A SHORT HISTORY OF

The brown bars and cafes of Amsterdam, the city that was home to Rembrandt van Rijn, are well known throughout Europe for their antique charm, warmth, inviting atmosphere, and friendly but stimulating conversation. Here at Rembrandt's in Philadelphia, a seventy-five year old tavern has been renovated in a manner reminiscent of the brown bars of Amsterdam. In fact, many of the interesting fixtures you will see in the bar and restaurant were discovered in Europe by the owners of Rembrandt's, and their history may be of interest to you:

The ornate lighting fixtures in the restaurant dining room were originally hung in the executives offices of the Hollandsche Lloyd Shipping Company which was built in 1907 and is still located one block from the Central Railway Station in Amsterdam. The handmade fixtures are representative of the "Jugendstil" decorative art period (similar to the style known in America as Art Nouveau) which was an artistic reaction to the mechanized ugliness of the industrial revolution.

The stained glass windows in the restaurant were at one time the doors to the veranda of an old mansion in Belgium. The doors are handmade, still contain the original hardware, and date from the early 1900's.

The lighting fixtures hanging over the bar were found in "Au Bon Marche", a well known department store located in the Sixth Arondissement of Paris. They were made available to Rembrandt's , happily, when "Au Bon Marche" decided to modernize.

The Rembrandt's prints found in both the bar and restaurant are, unhappily, not Rembrandt originals. They were purchased in the Rijksmuseum Print Shop in Amsterdam after it was learned that the originals were not for sale.

The large puppets in the bar were hand-crafted in 1985 by an artisan in Amsterdam. The large puppet with the pallet in his hand is a caricature of Mr. van Rijn himself.

Our small library, containing books about the master in several languages, is available for your perusal.

It is our fervent hope that you will enjoy your dining experience at Rembrandt's. We look forward to serving you.

HOW TO CONTACT REMBRANDT'S

Last modified on Wednesday, November 24, 1999