Café Du Prins is a wonderful slice of Dammer life, on the Western fringe of central Amsterdam. When I visited, we popped in each morning as we strolled along the canals into the city, stopping by for a strong coffee, a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice, or one of those very small beers that the Dammers seem to like so much.
By the third day, we were on first-name terms with the landlord and bar maid, and the old man on the stool at the bar would nod in a manner that seemed to say 'Well, if you must'. It was mid-March, and it rained almost every day, but inside Café Du Prins we always felt cosy, despite the rickety tables and bare brick walls.
I would like to know what percentage of my stay in Amsterdam was spent in Café Du Prins, admiring the artwork on the walls, poring over the flyer racks, listening to the atmospheric soundscapes from the stereo, or eating pancakes, ham and eggs, or little biscuits.
The other thing about Café Du Prins is that it conforms to the Dammer mould of tallness, narrowness, and shambolic order. Once this status quo dawns upon you, you notice it in many guises. Of course, the city is packed into the concentric semi-circles formed around the canals, and as the buildings teeter on their foundations, standing tall, narrow and tightly packed, the essence of the city somehow follows suit.
Tall men and women sat upright on high bar stools, Heineken drunk from narrow vessels, the streets densely packed with upright cyclists on high-seated bicycles, and of course the Dammers themselves … Café Du Prins is a beautifully welcoming retreat and is well worth a visit.
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