Cafe Brandon is a cosy old brown cafe that attracts a young and amiable crowd thanks, in part, to its tatty retro interior and resilient flouting of the smoking ban. In Dutch law, there appears to be a grey area where bars can allow smoking if only the owner himself is working and chooses to allow it. Through the winter, when it’s too cold for smokers to take advantage of the comfy, cushioned, bench seating outside, the gaspers let rip indoors – often to the extent that its standing room only, with just the beleaguered gaffer behind the bar pulling ales and collecting empties. The faded pictures on the walls are the result of a commendable refusal to redecorate, rather than mail order ‘pub atmosphere’ tat. The vibe is helped by (generally) good music choices, ranging from the Rolling Stones to 20s jazz.