Discover Benelux | Top Eat, Drink & Sleep Spots | Amsterdam West

Pure and clean TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: REIN CITY SPA

An immediate feeling of calm overcomes you as soon as you leave the hustle and bustle of the Amsterdam quarter De Baarsjes behind and enter Rein City Spa. Let yourself be pampered in this tranquil oasis with one of the versatile treatments, relax with a cup of tea and a healthy snack and feel reborn afterwards. Rein City Spa is pure and clean in everything they do: “We use only chemical-free, organic skin care products for an optimal nurturing effect,” owner Fouzia Boussatta explains. “And with Buongiorno’s coffee and our herbal teas, we serve nature’s candy, like goji berries. These foods nourish the body from the inside.” The treatments Rein City Spa offers include manicures, relaxing massages, facials and more. Happy Feet for instance is a treat for, indeed, your feet. Soak them in a foot bath,

get them scrubbed by one of the well-trained specialists and conclude with a beautiful nail polish of choice. The Brow Wow gets your eyebrows back in shape, while the Rein Signature Facial is adjusted to your skin’s needs, based on an analysis, followed by a facial mask and a massage. “We adapt our services to the goals of our guests, and make sure they leave satisfied,” Boussatta adds. All treatments take place in a beautifully designed location in De Baarsjes, decorated with calming shades of green and blue. Five massage cabins, a Sex and the City-like pedicure couch and nail polish table offers enough space for a small group outing, but are also perfect for individuals to unwind during Rein City Spa’s broad opening hours. www.reincityspa.nl

A cup of comfort TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: BUONGIORNO

It is best enjoyed on a cosy couch, in a warm environment and with good company: a good cup of coffee, or ’a cup of comfort’, as the Dutch refer to it on occasion. Buongiorno Espressobar offers such a coffee experience in a homely atmosphere. “From students to families with children and from freelancers to a group of friends, there is a place for everyone in the bar on Admiraal de Ruijterweg, the first espresso bar in the now up and coming quarter De Baarsjes,” says owner Dries Boussatta. This is beyond doubt, with Buongiorno’s comfortable chairs surrounding a long table where you can work or study, a relaxing area to peacefully read a book and a children’s corner for kids to play while Mum and Dad reboot their energy. Their coffee is for everyone as well. Boussatta: “The blend, roasted especially for us by a local 48 | Issue 24 | December 2015

roastery, consists of 50 per cent Brazil, 30 per cent Costa Rica and 20 per cent India beans. Combined with our traditional Italian way of brewing, it gives our coffee a delicious, neutral taste.” Boussatta started Buongiorno after a successful soccer career. The coffee specials, with names like Bergkamp, Maradona and Van Persie, reminisce of this. “It’s a tribute to these great soccer players,” Boussatta explains. The different coffees are served in all six Buongiorno locations in Amsterdam West, the bar at the Admiraal de Ruijterweg being the largest. Some guests spend up to six hours in the homely bar. Which is easy, because it has everything you need: besides coffee, a wide selection of teas, smoothies, soft drinks and lunch are served. www.buongiorno-espressobar.nl