My darling and I had a night off so we decided to go out and, instead of dropping into something familiar, visit something new. Not that Kamer 401 opened recently – it’s just that I don’t normally frequent bars in Amsterdam, but rather spend my time in cafés. As I later concluded, there’s a good reason for this.

 

Intrigued by the name, I found Kamer 401 on Marnixstraat 401 to be a pretty dull place where a homogeneous crowd of students and beautiful kids meets. It was all easy - the lounge music, the relaxed interior, the overall ambiance, but for me a bar should be slightly different. Thus after a couple of drinks we choose to look for something less tedious elsewhere.

Knowing the building only as the former headquarters of the newspaper I used to read (de Volkskrant), I was pretty curious when I heard that since the editorial department moved, a restaurant and club opened in their former canteen. So after the dull evening in Kamer 401, I thought it a perfect occasion to sample this new place on Wibautstraat 150. Some people compare this street with the Karl Marx Allee in Berlin. I don’t completely agree, but it’s true both streets have heavy traffic and ugly buildings – including Canvas op de zevende (on the 7th).

As the name indicates, Canvas op de zevende, is located on the seventh and top floor. While I was walking around in the entrance hall searching for the lift I heard shocked mutterings: “she did it herself… she strangled her cat with her bare hands”. Not much of a hero I didn’t dare to have a look at the murdered animal even though it was supposed to be art. Finally in the lift, with evident traces of a cat’s existence (food containers) I reflected on what next in the name of arts should be killed.

Photo: Bravoure Media

After this dodgy experience we arrived on the seventh floor. I stepped into a space with grey concrete, graffiti on the walls, vintage sofas, white tables and chairs, and a marvelous view. My first impression was that I had stumbled into a garage - a place where teenagers have their hangout - but the second glance convinced me I had to stay a little more. The interior decorator has left Canvas to deliberately like an off location. That seems a huge trend in Amsterdam, but since I am living in Berlin it displays a watery copy of the original.

Canvas' terrace on a summer day                                                                                     Photo: Pr1001

However I liked the mixed crowd, the great cocktails, and the heavenly view. On our night the terrace was closed but the windows enabled a panoramic view over the city.