blog: curated boutique travel tips at your fingertips

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Patrick Abbott of Monks Coffee Roasters

While it's not exactly known as the city that never sleeps, Amsterdam is certainly a place where people are on the go at all hours. And how do Amsterdammers stay so energetic? So on the ball? With the help of great coffee, of course. No matter the time of day, if we find ourselves in Oud-West and in need of a caffeine jolt, there's only one place we go - Monks Coffee Roasters. Owner Patrick Abbott sat down with us and spilled the tea... er, coffee ââââââon running his own business, his favourite coffee and so much more.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Maud Moody of Toscanini

All in all, Amsterdam is a pretty relaxed city. You're more likely to spend your Saturday afternoons at a brown cafe than posted up somewhere glitzy sipping expensive cocktails. But just because we're laid back doesn't mean we can't do quality. The team at Toscanini proves it. We sat down with the mastermind behind it all, Maud Moody, to find out where she likes to eat, the things that make Toscanini so special & what it's like to own an Amsterdam institution. Keep reading to find out more.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Masanori Tomikawa of Yamazato

Amsterdam has so many wonderful things to boast about. Beautiful buildings. Loads of history & culture. A laid-back vibe. Attractive residents (if we do say so ourselves). But there's one category where we haven't always shone: stellar Japanese food. Sure, there were mediocre sushi joints & fast-casual ramen spots dotted throughout the city, but there was nowhere you could get the quality & precision we look for in great Japanese food. Until Yamazato & Sazanka burst onto the scene.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Ken Kobayashi of Assort

We couldn't really say why, but Amsterdam is awash in hair salons. In fact, when gloobles family member Hayley Daen's family first moved here back in 2011, that was one of the first things she noticed. She could barely go a block without passing 'een kapper'. But as with everything here at gloobles, we're far more interested in quality than quantity, which is why we don't frequent just any old hair salon. No, we like to go somewhere that's warm & bright and sends you out the door with a killer haircut every time. That's why we love

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Taco Dibbits of Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam is a city riddled with wonderful museums. You can hardly whip around a corner on your bicycle without coming across something fascinating. If you're into contemporary art, there's the Stedelijk. Curious about what high society was like in the Netherlands back in the day? Museum Van Loon is sure to tickle your fancy. Whatever you're feeling, there's something sure to delight.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Rembrandt Sutorius of ARTIS

Though we definitely don't spend quite as much time at the zoo as we did when we were growing up, we are no less delighted every time we visit ARTIS. There's something truly magical about the place. As soon as we arrive, we feel we can breathe easy and lose ourselves in the beauty & the charm of the animals & their surroundings. Naturally, we were curious about what it's like to run such a special place, so we had a chat with Artis's director, Rembrandt Sutorius. Keep reading to find out what makes ARTIS unique, what inspires him and what's in store for Amsterdam's very own Narnia.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Arvid Schmidt of Entrepot

We could not be more excited that the city is finally starting to open up again. All of the spots we've missed dearly over the last few months are slowly but surely (& safely) reopening & welcoming hungry Amsterdammers back with open arms. While we've been packing our calendar with reservations all over town, there's one spot that was at the top of our list: Entrepot. There's something undeniably appealing about this spot. The setting is wonderful, the wine list is terrific and the food never disappoints. We had a chat with Entrepot's chef Arvid Schmidt to find out all about what goes on behind the scenes at this dreamy restaurant.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Renny Ramakers of Droog

We have to admit: we love to shop. Whether it's for gorgeous baby clothes or delicious natural wines, we just can't help ourselves. And while we love shopping for just about anything, we find ourselves gravitating most often to shops that are in the business of unique design & interiors. Amsterdam has no shortages of these, of course, but there's one that stands head & shoulders above the rest - Droog. We had a little chat with the mastermind behind the design, Renny Ramakers, to get a taste for what it's like to be so incredibly tasteful.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Dee of An Chi

Is there anything better or more relaxing than a fantastic massage? If there is, we're hard pressed to think of it. While most of us are not slouched over a desk for quite as many hours as usual these days, we still find ourselves carrying around a lot of tension. Whenever we're stressed, feel as if our backs are in knots or simply want to treat ourselves to something luxurious, we always head straight for An Chi. This beautiful massage studio on the Overtoom is a true oasis in a city as bustling as Amsterdam. We sat down with owner Dee to find out all about what goes on behind the scenes and what inspires her. Keep reading to find out more.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Paul Witte of Glouglou

One of the things that has been sustaining us over these last few months has been excellent wine. When things first started to close down, we feared we were going to get stuck sipping on mediocre bottles from Albert Heijn, but luckily, Glouglou came to the rescue. They've been keeping our spirits high with fantastic, interesting natural wines each week, and we must admit, we can't wait for them to open their doors soon. Because we wanted to transport ourselves to one of the loveliest wine bars in the city, we chatted with owner Paul Witte about the appeal of natural wine, what it's like to run your own shop and so much more. Keep reading to get all the juicy details.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Nick Jones of Soho House

We can't even begin to tell you how much we miss all of our favourite spots from the book. To satisfy our cravings, we've been flipping through the pages, imagining we're visiting the dreamiest bars & most killer workouts. And seeing as we've been just as busy as ever, there's one place we've missed more than almost anywhere else: Soho House. Whenever we really need to hunker down to get some work down, we always nestle into a quiet corner at Soho House. The space is warm & inviting but peaceful enough to knock any work out of the park. Plus, we love being able to grab a bite or an after work drink all in the same spot. We had a chat with Soho House's founder, Nick Jones, to find out all about what goes on behind the scenes at this global empire and what makes the Amsterdam location so very special.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Stephanie, Our Founder

If you're tuned into our social channels or have walked past Mendo, in the last couple days, then we can bet you know the good news. AMSTERDAM the gloobles guide is finally out! Though we had a few delays as a result of the current pandemic situation, we are firm believers that good things truly do come to those who wait. We've already thumbed through our own copies cover to cover, & we have to admit - we are so happy with how it's turned out. We are proud to support each & every one of the wonderful businesses featured in its pages & immensely lucky to have worked with a publisher as fantastic as Mendo.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Martine & Anna of Archive Store

It's crazy enough to have one baby at a time, but gloobles founder Stephanie van Rappard is having two. Well, one real baby & one book baby. With only a few days left before she brings her second child into the world, Stephanie has brought our incredible book, AMSTERDAM the gloobles guide, to life. But with real babies at the forefront of the mind as much as literary ones, Stephanie has been popping into our very favourite children's shop, Archive Store, more than ever. This gorgeous shop is rife with beautiful, unique & sustainable pieces for little ones. You name it, they have it (& in a more beautiful version than you could have dreamed of). We sat down with founders Martine & Anna to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Edward Leenders of Hotel De L'Europe

If there's one thing you won't struggle to find in Amsterdam, it's a good hotel. While there are tons of lovely places to choose from, many of which are truly spectacular, there's one we find ourselves gravitating toward time & time again: Hotel De L'Europe. From its glorious perch on the Amstel, the grand hotel seems to rule the city. We had the pleasure of speaking to the bright & innovative General Manager, Edward Leenders, to find out a little bit more about the wonderful hotel we love so much.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Tim & Mo of Restaurant Watergang

Restaurants come, and restaurants go. But every once in a while you come across a place you know has real staying power, a place you can tell will become a weekly go-to for neighbours and a special occasion spot for many. Not too long ago, we encountered one of these special places: Restaurant Watergang. We can think of few other places like it in the world. It's intimate, it's warm, it's everything we love. Naturally, we had all kinds of questions for Watergang's team, so we had a chat with Tim & Mo to find out how they came to create such a magical spot.

stay home, support local

The world is battling the deadly coronavirus. Apart from the heart-breaking loss of life & suffering, one of the saddest things about this pandemic is the uncertainty that hovers over us all, in Amsterdam & abroad. Many of our favourite spots from our book are struggling to survive. The economic impact of the Coronavirus on the hospitality sector is devastating. But even in the middle of the country’s worst economic & social crisis for generations, the city’s hospitality sector has shown incredible flexibility & creativity – many places have switched to delivery & takeout for those observing social distancing or in isolation at home or have transformed into shops.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Joris Bijdendijk of RIJKS & WILS

Though we're (obviously) not going out to eat much these days, there is one restaurant that's been a bit of a saviour for us here in Amsterdam: RIJKS. The wonderful team, led by kitchen wizard Joris Bijdendijk, has been keeping us fed & happy in our quarantine, delivering incredible haute cuisine right to our doorsteps. Before he was delivering delight on the regular, Joris was running a veritable culinary empire at RIJKS & WILS. We had the pleasure of chatting with him to find out exactly how the metaphorical sausage is made. Keep reading to find out more.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Joost Lyppens of Lyppens

While we love all kinds of shopping, there's really nothing better than finding a truly unique piece. When we're on the hunt for just such a piece, we always head straight to Lyppens, one of the most fantastic places for jewellery in the country. Talk about a gem! Whether we're digging for a modern piece or an antique treasure, we rarely leave Lyppens empty-handed. The sparkling owners of Lyppens, Joost & Willemijn, took the time to chat with us about all things jewellery. Keep reading to find out whether all that glitters is really gold or not.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Bob, Marius, Iwan & Pieter of Scheepskameel

There are some places that just feel special. You can't put your finger on what it is about them, but you just know: there's nowhere else like them. One such place is Scheepskameel. Set down at the very tip of Amsterdam, Scheepskameel is as delicious as it is beautiful. Because it's so truly one of a kind, we knew you were probably as curious about what goes on behind the scenes as we were. To satisfy everyone's curiosity we sat down with Scheepskameel's dream team to get all the juicy details.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Kirsten Eckhart of Gartine

Amsterdam is full of wonderful places to eat, some grand & impressive and others cosy & welcoming, the types of places you want to go back to time & time again. Gartine happens to be one of the latter sort. It's one of those spots you simply cannot resist once you've been. We wanted all the juicy details about how Kirsten & Willem-Jan dreamed up such a lovely place, so we picked their brains. Now, we're sharing those details with you. You can thank us later!