Pllek (Amsterdam) 28/11/12

"Wharfie B.E.E.R.S!"

Attendees: Ben and Sarah
Price: €2.50 250ml tap beer
Location: Tt. Neveritaweg 59, NDSM Wharf, 10min ferry north from Amsterdam Centraal Station
Distance: It takes a bit of effort to get there but well worth the giddy feeling of finding somewhere cool and tucked away.
Ambience:  Casual afternoon crowd with the usual peaceful effects of the water views slightly thrown off by some noisy ongoing construction works.
Character: Constructed from a "U" shape of double-stacked shipping containers with the large central area roofed over, Pllek has a pretty unique and DIY style appeal right from the start. The enormous river facing windows let in plenty of light and provide a spectacular view.
Decor: Coffe tables are made from stacked forklift palettes. Tasteful flower and candle arrangements add a homely touch and bring it back from being too over the top "industrial". A giant disco ball is a funky centrepiece to the room.
Comfort: Couches face outwards to the water while a myriad of chairs and tables on the main floor could easily seat 100+ people. More seats line the side areas and a second level atrium style deck as well. There's also some benches out the front for the warmer months.
Patrons: A quiet crowd on a wednesday arvo ranging from some older retirees enjoying lunch to younger local types sharing a beer or coffee. All welcome.
Staff: Friendly service and as always in Amsterdam, no troubles ordering in English. "Dank U" or "Bedankt" will get you far.
Selection: A couple of standard tap beers and bottled options aren't too much to get excited about but a cut above Carlton Draught nonetheless.
Outdoor Area: Bench seats with some weird old tram carriages lying around and an above ground skate bowl add plenty of interesting areas to poke around.
Specials: Turntables set up in the corner suggest some nighttime or weekend DJs.
L.S.R: The south-facing windows have sunlight streaming through them until late in the afternoon when it begins to get dark. Some quiet grooves waft in the background giving a friendly cafe quality to the space.
Amenities: "L" shaped container arrangement houses some cubicles. A little cold - not the spot to stop and ponder the universe.
Top Suggestion: Stay open until we come back! NDSM is a quickly growing area with some very interesting galleries and spaces around. Give it a couple of years and we're sure Pllek will be pumping.
Field Notes: Since Amsterdam changed it squatting laws recently, the artist community has been driven out of the city and forced to find new areas. NDSM Wharf is one such place and is definitely worth checking out - a welcome respite from the madness of the city centre. It was a real shame we didn't visit until our last day - it would have been great to come back and check it out after hours. "Pllek" is simply Dutch for "place".

Arbitrary Score: 84
A laid-back dining hall with a grand vision for the future - we're sure all the seats will be filled before long! Well worth checking out to see where Rembrandt and van Gogh's modern counterparts are setting up shop today.

Cafe van Leeuwen (Amsterdam) 25/11/12

"Jazzy B.E.E.R.S!"

Attendees: Ben and Sarah
Price: €4 330ml tap beer. We went for a delicious dark porter, perfect for winter.
Location: Kaizersgracht 711, on the corner with the very charming Utrechtesstraat, south side of Amsterdam. Boutique retail with a pleasing lack of tourist hordes & a little more laid back than the "9 Streets" area.
Distance: It's in Amsterdam. Chances are you can walk, ride or tram there from anywhere in the city.
Ambience: Cozy lounge room atmosphere with a friendly conversational buzz. Easy to meet and chat with fellow patrons. Every Sunday there is live jazz starting at 5pm which creates an amazing vibe in such a small and intimate space.
Character: Traditional Amsterdam with no space wasted. Small without being claustrophobic and plenty of polished wooden charm. The very large windows on both outward facing walls (its on the corner) maximise the often cloudy daylight. Not too showy and easy to pass by on the street.
Decor: Very basic yet effective. Large diffuse overhanging lights and strategically placed candles add plenty of warmth to chase away the winter chills. The stage is a compact riser at the end of the room and the band is clearly the main feature with no-one's view getting blocked.
Comfort: Grab a stool at the bar or sit back on the heaters below the large windows. Plenty of options for the generally small amount of people the place can accommodate.
Patrons: A mixed local crowd with a couple of edgier jazz types, older gents and a group of friends sharing a few drinks. Everyone gets into the music and there's plenty of interaction in between tunes (you might need to know a little Dutch to decipher it).
Staff: A typically tall Dutch guy with a snappy haircut and a friendly manner, happy to recommend a good beer and provide a sample tasting of the tap options.
Selection: A couple of great local beers on tap and a few more bottled options. Basic but hits the spot.
Outdoor Area: Nothing outdoors (at least during winter) however there is an upstairs dining area for lunch.
Specials: Live jazz every Sunday beginning at 5pm through til around 9.
L.S.R: These musicians are a great representation of the local interest in jazz and really know how to play together and create an atmosphere. Expect to hear heavy, groove laden licks with a couple of virtuotic solos thrown in. Top marks.
Amenities: Take the incredibly steep spiral stairs down to a smaller basement area with some clean and tidy toilets. A candle on the sink is a classy touch.
Top Suggestion: A coat hook by the door would do wonders, we stripped off quite a few layers from walking around in the cold weather outside.
Field Notes: While it might be a tiny bar on a typical street, this is a great spot to relax, catch up with a friend, see some jazz or even just read a book. The lack of tourists is extremely encouraging - they probably got caught up in a coffeeshop somewhere up the street!

Arbitrary Score: 85
With plenty of traditional Amsterdam charm, Cafe van Leeuwen keeps it simple and offers a genuine local drinking spot with killer local jazz to boot.

Beat Geeks @ Monarch (Berlin) 02/10/2012

"Hiphop B.E.E.R.S!"

Attendees: Ben and Cam
Price: €3 500ml tap beer. Free entry
Location: Skalitzer Str 134 near Kotbusser Tor, Kreuzberg
Distance: 4 min walk
Ambience: Super relaxed and cruisey Tuesday night crowd, even though it is jam packed. Popular local hangout that is not known by tourists. Hiphop/beatfreak culture of music appreciating Berliners and expats.
Character: Wall length windows overlooking busy intersection and train line. Bar is situated in the second floor of a derelict building above a kebab shop. Unassumingly gritty, but not grungy.
Decor: Sparse apart from a few choice lamps and chandeliers. The disco ball above the dance floor takes pride as the centrepiece of decorations. Near the entrance is a 'gaming area' with "knockers" (fusball) and a pinball machine.
Comfort: The whole venue is lined with couches, stools and tables providing a lot of comfortable seating options providing you can commandeer one. Great use of limited space—there are a lot of seats compared to the size of the venue, yet still leaves ample area for the d-floor. Stools at bar are a great vantage point for scoping out the room and DJs.
Patrons: Motley crew of hiphop nerds, beat geeks and uncool, cool people. People do not care what they're dressed like, nor about anyone else, just there to listen to good music and have a good time. Wearing a cap, flat cap, or hoodie will make you feel at home amongst peers.
Staff: The coolest people in here. Tattoos, big guns, big boobs.
Selection: Standard beer and liquor selection, but having a tap beer is a massive positive. Bottled beers are classily served in fancy glasses.
Outdoor Area: N/A
Specials: Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month Beat Evolution presents Beat Geeks, a Hiphop Producer night hosted by Suff Daddy and LeBob. Different types of gigs on most nights, catering to all music tastes.
L.S.R: Disco ball, soft lighting and banging beats make a fantastic combination.
'A Tribe Called Quest' eloquently summarises, "I like my beats hard like two-day-old shit."
Amenities: Compact, with no wriggle room to speak of, but relatively high cleanliness considering the number of users.
Top Suggestion: Suggest it to your mates! Nothing we can think of to improve this place.
Field Notes: No bullshit, have a good time on your own terms. Even though you can see the bar pumping away on the second floor, the entrance is very obscure, our first time here we had to stake out the entrance and wait to follow people in. Once you're in there, you feel part of a fun, music-loving culture that congregates fortnightly to enjoy banging tunes.
Memorable Quotes: "Did you know bar hubbub sounds the same in every language?" BH
"Except in Asia, it's about an octave higher." CLG
"Black is a shit biro colour, end of discussion." BH

Arbitrary Score: 91
Special mention has to be made to the fact that Monarch pumped us enough to get into the Berghain for a truly unforgettable night/morning.

Barbie Deinhoff's (Berlin) 01/10/12

"Terrorist Barbie B.E.E.R.S!"

Attendees: Cam & Ben
Price: €2.80 500ml Berliner, €1 for the DJ
Location: Schlesische Str 16, Kreuzberg
Distance: 22min stroll (including now regular ice-cream stop)
Ambience: Tea candles and lamps takes the edge of a somewhat punk inspired atmosphere. A satisfying palette of red, pink and orange lighting sets a relaxed tone.
Character: Fairly basic in the architectural sense. A large pink neon sign out front lets you know where to go.
Decor: A contrast between colourful charm (Barbie) and punky artwork (Deinhoff). A feature wall is adorned cardboard placards printed with song lyrics beginning with "Don't". The door is draped with a curtain giving a certain mystique upon entering. Interesting tables collaged with some intriguingly explicit cutouts.
Comfort: Stools at the bar create a familiar patron / staff interaction. Plenty of couches, chairs & tables to pick from and a quieter, darker back room for more privacy.
Patrons: An all embracing mix, think straight friendly gay bar rather than vice versa. Black clothing is a must, piercings recommended.
Staff: See above.
Selection: Good range of cocktails and liquor with a standard bottled beer selection. No tap beer.
Outdoor: On street seating
Specials: 2 for 1 drinks Tuesday nights. DJ most nights.
LSR: A subdued mix to accomodate a relaxing midweek drink. Most likely picks up on the weekend. The garage / punk tunes help set this bar apart from the typical house & techno heard most places.
Amenities: Broken urinals, generally run down & grotty.
Top suggestion: Push the theme & decor a bit further and make the weirdness stand out more. Top suggestion for patrons: wear black.
Field notes: The name "Barbie Deinhoff's" is apparantly a combination of the owner's fascination with Barbie dolls and the Baader-Meinhof militant faction group. If it's what you're into, enjoy a respite from the more typical Berlin scene. However if you're a tourist you might feel a little out of place with the locals here. Don't let the bartender's permanent "pissed off" face throw you off.

Arbitrary Score: 66
While something of an institution in the local gay & alternative scene, this cruisy little bar gets by more on the reputation of it's patrons than by it's own unique qualities. Worth checking out but not if you're pressed for time in Berlin.

Club der Visionaere (Berlin) 25/09/12

"Berlin B.E.E.R.S. begins!"

Attendees: Herr Houghton & Herr Louis-Gleeson
Price: €2 entry, beers from €2.50, €8 pizza
Location: Am Flugtraben 1, Alt-Treptow, along the canal.
Distance (from Castle Kreuzberg): 25min walk (including ice-cream stop - highly recommended)
Ambience: Tuesday night relaxed crowd with bouncy house grooves keeping the vibe positive. Canal-side deck with moody lighting and overhanging willow creates a unique setting and atmosphere.
Character: This former boat shed cum bar / nightclub shows its origins with worn out timber construction and plenty of dark nooks and crannies. Circular portholes add nautical flavour while the views over the water bring it all together.
Decor: A handful of grimy couches, copious spider webs and a bunch of interesting metal sculptural pieces give a haphazard approach to decorating. Along with the funky red lighting the decor creates an unpretentious, late-night ambience for those just starting their night or those finishing it.
Comfort: Plenty of seating options, none particularly comfortable however. A plush couch would seem right out of place here though. A winner is sitting on the deck dangling your feet over the water.
Patrons: Laid-back Berliner crowd ranging from young hipsters to old leather-daddies.
Staff: Cool babes. Friendly and happy to take your order in a range of languages or politely smile at your pitiful German.
Selection: Standard range of good German beer. Mixed drinks and a couple of cocktails as well.
Outdoor: Canal-side open air deck is the most unique part of the venue.
Specials: DJs every night, pizza bar upstairs.
LSR: Optimal. You can get away with anything with this amount of dim red lighting. LSR adjusted to match party levels as the night wears on.
Amenities: Pretty grotty
Top suggestion: Move the DJ booth away from the bar service area to face the dancefloor more.
Field notes: A bit of a mismatch but the unpretentious approach of the venue rubs off on everyone and creates an easygoing atmosphere where you can share a drink with friends or make some new ones.
Memorable quotes: "I'm glad I didn't fart too hard or I might have sharted." - BH
"How do you pronounce Kreuzberg?" "Like Russell Coight, with an R" - BH

Arbitrary Score: 78
Without having checked it out as a late night spot to kick on or for a lazy summer day session, this understated spot is incredibly versatile and is often open continuously for the entire weekend. For the modest door charge of €2, we'll definitely be paying Club der Visionaere another visit. A great venue for our first international B.E.E.R.S!