ISBN: 9789080885110

Synopsis The Bent Guide to Amsterdam was written by Australian transplant Darren Reynoldson, who has lived in Amsterdam for some time, and it also relies heavily on input from local queer residents, including staffers at Pink Point, the city’s gay and lesbian info booth. As such, the book is researched carefully, packed with insider tips and insights, and intelligently arranged.

There’s an extensive chapter on nightlife, including everything from cozy brown cafes to S&M-intensive dance clubs to one-off weekly underground parties (i.e., De Trut – a Sunday-night must). Sections on dining and shopping aren’t extensive, but they give a nice round-up of the main gay hangouts and describe the food and goods thoroughly. The unapologetically frank chapter entitled FUCK provides the giddy lowdown on sex parties, women’s leather gatherings, hustlers, cruisy areas, sex shops, and saunas – it’s simply indispensable as this subject goes. The Lodging chapter is a bit scant, as are its reviews, but there’s enough here to find several gay-friendly options that should fit your needs. And then there’s a slew of useful resources at the end, rounding things out.