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

Map Meanwhile in Amsterdam

Meanwhile in Amsterdam. weergeven op een grotere kaart

Not sure where to find a certain location? Check the adress below each message or the 'Meanwhile in Amsterdam Map' above. You can find this map under 'categories' at the left side of my blog.

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

RTFKT clubnight @ OT301

Music collective RTFKT (check www.rtfkt.net, well known for their website about experimental electronical/techno music) is having a party in Amsterdam next week. At April 6, the party will take place in club OT301 at Overtoom in Amsterdam and oooh - it's gonna be good! I'm really looking forward to it :-) Lanny May (Berlin, DE) is going to perform,  just like Applescal (live), PNOQ, the Glitch Bastard and Guido & Fef. Last edition in Merlijn (Nijmegen) was in one word great: an intimate atmosphere with really good music and and an audience that didn't want to stop dancing.. don't miss out on this one!

Tickets are available for €7.50 at the door.

Check for more info their Facebook page (click here) and www.rtfkt.net

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/

Options! @ Damrak

 The unexpected became reality: a nice, fresh and trendy concept store has opened its doors at Damrak. As the name already reveals, Options! has all kinds of different products. Varying from 'fashion options' (clothing made by young designers, shoes, bags) to 'home options' (art and photography books, all kinds of nice things to decorate your house with) to 'special options' (products like Japanese beer, hupsake and Pukkha tea) ...you name it! The shop is open every day and is situated roughly opposite to the Bijenkorf. The products sold at options are pricy, but oh so pretty. I really hope that in the future more of these stores will open their doors at Damrak, since it looks so much nicer than all the McDonalds restaurants and tourist shops!

Check out for more info on products and opening hours http://www.optionsamsterdam.com/

Favorite terraces @ Amsterdam

This week's sunny weather gives me butterflies and makes me want to sit outside all day long! Unfortunately I have to study this week, but for everyone who doesn't I put together this list with my favorite terraces in Amsterdam. Click on the names of the places to go to their websites. Of course there are lots of others, but these are the ones where you'll probably find me most this summer :-) Enjoy!

IJ-kantine 
A lovely, large and sunny terrace along the waterside in the North of Amsterdam. Grab a seat, order a beer and enjoy the view on the water and the passing boats. Take the (free) ferry departing from Houthaven of Amsterdam Central Station to get here.

Canvas op de 7e 
Canvas (on the top floor of the former Volkskrant Building) has a beautiful roof terrace at the seventh floor. It can be kind of windy here, but if it's a warm day the wind can also be a very welcome breeze. Enjoy a cocktail, they're good making them!

Hannekes Boom 
Last year Hannekes Boom opened its doors and not surprisingly, it immediately became a beloved spot. Hannekes Boom is very popular so the terrace is always kind of busy, but it has a relaxed atmoshpere, a nice terrace and Hanneke also serves good (maybe a little bit expensive for what it is - but still good!) food. Close your eyes, forget about the hipsters around and you will have a lovely afternoon :-)

Do-it-yourself beach @ NDSM. Maybe the most promising one of my list.This do-it-yourself beach opened last year in June and was immediately mentioned as the 'new Hannekes Boom'. The beach is not open yet but I am already looking forward to the events that will take place here this year. Mind my words, keep an eye on this one!

NEMO (roof terrace)
I love this place. In spring and in summer, NEMO opens up it's roof top terrace so that you can enjoy the sun here. You can take the stairs at the right side of Nemo to the terrace so you don't have to pay for the museum. You will be surrounded by a nice mix of people; tourists but also people from Amsterdam who want to enjoy the nice view over Amsterdam that you have here.

Brandstof A large (and beloved!) terrace at the crossroad of Marnixstraat and the end of Rozengracht. You'll have to be lucky to get a seat here, but once you have one you can enjoy the sun until the last sunbeam has disappeared.

LouterIf the terrace at Brandstof is already full, try the terrace of Louter which is situated half way of Jan Evertsenstraat. Nice and friendly service, and the food is gooood! When the sun goes down you can move inside and enjoy dinner.

Wilhelminadok 
If you take the (free) ferry to IJ-plein departing from Central Station, you'll find Restaurant Wilhelminadok on your right hand side. Wilhelminadok has a huge terrace with a view on the water. You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner here so if you wish you can stay all day long.

EdelEdel at the end of Jan Evertsentraat (close to Louter) also has a big terrace along the waterside (Kostverlorenvaart). Sometimes, Edel has nice events like vrimibo (friday afternoon drinks) or parties so if you are lucky you can celebrate your weekend here!

'T Nieuwe Diep 
See my recent post about 't Nieuwe Diep. This hidden pearl in Amsterdam Flevopark has a sunny terrace where you can have a nice, home-brewn liquor (or a coffee/softdrink :-)) while having the feeling that you are completely out of town.