blog: curated boutique travel tips at your fingertips

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!

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Rogier van Duyn of Rocycle

It's possible you've noticed: we eat & drink our fair share here at gloobles. After all, how else are we going to gather the very best tips for you all in one place? In order to continue feeling good while we eat well, we love to squeeze in a regular workout. There are many places in Amsterdam where we like to work up a sweat, but there's one that stands above the rest. What is it, you ask? Rocycle, duh! We got to sit down with founder & CEO Rogier van Duyn to find out how he turns the workout into a party. Read on to find out more.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Mirthe van der Schoot of Coba Taqueria

Just a few years ago, it was pretty much impossible to find good Mexican food in Amsterdam. Luckily, that's all changed since Coba Taqueria burst onto the scene. We must admit we've started travelling across the IJ & over to Noord far more often ever since. Because we can't get enough of the insanely delicious tacos at Coba, we decided to sit down with taco queen Mirthe van der Schoot to find out just how the magic is made.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Bob Nagel of Café Binnenvisser

If you're looking for any members of the gloobles family (or friends, for that matter) on a chilly weekday evening or a sunny summer night, you'd be well served to head straight to Café Binnenvisser. This cosy restaurant is one of our go-tos - & for very good reason. We love everything about it from the juicy tunes to the juicier wines & the incredible, plant-forward menu. Naturally, we wanted to know all about this Amsterdam darling, so we had a chat with Binnenvisser's Bob Nagel. Keep reading to find out all the fabulous inner workings of what will certainly become your new favourite restaurant.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Figo van Onna of Choux

There's no doubt in our minds that one of the loveliest places to settle in for an incredible meal is Choux. We're there on the regular, and we've yet to have a single bite that was less than phenomenal. How many places can you say that about? Every time we cross the threshold at Choux, it feels like enchanted. And while we'd hate to unravel any of that magic, we were far too curious about what goes on behind the scenes to turn down a chance to talk to Figo van Onna, the mastermind behind Choux. Want the down-low? Keep reading.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Daan Stoffelsen of Athenaeum

Seeing as we're about to publish our very own book, it should come as no surprise that we love a good book. And what do we love more than a good book? A great bookstore, of course. Amsterdam has no shortage of bookstores, but there are a few we love more than all the rest. Naturally, we can't resist MENDO when we want a little eye candy, but more often than not, we find ourselves gravitating towards a classic: Athenaeum. We were lucky enough to sit down with Athenaeum's Daan Stoffelsen to chat all things literary. Keep reading to find out what goes on behind the scenes at one of the city's very best bookstores.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Stijn Geeraets of Fosbury & Sons

Because we work for ourselves here at gloobles, we are always sniffing out the best places in town to settle in for some work. Sometimes we're at home, other times we're at cosy cafes, but now, we finally have THE perfect spot: Fosbury & Sons - Prinsengracht. If you haven't been yet, you'd better drop whatever you're doing & head over for a day pass because not only is the new Amsterdam outpost an ideal place to work but also drop-dead gorgeous. We had the opportunity to pick the brain of founder Stijn Geeraets to find out about the importance of good design, his favourite corner at the Fosbury & Sons - Prinsengracht & so much more.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Daniel Schein of 4850

gloobles founder Stephanie van Rappard knows a thing or two about great places to eat, particularly when it comes to spots across the Amstel on her side of town. Whenever she's in the mood for an incredible cinnamon bun, great coffee, a killer glass of wine or a delicious dinner with friends, she goes to just one place: 4850. We are enchanted by everything about this place from the decor to the wine list, so we know you'll fall in love as well. We had the pleasure of chatting to founder Daniel Schein about what it's like to create a neighbourhood hotspots & so much more. Interested? Keep reading.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Yvonne van der Klaauw of the Pulitzer

Is there anything better than checking in at a luxurious hotel and leaving the whole world behind? You don't have to make your own bed. You can get French fries delivered at the drop of a hat. Oh, and let's not forget about all the deliciously scented potions in the bathroom. When we are in the mood to truly treat ourselves, we can think of few better spots than the Pulitzer. Because we were curious about what goes on behind the scenes at one of our favourite escapes, we sat down with Yvonne van der Klaauw, the hotel's General Manager, to get all the juicy details. & because we love you guys so much, we're going to share them with you here.

A PAGE OUT OF OUR BOOK: Radmilo Soda of Soda Bodyfit

With all the eating we do here in Amsterdam (you've probably noticed based off the number of restaurant tips we give), we need to have an arsenal of killer workouts to ensure we stay happy & healthy. One of our go-tos when we want to get our sweat on is Soda Bodyfit, an amazing personal training studio right in the heart of the Grachtengordel. We got the lowdown on all things fitness from the mastermind behind it all, Radmilo Soda. Want to be part of the #fitfam? Well, keep reading!