stay, there is a great bed and breakfast in one of the small houses next to Gent with an equally great view of the canal.

www.gentaandeschinkel.nl
Theophile de Bockstraat 1
1058 TV Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 388 28 51

Cafe Hesp

Cafe Hesp is a typical Amsterdam-style brown cafe with a large terrace directly by the Amstel, down near Amstel Station. Most people head to the Amstelhaven or De IJsbreker to enjoy a few drinks and snacks next to the Amstel. I prefer to head further upstream to Hesp, which has two large terraces with sunlight until late in the evening and a great selection of 20 types of beer on tap. Hesp serves decent bitterballen and sate with fries and draws a large after-work crowd, especially on Friday. It’s fun to watch the mostly business crowd gather around the beer garden style tables and get rowdier and rowdier as another large round of Weihenstephan or Palm arrives and is downed to much cheers and merriment.

www.cafehesp.nl
Weesperzijde 130-131
1091 ER Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 665 12 02

Cafe de Jaren

Cafe de Jaren, like Cafe Walem, is an Amsterdam institution. De Jaren has been around for years and every Amsterdammer has been there at least a few times. It’s almost as chic as its neighbor, classy Hotel de l’Europe. It’s spacious, with high ceilings, and boasts a classic chic that makes it a great destination for either fun or business. De Jaren actually has two terraces, both hidden in the back of the building, overlooking the water across from the Stopera. One terrace is on the first floor, the other downstairs, tucked away in a corner, with a dock that some guests use to arrive at De Jaren by boat. There is somewhat of an intellectual feel because of newspapers available on large tables. It’s a terrace where you would have a trendy caffe latte or a good glass of white wine or champagne.

www.cafedejaren.nl
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20
1012 CP Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 6255771

Cafe ‘t Sluisje

‘t Sluisje is like a village tavern, far off the beaten path on the other side of het IJ behind Central Station. You get there by ferry and will feel great about leaving the hectic city behind. The Nieuwendammerdijk is a former dyke, lined by century old small Dutch houses. ‘t Sluisje is located in one of them, built in 1565 next to the boat lock. The same family has been running the cafe for over 100 years with a few interruptions. Everything at the cafe is simple – there is a small menu of snacks and people come to enjoy a traditional beer or jenever and not fancy drinks. It’s a great destination for a bike tour beyond city limits. Alternatively you could opt for Klein Kalfje, another great terrace out in the countryside, a few miles up the Amstel, heading south of Amsterdam towards Ouderkerk.

www.hetsluisje.nl
Nieuwendammerdijk 297
1025 LM Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 636 17 12?

Cafe Walem

Cafe Walem, run by the same owners as Cafe de Jaren, is somewhat of an institution and has been in its Keizersgracht location for over 20 years. The food at Walem is not great and the service can be erratic. The chic terrace, however, is great. It’s one of the few sunny locations around the canals, by the Leidsestraat bridge over Keizersgracht. The crowd, like the retro-modern interior design, is very stylish and wants to be seen. You may spot a local celebrity and Cafe Walem is also very popular by the gay scene.

www.cafewalem.nl
Keizersgracht 449
1017 DK Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 6255771?

Restobar Knus – Empty on a Friday Night

restobar knus amsterdam - lounge Knus is a combination of restaurant and lounge spread across three cozy floors of an old Dutch house in the Leidseplein area. The menu is small but versatile – a meat, a fish and a vegetarian fusion dish and a large selection of montaditos, Basque style tapas served on a sort of bruschetta style bread.

Against better judgement, we went to Knus last Friday after a company BBQ, thinking that it would be the perfect place to continue drinking and to enjoy some snacks later on. We quickly noticed that this was a mistake as we were the only guests that evening. The food was mediocre and while the staff tried to explain that the emptiness was unusual we could not help but think that Knus will soon make room for a new concept.

While I still think that Knus is one of the better restaurants of its kind, there are two important lessons that foodies should remember: Avoid the Leidseplein area, which is touristy, over-priced and laden with poor quality restaurants. And don’t bother with “restobars” or “gastropubs” that promise to be a one-stop-shop for a whole night out, aim high with fancy fusion or bistro menus and ultimately fail miserably.

Perfect Sunday Afternoon at Brouwerij ‘t IJ

Brouwerij 't IJ Amsterdam - wind mill

The weather in Amsterdam has been great throughout April and May. And Sunday was one of those perfect, lazy afternoons at Brouwerij ‘t IJ: Sitting on their terrace in the sun, enjoying home-brewed beer, spending time with friends amidst the friendly and laid-back crowd, right under a typical historic Dutch windmill. What else can you ask for?

Brouwerij ‘t IJ – or The Brewery by the IJ River – is different. It’s a Dutch microbrewery making Belgian style beer. It’s located close to the city center, just a few tram stops to the east, but will make you feel as if you were out in the countryside. The brewery and pub are located in a historic bath house and wind mill with a large terrace. The decoration is minimal, mostly a collection of beer bottles from all over the world. Guests sit on simple beer benches and happily stand in line to get their own beer.

Its simplicity and quirkiness has made the brewery very popular. On sunny weekend afternoons the terrace literally spills over as the thirsty crowd claims each and every inch of the brewery’s pub, the terrace and the pavement of the nearby streets. There is an interesting mix of regulars, locals, families, beer enthusiasts and tourists. Most of the staff have worked at the brewery for many years. And somehow, what must look like utter chaos from the outside, gels to an incredibly friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

The secret behind Brouwerij ‘t IJ is its beer. Owner and brew master Kaspar Peterson started the brewery in the 80s and has managed to give the beer a very distinct and individual character. All beer types are yeasty – drinking them is almost like eating a loaf of bread. In general, they also are strong flavored with a very present hopsy bitterness.

Brouwerij 't IJ Amsterdam - beer

My favorite kind at this time of the year is the IJwit, a very smooth and drinkable wheat beer that is slightly cloudy and deceivingly strong for a wheat beer at 7% alcohol. The name is a pun. The name of the river IJ sounds like ei, Dutch for egg. And eiwit – or egg white – is Dutch for protein.

The most popular beer is the Plzen, a light and bitter blond with 5% alcohol. Then there are the two Trappist beers – a bittersweet Trappist dubbel called Natte (wet one) at 6.5% and the 8% strong fruity brownish triple Trappist Zatte (full one). Completing the lineup are two 9% strong, take no prisoners ales – the Struis (ostrich) with dark color and winter flavors and the amber and bitter Columbus (the one with the egg – you get it…).

Brouwerij ‘t IJ only serves the simplest of snacks – cheese (single kind), salami, egg, and peanuts. So be warned. The excellent beer, quirky vibe, friendly crowd and sunshine on a bright day can get to your head!

Brouwerij “Het Ij”
Funenkade 7
1018 AL Amsterdam

Perfect Sunday Afternoon at Brouwerij 't IJ

Brouwerij 't IJ Amsterdam - wind mill

Brouwerij 't IJ Amsterdam - beer

Brouwerij “Het Ij”
Funenkade 7
1018 AL Amsterdam

Watch Obama’s Inauguration in Amsterdam

On Tuesday January 20th, 2009 at 12:00 EDT Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

Wondering where Amsterdammers who want to watch the event should head on Tuesday at 6pm? Here are a few options.

My plan is to follow the inauguration festivities at cultural center Felix Meritis on Keizersgracht. Doors will open at 4pm for a “Yes, We Watch” party. The event will be shown live on a big screen and there are no reservations necessary. I would expect an interesting mix of people from the culturally literate regulars to canal belt expats looking for a venue last minute.

Then there is an inauguration special party and show at improvisation theater Boom Chicago on Leidseplein. It’s a much bigger event starting with a live screening from 5:30 pm, then dinner, a re-run of the “Bye-Bye Bush” comedy and finally a big band playing from 10pm onwards.

Association Democrats Abroad is organizing another big inauguration event in the Hard Rock Cafe on Max Euwe Plein. This event requires tickets and might be sold out.

If you would rather stay home and watch CNN, here is a minute-by-minute schedule with all details of Obama’s inauguration.

UPDATE: Just found out about another live screening event. The American Book Center’s Treehouse organizes a celebration with give-aways, live music and bubbles.

Free Wireless in Amsterdam

Access to a wireless network has become essential, but still is much harder to find than it should. Especially when traveling, considering how spotty wireless coverage still is in airports and hotels. And also when on the road and you want to get some work done on your way to the next appointment without having to return to the office.

So here are three great suggestions for free wireless access in Amsterdam. And with free I mean free of charge and also hassle free, i.e. no having to ask a waitress for a cryptic access code that you have to type and that expires after 60 minutes…

The first is Felix Meritis, a center for arts, culture and science that is frequently used for conferences and has a nice, public cafe with free wireless access in the front. Felix Meritis is housed in a beautiful old building and very centrally located on Keizersgracht half way between the Westerkerk and Leidsestraat. The cafe has a small lunch menu and good espressos and cappuccinos. It’s usually very quiet and ideal for working and even small meetings. It can sometimes get busy when there is a conference and people flood the cafe for drinks.

The address of Felix Meritis is Keizersgracht 324 and the English web site is at www.felix.meritis.nl/en/

My second recommendation is Casa e Cucina, a cafe cum shop (the shop is called Casa e Luce) down Koninginneweg by Amstelveenseweg. Casa e Cucina is a very friendly and spacious cafe with a decent menu serving breakfast in the morning and sandwiches and small dishes at lunch time. The design and large selection of juices give it an ‘organic’ feel. Tables are large and there is an upstairs and a downstairs area. Service is friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Casa e Cucina is located at Koninginneweg 218 and their web site is www.casaecucina.nl/ (sorry, no English info).

My final discovery of the elusive free wireless access is Dicky’s Grand Cafe by the Amsterdam Zuid WTC station. It’s not as nice as the other two, but very convenient. Dicky’s is a typical ‘borrel’ cafe, frequented by the bankers, lawyers and other WTC employees for after-work drinking and socializing. Dicky’s is convenient for its location right by the train, metro and tram station Zuid / WTC and with ample parking in the parking garages of the new Zuidas.

You can find Dicky’s at Gustavmahlerplein 110 or check it out at www.dickys-grandcafe.nl/

Felix Meritis, Casa e Cucina and Dicky’s Grand Cafe all provide free wireless access. Just walk in, open your laptop and you are good to go! Then order some food and drinks and make sure you tell them how much you appreciate this great service!