Antiques, the 9 streets shopping area, and a genever specializing pub-distillery respectively.

Fortunately there’s plenty of less cultural attractions to keep me amused forever but I’m down to my last three items on my imaginary “must visit” list I formulated long long ago.

Any feedback (+ or -) on these places?


Thanks,

HC

Wygand Fockink is a Gin bar. There is a menu and they mix various flavored gins together and try to come up with a concoction that you might like. Very small place and it seems that the patrons stop in for one or two and move on. Kind of a dump inside. Drinks are strong. I can marginally recommend.

De Looier is an antique mall with maybe 50 "shops" inside. Interesting and definitely worth a look. Everything from vintage jewelry to stuff hundreds of years old depending on the booth. Pretty good coffee and a food place too. Also lots of neat shops in the neighbourhood, though most are closed on Mondays. De Looier is closed Fridays. de Negen Straatjes is a neighbourhood area kind of south-west of city centre. Lots of good shops. galleries and restaurants. You can walk through the area to get to the Looiersgracht. Wynand Fockink is in the alley behind the Kras. The oldest proefhuis in Amsterdam. Original interior from 1670 or so. Definitely worth going to for a drink or two. Try the old. You can do all three of these things in one day (easy). Regards. Roland

Though this is the first time hearing about De Looier, it sounds interesting.

I've strolled the 9 streets on the South end of the Jordaan many times...scenic, and of course more serene than the city centre! Several gezzelig spots to sip biertjes and enjoy the typical Dutch scenery and tobacco smoke. Sure, I recommend!

As for W&F, as Roland mentioned, it's a nice Profloekhaal behind the Kras...sure, a bit touristy, but a fine place to stop by and sample a Dutch gin...there's many varieties: oude (old), jonge (young) and as many flavours as you can shake a stick at. The staff are helpful and will let you taste a few! Give it a try, certainly. Ask for a "walk in the forest", it's a tasty concoction...a house specialty.

Cheers!
Uber.

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Thanks for the replies. Some questions on Wynand Fockink:-

Is it the kind of place you can feel comfortable alone.
Is it in that part of the Kras with the Japanese restaurant.
This supposed etiquette for drinking genevers (bending over with your arms behind your back) - is this for real or a typical mischevious Dutch myth to make us tourists make fools of ourselves.


HC

De Looier is well worth a visit. It's a maze of "stalls". Very easy to get lost in. As a bonus there's a very nice Rokerij just up the street.

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One foot off the floor too?!?

Next you'll be telling me to tap my head with one hand whilst rubbing my stomach in a circular motion with the other :-)

I'll give it a whirl. When in Rome....

Smokely's right on about the sip before attempting to pick up the glass...sure, watch the locals and learn...filling the glass to the tippie-top is status quo in the land of Genever I find, so leaning over to have a sip ensures you won't spill over when you do pick it up!

Happy drinking, and if you do visit W&F, ask for a "walk in the forest" its a specialy concoction they do at W&F...(I may be repeating myself on that point though!)

Cheers,
Uber.

If any of you see someone attempting to drink a “walk in the forest” standing on one leg, bending over, with their hands behind their back come over and say hi.

FYI, there is a Hotel De Looier -- anyone stay there?

Hotel De Looier 3 stars
Derde Looierdwarsstraat 75, 1016 VD Amsterdam
The hotel is located in the city center known as the Jordaan (garden); in a quiet side street, in the antique district of Amsterdam. Five minutes walk brings you to the main entertainment area (Leidseplein). Here you will find hundreds of restaurants, bars, discos, coffee shops, the casino, etc, etc and our own cafe "Rock In and Roll Out". Another five minutes walk you arrive to the main museums: the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art. The Anne Frank House is a ten minutes walk from the hotel in the opposite direction. Most of the important attractions are within fifteen minutes walking distance.

The folks at Wynand Fockink are very friendly.
On my first visit last year the female bartender spent ten or fifteen minutes explaining each type of Genever and their dozens of less strong drinks. The lesson was accompanied by several free samples and the handful of locals chimed in about their favorites.
There don't seem to be many customers the first couple of hours they are open but later the place gets to be standing room only with well heeled older Dutch men and women.
I still dream about the place and will pack my carry-on with as many bottles as will fit this trip.