Jazz with pig’s cheeks

Go ahead, splurge a little and visit LaBru jazz café. It’s perfect for a date for two. Just be aware your finances will be depleted in no time.

Yikes. I felt a little uneasy as I walked up to the jazz café. Roll-Neck Jumper A and Roll-Neck Jumper B were standing outside and smoking cigarettes together. They wore round glasses and had beards. They were having a “nice” conversation about “nice” subjects in front of this “nice” café. My first response: avoid eye contact and turn around, stat.

Homeliness

I went inside, anyway, which turned out to be an excellent decision. This jazz café – where live music is played every Wednesday night – has a great atmosphere. Cosy nooks abound, replete with lazy armchairs and comfy sofas.

Some modest music was playing in the background, and some rather noticeable cooking smells wafted into my presence, which didn’t bother me at all. Obviously, there was art on the wall, too. There was even a touch of philosophy: “Collect moments, not things.”

The cosy nooks were all occupied by pairs and couples. Two people on a date sat at the bar, and two girls were sitting together a bit farther down. One young man was so completely engrossed in his girlfriend that his forehead eventually found its way into her lap. Needless to say, no one really cared to see this sort of thing – not even the guy’s girlfriend – but it says much about how homely this café feels.

Arty types

The bearded barista, who wanted me to try their “nice pig’s cheeks”, said the place attracts a “mixed crowd”: many artsy people, but also “office workers of the grey-mouse variety” – who do, however, all come under the heading of “slightly better-off people who aren’t completely stupid”. In other words, “no Stadhuisplein people, but wonderful folks”.

 

All these wonderful folks were ordering gin and tonics, or one of the fifty types of whisky on offer. Or the pig’s cheeks, obviously. Because LaBru also serves food. The menu boasts tapas-like snacks which can be yours for just a few euros apiece. On the down side, drinks are downright expensive.

But hey, every once in a while you simply have to splurge a little when you’re on a decadent date. Just don’t forget to don a roll-neck jumper. Your Codarts girl will swoon.

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