This cinema/bar is run by a staff of about forty-five volunteers that are all students. Since I am one of them, my perception of the place might be quite different from that of a customer. I have however experienced Kriterion literally at every hour of the day and at every hour of the night, and I might be able to give you a good insight into what it has to offer.
Kriterion has been through a lot of reconstruction work in the summer, which resulted in a new smoke-free space in the bar, and a third room for our cinema. We took the opportunity to cover the once white but since long nicotine-yellow walls with a new layer of paint. The color scheme gives a fresher look and blends in with the original features of the building. Although it looks a bit more modern, the atmosphere of a “bruin café” (that’s the Dutch word for all smoky, dark colored bars, with dimmed lights and wooden floors) is maintained.
Located in front of one of the bigger branches of the UvA (University of Amsterdam) our café is swarmed by students during the day. Their continuing presence shows that the hours in between classes are longer than the classes themselves. The UvA students spend their free time drinking lattes or cappuccino’s (this to my annoyance; I want to hug everyone that orders an espresso), reading a newspaper, or, I see this quite often, studying.
What looks like a café during the day, feels more like a pub at night. With the candles lit, the music turned up a bit, and a friendly beer drinking crowd, I dare to say that Kriterion is the only cinema in Amsterdam that has a real pub in it. You can go there just to drink a beer, or just to see a movie, but for anybody that wants to combine these two experiences, Kriterion is the perfect place. It is one of the main things that attracted me, since I like to think of going to the movies as going out. Besides, the conversations about the movie seem so much more insightful when you’re gulping down a cold beer.
If you’re from abroad you will not feel a stranger, since a large part of Kriterion’s clientele consists of foreign students or member of our international community. You can easily blend in with a very diverse crowd of moviegoers, students from all over, and the quite eccentric individuals living in the neighborhood.
Details about this spot
Kriterion | Bars, Cinemas | Movie € 7.00
Roetersstraat 170 | Plantage/Oost (area map) | +31206231708
Mon - Fri 10:30 - 01:00, Fri 10:30 - 03:00, Sat 13:00 - 03:00, Sun 11:00 - 01:00
