Oficina: Zana Josipovic & Naiara Sabandar

About de Baarsjes

Interview

No. 37 • March 2025

For our Spring issue, we embarked on a local exploration, inviting remarkable Amsterdammers to share the hidden gems of their neighbourhood. Our guide to de Baarsjes are Zana Josipovic and Naiara Sabandar the founders of Oficina: a restaurant and food design studio in de Baarsjes. They are loved for their seemingly simple, yet exceptionally layered dishes and experimental concepts.

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Fig 1. Oficina: Zana Josipovic & Naiara Sabandar

text: Ksenia Kwiecińska
photography: Daan Kamerman

SAT:

How did you end up in this neighbourhood?

ZJ:

'For Oficina, we were looking for a space outside the city centre, because of course it is very expensive there, but also because we wanted to be in a cosy, quiet neighbourhood where we could create a sense of community. We found that place here, on the border between Bos en Lommer and de Baarsjes. Naiara already lived in West and I have also lived here for fourteen years. We have now been here for three and a half years. At first, there were mostly craft and specialised shops here, such as an aquarium shop, a comic book shop and the Vacuum King - the first has disappeared, but the other two are still there. Now we see more and more new shops, concept stores, boutiques, vintage furniture shops. By combining different needs of different groups, the neighbourhood has become more and more lively.'

NS:

‘They really wanted to transform this street, attract more younger and creative people.’

SAT:

What attracted you to Amsterdam?

NS:

'Since I was very young, I wanted to move to Amsterdam because the big city appealed to me, and so I moved here when I had just turned 17. After my studies, I felt I wanted to explore other places. I lived in Berlin, Hong Kong, Stockholm and for a while in L.A. But at some point, when I started cooking, I felt I was done with constantly travelling around, building a new life, meeting new people and then leaving again. I missed Amsterdam, having a permanent place. I wanted to be closer to my family and the friends I had here. Amsterdam has always felt like a very comfortable city to live in and a place where a lot is possible. When we started Oficina, we were both young, we didn't have much money, and yet we managed. To my mind, a lot is possible here.'

SAT:

How have you seen your neighbourhood change recently?

ZJ:

'The neighbourhood has become increasingly accessible, friendly and creative. There is a fine mix of people from different backgrounds, making it a lively and dynamic neighbourhood.'