Kalinka

Unfortunately it appears this restaurant is no longer in business…. šŸ™

As we wandered around the Leidseplein, my friends from Spain were looking for something different to eat. So when they suggested we look into this Russian restaurant, I was psyched to try anything. And given the new American/Russian amity as evidenced by the Bush/Putin lovefest, it seemed like it was time to see what the Russians have to offer on the culinary scene these days. The menu looked way more inviting than a Texas barbecue, that’s for sure!

The once decadent, and now charming Czarist decor is inviting, with attractive pinstripe wallpaper and turn of the century lamps. It’s the kind of place, a few years ago, where you’d expect the Russian couple at the next table to be KGB agents discussing spy secrets. Of course today it would be the same couple, now with the Russian Mafia, talking about business secrets.

We started off with some Russian beers in half liter bottles, that were very hearty and full of flavor. Some of our appetizers were superb. The chicken soup in a creamy saffron base was outstanding! I ordered the fried potato shoes stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, served with a wonderfully rich cream sauce. Those two appetizers along with the constantly refilling bread basket could make a meal right there. But the fish soup didn’t measure up.

Lamb Tiblisi

After our second round of beers, the main course arrived. My friends had the Lamb Tiblisi and said it was excellent. I ordered the Chicken Kiev, which I figured would be a safe bet, but unfortunately it was the loser of the evening as it was dry and tough. It certainly didn’t have the freshness of the other dishes.

By the time we were on our third round of beers, the musical portion of the evening’s entertainment had arrived. A Russian duo consisting of male keyboardist and a very sexy platinum blond diva serenaded us with tunes like Besame (which of course my Spanish friends loved!), and other 80s hits. They were actually pretty good!

The bill came to 300 guilders for four, (no dessert) and considering that we each had appetizers and over a liter of beer, I’d say the prices were quite reasonable.

Korte Leidsedwarstraat 49a
Amsterdam 1017
Phone: 020

The Waterhole

The Waterhole, a rebel themed hangout down in the Red Light District, is a good venue to hear music close up and personal and dance if the spirit moves you. We got to check this place out when Cosmic Charlie, a Grateful Dead cover band played, and there was enough gray haired tie-dyed ol’ hippies there to start a retirement commune. The band gave me some serious but extremely enjoyable flashbacks to the 60s with tunes like Uncle John’s Band. Everyone seemed to dig both the band and the somewhat funky but smokey atmosphere of the place.

There was no admission that evening, so for the price of a few beers I got to relive some golden moments. And it was a special pleasure to be able to smoke da kine in this venue. The stage is downstairs from a youth hostel, so they try to keep the music hip and the vibes easy going. The sound in the relatively small venue was excellent.

THE WATERHOLE IS A LIVE MUSIC BAR IN THE CENTRE OF AMSTERDAM WITH A VARYING LINE-UP OF ALL POPULAR MUSIC GENRES
Oh, and you can also eat at tap&dine upstairs

Pathe Theaters – Arena

I recently visited the Pathe Arena theaters to see a new movie (Goldmember) on the day of its release in the Netherlands. As usual, I went during a weekday afternoon. Why? Because not only did I get a nice discount, but the theater was almost empty (like about 8 people in the biggest theater!). I like that!

The seats are ever so comfy here. The red ones in the largest theater are well-padded and wide, with wide arm rests and lots of legroom. No more cramming your legs against the seat in front!

The sound system was awesome, but didn’t seem to work 100% with the movie I came to see, perhaps because it wasn’t filmed in a compatible mode. I counted at least 30 speakers that I could see.

I really like coming here for the reasons I’ve mentioned, and I would come here more often, if they didn’t only show the latest Hollywood-hyped, factory-made movies. What’s wrong with screening something alternative once in awhile? Well there’s certainly no shortage of theaters in Amsterdam showing non-mainstream films. See our article on Amsterdam Movie Theaters for more tips on movie venues.

The only other gripe I have is that the popcorn we got in the afternoon was stale (and encrusted with salt) from the night before. Someone should be shot for doing this. Stale, overly salty popcorn is inexcusable. Let your employees take it home at the end of the night instead, please!

I’ve seen movies in the smaller theaters at the Arena, and they’re all top quality, and airconditioned. Plus there’s no smoking, and usually no pause in the middle of the feature.

Amsterdam Arena Shopping Mall
Amsterdam
Phone:

Bolhoed

It’s often quite a challenge to find some place to eat where vegetarians can have a good selection, where organic ingredients are the norm and where the food is imaginative and well prepared. The Bolhoed is just such a find.

Once a hat store, the Bolhoed (Bowler Hat) restaurant now purveys a delectible assortment of vegetarian food. I tried the vegan special which included a very tasty pumpkin soup served with thick slices of fresh whole grain bread. The main course consisted of a variety of vegetable dishes including cauliflower with sweet potato in a mustard dressing (good tangy flavor, yet slightly sweet), eggplant and olives in tomato sauce (ok), Spinach with Tofu (yummy!), brown rice and a small salad (both very good).

With any of their specials you also get dessert, and I had a piece of chocolate cream pie that was scrumptious! There’s a beautiful selection of sweets in a display case inside, with more goodies like brownies and apple tart, all made without white sugar (honey being used instead).

All ingredients are organic including the very good red wine we had with our meal. My friend had pretty much the same except for a banana cream pie. I had a coffee substitute which was served cappucino style with foamed milk. It was very good. My friend had mu tea which he said was excellent. The bill came to 145 guilders for three including the wine. Not bad considering we pretty much ordered the most expensive items on the menu.

The restaurant is very gezellig (cozy) with warm colors, plants, even a buddha sitting in a corner. There are four outside tables, and ours had a mind of its own, moving around like a planchette on a ouija board.

Outside seating along the Princengracht

Having been an avid vegetarian and a vegan for many years, I can appreciate when this kind of food is done right. And at the Bolhoed, it’s done very well with everything one would expect from a vegetarian restaurant, and then some. I could find no flaw in anything that was served to us. The Buddha would love this place. I know I do!

This place gets busy so it’s a good idea to call for a reservation.
Princengracht 60-62
Amsterdam
Phone: 020-626-1803

Renee’s Croissants

Reneeā€™s impressed me in the past because they WERE so amazingly consistent, but since the euro change they have become frighteningly expensive.

Recently we have had numerous complaints from readers about the rudeness of the staff, and the ever-increasing prices. Also we have been short-changed by their staff on several occassions. It seems they have new people working there almost daily. This is why their rating has dropped from 5 stars.

Unless the management of Renee’s starts to change things soon, WE RECOMMEND YOU AVOID THIS PLACE!

The following comments are from our original review written over a year ago.

Reneeā€™s Croissants is delightfully ā€œlekker,ā€ with an assortment of pastries, bonbons, soft ice, sandwiches, donuts, pies and more.

No trip down the Damstraat is complete without a visit to Reneeā€™s. They offer a delightful assortment of goodies. Who can resist such offerings as hearty bran muffins with raisins and nuts, their fabulously crusty baguettes, and of course, chocolate muffins.

Reneeā€™s has seasonal offerings, some typically Dutch, that are best sampled from here. Appleflaps, in season, are a great example. Iā€™ve never had a bad one yet from Reneeā€™s – with just the right amount of filling so that it doesnā€™t gush out at first bite, and a smattering of sugar crystals on the flakiest pastry crust youā€™ll ever enjoy.

I could go on for hours describing every pastry they make, but I also want to mention their sandwiches. Their ā€œbelegede broodjesā€ are made with the usual ingredients, all freshly laid out for you to choose from, and with great breads or bagels to enclose the fillings. If they arenā€™t too busy (an unusual occurrence at times) they will make you a sandwich on the spot with fresh bread and whatever you want in it.

Iā€™ve enjoyed many a great sandwich from Reneeā€™s, while exploring Amsterdam.

Iā€™ve also delighted lots of friends with a gift of pastries or bonbons from Reneeā€™s.

Open seven days a week, and late at night; itā€™s a great place to stop after touring the town on the way home for a late-night snack.

Sukasari

If youā€™re looking for a nice, quiet place to hangout for a while right off the Dam Square that wonā€™t set you back a lot of guilders, visit Sukasari.

Located in the very first block heading east from the Dam Monument, Sukasari is on the right side of the street just past the Old Man Headshop. The place is nicely decorated, Indonesian style, and was an oasis for lunch on one of Amsterdamā€™s hottest summer days. The spinning ceiling fans kept us quite cool as we relaxed over a lengthy business lunch. A steady supply of kleine biertjes chilled us even further.

The food is traditional Indonesian, not hot and spicy like Thai food. The menu is extensive, and they offer daily lunch specials if you donā€™t have a clue as to what to orderā€¦

The appetizers range from the standard shrimp-flavored kropek crispies to soups (meatball, chicken, chicken-corn or vegetable) and loempias. They offer a variety of sateā€™s (chicken on skewers) with the usual peanut sauces, and traditional bami (noodle) and nasi (rice) dishes. (Prices range from f5.25 for an appetizer to f22.50 for the most expensive item on the menu.)

Sukasari will also make up a Rijstafel with a variety of eleven Indonesian dishes for you to sample. (Priced at f45 per person.)

Being reasonably priced is the main attraction here, with a lunch special geared to the wallets of travelers who want a quiet oasis near the Dam Square. Be sure to ask for some hot chili sauce for your dishes to spice things up!

Sukasari is open from noon until 11:30 in the evenings Tuesdays thru Saturdays. On Mondays they are open from 4:30 pm until 11:30 pm. Closed Sundays.

Escape Nightclub

One of Amsterdam’s hottest spots – a multi-media experience on the Rembrandtplein. Lots of events held nightly.

To quote their website:

“Escape Venue has been a fact in the Dutch nightlife since 1987. Exclusive parties, music, light, decoration: all faces of a progressive club venue…For young adults who see themselves in a multi media environment, existing of modern dancemusic, hi-tech lighting, eye caressing visuals and internet.

Tibet Restaurant

We discovered this relaxing refuge from the hectic pace of the Red Light District, after showing a friend around the area. We were pretty burned out as we’d been walking all over town for many hours, and our last hour in the Red Light Light district was spent dodging tourists and listening to pounding house music in coffeeshops.

The Tibet restaurant welcomed us and restored us with it’s wonderfully exotic ambiance while the soothing Tibetan music put us in the proper calm mood to enjoy the tasty delights of this popular dining spot. The Tibetan artworks on the walls including eyecatching tankas and colorful woven tapestries that transported our city-tortured souls to distant Himalayan villages were the inward journey is as awe-inspiring as the lofty peaks.

We ordered from a menu filled with Chinese delights, including the spicy flavors of Shechuan. I ordered a delicious Kung Pao Chicken, and my friend had a delightful shrimp and fried noodle dish (bird’s nest style, photo above). The food was perfect, the service good, and we left feeling refreshed and centered. So if you’re in the mood for a transcendental treat, the Tibet Restaurant is just the ticket.