01How many people fit in Borisov?
Two hundred and fifty guests standing, with the terrace included. Seated it is 50 to 60.
02Can you hire Borisov exclusively for a private party?
Yes, you get the whole place to yourself. No other guests walking around: the room, the bar, the booth and the terrace are yours that evening. Most evenings here are private parties.
03What do you arrange, and what don't you?
We are a venue, not an event agency. Everything in and around the room is ours: food and drink through House of Catering, the bar, the sound and the technical side, and someone from us on the floor on the night itself. Whatever else you want your party to be, you arrange: decoration, hiring extra furniture or equipment, a photographer, a programme, who speaks and when things happen. We are glad to help you think it through, and we will say plainly if something is not going to work, but we do not take over the organising.
04What makes Borisov different from other party venues in Amsterdam?
Mostly the combination. You get the whole place to yourself, the cooking happens on site, the music can run until 03:00 and in the evening fifty cars fit outside the door. Each of those is easy enough to find in Amsterdam on its own; all four together, inside the ring road, not often. Rooms that run until three are usually part of a larger building with other people in it, and places where your guests can leave the car tend to sit outside the city.
05What does it cost to hire the venue?
Friday is €495 and Saturday €595 excl. VAT, with a bar guarantee of €1.500 excl. VAT either way. Thursday is €295, with a bar guarantee of €1.000. Every other day, Sunday included, is €250 for the venue, with a bar guarantee of €750. What you spend at the bar counts towards the guarantee, so a busy night clears it by itself. For dinner, catering and extra staff we make a tailored proposal.
06How late can an event run?
Friday and Saturday until 03:00. Sunday through Thursday until 01:00.
07Where in Amsterdam is Borisov?
Rigakade 10, in the Houthavens in Amsterdam West. About three kilometres west of Central Station. There is parking right outside, paid through ParkBee but plenty of room in the evening, which helps if your guests come from out of town.
08What sound system do you have?
An oversized L-Acoustics system, perfectly balanced for this room. There is more system here than the space strictly needs, so nothing ever has to strain. One of the best balanced systems in Amsterdam.
09Can DJs play here? What's in the booth?
Yes. The booth is permanent: two Pioneer CDJ-3000s, a DJM-A9 and two Technics SL-1210 MK7 turntables. Your DJ only needs to bring music. You can patch in your own setup too, just let us know and we'll have it ready.
10Can we hold presentations or meetings?
Certainly. There's a large screen, a projector, microphones and plenty of daylight. Seated theatre-style we set out fifty to sixty chairs. Many companies use the room for a session during the day and drinks in the evening.
11Is there parking?
Yes, right around the building. It is paid parking through ParkBee, so your guests arrange it in the app, but in the evening the lot empties out and fifty cars fit without trouble. Inside the ring road that is unusual; at most places in the city there is simply no room. It helps if guests come from out of town, or if things need loading in and out.
12Is Borisov wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The entrance is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible toilet. There is a gender neutral toilet as well. Let us know if you are coming with a larger group and we will take it into account in the layout.
13Can we eat there?
Yes. The cooking happens here, in the kitchen behind the bar. That is House of Catering, our resident catering partner, with Marco Mercati at the stove. Set menus for groups, from bar snacks to a full dinner, and special requests are no problem. Everything comes out of that kitchen on the night, not driven in from elsewhere.
14Can we bring our own caterer?
No. Catering always runs through House of Catering, who run the kitchen here. It saves the usual trouble around deliveries, kitchen access and timings, and the food comes out of the room itself. What you eat is still up to you: we work with set menus and are happy to work something out with you if you have another idea.
15Can we cook ourselves?
No, the kitchen is not part of the deal. Partly the rules: a kitchen used by changing parties does not meet HACCP requirements. And partly the plain fact that it is full of House of Catering's equipment. If you have something particular in mind, put it to Marco. There is very little that cannot be done. It is mostly a question of how much trouble it takes, and that ends up on the bill.
16What kind of parties do people throw here?
Birthdays, wedding parties, company parties and drinks, releases and label nights. People who take the room for a night are usually not after an off-the-shelf party venue, but a bar with everything else moving around it: a dinner for sixty, or a party for two hundred and fifty.
17How do I book a date?
Click a free date in the calendar and fill in the form. We'll hold it as an option in your name for fourteen days and get in touch.
