"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.
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