Cafes

When the Dutch say ‘cafe’ they mean a pub, and there are more than 1000 of them in Amsterdam alone. In a country that values socialising and conversation even more than the art of drinking itself, cafes aren’t just for drinking: they’re places to hang out for literally hours of contemplation or camaraderie. Every town and city has a variety of atmospheric cafes that regular customers have considered a ‘second home’ for years, if not generations.

Many cafes have outside seating on a terras (terrace), which are glorious in summer, and sometimes covered and heated in winter. These are fetching places to relax and people-watch, soak up the sun, read a paper or write postcards. Most serve food as well, ranging from snacks like traditional bitterballen (small, round meat croquettes) to surprisingly excellent full meals.

Of course, the Netherlands will go down in cafe history for its historic bruin cafés (brown cafes). The name comes from the smoke stains from centuries of use. You may find sand on the wooden floor or Persian rugs on the tables to soak up spilled beer.

Grand cafes are spacious, have comfortable furniture and are, well, just grand. A good tradition in many is an indoor reading table stacked with the day’s papers and news magazines, usually with one or two in English. They generally have food menus, some quite elaborate. They’re perfect for a lazy brunch or pre-theatre supper.

Theatre cafes are often similar to grand cafes, and are normally attached or adjacent to theatres, serving meals before and drinks after performances. Generally they’re good places to catch performers after the show, though they’re lovely any time of day.