The Grasshopper Bar and Coffeeshop

The grasshopper is a mammoth coffeeshop, bar and diner, lit up in a ghostly absinthe green in the heart of Amsterdam, just a minutes walk from Central station. Outside there are a few tables for cigarette smokers. Downstairs is the coffeeshop (mind your head) where one find a counter serving in most professional layout, soft drinks from a fridge behind and other greenery - a selection of which is on show behind a darkened glass display case. The smoking room is a large glass cage with comfortable raised booths and smaller tables dotted around the place. The venue gets quite busy all week long because of its location but the dark interior, although attractive, makes dropping and scrambling for things a little awkward. Upstairs loud music and drinking is on the cards although prices are sky high and the place is a trap for tourists too frightened to make their way in the red light district.

Overall an alluring venue for obvious reasons and a landmark without a doubt but not really my cup of tea - the bar staff are rude, the prices are far too high and only the mood inside is anything close to cool - 5/10