1. Ton Ton Club West
“If you like weird Japanese arcade games as much as I do this is your place to-go. They’ve got the (un)usual suspects such as Tetris and Pac-Man, but the one where you have to hit the drum on some crazy J-Pop beats is my favorite. Also a great spot for a first date, as your evening will never get boring (even if your date actually kinda is).”
Polonceaukade 27
2. FC Hyena
“Fairly new in town is this cinema meets restaurant meets hang-out. They’ve got a big terrace with a lot of sun (where you’ll find some people diving straight into ‘‘t IJ’ on hot summer days). You can get there by taking the ferry – which is fun (and for free!). Around the corner you will find Skatecafé, also a great place for hanging-out and grabbing a couple of beers (or to get completely wasted in the weekends). And yes – for skating too! (Take this as my secret 6th tip).”
Aambeeldstraat 24
3. Stedelijk Museum
“Every once in a while I like spending an afternoon in Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, our museum of contemporary art. I can wander through the building for a couple of hours when there’s a new temporary exhibition, but I still enjoy the main collection that never really changes too”.
Museumplein 10
4. Fromagerie Abraham Kef
“Cheesiest place of Amsterdam – quite literally – with a wide range of (mostly French and Dutch) cheeses, and no, this one is not like the touristy cheese shops you’ll find all around the city center. Not only can you buy all the cheese you like here, but you can also book a tasting with two or three rounds of cheese and a matching glass of wine each round.”
Various locations
5. Eddy Spaghetti
“Since I’m a cultural programmer I was planning on giving you a lot of cultural tips, but as you can see I also just really, really like food. Eddy Spaghetti has got delicious pastas and pizzas and a list of about 20 different gintonics. And did I already mention their tiramisu is amazing too? By the way, it’s within walking distance from Volkshotel. Just sayin’.”