About town with... Stanja van Mierlo
Blijburg Beach has made a name for itself as a cultural summer hot spot in Amsterdam since 2003. Blijburg's Stanja van Mierlo takes us about town with great tips on where to eat, drink and soak up music, theatre and more.
Culture in Amsterdam
Amsterdam wouldn’t be what it is without culture. This city draws people in the creative industry in like moths to a light. I think artistry is extremely positive.
Theatre
I don’t have a lot of spare time since my son Hugo was born a little over six months ago, but if I get the chance I like to catch productions by Orkater (Translator: a music theatre group based in Amsterdam). I totally appreciate and understand the creative, witty approach the producers take. I have huge respect for craftsmanship and people with talent. That’s why I love Linda van Dyck, for example. I recently saw a production by Pipslab, that’s a group of bright young sparks, for sure. I really enjoy their energy. And I love it when actors unashamedly mess around and have a laugh.
Film
I like the down to earth atmosphere at The Movies and Kriterion. Every year, I always free up a decent gap in my schedule for the IDFA. In the past I’ve seen three films in a day during the IDFA, together with friends. For me, watching documentaries is a great way of absorbing information.
After the end credits, I like to discuss what we’ve seen and have a good old rant about the world. In Café Schiller for example, or even better, in the Hotel Schiller Foyer with white wine and bitterballen. That place is really a piece of history, nothing’s changed. They still have proper waiters, with the black suits to match.
Music
We play live music every Sunday afternoon in the Blijburg Café and the sessions have acquired a name as quality jam sessions which attract major talent. A load of Dutch bands can trace their breakthrough back to the Blijburg Café; The Souldiers, Hotel, Room Eleven and Wouter Hamel to name but a few.
I have thousands of great memories from the Paradiso, from Prince to David Gray, Spearhead to Lou Reed. Also, when I was the boss at Jazz Radio back in the late ‘90s, I could always be found at one concert or another.
The Drum Rhythm Festival in Amsterdam was always a date in my summer diary up until 2002 when it ceased to be. It’s a real shame that it’s been consigned to the history books.
Dance
For me, dance is like tomato soup: it’s only when you taste it that you remember just how good it actually is. Sometimes I randomly check out a Julidans production and that is always a pleasant surprise.
Evening out
I like getting in amongst it all, seeing all there is to see. Like the Aprilfeesten (April parties) held on Nieuwmarkt. Or Hemeltjelief!, a mini Ascension Day festival held on the NDSM Wharf. It’s small scale and the stages aren’t too big. I like festivals that aren’t too ‘finished’ and clean cut. The Parade is actually such a festival, yet it manages to retain its spirit.
Museum
In Amsterdam, you mean? How about we wait until they reopen the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk and National Maritime Museum, and you get back to me then. Until that happens, my favourite is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Restaurant
My ideal place is Café Bern on the Nieuwmarkt, I love their peppered steak. I’ve been going there for years and nothing’s changed. I dig the atmosphere, it’s genuine and not trendy. I enjoy eating in restaurants by myself, I don’t get enough solitude. Aside from Café Bern, a Japanese restaurant called An on the Weteringschans is fantastic. An, the owner and head chef, is sort of a Zen master. I think he might even stroke his fish. Serenity just flows over that place. And it’s reasonably priced for a Japanese restaurant.
Café
Café Nagel on the Krom Boomssloot is a café that ticks every single box for me: it’s welcoming, the atmosphere is great, it’s suitably smoky. I also hold Diep on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal close to my heart. Every first Sunday of the month is karaoke time at Diep. It’s the perfect place to have a few too many drinks. And it’s great that ‘t Mandje on the Zeedijk has reopened its doors – it used to be run by Bet van Beeren (Translator: a legend from the sixties gay scene in Amsterdam) but was closed for years. It’s a small bar that is steeped in history.
Blijburg aan zee
This year sees our third relocation – we’re moving 400 metres up the beach. We’re like a nomadic tribe. Before Britt Stegerhoek and I founded Blijburg in 2003, I often worked in bars on the beach.
I wanted to create somewhere located next to freshwater in the city where Amsterdammers could let off steam. Blijburg turned out to be a gap in the market. Once the location was actually allotted, everything else pretty much took care of itself.
Motto
If you keep your face towards the sun, the shadow will always stay behind you.
Interview by Anne-Rose Bantzinger
Translation by David Nice
First published in the Uitkrant, July 2010
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