I remember first visiting Amsterdam and passing by what I later found out were known as “Bruin cafes,” or brown bars. As a tourist, the lack of marijuana redolence and standing patrons didn’t really appeal to me. Now that I am a resident of Amsterdam, the gezellig atmosphere of brown bars is perfectly suited for what I’m trying to do on most nights, which is to simply enjoy a good drink coupled with good company and conversation. There’s usually not much in the way of ostentatiousness in a brown bar. They seem to me to be more so a tribute to the pleasantries of life. No punk-rock, sticker-infested dive bar decor. No precision-crafted, modern design found in most trendy bars. What you get is wood. Lots of wood. Stained way before your birth and varnished with years of smoke and captivating stories told amongst people that know one another relatively well. This shot is from Café Bern, renowned for their fondue…
