The definitive Amsterdam guide boycotgrootkapitaal.nl

Going to a bar or to a restaurant - like almost any other action we take - is a political statement. Whether we realise it or not, the places we choose to spend our time and money say something about who we are.

Choosing where to meet for a drink or gather around a table is something I personally curate carefully. The atmosphere matters. The people around you matter. And the intention behind a place matters too.

While writting this article, I was surprised to discover that some places that look like low-key, independent local bars or restaurants are not quite what they seem. They might have the perfect brown-bar aesthetic, the slightly worn furniture and the cosy, neighbourhood feel - while actually being owned by large landlords or investment groups that may care far more about revenue than about the community they are part of.

And that is exactly why the guide of Tegentrificatie can be useful. Not because it tells you where you should go, but because it gives you more information to make your own decisions the next time you gather around a table.

This is a guide to supporting not only local businesses, but businesses that aim to be fair and ethical too. If you want to try something new and escape the endless Instagram recommendations and paid ads designed to keep you consuming, save this article and start curating your own list of places to visit in the city.

My favourite so far? Café Thuys. Cosy, lively and genuinely local. An actual brown bar where people from the neighbourhood simply come to have a good time.

And yes, there is also an Instagram account, because sometimes you have to occupy the spaces that already exist in order to be seen and heard. We need different voices, different places and different ways of doing things - otherwise, the dictatorship of homogeneity wins.

So, what’s your excuse? Spend your social time consciously. Be curious. Ask questions. Look beyond what the algorithm keeps putting in front of you.

If you want to see change, start by changing the choices you make.

See you at the bar.

Find the list of places curated by Tegentrificatie at www.boycotgrootkapitaal.nl
Or find them at Insta