Sleep in style in Amsterdam

 
I have the pleasure of working for the coolest interior magazine the Danish RUM. Sorry for not being more modest, but it's just a fact:-)

If you happen to be in Denmark you should take a look at the March issue, which focuses on the ever-interesting link between interior design and fashion. I have written about two very chic Amsterdam hotels, which take fashion to a new level. 
Like they say at The Exchange Hotel "Sleep in fashion, wake up in Style". The 61 have all been refurbished and dressed up as models on a catwalk. The design duo Suzanne Oxenaar and Otto Nan and a group of students have played with weird and wonderful ideas and a whole lot of fabrics. You can sleep under an enormous crinoline and go to bed next to a wall with sleeves. Prices from 100 Euros.
If you fancy a smaller guesthouse, which seems to be a new trend, you can check in at Maison Rika. Yes, Rika, the understated urban cool label with the star bags. The designer Ulrika Lundgren spotted a little star on the windows on a sweet townhouse gallery just opposite from her design studio and that was the a clear sign. She had found the right location for her two-bedroom guesthouse, which oozes of her playful and sleek style. Art, fashion, soft white beds, black wooden floors, quirky details as insect in frames all come together in Maison Rika. 
Price pr room: 200 Euros.

www.exchangeamsterdam.com
www.rikant.com

Photos from the hotel's websites.

The taste of a good punch

Winter + flu = missing a lot of fun things. And darn I missed the Danish Bombay musical before Christmas. But still in the mood for the Bollywood atmosphere I went to Dishoom. The name refers to the sound of a good punch in Bollywood film and it is also slang for mojo.

This first Bombay Café in London certainly has the mojo. The décor is in line with the urban style du jour – white tiles, modern furniture, open kitchen and the quirky Indian touch with old film posters and framed newspaper articles covering the walls. The food is tasty, spicy and fresh and it’s difficult to pace yourself when ordering all these scrumptious dishes that ranges from the house signature black daal to mango lassi. Persians coming to Indian founded the Bombay Cafés in Mumbai, so the menu is based on the traditional mix of these two countries cooking.

I tried to joggle all the small plates and bowls with my nine-month-old daughter on my lap. Naturally she tried to grab everything except the steamed rice ordered exclusively for her. My other lunch companion was luckily patient with my half sentences and constant interruptions – perhaps because she was so busy enjoying tender chicken Biryani, Naan bread and spicy lamb chops.

Actually we fitted right in and just added at bit of baby buzz to the already busy restaurant. It’s cosy, relaxed and the sort of place, where you would also like to hang out for breakfast or have a fun meal with a bunch of friends in the evening. A friend of mine recommended it after one of those nights, when long waiting in line turns into a magical evening and makes you a bit tipsy and high on life. Dishoom can certainly hit you with a great feeling.

And there is more to come. Check out Dishoom Chowpatty Beach Bar – a pop up beach bar on South Bank in the summer (opens 13th of May).

12 Upper St. Martin's Lane, London WC2H 9FB 
www.dishoom.com