The corner building on Mauritskade stands out. One of those buildings that you see and think: there must be something good in there. And it does. Café De Kleine Bes is the new business of Marieke and Leonard van Buitenen, and those who know their café R. de Rosa in the Jordaan, know what to expect: a place that feels like it belongs to you, without having to say anything about it.
Marieke and Leonard know what a neighborhood café should be. At R. de Rosa In the Jordaan they already proved that: no nonsense, just well organized, pleasant meals. With De Kleine Bes they bring that to the Dapperbuurt. The Mauritskade is a logical spot, with enough throughput and yet its own rhythm. This is not a café that caters to people who happen to walk by. This is a café for people who come back.
The building has a fenced-in patio on the outside, big enough to stand there with a stroller without getting in anyone's way. That detail says something about how the place is built: practical thought, not just for the photo. Inside, you are in a corner building with windows on two sides, so there is light. The atmosphere is relaxed, without anyone having to tell you it's relaxed.
A decent neighborhood cafe that runs all day wasn't really there. De Kleine Bes fills that gap without making a statement about it.
The Dapper neighborhood already has a few good spots, but a decent neighborhood cafe that runs all day wasn't really there. De Kleine Bes fills that gap without making a statement. You just walk in, because you don't have to make reservations. The place works on influx: whoever is there, is there. On weekends, the door closes at one a.m., which means you can also just make an evening of it. That the Van Buitenens are opening this as their second business in a neighborhood that is not the Jordaan says something about trust. And that confidence is not unwarranted.