Been there | Tips http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. Join the Youth Hostel Association http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14109 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14109 Eijlders, a typical Dutch pub, or bruin café http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10056 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10056 Pata Negra http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9084 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9084 In de Olofspoort Proeflokaal http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7522
As well as the usual Bols jenevers, this delightful small bar has a large range of flavoured gins (including liquorice and a salty one), aged 5 & 10 year old gins and bitters (their own brand Olofspoortje Bitter is on my desk at the moment - a very nice bitter orange 30%).

The bar is on the corner of the main Red Light area, not far from Centraal Station. I went on a busy evening & approached from the wrong direction, past hoards of drunken English tourists trying to find somewhere to get ... well, what do people go here for?

But this historic bar was nice & quiet - about 10 Dutch people (including two who were tourists), and a small party of Japanese who were shown into a back room for a 'tutored tasting'. I stayed & tried to understand as much Dutch as I could, whilst selecting the more unusual jenevers.

Beer, cheese and other snacks are also available.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7522 Bloemendaal aan Zee http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7081 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7081 Ebeling http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4803 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4803 Keegan's Carvery http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4628 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4628 Joia http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4497 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4497 Nico's Bar http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4484 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4484 De Engelbewaarder (The Guardian Angel) http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4459 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4459 Cafe Belgique http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4428
The bar area is tiny and with wooden tables, stone floor and tan walls covered in old-fashioned advertisements for many of the beers they sell. It has eight Belgian beers on tap and 30 in bottles. The beer menu is very well written, informative but also very amusing, giving you background on where the beer was brewed and also the percentage alcohol content, very important if you intend to stay for more that one or two.

The girl behind the bar was extremely friendly and also knowledgeable about the beers on sale. You can also order bar snacks such as toasties, cheese and mustard (perfect with beer) and extremely spicy sausages.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4428 In de Wildeman http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4427 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4427 The Mansion http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4419
Don't go here for a romantic meal but do go to see the Dutch equivalent of Jodie Marsh and Rio Ferdinand at play.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4419 Nomads Bar and Restaurant http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4403 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4403 Wijnand Fockink http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4378 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4378 Bars http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4358 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4358 't Ij Proeflocaal http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1110 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1110 In de Wildeman http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1108 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1108