Droog Amsterdam - Café

Droog is a design shop in Staalstraat, one of my favorite streets in Amsterdam. First they only had a small shop where designer furniture was sold, but since a few months they have extended the shop and opened up their own cafe. Now they also sell more affordable design goodies and they offer the possibility to drink a cup of coffee while dreaming about what you would love to buy. Just like you would expect from a cafe in a design store, the interior is absolutely amazing. If I get to live in a house like this when I am old, I would love to decorate the place like Droog Cafe. The cafe is well hidden within the store so it is really nice and quiet inside.

And then of course the food & drinks! Droog cafe sells coffee, tea, juices, sandwiches and salads. If you order tea you get to choose from a whole bunch of different flavours, jummy! but what I would really recommend is their chocolate pie. Without a doubt one of the best I have ever eaten!

Organic candy @ Nieuwe Hoogstraat

When it comes to food, I like to live very conscious. I am a vegetarian so I don't eat both meat and fish, but I also try to eat as less food with food preservatives as possible. At work however, we have a huuuge candy jar and since I love sweets I do like to eat some candies while working.

I had a discussion this week with a colleague about the fact that it is actually kind of strange to be so conscious about eating i.e. bread without preservatives and eating organic vegetables but to eat candies which are made with gelatin (which is also made out of the bones of a cow) without even thinking about it. We agreed that it is not that easy to find good-tasting organic candies. But when I walked down Nieuwe Hoogstraat this morning, I discovered Candy Freaks: a lovely little store which actually sells loads of organic sweets!

I just had to take a look inside so I walked into the store and looked around a bit. The owner greeted me very friendly and immediately showed me around. He let me taste all kinds of different candies and told me what made these sweets so special. The one you see on the picture above for example, are made on a farm and are probably the only sweets that entirely exist of fruit. As you can see, there even are still raspberry seeds within them!

Candy Freaks sells sweets without gelatin, sugar and vegetarian-approved sweets. Furthermore, they have organic chocolates, sweet and salty organic popcorn and if you really don't want to try the organic ones you can buy classical sweets here as well. I can really recommend you to go here and have a look yourself, please don't hesitate to ask the owners for advice because they are really really nice people. Enjoy!

Check out for more info: https://www.facebook.com/candy.freaks.nl

BBROOD & Koffie @ NDSM-werf

Another hotspot enters Amsterdam Noord! Although it is not open yet, I think it is already worth mentioning it here. At September 17, BBROOD (which you might know from it's delicious bread) opens a little cafe exactly across the street of where the free ferries to NDSM-werf moor. I always go to the IJ-hallenmarket every first Saturday of the month, and until now there wasn't really a spot where you could grab a coffee or a small snack while waiting for the ferry back to the city center. So, I'm very excited to see this little pearl rising here :) At this time, there is still a lot of building going on, but you should definitely keep track of this spot!

Really really nice place @ Goudsbloemstraat

I haven't had the time to visit this lovely cafe yet since it is only open during weekends and I have been fairly busy the past few weekends. However, from what I have heard about it I can only conclude that I have to go here soon! At this 'really really nice place' (love that name!) you can have the most delicious brunches in the weekends, there are art expositions and other events and they sell great cocktails. When I was living in Berlin, me and my friends used to go out every Friday and Saturday and then start our Sundays with a lazy brunch. These were the best Sundays you could think of :-) There are not a lot of places where you can have a quality brunch in Amsterdam, but if I take a look at this menu I think that it gets close to what we were used to. Luckily, a lot of the friends I made while living in Berlin moved back with me to Amsterdam, so we will definitely check this place out together soon.

Brunch is at Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00-16:00. Check out the brunch menu here & their cocktail menu here, reservations via www.reallyniceplace.com.

Vijzel Good Food @ Vijzelgracht

This traiteur/ sandwich shop is still an undiscovered little treasure because -at the moment- it is hidden behind the gates at Vijzelgracht where the Noord-Zuidlijn is being built. It really has potential to become a hotspot though, and I think that it will be as soon as these gates disappear. Vijzel sells delicious sandwiches but you can also get your (take-away) dinner and choose between fresh salads, soups, typically Dutch stamppot, quiche and mashed potatoes. If you take a look at the picture above, you'll probably understand why you should go here! When you are at Vijzel, you should definitely try their cocos cookies, they are the best I've had so far :-)

La Fruteria @ Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal

This tiny shop is situated near the Nieuwe Kerk. It's very small so you could easily overlook it but they sell fresh waffles and you can't really miss that delicious smell. La Fruteria is one of the healthiest pitstops you can make while shopping: you can buy fresh fruit salads, fruit- or vegetable shakes and smoothies here. For those who don't want to be so healthy La Fruteria sells waffles with whipped cream and - if you like it- fresh fruit on top. Also, they sell carrot cakes and occasionally some muffins.

My personal favorite is actually the fruit salad, you can choose which fruits you want (most of the time I go for raspberries, mango, strawberry and blueberry). I could eat this every day :-)

Bettina bakt @ Van Wou

 One of the things I admire most is when people follow their dreams and make the decision to do what they have always dreamt of. Bettina bakt at van Wou straat is a good example. Bettina always wanted to have her own little shop where she could bake pies and cookies. When she was 49, she made the decision to start here own bakery and now she sells home-made organic pies and cookies at van Woustraat. And they are goooood! Besides buying cake, cookies or pie you can also buy typical German bread here (for which you pay by weight) or just go by to have a nice cup of coffee.

Check out for more info: http://www.bettinabakt.nl
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Pompoen met Speck @ Veemarkt

One of my favourite (healthy) take away/home delivery services in Amsterdam. Pompoen met Speck cooks delicious organic meals - a lot of vegetarian meals as well! - for a very reasonable price. You can order several kinds of typical Dutch 'stamppot', but also soups salads, dishes with meat or fish and desserts. My personal favourites are their beetroot salad (3,95; three different kinds of beetroot, feta and mint) and their spinach/turnip tops soup (2,95).

Also pretty nice: they have a EK menu which is totally orange: carrot soup, a salad with carrots, pistache nuts and raisins and carrot 'stamppot'. Carrots seem to be very good for you eyes so you won't miss a single pass when you eat this ;)

Check out their website for more info on  the menu, delivering hours & prices: http://www.pompoenmetspeck.com/

La Vallade @ Ringdijk

   

This place is one of the cutest restaurants I've ever been to. Well hidden at Ringdijk, at the border of Oost and Watergraafsmeer, you will find this little French restaurant. There's no à la carte menu, you can just choose between the five course menu (34,50) or for their 'plat du jour (17,50). The food is delicious and they have a small sunny terrace in the summer. On mondays, La Vallade serves a vegetarian menu. When you sit here you just forget for a moment that you are in Amsterdam, since it really has the atmosphere of a petit restaurant of a French village.

For more info on opening hours, check out their website

Pllek @ NDSM-werf

Another new hotspot in Amsterdam Noord! Today, Pllek only has a outside bar and a big terrace alongside the IJ, but there are big plans for this lovely place at NDSM-werf.

Pllek is going the be a very versatile spot where litterally everyone can do what he likes to do. In August, Pllek opens a biological restaurant and a theater (very promising: IDFA and Melkweg take care of the programming!). Besides that, Pllek will also provide working spaces for freelancers, chill out areas, art exhibitions, movies, music and parties. Sounds just amazing :-)

The building is made out of old sea containers and also the interior will be filled with second hand furniture. The food in the restaurant is going to be biological and for a great deal also vegetarian/raw food. So you don't ever have to feel guilty for enjoying yourself here, everything is green, healthy, fair & sustainable here!

Planning is to open its doors seven days a week so you can come by as early as breakfast starts and stay until 00.00 (or till 03.00 during the weekend!) if you like. For now we will have to be a bit more patient, but I am really looking forward to hang out here. I already love Amsterdam Noord and especially NDSM-Werf, but I am sure Pllek will make it even better. Looking forward to August!

EYE Amsterdam @ IJpromenade

                         Photo: Henk Meijer via his blog Places of the World
Eye has only opened its door for a few weeks now but this spot is already really really popular. Eye is the new film museum, replacing the old one at Vondelpark. Besides being a museum, Eye also has a 4 hall cinema, one of the best terraces of Amsterdam and a lovely restaurant with the same beautiful IJview as the terrace.

I visited Eye last Friday to see the movie 'Moonrise Kingdom'. I was already planning to go here for a few weeks and I really have to say that I am impressed. At first when Eye was being built, I didn't like it's modern white building with it's diamond shape at all. But I have to admit that it has turned out to be wonderful! The moment you walk into the restaurant you are actually stunned by the beautiful 180 degree view over the water and by the modern design. The restaurant has been built up in layers and for each layer tables stand a bit higher than the one below. Also, there are wooden stairs in the middle where you can sit down on and have a drink. It's really nice, in this way everybody has a great view on the water. I went to the movies with my sister somewhere around 8 p.m and when we came out of the cinema we could just see the sun set. And even though Amsterdam North in general is still not very popular, when we left at 00.30 there were still a lot of people drinking, chatting & laughing as if it were a normal cafe.

Eye has a huge sunny outside terrace along the water as well, which I want to go check out soon.
I think Amsterdam North has a new hot spot! :-) Check out the menu or movie program here 

Fratelli Ice @ Spuistraat

Finally: summer! I have been very busy lately so unfortunately I haven’t written that much on my weblog. Good news however, from now on I have exams which means that I’ll need a loooottt of breaks – during which I can try out some new spots I have discovered! I already want to share one of them with you, Fratelli Ice. This ice cream store is situated in Spuistraat and although it is not really cheap (1,50 p/scoop), it's absolutely worth it because the ice cream is delicious! You should really try their coconut ice cream, it really tastes like fresh cocos. The staff in the shop is very friendly and all the ice cream is hand made in the back of the store. What I really like is that you can ask the staff for you favorite flavour -  if they don’t have it but like the idea, they'll make it for you! Lovely :-)

Another nice thing I want to share with you is that from now on, I’ll be hosting a monthly club evening at Sugarfactory! The party is called GenauGenau and our first edition at May 10^th was a huge success. I’m looking forward to our second edition at the 19^th of July. Hope to catch you guys there!

Cinéma Culinaire @ 16cc

 A friend of mine -who is a great cook and a very creative guy!- is organizing a nice event this Sunday. At 16cc, a small movie theatre slash gallery near NEMO, Cinéma Culinaire will take place from 13.00-18.00. This Sunday is the first edition, but from now on it will take place every last Sunday of the month. Whether you are having a hangover and only want to sit and eat or whether you've already had a very active day, it doesn't matter: everybody can have lunch at Cinéma Culinaire. Theme of the lunch is always inspired on one of the movies that is playing at 16cc: this time it is Wickie de Viking. Brings back some childhood memories!

 For only 12,50 you will get a great viking-style lunch,  a platter with all kinds of Scandinavian bites. If you want to you can see the movie as well but if you don't, you can just sit down and enjoy your Sunday here. Sounds good, huh? :-) I think it'll be a very relaxed afternoon - I'm looking forward to it! You can make a reservation for lunch via 16cc: 020-6270236 or send an e-mail to info@16cc.nl. Hope to catch you there! Check out the Facebookevent for more info or go to their website.

Kok op Stelten@ Van Woustraat

Kok op Stelten is a lovely traiteur in the Rivierenbuurt. Here you can buy sandwiches with almost all kinds of cheese and meat you can think of. Furthermore, Kok op Stelten sells wines (try the 'boerenwijn' which is sold per liter) pinxtos and sweets like brownies and pies. On a lazy Sunday or just  when you don't feel like cooking this is the place to go and to get a nice dinner to take away. If you are in the shop, don't forget to check out the olive oil that they sell - its reaallyyy good! Kok op Stelten has a nice relaxed atmosphere which makes that I just love to go here :-)

Check out for more info on opening hours: www.kokopstelten.nl

Olive & Cookie @ Saenredamstraat

This place is heaven for vegetarians! Olive & Cookie is a small traiteur at Saenredamstraat in 'de Pijp' where you can buy lovely vegetarian dishes either to take away or to enjoy while sitting at a table in their petite ‘living room’ restaurant. Olive and Cookie is owned by two people, Sandra and Petar, who have a passion for food. They use seasonal products and the menu changes every three months, but they also vary with their dishes a bit daily. You should really try the desserts, since Sandra bakes all the pies herself. Take a look at the picture above and you’ll understand why you can’t skip the chocolate pie.. Besides the desserts, the savory pies, salads and other main courses are great as well so I would definitely recommend this place to both vegetarians and people who still think vegetarian food is 'incomplete'. I assure you, visiting Olive & cookie will take your doubts away :-)

You can also meet Olive & Cookie every now and then at markets, where they sell their products. Keep yourself posted via http://www.oliveandcookie.com/ or their Facebook page

Van Kerkwijk @ Nes

Van Kerkwijk at Nes (the street with all the theaters) is a cute little restaurant in the centre of Amsterdam with an often changing menu. Instead of handing out a hard copy of the menu, the waiters tell you in person what you can eat that evening while standing at your table. The place serves quality food which is not regular 'eetcafé' food but instead it the cooks makes interesting combinations like tournedos with goat's cheese and raspberry sauce. And, not unimportant: they also have nice options for vegetarians. As a dessert, you should really try the home made pies (especially the one with pear!) although you should make sure that you reserve a little spot in you stomach for it since the portions can be pretty big :-) Besides the fact that the food is nice, van Kerkwijk has a cosy and relaxed atmosphere, especially in the evening when it is all light up with candles. You can't make a reservation but if you wait for a few minutes there'll always be a table available soon. Van Kerkwijk is a nice option to go to if you are in the city centre and want to have dinner but at the same time escape all the tourists.

La Maria @ Vechtstraat

La Maria is a very cute (French an Italian oriented) restaurant in Rivierenbuurt and exactly the kind of place I would love to have myself when I'm 'old' :-). The place has a wood oven in which -almost- all dishes are prepared: from the fresh bread you can get as a starter (with some tasty olive oil and green olives) to the pizza, fish- and meat dishes that are being served. If you want to dine all night this is the place to go: order one of their great wines, some food and you will just forget about time. Last time I was here, I had a great curry with pumpkin, red onions and sweet potatoes which was served with warm freshly baked bread. Amazing! You can really taste that all dishes are being prepared with good and fresh ingredients. If you want to take a look at the menu, click here. Main courses cost around €15,00, starters and desserts around €8,00. There are only a few tables available, so don't forget to make a reservation. Check out the for more info on opening hours: http://www.hornolamaria.com

REM-Eiland @ Spaardammer area

REM-eiland is a restaurant in the former Veronica television broadcast station. Situated in West (Spaarndammer area), REM-eiland looks very beautiful and impressive. When you arrive, the place seems almost unreachable by foot but luckily, there's a small road that will take you to the restaurant. REM eiland was not always this high above the ground, it's new owners put it on poles and built a third floor on it as well. If you want to know a bit more about the buildings' background, check this page
The kitchen is oriented on the French cuisine and when I was here with my colleagues lately I had a lovely dinner. REM-eiland served a salad with french cheese and caramelized nuts as a starter, my main course was 'rotollo' (an Italian pasta dish which was served with pastinake and an undefinable white creamy sauce) and we got a 'grand dessert' with amongst others crème brûlée, chocolate pie and fresh fruit. Although the food was good, the view was even better - just wonderful!
REM-eiland might be a bit pricy for students - a starter costs around €8,00, main courses cost €18,00 - it is a great place to take your parents or to have a romantic dinner with your boy- or girlfriend.


See below for the exact location on Google Maps and for more info on opening hours, check www.remeiland.com

Talia @ Prinsenstraat

Talia is a one of a kind store. The interior doesn't look particularly nice, the website is not that pretty as well but the food and the coffee (try their espresso!) sold at this place are just amazing. Everything is freshly prepared daily by real Italian people - and honestly, you can taste the passion! Whenever I walk through Prinsenstraat, taking a look at the fresh focaccia's and pizza's in the window always makes me want to go inside because the food makes me feel like being in Italy. I love it!
Besides selling this lovely food, Talia also is a cultural meeting place where you can find music, art, stories and inspiring people to hang out with. There is a nice jam session held every two weeks. Go discover this little pearl at Prinsenstraat 12.

For more info on events and opening hours check www.i-talia.net

Frozz @ Rokin

Sunny weather asks for sunny food. And what is nicer to have on a lovely spring day then an icecream? There's one kind in particular that has stolen my heart: frozen yoghurt. Frozz at Rokin (and in summer it also has pop-up stores at several other locations in amsterdam!) sells this lovely stuff. Whether you are studying, working, relaxing at home or just walking around in the city: get yourself a frozen yoghurt on a sunny day like today and you'll have the perfect break :-) Yoghurt might not sound that attractive but the ice cream you get is not as sour as normal, unfrozen yoghurt. Plus, you don't just get a plain ice cream: you can choose from all kinds of different toppings like chocolate sprinkles, fresh fruit and all kinds of cookies. Tough choice!

Check out for more info on opening hours and locations http://www.frozz.com/