Whether your a tourist or a born and raised in Amsterdam. Sometimes you just want something different than the same old 5 euro pizzeria’s near Leidseplein or the thirteen in a dozen bars. Escape the crowd and get your ass together to Amsterdam-East. Old buildings are getting new destinations.
Read further and see how you can entertain yourself the next 24-hours in booming Amsterdam-East. I take the metro to the Amstelstation and I walk in a couple of mintutes to the former Renault garage, Café Restaurant Dauphine ((Prins Bernhardplein 175). It’s Saturday 2 0 clock in the afternoon and this place is crowded! I’m opening my laptop and I see I’m not the only one, thanks to the free wi-fi access. At Dauphine you cannot only have lunch, but also dinner and on Fridays there’s a club night. This place is so high and so big. It’s a little not Dutch to me! There’s place for more than 200 people. After my delicious lunch ( a big white bread with thin sliced meat and truffle mayonnaise € 7,- and a biological apple juice € 2,10) I’m continuing my way to Canvas (Wibautstraat 150). Canvas is also a restaurant and a club with a really relaxed atmosphere and a rubbish –on a nice way- furniture. The weather is pretty good so I sit down on the lovely terrace. From here you have a really nice view off Amsterdam. I order a pretty excellent Strawberry Cheesecake cocktail (€ 6,50) while I’m watching the sunset.
Than it’s time to leave to my next destination restaurant/club Trouw ((Wibautstraat 127). Trouw is established in the former printing office of newspaper Trouw. This is something you can see almost everywhere. The restaurant is opened on club nights from 18.30 till 03.00. It’s Saturday so I’m lucky the club is open! But first things first! I order some really good dishes from the various menu. Whether you like the North-African or the Asia kitchen, the menu has to have something for you. After eating a little to much, my belly is having a hard time. But I have to continue my mission and I’m walking directly from the restaurant into the club and the accessory smoking area. I have been told that this smoking area even has won a price, and I understand why. That night the party is even better in the smoking room than on the dance floor. If your not eating in the restaurant you have to pay € 12,- entrance fee. The music is electronically and the people are really friendly and laid-back. The party stops at 01.00 for me but the others are dancing until the small hours.
After a small ten minutes of walking, I have reached my final destination: Hotel Arena ('s-Gravesandestraat 51). This place used to be an orphans house, but now a days it’s a restaurant, club and hotel all in one! This 4 star hotel has a capacity of 116 rooms. I’m sleeping in a studio which provides all luxury. The next morning I’m suprised of the enormous breakfast buffet, something you cannot make me more happy with! I pay € 175,- for the room including breakfast and I’m over thinking the 24 hours. For me Amsterdam-East has it all. This place is relaxing, innovative and not to expensive. Whether it’s noon or night, this place is booming!
