About Craftsmanship, Design and Getting People Together. Get to Know the Story of Bar du Champagne.

In the heart of Amsterdam there is a place where champagne brings people together. It is all about meeting people, talking and sharing common passions. This time, we get to know the Bar du Champagne, where our 200-190 Barstools are a part of its story.

How did your adventure with champagne start?

In 2016 we opened up a small Champagne shop in a street nearby. After starting with the well-known big brands, we decided to focus more and more on so-called ‘vigneron champagnes’ after a while. We also started importing champagnes, selling through an online shop and slowly started to sell to restaurants and bars.

In 2021 we moved to the Rokin, where the space gave us the chance to create a bar in the souterrain of the building - right below the boutique. The bar finally opened its doors in March 2022.

Tell us a story behind creating the space of Bar du Champagne. When did the idea appear and how did it develop?

As soon as we set foot in our new, completely -to be- renovated building, one of us dropped the idea of creating a bar in the souterrain. The combination of a shop and a bar in one building was a bit of a challenge - license wise - but we managed to make it work. The fact that people can come in, browse through the shop and pick a bottle to either take home or drink directly at the bar is a concept that works really well, but is also quite unknown to a lot of people.

How would you describe the interior of Bar du Champagne? What was the inspiration for it?

We wanted to create a vibe that was both fresh and warm, whilst enhancing the authentic details of the building. The bar was designed in collaboration with Cris van Amsterdam who took care of a lot of the details in the bar. Inspiration came from various bars in New York, Paris and London, where the bar would not only be the place for an aperitif but also the place to enjoy your dinner. An open kitchen where the guests can enjoy watching the chefs at work. The highest-quality materials, such as the marble bar and the velvet feel of the couch and 366 Concept barstools match with the thoughts people have when thinking about champagne.

What are the similarities between good champagne and good design?

Good champagne starts with good grapes and craftsmanship. The work for good grapes starts in the vineyard, where the grower needs to know exactly what he should do at what moment to ensure a good harvest. Bad grapes can never turn into good wine/champagne and good design needs the right material to turn into something that catches the eye. So just as the combination of the grape and the knowledge of the winemaker define the quality of the champagne, we reckon that the same goes for the design, material and the craftsmanship of the designer.

What is the most important for you in creating the space for people?

We wanted to open a bar that doesn’t have that cliché ‘champagne vibe’. Nothing stiff or too fancy as we want to make champagne more approachable to a broader and perhaps also younger audience than what most people consider the usual audience that drinks champagne.

Every now and then we throw a little party at the bar, where we invite a guest chef who collaborates with our own chefs in the kitchen and a DJ comes over to play some vinyl. The narrow set-up of the tables makes people sit close to each other and it often happens that champagnes are shared between strangers that start conversations about the champagnes they are drinking. We like to state that champagne connects people and the layout and design of the bar surely helps people feel comfortable and at ease.