24 hours with Varna & family

Varna Archer is a familiar face to many wine lovers in the city. She is the owner of Varna Wijnen, a new and modern wine shop on the Hoogstraat."

We do it a little different from the traditional wine shops. I have a penchant for Portuguese wines, but of course, we also have wines from other (European) countries. I prefer to represent the somewhat smaller wineries and wines that have a character of their own". When Varna's not busy with her business, she likes to go out with daughters Verily of 11 and Jóia of 14. "I'll take you on our ideal day in the city."

_{09:30 Breakfast at Strijp-S}

"Strijp-S is one of our favorite places in town. We like cycling there and going to Bagel & Juice. We start our breakfast with a large strawberry shake. Afterward, we will walk around for a bit. When skatepark Area 51  is open, we always go in and take a look. My daughters have their own skateboards, and they like to see the professionals at work."

According to Varna, Strijp-S is also the ideal location for the girls' TikTok videos: "It's a very cool place to use as a background. We don't do this every time we're here, but they like it now and then." Before we cycle to the town, we used to stop by at YATVA on the Edisonstraat (now, YATVA is located at the Hurksestraat). Yetunde Olusanya is a good friend and has a Vintage paradise there. Down the street, you will also spot another favorite of Varna called Handsandsamples. 

12:00 Gift Shopping

Varna, Jóia, and Verily like to go shopping. For themselves, but also to buy presents for family or friends. "At Sissy-Boy, we always find something. A visit to De Blob, which houses Sissy-Boy, is highly recommended. This building is unique. Besides the Sissy-Boy, we would recommend Homestock. We've recently moved houses, and we like to go there for inspiration."

13:30 Sweet lunch

"If it were up to Jóia, we'd have lunch at Waffelicious every time we're in the city. The waffles there are huge! You can have them topped with just about anything sweet you can think of, from fruit to Oreo cookies. Another great place to have lunch is Krok Madam. They have grilled cheese sandwiches in variations, with names like The Naughty One and Hungry Henriette. Verily likes going to fancy places for dinner. Zarzo is her favorite restaurant."

14:30 Rain or shine

"We don't like to sit still, so we often do something active. What that is, depends on the weather. If the weather is nice, we like taking our canoe for a ride on the Dommel. Or a SUP-board! Stand Up Paddle is a great way to be active on the water. You can rent one (or more) via SupClub. An instructor will take you to see beautiful spots from the water. But they also have all kinds of other activities that you can book."

"When my daughters were a little younger, we regularly visited the preHistorical Village. In this open-air museum, you go back in time. The children, but also adults, can take part in all kinds of activities. The Philips Museum and the Van Abbemuseum also have fun tours for children of all ages. Nowadays, the children would rather go to Gamestate, an arcade hall 2.0. I prefer trampoline park Jump XL for them. Then at least, they'd move a bit more."

19:00 Sushi or teppanyaki, or a burger?

"I can't choose one. Verily and Jóia are good eaters, and you can wake them up at night for sushi. There's plenty of restaurants when it comes to sushi. It's amazing to see and taste what the chefs prepare in front of you. Another favorite is De Burger. Here, you order burgers in all shapes and sizes."

21:00 A night without children

"Of course, I go out without my daughters. The first stop, and often the only stop, is Café 't Rozenknopje, near my shop. That's the local pub, and there's always a great vibe." You can also order a meal at this place, and you'll find it within walking distance of the city center. "I also like going to Fifth on the NRE site. Their live music sessions are outstanding, and the atmosphere is very nice. You feel like you have a night out."

01:30 Sleeping in a design hotel

"I'd like to sleep at the Kazerne Hotel. Their restaurant, shop, and exhibitions are always high level, so I am curious to see how they've handled it in terms of hotel rooms. Since everything at Kazerne is about design, I'm guessing it won't be any different in their hotel rooms". If you decide to sleep somewhere else, Kazerne is worth a visit. The place has been beautifully transformed and always has different exhibitions, a good restaurant, and a design shop—a dream location for every design lover.

In 'Your Local Guide' nemen Eindhovense locals je mee op een tour door de stad en laten je zien hoe hun ideale 24 uur in Eindhoven eruitziet. Meer tips voor een bezoek aan Eindhoven?