If you are done with people complaining that there are not many good bars in Amsterdam, you maybe haven’t visited Pamela. Tucked away in Amsterdam West, you can find one of the city’s sexiest queer bars. Pamela is there for you when you are bored with your usual classic brown bars or done with tasteless music on any night that is not a night out. This is a place where you can let go, dance, start friendships or maybe even more…

We got to take a unique behind-the-scenes look into how things run and what makes this space so special. The two-floor space is decked out with mannequins, colourful lights, and a packed weekly events schedule. We talk with Sascha Sylbing, about what makes Pamela so special.

Let’s start with the basics – tell us how did Pamela start and who is behind this iconic place?

Long before the dinosaurs, the goddess Pamela created her Garden of Eden: a world of passion, pleasure, and unapologetic acceptance. Armed with Salmari, voluptuous bosoms, and a love for pu$$y, she conquered the ages before finally settling in a little bar in Amsterdam. Today, her Eden thrives as a haven for sinners, misfits, and fabulous freaks. She spreads love, serves chaos, and stamps out anyone who dares disturb her paradise.

Welcome to Eden, darling. Behave yourself. Or don’t.

I know that Pamela is not just a bar, but you host a variety of events and it is always colourful and busy with fun people when I go there. What kinds of events do you host at Pamela? 

ALL KINDS BABE ! We are currently hosting weekly listening sessions where fabulous DJs from our community play in the bar – it’s a more lowkey and intimate setting than the club, providing a lot of room for connection. 

We also host pop-up kitchens by amazing chefs, so our kitchen differs daily. For instance, ani’s coastal bar brings coastal Bengali food, whereas broottje brings classic French dishes with a twist. 

Some of our most fun events are the community events we organize with collectives, like Eastern Playgrounds! It’s so cool to see our space being transformed for game nights, karaoke, or intimate dinners.

Is there anything we need to look forward to in October and the upcoming months?

Definitely, we are hosting a cute series of events for our own Pamela Dance Event from 21 to 25 October – a free alternative for the queer community who still wants to have a cute time without all the ADE chaos. A safe haven, if you will?  

Throughout this week we’ll have pop ups by Aniketh & Theeva’s kitchen. For the rest of October and November, we are hosting even more cute queer chefs and DJs for listening sessions, and we are always looking for QTBIPOC+ collectives to work with @pam 🙂

It goes without question but nevertheless, why is it important to give space for queer and BIPOC people especially nowadays?

Our community is under pressure and the streets often don’t feel safe nowadays; we need some space to rest and meet each other in a playful way. At Pamela we try to create a lighthearted space that centers fun, safety, coziness and a bit of goofiness, away from the heaviness of things. Our community can say it best, so we’ve asked them what pam means to them: 

“Basically my fantasy home with cuties that flirt with you and buy you drinks.  I feel like I can be myself as I do at home, but I also found the love of my life there…so yeah, a dream home”

“Means comfort. I don’t believe in totally safe spaces but I do have the memory and feeling of Pamela feeling like home due to all my friends being present there or working to make the space as cozy as possible..”

“It’s a place where I can put my guard down without spending any energy bracing against racism, homophobia, and all the other discrimination in the outside of this city. I can just be with the people I like, and be happy, be playful, be myself.”

Have any friendships, relationships, or situationships started at Pamela?

Sooo many, messy ones, funny ones, long lasting ones. On one hand, there are all the beautiful relationships and friendships that come out of working at the bar together. Some of us knew each other before Pamela, some of us met there, but the friendships we create extend far beyond the space. 

Besides our own circle, Pamela serves as a safe place for many to date, it is always so beautiful to see someone a little nervous waiting for their date to arrive, to watch them connect, and to catch them kissing goodbye at the end of the night.