Quaint and neighbourly, Café Brecht is a charming homage to playwright, journalist, and poet Eugene Berthold Brecht. While it’s sans the German Marxist in the flesh, rich textures of pre-war interior furnishings, soft lighting and stencils of his signature spectacles randomly scattered on damask wallpaper engage you in the possibility of living in an intellectual’s dimension.

Appropriately located on the edge of the “Spiegelgracht” antique district, this fanciful little secret lies between the two tourist traps of Leidseplein & the Heineken Experience. The libation choice will be difficult as the beverage list is as long as it is painstakingly curated.

To sip a boutique beer from Bramberg or Munich, or perhaps linger over a glass of French red? Regardless, both will be perfect companions for when you settle into a surprisingly comfortable velour armchair and soak in one of their frequent poetry and song events or simply convene with the posse over snack. Board games, strategically placed balls of wool and knitting needles, and a piano also make this joint an interactive recreational free for all. Get involved, old world Europe style.