a quiet taste | acquired taste

reviewing 2025, one artful moment at a time

2025 is my year of the review — a good reason to write more, write critically, and engage a bit more with the art, media, and other things that come across my path. I have a Letterboxd list with 52 movies I want to watch this year, and I hope to cross off writing a proper film review from my 2025 Bingo (a super subtle and wholly unique attempt at not having New Year's resolutions). For books, I intend to read more than last year's 11 books, and made a whole bingo just for this hobby. One of those squares is to write one proper book review this year, while another is to add a written review for every book I finish on Storygraph—it doesn't have to be long! Even just a quote would be fine because the intention is really just to write something down to remember the book by, and to actually record the sentences or paragraphs that stick out.

Besides books and films, my bingo includes reviewing a restaurant and maybe adding my favourite (and thus 5-star reviewed) recipes would [...]

03/01 Just as I was writing this page, a whole blog and business started bubbling. The first stop was to the domain store, which lead to a rabbit hole... Acquired Taste was gone, but Acquired Tastes was not, Achoired Taste gave me a headache, Unacquired Taste is cool but not for this.... A Quiet Taste is perfect. And the domain is still available... Is this the start of something?

Acquired Taste meets A Quiet Place. A quiet place for acquired tastes. It's so chic. And I just bought the domain! aquiettaste.com...

It can be the home for reviews, recipes, and other fun things. If I had Akerkhof 31... walk in to the café, A Quiet Taste, then go upstairs for second-hand books, Acquired Tastes, or downstairs to A Quiet Place for reading or to have warm drink. This would be my dream, really wow. No takeaway cups unless you bring your own, come and sit. There would be a room for book clubs to meet — 4eur p.p. gets you a drink, bringing your own snacks is always okay, or 20eur an hour to just sit and chat. Sophisticated but welcome, structured but warm and cozy, fostering a community for interested and interesting people. International flavours with local spice.

The philosophy: there's nothing wrong with having quiet tastes. Not everything has to be loud, outspoken, controversial, or engagement bait. It's about warm takes and tastes over hot and fast ones, thoughtful discussion, and careful consideration. But not in any kind of pretentious way — it's about cultivating space for quieter voices to join the conversation, whether that be lesser-known things, or opinionated reviewers who happen to be introverts. Or about adding nuance or new perspectives on popular things. It's about having an outlet for normal things too; encouraging a slower and more deliberate engagement with our tastes.

17/01 In truly disgusting fashion, every now and then I'll have a new idea that makes me nauseous with how good it is. Only slightly joking ;) Today's pit-of-stomach idea is for a guest column on A Quiet Taste called insightvoices, like inside voices, it matches the quiet theme, i mean come onnnnnn. Just send me out with the trash, I am obsessed.