De Kroon, Amsterdam A Pint Of Ale Pub Review
The first bar of our Amsterdam trip, De Kroon (The Crown) is a grand affair through a very strange entrance!
Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam is not the most beautiful part of the city, especially not during a damp, grey February afternoon, but we were on the lookout for a bar recommended in the Lonely Planet guide and for something to eat. We’d only been in the city for an hour or so and it was with some trepidation that we approached the anonymous-looking doors that lead to De Kroon.
The space that greeted us was strange. It was a dark, empty, corridor-like place that contained a huge polished log and was lit with low ultraviolet and purple lighting. A grand, Art Deco staircase at the end of the hall (there is a lift too) led up to the bar proper.
The bar is a large space on the third floor of a grand building looking over the plaza below. It’s divided into three areas, each on a grand scale with beautiful high ceilings and chandeliers.
The first area is in a modern extrusion built onto the side of the main building offering an area for rectangular tables with candles and an excellent view down to the statue of Rembrandt and his Night Watch in the square below.
The central area contains the large, U-shaped counter. This is the largest of the three areas and is a very grand hall. Circular tables and wooden chairs are interspersed with the odd classical, ornate leather armchair. Flat screen TVs of differing sizes are arranged to look like framed pictures on the back wall, an effect that we really liked.
The third area is a long rectangular dining area complete with big tables and large gold-painted trees.
The beer choice was fairly small. I opted for a Duvel, which was served in the correct glass and was a fine introduction to beers as enjoyed in Amsterdam. The girls who served us at our seats were very friendly and spoke excellent English. The friendly service was something we were to grow accustomed to during our stay in this wonderful city.
We ate excellent sandwiches. I opted for a sweet pepper and “old Dutch cheese” sandwich on “farmers bread” while Hannah opted for an equally fine mozzarella, sun-dried tomato and pesto affair.
While we sipped our beers we watched the world go by down below, planned the rest of our trip and watched a 12 year old boy in one of the grand armchairs strumming a guitar as his parents sipped their drinks.
A brilliant introduction to the cafes of Amsterdam!
