{"id":71033,"date":"2018-04-04T10:32:59","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T08:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=71033"},"modified":"2025-03-24T09:26:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T08:26:36","slug":"the-spirit-of-place-according-to-simon-reinink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/the-spirit-of-place-according-to-simon-reinink","title":{"rendered":"The spirit of the place according to Simon Reinink"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A visit to Amsterdam would certainly be incomplete without a concert at the Royal Concertgebouw. We programme more than 700 concerts a year, and it's not just the orchestra you have to see, but also exceptional acoustics<\/strong> of the building. Located on Museumplein, it faces the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. To avoid the crowds in front of the building La Ronde de nuit<\/em> or La Laiti\u00e8re<\/em>If you're looking for a more unspoilt place to visit, I highly recommend the Van Loon Museum. This is a patrician house from the 17th century.e<\/sup> This is one of those quiet, luxurious canal houses that plunge you into the refinement of yesteryear.<\/p>\n

Not far from there, I like to have lunch at Le Breda, a restaurant that also faces a canal. It is an elegant but informal venue<\/strong>which is perfect for a business meal. You can also opt for Incanto, an excellent Italian restaurant, or Assaggi, in the slightly bohemian Jordaan district, with a magnificent view of the Westerkerk, a church from the Dutch Golden Age.<\/p>\n

If you're in this area, you can walk to Central Station and take the ferry to the Eye Filmmuseum, one of Amsterdam's new landmark buildings, a sort of white ship on the water. It's a great way to get away from the city for a while. But you can also explore less central areas, such as the West End. That's where you'll find De Hallen, a fully renovated former tram depot<\/strong> which now houses a cinema, shops and, above all, a hall dedicated to gastronomy.<\/p>\n

If you want to bring home a typical Amsterdam gift, why not visit Bloemenmarkt, the flower market that has been open since 1862? Of course, it's a touristy place and you won't find many cut flowers there any more, but tulip onions in all colours<\/strong>. Personally, I love wandering around the ZuiderMRKT on Saturday mornings, a small neighbourhood market just behind the Concertgebouw.<\/p>\n

In Utrecht, I never fail to climb the 465 steps leading up to the Dom bell tower, the highest in the Netherlands<\/strong>. To reward yourself for your efforts, you can go to Eetwinkel Dado, a gourmet shop where you can find all sorts of tapas, wines and cheeses. But when I have a business meal, I stick to the Podium restaurant, which overlooks a magnificent garden. The chef, Leon Mazairac, trained at Ducasse and the Pr\u00e9 Catelan. His cuisine, with lots of seafood and some Japanese accents, is a real treat.\"