Saturday late afternoon. Sanne, Robbert and I drove to Arnhem. Rumour has it the Rijnkade houses a variety of interesting restaurants. Since temperatures were sub zero, we didn’t hesitate long to pick one. It seemed we had stopped in front of Rose’s Lounge. One peek inside had us collectively crying out: this place looks very wrong, very kitsch! But in we went anyway, curious and ready for adventure.
Rose’s must be THE place to be in Arnhem with its decadent atmosphere and obviously gay waiters, reminding me of the popular S.P.Q.R. in Auckland, New Zealand. Just picture a huge hall full of Rococo furniture, with pink, red and green sofas, big fireplaces, and a rose theme all around. It makes you wonder what happens after midnight when the ambient/trance music fills the air and the dance floor opens.
We sat down in the Lounge area, as opposed to the Dinner area in which all sofa’s were booked. Here you are to order lounge food but lucky for us it was also possible to eat a la carte. The food was just great: superior quality. We started with stuffed olives (what was that delicious stuff inside?) and Turkish bread with garlic sauce. My main dish was a very tasty deer filet, the others also enjoyed their meals very much. Rose’s is not merely a nice place to hang out, eat and (late in the evening) to dance, but this Louis XIV style parlour is also WiFi enabled. My conclusion: Rose’s Lounge is quality kitsch with a touch of modern, great to hang out and relax.
After being at Rose’s we walked to the Rembrandt cinema to watch Munich, Spielberg’s latest film. We were comfortably sitting in our chairs when suddenly during a Bacardi commercial, two girls stood up and started to play along with the dialogue. Nevertheless, the public applauded after this short commercial show was over. I had never seen such a thing before in a Dutch cinema and I hope never to see it again.
Little did I know that this was the last uplifting moment that evening and that I should have better enjoyed it, because Munich tells a depressing and realistic story. Munich deals with the aftermath of the murder on Israelian athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. The main role is played by Eric Bana, the leader of the group hired by the Mossad to eliminate the killers one by one. So, quite a contrast to the atmosphere in Rose’s. Next time, it’s better to stay in Rose’s all evening to drink, eat and be merry with good friends!
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