Back to basics at Basis

Mar 13, 2012 | by Ciaran | Photos, Spots

About the author

The name's Ciaran, a 27-year-old guy who loves the idea of a discovery, even if it actually isn't one. Among many other Sherlock Holmes adventures, searching for art and music is what keeps me going. High Five!

I step foot into Basis, tucked away under the gallery of the old ABN-Amro building on the Vijzelstraat. Co-owner Jan Schaberg is helping out some tourists on where they can find a good hip-hop party on a Thursday night. There’s a good crowd filling the raw space and a nice international mix of cultures and sub-cultures. Since late December last year, Basis has had its doors open, welcoming everyone in.

We want to be a spot where people want to be.

At Basis it’s all about fundamentals, the pure essence of what really matters. “We’ve really strived to create the right atmosphere,” Jan explains. With different expos every two to three weeks and DJs on weekends, they still maintain the vibe of a true bar. “We don’t want to be a place that thrives on passers-by, but more a spot where we people want to be and where they feel at home.”

B.Y.O.F.

It’s a melting pot of creativity, international flavour, alternative vibes and more. With their concept Bring Your Own Food, they’ve hit the sweet spot. “A restaurant is locked up in a grid, it’s very tight and structured. With B.Y.O.F. people walk in with a pan full of food, or rattle their brains trying to work the microwave.”

Their gamble has paid off and there is always something happening. There is an essence of life throughout the place. Whether it’s the foosball table downstairs or the vodka tea shots or even the phone used to place orders at the local pizzeria; they’ve managed to fade out the boundary line between customer and employee, expat and local, open and closed.