 |
|
|
|
ELLE travels Amsterdam
Picturesque Amsterdam's historic setting belies the city's liberal outlook and cutting-edge style.
By Shawna Wagman
|
|
|
|
Analik's best list . . .
Market
The Jordaan, a trendy former blue-collar neighbourhood, is home to one of the best markets in town: Noordermarkt. On Monday mornings, bargain hunters scour the open-air stalls for vintage fashions, furniture and fabric. Be sure to stop at Winkel for coffee and homemade appeltaart (Dutch apple pie).
Shops
Amsterdam is a great place to pick up eclectic home furnishings and one-of-a-kind designs. Part houseware haven, part designer collective, Droog & Co. exhibits work by local and international designers. The best part? It's all for sale. Head off the beaten track to Pol's Potten, a former cocoa-bean warehouse in the Eastern Docklands area that offers everything from lacquered birdcages to candle holders. "It's a big place filled with all the things you want to have," says Brouwer. "I always buy too much there!"
Cuisine
Get a taste of Amsterdam's multicultural vibe among the candles and copper-topped tables of Mamouche, a trendy Moroccan restaurant with a French twist. "There are all these old Moroccan men in the kitchen -- it's great classic food but with a lighter, more modern edge." Another riff on Parisian chic is Brasserie Harkema, a former tobacco factory in the theatre district that serves up unpretentious food like salads, steaks and grilled fish to an ultra-hip crowd.
Hangouts
Amsterdam has a number of "concept clubs" with bar, restaurant, lounge and dance floor. Current hot spots are Rain, with its minimalist Asian style, The Mansion, with its ostrich leather and gold-leaf walls, and the lime-and-viridian modern café-restaurant-nightclub 11. "Club 11 is one of my favourite places to watch the sun go down over the city from the wraparound windows," says Brouwer. After dark, it becomes a nightclub showcasing the hippest DJs, performers and video-art projects. Celebrities like Pharrell Williams and Brad Pitt head for the swanky club Jimmy Woo. "On some Mondays, they have jam sessions with young DJs," says Brouwer. If talent-spotting is your scene, sit in the balcony of the city's much-loved music hall, the Paradiso, and watch the action on the dance floor. "It's a really charming place, an old church. If you're lucky, you can see a band there just before they get really big," says Brouwer.
Never look jet-lagged with these must-have travel products.
Page 2 of 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
OR |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
