It's one of the hottest tickets in town, dinner at Vuurtoreneiland. People stalk their website for months before getting a reservation. And at the end of the day, it's totally worth the effort. Set on a tiny island guarded by a lighthouse and dotted with baby goats in spring, Vuurtoreneiland is truly a special place. We chatted with Vuurtoreneiland's mastermind, Brian Boswijk, to find out all about it.
Ah, flowers. We are so lucky here in the Netherlands to have so many wonderful flower shops, so many fantastic markets. We'd even go so far as to say we're spoiled. A stalwart floral friend, one we go back to time & time again, Pompon is truly leading the charge when it comes to innovative florals. We had a chat with the woman behind it all, Merel Krouwels, to find out everything about one of our favourite shops. Keep reading to find out more!
We're pretty open here at gloobles. We share all of our favourite spots and tell you why we love them. But when we sat down to discuss the second edition of our book that'll hit shelves soon, we realised that you guys might be wondering who, exactly, we are. That's when we decided to give you a little window into what goes on behind the scenes at gloobles. Now, the moment we've all been waiting for: a sneak peek into the life of our founder, Stephanie van Rappard.
Don't you just dream of going to a museum? Winding your way through exhibitions, poring over manuscripts & delighting in charmingly written museum labels? We know we do! As soon as things open up, we have so many spots we absolutely must visit: The Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, Museum Voorlinden. But there's one place that we'll definitely go to right away - Museum Van Loon.
These days, we're seeking comfort more than ever. Comfort in the company of loved ones. Comfort in our homes. And, of course, comfort food. When we want something to seek solace in, Italian food is our natural go-to, which is why we love Domenica so much. One of Amsterdam's most special spots, Domenica serves up delicious food with laid-back vibes. What more could you want? We chatted with the mastermind behind it all, Flavio Ghignoni Carestia. Keep reading to get all the juicy details!
We're pretty open here at gloobles. We share all of our favourite spots and tell you why we love them. But when we sat down to discuss the second edition of our book that'll hit shelves soon, we realised that you guys might be wondering who, exactly, we are. That's when we decided to give you a little window into what goes on behind the scenes at gloobles. Next up? Our copywriter and content creator, Hayley Daen.
Though things are going to look a bit different this year - smaller gatherings, no travel - we're just as excited as ever to celebrate the holidays. The lights are up, the glühwein is flowing and we're starting to think about presents. Instead of throwing our hard earned cash at huge chains & online retailers, we're only adding things from our favourite local shops to our lists. That way we can support our community & get the most wonderful, unique gifts around.
While the world was our oyster for a few brief months in summer, things look a little bit different now. These days, we're finding refuge in cafes more than ever. It's one of the few sanctioned social outings, so why not make it extra special. When we want to treat ourselves to a seriously good cup of coffee, we love popping over to Noord to Public Space. It's chic. It's sleek. And they serve a mean cup of coffee. Really, what more could you want?
Though it's been months since we really last spoke about it, the world is still battling the deadly coronavirus. Apart from the heart-breaking loss of life & suffering that continues to ravage society, 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 - if they've made it this far. 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 or have transformed into shops.
We already waxed rhapsodic about one of the dreamiest wine bars in Amsterdam, so it's only right we give one of the cosiest restaurants its due too. The mastermind behind Bar Parry has been working his magic over at sister restaurant Balthazar's Keuken for years - & it doesn't look like he's stopping any time soon. The space is wedged between shops on the Elandsgracht, & it's really the kind of place you'd like to come weekly, always excited to try something new on their rotating menu. Want to know more? Keep reading, as Alain tells all.
As the days are drawing in and evenings are getting longer (& cosier), there's pretty much nothing we'd like more than to nestle up at an intimate little wine bar with a few friends and while away an evening. There are quite a few spots in Amsterdam that'd fit the bill for this, but there's one place in particular that's calling our names louder than ever: Bar Parry. The wine list is thoughtful & full of gems, the food is insanely delicious and the people watching is, well, you'll just have to see for yourself when things open up again.
You know what? You deserve a treat. And we deserve a treat. In fact, we think just about everyone deserves a treat! It's been a hell of a year. And now that we're on the subject of treats, it's impossible not to discuss Holtkamp. This glorious bakery has been an Amsterdam institution for years - over 50 years in fact! We sat down with the master of sugar herself, Marieke Buiten, to find out how the cookie crumbles. Keep reading to find out more!
While it's difficult to fathom going back to our usual travel schedule, we're still craving the ultimate relaxation that comes with staying in gorgeous hotels. The sheets are better, there's room service and you never have to think about restocking your toiletries. There are so many wonderful hotels across the world we're missing - Ett Hem in Stockholm, Santa Clara 1728 in Lisbon, the Aman in Tokyo - and we can't wait to get back to them. But in the meantime, we're treating ourselves to a lovely little staycation every now & then. And where do we like to stay when we're here in Amsterdam? The Dylan, of course.
gloobles: So then how would you describe Foodware to someone who’d never been before?
We're not quite sure how it happened, but here we are again in Amsterdam, in a lockdown. Our beloved restaurants & bars have now closed again for (hopefully) just a few weeks. With everything grinding to a halt, we want to support the places we love more than ever. One of the places that's nearest & dearest to our hearts is our neighbourhood café, Back to Black. Luckily, this adorable little spot is still up & running for takeaway, so we can still grab our morning lattes & banana bread to take with us on our morning strolls.
Though not all that glitters is gold, we can hardly resist a little something sparkly every now & again. There's nothing that makes us feel more elegant or more special than a unique ring or bracelet, something that feels as if it was made for us. While you can certainly pick up a nice piece of jewellery in a number of places throughout the city, there's one place that truly has the crème de la crème: Inez Stodel. We had the pleasure of chatting with Inez's daughter, Leonore, who helps run this absolute gem of a shop. Keep reading for all the glittering details!
We don't know about you, but we are just as particular about what we wear to bed (and how we make our beds, for that matter) as we are about what we wear during the day. Gone are the days when we'd toss on any old t-shirt and hop into those dorm room single beds. These days, we want to elevate our sleeping experience, just as we would anything else. And that is why we love Khasto. This dreamy little shop is filled to the brim with beautiful printed linens & nightwear. We chatted with owners Rahul & Charlotte to find out everything about this wonderful shop.
We're deep in the throes of work on the second edition of AMSTERDAM the gloobles guide, and we've even secretly begun research for our second book (keep your eyes peeled for which city it'll be!). And with so much going on, we're busier & more exhausted than ever. In order to keep go-go-going, we need a little help. Otherwise, we'd be falling asleep on our laptops just about every day.
Ahhh coffee. It's one of the things we look forward to every morning, one of those things that actually makes getting up easier. While we do like to make it at home on those luxurious, long mornings where waking up happens slowly, we're often on-the-go. That means we need coffee, & we need it NOW. On those harried mornings where we're dashing across town between meetings, we always make a point of getting that morning jolt from LOT61. The coffee is fresh & strong, the pastries are delicious and everyone who works there is warm & welcoming. What more could you ask for?
This is probably not exactly a news flash if you're also knocking about Amsterdam at the moment, but it is hot. No, it is seriously BOILING.
And while we adore our city here, this kind of weather always has us dreaming of holidays, of cool, crisp hotel sheets & tucking away chic miniature toiletries in our suitcases as souvenirs to remind us of our travels once we've returned home. Our founder, Stephanie van Rappard, is currently luxuriating by the seaside in Greece, but the rest of the gloobles fam is taking this heatwave as a cue to treat ourselves to a little staycation. First thing we'll do? Check into Villa Nicola.