Kevin Kroon’s favorites #1
Sommeliers, butchers and pub owners, as well as cookware shop owners, bartenders and chefs, share where they like to eat and drink in their own city.
Bartender Kevin Kroon of Door 74 in Amsterdam was elected Dutch World Class Bartender of the Year 2016 in May. At the end of September, he hopes to become the best bartender in the world during the final in Miami.
During the final, Kevin will make a special cocktail. His creation must encourage people to drink mindfully again, and truly enjoy themselves. Something Kroon sees less and less around him in his work at Door 74: “I notice that people aren’t really sitting in the bar anymore, but are only busy with their phones. They no longer talk to each other. That’s why I’d like to bring back the social aspect—the enjoyment of having a pleasant evening and drinking good cocktails. The cocktail will be served on a small box in which the phone must be placed. This allows the drinker to focus fully on their company and drink.
Where do you go for breakfast outside the home?
I live on the Amstel, and the Bakhuys is just around the corner from me. It’s a Saturday morning tradition for my fiancée and me to go there. They have the best ham-and-cheese croissants in the world. When the weather is nice, I sit in the backyard.
Your favorite baker?
The Bakhuys again. Tip: they have the best hamburger buns.
What is your favorite butcher?
I think you can get good meat at the Albert Cuyp. I also live close to slagerij De Leeuw on the Utrechtsestraat, and everything they have here is really delicious. Tip: the duck breast fillet.
And do you have a favorite toko?
On the Utrechtsestraat, there are a few places where you can get good Indonesian takeaway, for example at Soenda Kalepa.
Where do you get the best hamburger?
I worked at the Butcher myself and know they have excellent burgers there, but for me the very best is still De Burgermeester. And Lombardo’s is on the Spiegelstraat. The burger you get here is deliciously subtle. A beautiful brioche bun, not too much sauce and perfectly crispy meat.
Which restaurant do you go to when you have something to celebrate?
Segugio is an Italian restaurant with a very good selection of wines. You eat clean Italian food there, with the flavors beautifully showcased.
Where do you drink the best cocktails?
Door 74, naturally with a little bias because I work there. But still, we give people an experience. You let the bartender guide your evening. It feels like a living room, but you don’t feel pressured to mingle with other people.
Where do you go for a beer after work?
After work I no longer have time to drink a beer. We close at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. When I’m off, I go to Brouwerij ‘t IJ, the Biertuin or the Beer Temple. They work with products that the owners themselves stand behind. I always appreciate that.
Where do you get your late-night snack?
My guilty pleasure is definitely the Febo, and I work conveniently close by. I go there when I really have the munchies. My golden combo? Chips with oorlog sauce and a frikandel speciaal.
Text: Nora van den Heuvel
Image: Mrperezident
