Summertime hangouts

by Tanja
Pllek at NDSM

Spend a few hours on a nice terrace, with a cool drink of one of Amsterdam’s best summertime hangouts. Listed below are great places to hang for a while and chill, especially in summer. Some places have live music to accompany that glass of chilled white wine, others teach you a few yoga poses in between. Others have a program of entertaining theatre or just serve you a plate of beautiful biological food. 

Also check out Amsterdam’s city beaches or hit the sea side beaches near Amsterdam.

7 Great hangouts for summer in Amsterdam

1. Pllek at NDSM

Plekk is located at Amsterdam’s favorite hangout: NDSM, a former ship wharf, now a cool large space with large industrial buildings. Among the bars, restaurants, workspaces and festivals, Pllek is one of the biggest and most popular. Their large sandy beach, with amazing views over the IJ water, is packed with people on a summy day. You can even swim.

Lots of live music at Pllek. On Pllekk’s busy program, there are activities like yoga, live music on Sunday afternoon, art exhibitions, dancing, outdoor films, and even entire summer festivals.

Menu and prices:

Food Biological, local and seasonal, mostly vegetarian.
Lunch example: Pumpkin and cauliflower, marinated in tandoori paste with yellow split peas, crème of carrot and cumin, mango chutney and pappadum, €11,50
Crowd: Successful
When to go: All day and Friday night if you fancy a dance
How to get there: By free ferry (15 minutes) behind Central Station

2. Buurtboerderij Ons Genoegen

Buurtboerderij Amsterdam

De Buurtboerderij Ons Genoegen is an old farm that lies behind the railroad tracks behind Westerpark. (Continue on the same road from the Westerpark petting farm.)

It’s a great and very cheap place to hang out. A lot of activities go on here, from yoga and Qigong classes to live music and activities for kids to full scale festivals. In August their Kimchi Farm Festival, when different local beer producers present themselves, is famous.

The farm was squatted, after which it became a legal organization closely tied to De Regenboog, an organization that helps out people with a range of problems from addictions to poverty and loneliness.

The nature, the relaxed atmosphere, the fresh biological meals and their beautiful garden are all reason to pop over there and spend a nice evening in the summer in Amsterdam. You can get married here on this beautiful location as well.

Buurtboerderij Ons Genoegen is open every day.

Menu and prices:

Beer (Jupiler) from tap €2,-; 3-course menu € 8,00 (Wednesday €5,-) only with reservation, call before 15.00: 020-3376820.
Crowd: Totally unpretentious, children and 30+.
When to go: have a nice dinner in the large garden and watch a live band afterward
How to get there: by bike, tram 10, bus 48

3. Rainairai @ Westergasfabriek

rai
Algerian restaurant Rainairai with large terrace

Rainairai is located at the Amsterdam Westergasfabriek area, but it’s rather far apart from all the other bars and restaurants so it’s easy to miss. And it doesn’t deserve to be missed.

The restaurant has a wonderful terrace that’s sunny in the morning and early afternoon. It’s large, but still quiet. Rainairai serves tasty Algerian food, which means lot of curry like spices and a large choice for vegetarians.

Rainairai has another restaurant on Prinsengracht, in the Jordaan area.  Here they let you lie on a a roof along the canal while you eat or just enjoy a drink. Recommended experience.

Rainairai is open every day from 12.00 except on Mondays.

Menu and prices:

Algerian, halal and mostly biologic. Nomadic Mezze Lunch €12,50. Nomadic Mezze diner 2-courses €33,50.
Crowd: Locals with a higher than average budget.
How to get there: Bus 21, tram 10 both Van Hallstraat or walking.

4. De Cantina @ Het Rijk van de Keizer

If you really want to leave the hectic city life and enjoy an afternoon in the Dutch meadows, The Rijk van de Keizer might be just your place to be. The Rijk van Keizer is a catering company with a wonderful location for weddings and meetings, but you easily spend a day hanging around the garden and the Dutch cows grazing.

Chill out in a hammock, read a mag at the reading table or catch up with your friends online with free wifi. Eats and drinks come from De Cantina, where they prepare you breakfast, lunch and dinner with ingredients that come straight from their own vegetable garden. How does that sound?

Rijk van de Keizer, green grass and a hammock, what more do you want on your vacation in Amsterdam?
Rijk van de Keizer, green grass and a hammock, what more do you want on your vacation in Amsterdam?

Het Rijk van de Keizer/ Cantina is open every day.

Menu and prices: Organic, fresh and seasonal.
Crowd: Easy going
How to get there: By bike, about 20 minutes from Sloterdijk station. Or bus 21, check the website for more information.
When to go: Every last Sunday of the month there is a special ‘dinner with theatrical ingredients’.

5. Hannekes Boom

Summertime hangout in Amsterdam: Hannekes Boom

Like Roest, Hannekes Boom has popped up on this website before and the bar and restaurant have grown bigger and bigger over the last years.

The terrace is one of the best of Amsterdam. If the roof terrace and spacious outside terrace seats are all taken, just sit on the dock of the bay and dangle your feet towards the water while you watch the boats go by.

Hannekes Boom is open every day from 11.00 to 1 am and till 3 am in weekend.

Menu and prices

Different menu every week. Main courses from €12,50 to €16,50.
When to go: Wednesday afternoon there’s live music.
How to get there: 10 minutes’ walk from Central Station. Follow the direction of the East Architecture Walk.

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