Uncovering Amsterdam
Contributor's favorites
Five Amsterdam Uncovered contributors share their absolute favorite Amsterdam things from the book.
It’s here: Amsterdam Uncovered. Our latest book, published in collaboration with Terra, highlights all the greatness our city has to offer. With over 80 people working on it, we obviously have many different tastes and opinions about our favorite city. We asked five contributors to share their personal absolute favorites with us.
Jonah Freud from de Kookboekhandel on her favorite place to eat (and what to eat there)
From the wonderful list that is compiled in this book, my current favorite is Cafe Caron. I know I’ll get a delicious plate with food, and I really like the French atmosphere they’ve created. Alain Caron loves chicken, so that’s what I’ll order there. Always order the chef’s own favorite food!
Selection of images from 'Best seats in the house, photographed by Calvin Pausania
Unfortunately Kaagman & Kortekaas didn’t make the book, but they should have. It’s one of the best places to eat in Amsterdam besides my own home. I’m one of those culinary journalists who prefers to eat at home. It’s the only place I’m 100% sure of what I’m going to eat. When I do leave the house to eat, I love to have breakfast on Cradam’s sunny terrace. What’s great about Cradam is that if you want, you could simply order a sandwich with chocolate sprinkles there. They also have excellent Fruits de Mer. After Cradam I would walk to Toscanini for the pasta of the day as lunch. For dinner I would go to Rijks, a place where you feel completely indulged. And maybe, if I find a spare moment to visit Eiburgh snacks, I can’t skip a good old patatje. They have the best fries in Amsterdam!
Since the start of this decade, Amsterdam has become a city with so much culinary quality that you could easily compile a much longer list than the one that ended up in the book. I’ve been moving around in Amsterdam’s culinary scene for a very long time, and what’s being offered in our city now is something we could never have imagined twenty years ago.
Eddie Stok on his favorite place to read (and what to read there)
Of the many excellent places that Amsterdam offers for an afternoon of reading, only one can be called my absolute favorite: The Jetty on the Sloterplas.
The jetty on the Sloterplas, Eddie's absolute favorite place to read a book in Amsterdam
All the places I selected qualify for a number of superlatives, from ‘most comfortable’ to ‘most unique’ to ‘most farm-like’, all of which are, naturally, crucial for literary consumption. And given that most of the places I’ve selected are closed for almost half of the year or highly dependent on the whims of weather, it can hardly be a question of timelessness or permanence. And, finally, though convenience is greatly valued, the best things in life are at least a little bit difficult to reach, and all the more rewarding for it.
Since this spot is quite off-grid, far away from restaurants and cafés, The jetty at Sloterplas is perfect for a solo binge reading session. My advice is to go there around 2PM on a non-holiday weekday in May or June. Preferably in warm, dry, half-cloudy weather with a light breeze. It’s advisable to bring some food and drinks from home. And a good book, of course. Any book will do, but my personal choice would be Andrew Caldecott’s Rotherweird. A historical novel, fantasy romp, mystery caper, a caricature of English country life and science-fiction epic rolled into one. A perfectly unlikely book for an unlikely perfect day.
Bionda Sno on her favorite artist in Amsterdam (and what song to listen to)
Amsterdam is a city full of talent, and everyone has a different story. The three music artists I interviewed for the book, Rimon, Jarreau Vandal, and Faberyayo, all have their very own sound and way of making music. And it’s beautiful to see that Amsterdam played a large role in that.
Sadly, I’ve never fully witnessed a real concert of these great artists. I’ve only seen Rimon perform on Appelsap, but it was too crowded and loud, so it wasn’t the right setting at that time. It would be lovely to see her in a more intimate setting, and to have the focus on the music and her performance. The night before I interviewed Jarreau Vandal for this story, I saw him do a DJ set at Silencio during Paris Fashion Week. Not a concert, but a great way to experience his energy, knowledge and skills when it comes to moving a crowd with music. He’s really international, but always represents Amsterdam. That’s such a nice thing to see. Wherever he goes, he knows how to hype up a crowd, and he does it cross-generational. He can easily play the newest trap song and mix it with a Marvin Gaye classic. He’s a real entertainer.
Jarreau Vandal, photographed by Nick van Tiem for Amsterdam Uncovered
All three of them have so much talent. You have Rimon’s amazing voice, Jarreau’s energy and musicality, and Yayo’s intelligence that flows through his lyrics. They all have different qualities, but that makes them typically Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a diverse city, and they represent that diversity to the fullest. You can see that they all rep Amsterdam internationally as well. Even in the clothes they’re wearing. Maybe that’s also the beauty of Amsterdam in general. It’s such a small city, but I feel like everyone is supporting each other. All of these artists are part of a larger support system. And I think it definitely helps them to put Amsterdam on the map.
Rimon and Faberyayo, photographed by Nick van Tiem
Roel Ruijs on his favorite store in Amsterdam (and what to buy there)
When walking through the shopping streets of Amsterdam, one usually only notices the big shopping windows from the international retailers. In my search for unique storefronts, I found that Amsterdam actually has a beautiful mix of new and old, big and small, simple and flamboyant. Rokin is a street that has all of that, and my favorite store at Rokin is definitely Schmidt Optiek at number 72. It has been there since 1866, and you can definitely see that in the beautiful storefront.
Schmidt Optiek sells luxurious eyewear. Prince Bernhard, the husband of former Dutch Queen Juliana, used to be one of their regular customers. The interior is still original and old-fashioned, but when the stores closes, a raw graffiti piece protects it from the city’s crooks during after hours.
Schmidt Optiek at Rokin 72, photographed by Roel Ruijs for After Hours.
Amsterdam has a lot of these beautiful old stores, but what I noticed when making this series was that Amsterdam has much more diversity than you’d expect. The old Albert Cuyp market reveals a lot of new buildings when the market stalls are gone, Aurora has this very “unique” storefront underneath this shabby old, typically Amsterdam, building. The foodstores on the Zeedijk show the Chinese influence on the neighborhood, not only on the products they sell, but also the buildings they’re sold in. Then again, some stores are beautiful in their simplicity. A good shop window draws attention to products, but when you zoom out a bit, you’ll find the real treasures.
Aurora's 'unique' storefront photographed by Roel Ruijs for Amsterdam Uncovered.
Sharon Jane Dompig about her favorite movie theater (and what to see there)
Wednesday is usually my inspiration day. That’s the day I allow myself to go to a museum or movie. To me, going to the movies allows me to escape reality. You’re basically entering a different world, and it’s such a nice feeling to leave a movie theater inspired and energized.
For Amsterdam Uncovered I visited four unique movie theaters in Amsterdam that can definitely do that: Eye, Tuschinski, The Movies, and FC HYENA. Each and every one of them has unique characteristics in terms of architecture, history, and location.
Sharon Jane Dompig photographed four movie theaters for Amsterdam Uncovered
Since we’re going towards the winter, my favorite movie theater right now is The Movies. It’s cosy and intimate and it has an authentic old Amsterdam vibe. It’s the oldest existing movie theater of the city, and you can see it in its antique interior in the entry and the cinemas. It really feels as if you’re going back in time, and I love nostalgia. That’s why I would recommend seeing Amazing Grace there right now. I love documentaries, and this one is really special because it features never seen before footage from her recordings in Los Angeles in 1972. She’s an absolute legend, and LA is one of my favorite places in the world. To see it at one of my favorite movie theaters in Amsterdam, can only make it better. I’m already excited!
‘These and many more stories in our newest book: Amsterdam Uncovered’
‘These and many more stories in our newest book: Amsterdam Uncovered’
Amsterdam Uncovered, a collection of places, people and pictures curated by MENDO. A portrait of a metropolitan village, compiled by a group of tastemakers, talented photographers and artists who contribute to this city’s appeal.
Continue reading
What’s crazy about Martin Garrix’s life
Interview
In light of the release of LIFE = CRAZY, we talked with the protagonist himself: Martin Garrix.
Erwin Olaf in conversation with Erik van Ginkel
Interview
Galerie Ron Mandos, MENDO and Studio Erwin Olaf present Erwin Olaf, April Fool 2020. In August Erik van Ginkel, Managing Director of Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, sat together with Erwin Olaf and…
Everything that is dear to me is on Vlieland. The nature, my friends, my camera.
Interview with David van Dartel
Photographer David van Dartel on his first book: This Time Tomorrow
Shelf Sessions: Jochem Leegstra
...,staat
In our series Shelf Sessions we climb the shelves of some of MENDO's friends. In this episode: Jochem Leegstra, co-founder and creative director at ...,staat.
Interview with Ali Kirby, art director at DENHAM
In January of 2018, DENHAM released the book A Decade of DENHAM, in collaboration with MENDO. We talked to DENHAM's art director Ali Kirby, driving force behind the book, about…
A conversation with Marlene Taschen
Interview
On a drooly Thursday morning, MENDO's Mikel van den Boogaard had a very fun conversation about our industry with Marlene Taschen, Managing Director at (- and daughter of Benedikt) Taschen.
Slim Aarons’ world of wealth, glittering jet-setters, and beauty
Photographer's profile
Wealth, glittering jet-setters, and beauty: welcome to the world of Slim Aarons (1916-2006), and his groundbreaking lifestyle photography.
How we translated the world of Casper Reinders into a book
Made by MENDO
This book is unlike any other. And although there are more publishers saying that, we promise you, there’s absolutely nothing like this. Casper Reinders greatest interiors are collected in our…
London: a street photographer’s idea of paradise
A sneak preview on our next book in the Streets Of... series
We're currently finalizing Streets of London, the second publication in our Streets of... series. Editor Mikel van den Boogaard learned that London can be considered as a street photographer's idea…
“THE TEN” – An exclusive interview with Virgil Abloh
In light of his new book: Virgil Abloh. Nike. ICONS. MENDO's Gunifort Uwambaga had an exclusive interview with Virgil Abloh consisting of 10 questions aptly named “THE TEN”.
MENDO’s webshop nominated for Site Of The Year
Winners announced in February in Berlin
After receiving a handful of awards in April 2017, MENDO's webshop is now in the running to become Site Of The Year at Awwwards.
The story and people behind the new MENDO.nl
You're at the new MENDO.nl, built from scratch by Build in Amsterdam. We asked Build’s co-founder Daan Klaver, lead designer Julian Mollema and MENDO’s Joost Albronda why the new website…
If This Is Not A F*cking Book Launch World Tour, then what is?
Halfway there, we look back at the worldwide TINAFSSB tour of Adam Katz Sinding
Photographer Adam Katz Sinding is traveling around the world to celebrate the launch of This Is Not A F*cking Street Style Book - a MENDO | teNeues publication. Now that…
Shelf Sessions: Abderrahmane Trabsini
Daily Paper
In our series Shelf Sessions we climb the shelves of MENDO’s friends. In this episode: Abderrahmane Trabsini, Co-Founder & Creative Director of Daily Paper.
A feel-good road trip to Tyler Mitchell
To celebrate the launch of Tyler Mitchell's ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’, MENDO drove to France to meet the photographer and have him sign books for MENDO exclusively. UPDATE:…
Limited editions
David Bailey’s retrospective will be the newest addition to our collection of Limited Editions. There's more to these books than size alone – they are coveted and exclusive, and with…
Picturing the Streets of Amsterdam
Meet the photographers of 'Streets of Amsterdam’
‘Streets of Amsterdam’ editor Joost Bastmeijer introduces four of the book’s contributing photographers.
Meet MENDO
If you enjoy adopting early, follow hashtagjoost. You and 66* others will be given a look inside the MENDO design process. Here’s an introduction. Sort of. *Update: 80