Cafe Kobalt & Tolhuistuin Summer Festival***

Cafe Kobalt is situated  in a 17th century former warehouse at the Centraal Station, at the end of the Singel.  I often try and think of somewhere else to venture, but fear entering other Sunday brunch cafes due to them being too busy and loud. Cafe Kobalt on the other hand is spacious, the atmosphere laid back with jazz music low enough that you could spend hours reading. If you are lucky you may be accompanied by Kobalt's sleeping cat. Perfect place to spread out and read your Sunday broadsheet.

As for the menu. If you get there from 8am to midday you can help yourself to a continental breakfast buffet but we have yet to get there before 12. The lunch menu is pretty diverse, with a range of sandwiches, salads and burgers. In the evening the menu changes to a variety of meat, fish and pasta dishes. Check the website for the menu as it changes regularly. I've spent many a quiet Saturday night with my man, a bottle of wine and a relaxed meal at Kobalt.

I really like Kobalt, especially on Sunday,  and if you arrive later in the day there is  Live Jazz from 5pm.


Cafe Kobalt
Singel 2
http://www.cafekobalt.nl/



On this particular Sunday after brunch, we decided to head over to the North by ferry to the Sunday Market. Sunday Market is held once every month in different parts of the city. Check online for dates and locations http://www.sundaymarket.nl/ As we wandered a little away from the market we stumbled across Tolhuistuin Summer festival. Tolhuistuin is a new-ish cultural complex in Noord. Each weekend till the middle of August there are events including theatre,fashion,dance, club nights, art installations and music performances. On this Sunday there were numerous art stalls, small restaurants, bars and a live performance event from a group of school kids, showing their latest moves in a large marquee. As we wandered through the garden we came across Trashville http://www.trashville.nl/ . I think it was a one off event, whereby groups of guys had 4 hours to engineer/ build racing vehicles from, you guessed it, trash then to race on a make shift circuit. Tolhuistuin is like a smaller Parade, perfect to chill with the family or friends. It was a little chilly on Sunday, so we headed home after a couple of hours. Hopefully Summer will come as it's definitely worth a trip over the water on a sunny afternoon.

A perfect Sunday.

http://www.tolhuistuin.nl/english/
Till mid August.