Dhanich Slijterij
A no-frills Kwattaweg slijterij where cold Parbo, Surinamese rum and a neighbourhood borrel meet under the fluorescent lights.
Why Go
Slijterij is Dutch for 'liquor store', but in Suriname it means a lot more than a bottle shop. Dhanich Slijterij sits along the busy Kwattaweg on the northwest side of Paramaribo, the artery that carries traffic between the city and the Kwatta villages, and it works the way these neighbourhood spots have worked for generations: a walk-up counter, a wall of Surinamese and imported spirits behind it, a wheezing chest freezer full of glass-bottled Parbo, and a small cluster of regulars who treat the sidewalk out front as an open-air living room. If you want to understand how Paramaribo actually drinks after work, you don't go to a rooftop bar downtown ΓÇö you pull up to a slijterij like this one.
The Experience
You approach the counter (most slijterijen in Suriname don't do self-service ΓÇö you order, they hand it over), and within thirty seconds you've been sized up, greeted in Sranan Tongo or Dutch depending on the read, and pointed at the fridge. The stock is the giveaway of who drinks here: liter bottles of Borgoe and Black Cat rum stacked at eye level, Guyanese El Dorado on a higher shelf for the occasion drinkers, Heineken and Parbo cans in the cold case, small-format Marienburg 90% for the brave, plus soft drinks, mixers and the ubiquitous packets of pinda (peanuts) and chips to keep the alcohol in check. Kwattaweg itself hums around you ΓÇö pickup trucks heading home from the port, kids on bicycles, the occasional bus. Most customers buy takeaway; a handful crack their bottles open on the spot, lean against a parked car, and settle into the long, slow Surinamese art of the after-work chat.
What to Try
Start with what the country actually drinks. A cold Parbo Bier in the 1-liter 'djogo' bottle is the honest answer ΓÇö it's brewed in Paramaribo, it's what the neighbourhood orders, and at a slijterij it costs a fraction of what a hotel bar will charge you. If you want to go deeper, pick up a bottle of Borgoe 8 or the darker Borgoe Extra, the Surinamese rums distilled from local sugarcane at the Suriname Alcoholic Beverages distillery ΓÇö smoother than the tourist gift-shop bottles suggest. The wildcard is Marienburg rum, an eye-watering 90% white rum with genuine cult status; take a small bottle home rather than trying to drink it here. Round out the run with a bag of pinda or krupuk to nibble on.
Insider Tip
Bring small bills in Surinamese dollars and a little patience. Slijterijen almost always price in cash SRD, and while some accept cards, the counter transaction is smoother ΓÇö and friendlier ΓÇö when you're not asking them to run a foreign card for a single beer. If you're staying nearby and want to fit in, order in the local rhythm: one djogo of Parbo, two plastic cups, and share it. Buying one enormous bottle to split is the neighbourhood default, not a faux pas. Also: photograph the shelves, not the customers ΓÇö regulars value the anonymity of their after-work spot.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Kwattaweg 643, Paramaribo (northwest of the centre, in the stretch of Kwattaweg heading out toward Kwatta and the coastal road). Getting there: easiest by taxi or rental car ΓÇö Kwattaweg is a main road and any driver knows it; public buses on the Kwatta line run along it during the day. Hours aren't formally published but Surinamese slijterijen typically open mid-morning and stay open until late evening, with earlier closings on Sunday. Cash in SRD is king; USD and EUR are sometimes accepted at the counter's discretion but you'll get a worse rate than at a cambio. It's a takeaway counter, not a sit-down bar ΓÇö there are no tables, no menu, and no bathroom for customers.
Pair It With
- 101 Suites Guide — One of the closer places to stay on this side of Paramaribo ΓÇö grab your Parbo and Borgoe at Dhanich on the walk or short drive home rather than paying hotel-bar prices.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — If you're picking up a rental for a run out to Kwatta beach or the interior, a slijterij stop for cold drinks and road snacks is the classic Surinamese pre-trip ritual.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — After a day of watertubing on one of the rivers outside Paramaribo, a cold djogo of Parbo from a Kwattaweg slijterij is exactly the debrief the locals would order.