r e s t o r e d (amsterdam)

R E S T O R E D is a wonderful little shop on the Haarlemmerdijk in the center of Amsterdam (Haarlemmerdijk 39). “Restored is all about beauty, balance and originality. We believe in an honest approach and a sincere interest in people and products.”  A unique collection of products are sold here, ranging from gold feather rings to Herschel Supply Co. backpacks to plaid blankets by Mae Engelgeer and a great selection of magazines including Anthology, Frankie and Smith Journal.

Be sure to take check out this round up of great shops, cafes and restaurants on the Haarlemmerdijk and Haarlemmerstraat before you head that way!

coming up #33 (amsterdam)

It’s been a while since I’ve posted my weekly Amsterdam Insight posts. The months of March, April and May were really busy but things are finally slowing down now. I will now spend more time at work and dedicate my free time to Amsterdam Insights. So here we go! This week in Amsterdam…

• The other week I went to a work dinner at Hotel de Goudfazant (Aambeeldstraat 10H) in Amsterdam Noord which was absolutely amazing. The food, the location, the interior… Everything. I’m so curious to try their other restaurant in Amsterdam Noord, Cafe Modern (Meidoornweg 2) via Petite Passport. Their new restaurant Radio Royaal in Eindhoven looks pretty great too, also via Petite Passport.
• Don’t miss these two photography openings this week! On Thursday 7 June from 5.30pm there will be an opening of Ron Galella: Paparazzo Extraordinaire! and Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs: Light of Other Days at Foam (Keizersgracht 609). At Huis Marseille (Keizersgracht 401), the exhibition Chino Otsuka: A World of Memories will open on Saturday 9 June.
• Mmm Two For Joy Coffee Roasters (Haarlemmerdijk 182; see previous post) has a great new addition: an Iced Chai Latte.
• I also finally made it over to the EYE Film Institute, located opposite Amsterdam Central Station on the northern banks of the River IJ. The new building hosts a large exhibition space and four cinemas with a total of 640 seats, and is open daily from 10:00 until 01:00 on weekdays and until 02:00 at the weekend.
• The winning images from the world’s largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest, World Press Photo, begin their world tour in Amsterdam. An overview of press photography, 200 images are selected from the past 12 months and travel from the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam to more than 40 countries around the world. The exhibition is only display in the Oude Kerk until 17 June.
• I recently tried challah french toast with banana and cinnamon sugar at G&T’s really, really nice place (Goudbloemstraat 91). How about trying out these other brunch places? Coconut french toast at the Australian cafe Little Collins (Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19), yoghurt with fresh fruit and granola at Buffet van Odette (Prinsengracht 598) or a stack of pancakes at George Deli USA (Utrechtsestraat 17). Do you have a favorite brunch spot in Amsterdam?
• And if you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

g&t’s really, really nice place (amsterdam)

Brunch was an institution in Montreal, a weekend rite of passage, the perfect start to a slow morning or a worthy celebration after a night out. The excitement of going out for a delicious brunch, whether it be eggs & bacon or french toast or pancakes, never failed me. And there were so many great places in Montreal including Le Vieux St. Laurent, L’Avenue, Beauty’s and Bagel Etc (read more in my Montreal Eats roundup). I was so excited to finally try G&T’s really, really nice place (Goudsbloemstraat 91) in the heart of the Jordaan…

And turns out the owners are Canadian, and one even attended McGill University… And graduated just a year before I started my first year! Everything about G&T’s was perfect. The ex-brown cafe in the Jordaan has been transformed into a comfy living room with subtle trinkets and treasures…

And their brunch menu… From Breakfast Burritos to their famous Eggs Benedict and (oh-so Canadian) Challah French Toast, there’s something for everyone. And reminiscing my Montreal brunch days, I opted for the Challah French Toast topped with bananas and cinnamon sugar. Oh, they didn’t disappoint.

Be sure to make a reservation online for weekend brunch, from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. G&T’s also serves cocktails (a Bloody Mary to go with your Eggs Benedict, maybe?) and hosts movie nights, so be sure to check their agenda for weekly events. G&T’s really, really nice place can be found on Goudsbloemstraat 91.

rollende keukens (amsterdam)

roest (amsterdam)

coming up #32/april (amsterdam)

Spring buds in Amsterdam! This month has been (and will be!) a little crazy for me so instead of weekly ‘Coming Up’ posts, I thought I’d gather a few events that are taking place this month…

• The great exhibition ‘Klee and Cobra: A Child’s Play‘ at the Cobra Museum (Sandbergplein 1) in Amstelveen is on display until 22 April. Don’t miss it!
• The EYE Film Institute opened last week! It is located opposite Amsterdam Central Station on the northern banks of the River IJ. The new building hosts a large exhibition space and four cinemas with a total of 640 seats, and is open daily from 10:00 until 01:00 on weekdays and until 02:00 at the weekend.
• Vinyl, clothes, books, art & more at the 3 x Ten K Markt (Jan Hazenstraat 39-41) on Saturday April 14, Saturday April 21 and Saturday April 28 April.
• The National Museum Weekend will take place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 April. More than 500 museums nationwide will open their doors to the public free of charge or offer heavily discounted entrance. In Amsterdam, museums like the newly opened EYE Film Institute (Ijpromenade 1), the Scheepvaartmuseum (Kattenburgerplein 1), photography museum Huis Marseille (Keizersgracht 401), the Portuguese Synagogue (Mr. Visserplein 3) and the Science Center NEMO (Oosterdok 2) will open there doors. See the full list of Amsterdam museums here.
• The new exhibition at the Jewish Historical Museum (Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1) looks interesting. ‘Else Berg and Mommie Schwarz‘ (until 24 June) is the first exhibition surveying the work of this husband-and-wife pair, who lived and worked in the Netherlands from 1910 to 1942 and were strongly influenced by a variety of national and international avant-garde art movements. The JHM has brought together more than 80 of their paintings and drawings, as well as a small selection of works by contemporaries who inspired them, such as Leo Gestel, Jan Sluijters, and Charley Toorop.
• Have you heard of the initiative 1000 Drawings? It’s simple. Draw anything you like on an A5 piece of paper and send it in to 1000 Drawings, Postbus 92292, 1090 AG Amsterdam. The show up at Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond (Nes 45) on Friday May 11th at 20.00 for ‘the night of a 1000 Drawings expo, sale and party.’ All proceeds go to FairPen, an organization that helps children in Uganda publish their very own newspapers to influence public opinion and cope with complex issues.
• The winning images from the world’s largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest, World Press Photo, begin their world tour in Amsterdam. An overview of press photography, 200 images are selected from the past 12 months and travel from the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam to more than 40 countries around the world. The exhibition is only display in the Oude Kerk from 20 April till 17 June.
• The fourth NeighbourFood Market (see previous post) is coming up on Sunday 22 April at the Westergasfabriek in the Westerpark. This “neighborhood” market is a platform for bio-farmers, top traiteurs, bakers, butchters, local chefs, fanatic foodies, baristas… The list goes on. There’s a wonderful atmosphere and it’s is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, between 11am and 4pm!
• The cultural hub Roest (Czaar Peterstraat 213; see previous post) is opening its doors this month. The opening weekend of 28-30 April will be packed with exhibitions, a market, DJs in the cafe, performances, live music and a “beach day.” Each day starts at noon till the early hours of the night, and even on Queen’s Day, Monday 30 April, you’ll find a great party at Roest.
• Don’t forget the Pure Markt this month,at the lovely Park Frankendael on Sunday 29 April. You won’t want to miss this on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Visit the market between 11am and 6pm.
• How will you be spending Queen’s Day, Monday 30 April?
• I’ve just added 4 brunch places to my “must visit” list: coconut french toast at the Australian cafe Little Collins (Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19), yoghurt with fresh fruit and granola at Buffet van Odette (Prinsengracht 598), challah french toast with banana and cinnamon sugar at G&T’s really, really nice place (Goudbloemstraat 91) and a stack of pancakes at George Deli USA (Utrechtsestraat 17). Do you have a favorite brunch spot in Amsterdam?
• And if you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

cobra museum (amstelveen)

Childlike innocence, bright colored paint and bird-like abstractions. The current exhibition at the Cobra Museum (Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen) reveals shared fascinations on the parts of both Paul Klee and artists of the Cobra movement for the wondrous, imaginary world of the child. This in-depth exhibition at the Cobra Museum reveals shared fascinations on the parts of both Paul Klee (1879-1940) and artists of the Cobra movement for the wondrous, imaginary world of the child.

Over 130 masterpieces by Paul Klee and 120 by Cobra artists (Karel Appel, Constant, Corneille, Eugène Brands, Asger Jorn, Pierre Alechinsky and others) can be seen in this this exhibition.

The exhibition ‘Klee and Cobra: A Child’s Play‘ is centered around five themes: the imagination of the child, fantastic animals, acrobatics, masks and aggression.

“Visitors will experience how both Klee and the post-war Cobra artists translated the free expression of children into radical new art, which still today remains colourful, spontaneous, raw and pure” (Cobra Museum).

Cobra Museum (Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen) is easily accessible from Amsterdam Centraal Station. Take either Tram 5 (stop: Amstelveen Binnenhof) or 51 Metro (stop: Amstelveen Centrum). The museum is Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday.

coming up #31 (amsterdam)

Remember Cafe George (Leidsegracht 84)? Well I recently stopped by its little brother, the George Deli U.S.A (Utrechtsestraat 17) on the Rembrandtplein for a quick lunch the other day. Coming up this week in Amsterdam…

• The much anticipated opening of the EYE Film Institute will take place tomorrow night, Thursday 5 April! It is located opposite Amsterdam Central Station on the northern banks of the River IJ and the spectacular building was designed by the Viennese agency Delugan Meissl Associated Architects. The new building hosts a large exhibition space and four cinemas with a total of 640 seats, and will be open daily from 10:00 until 01:00 on weekdays and until 02:00 at the weekend.
• How cute is this Amsterdam Bed & Breakfast, Cake Under My Pillow,  owned by the girls of the kooky cake shop, De Taart Van Mijn Tante (1e Jacob van Campenstraat 35) via Lost & Found Magazine.
• Easter weekend means brunch… What about an omelette and french fries at Cafe George (Leidsegracht 84), scrambled eggs at Greenwoods (Singel 103), home-made hummus on thick brown bread at Latei (Zeedijk 143), a delicious brie and grilled chicken sandwiche at Singel 404 (Singel 404) or a bowl of fresh yoghurt and muesli with honey, nuts and apples at Toos & Roos (Herengracht 309)?
• And walks through the markets. There’s the Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp, the large flea market up north called the IJ-Hallen, fresh biological produce at the Nieuwmarkt and Noordermarkt on Saturdays and the lively Waterlooplein flea market.
• Have you heard of the Stadsboeren (City Farmers)? They have created a beautiful open space in Bellamytuin, Oud-West, Amsterdam. In this film you see how it all started.
• Have you picked up the latest issue of Time Out Amsterdam magazine? The April ‘Movies’ issue is on stands now!
• Other great Amsterdam tips from Lost & Found Magazine, Overdose.am and Petite Passport (Amsterdam).
• If you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

ij-hallen (amsterdam)

A twelve minute ferry ride is all it takes to break away from the city of Amsterdam and arrive in whole other city (almost)… Amsterdam Noord. Since 2002, Amsterdam Noord has turned into a major hub of artistry and energy. The area has a skate park, restaurants, a venue of sorts for live underground music and a plethora of shipping containers housing student accommodation and artist studios. In one of the largest buildings on site, a flea market, the IJ-Hallen, takes place one weekend a month, hosting about 500 stalls on every occasion.

For a very small entry fee (4 EU for adults), access is granted to the largest trash and treasure market in North Holland. “Stallholders come from across the low lands, and vary greatly in age and personality, from bored students, serious vintage resellers, aspiring entrepreneurs, cunning merchants, and lovely mother hen types that are clearing out sentimental possessions that are gathering attic dust” (The Citizn).

If digging through piles of worn sweaters, shoes, vintage jewelry and old records is your kind of thing, then you won’t want to miss the IJ-Hallen.

The market is open on Sat 7 and Sun 8 April from 9.00am to 4pm and costs only 4 euros. To get there, take the ferry from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord NDSM. Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

round up march (amsterdam)

Featured above are photographs from recent posts. Here’s a full roundup of the past six months and the months September, October, November, December, January and February.