| Most bars open around 11.00 mid-morning and will remain open
all day and evening until the early hours, around 01.00. (This is why
they never announce their opening hours…) You will find a wide range
of draught beers, from the ubiquitous Heineken to the stronger Palm or
refreshing ''witte bieren'' (white, or wheat beers). Coffee and tea can
be ordered any time of day or night, and when you need to go to the toilet,
remember to take some small change with you. There is often an attendant
waiting for a 25c tip.
Most cafes will serve sandwiches, salads and soup for lunch or 'borrel
hapjes', (beer snacks, such as bread with salami or olives), especially
if they don't have a lunch menu. The Dutch don't have large, hot meals
at lunchtime and tend to eat very early around 18.00 in the evening.
(If you are in Amsterdam during their cold winters, you'll know why).
Amsterdammers tend to keep themselves to themselves in cafes, so be
pleasantly surprised if someone starts up a conversation with you. Otherwise,
the city has some really beautiful, well-preserved old cafés
which are very civilised places to socialise with friends.
De Molenpad:
Typical Dutch waterside café. A restful place to have a beer
along one of the main canal routes through the city.
Prinsengracht 653
Brouwerij het Ij
Situated in a former windmill, this unusual café is actually
a micro-brewery; one of two in the city. Brouwerij het Ij, (Prounced
'het eye'), is not the slickest bar in town but the beer is rather special.
Open Wednesday to Sunday 15.00-20.00
Funnenkade 7
Take tram 10 from the centre to get there and tram 7 to get home.
Absinthe Bar A late night bar and good place to meet idiosyncratic
characters
Open daily 20.00-03.00 [04.00 weekends].
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 171 (tel 320 67 80 / 777 48 70)
Trams 1, 2, 5 and others to Dam Square
Café Vertigo A good café and restaurant in Vondelpark
Café Vertigo is attached to the wonderful Nederlands Film Museum,
a cinema dedicated to showing old films.
Vondelpark 3
Open 10.00-01.00 daily
Restaurant open 18.00 to 22.00
Melkhuis A large Café in the middle of Vondelpark.
Open from 10.00 to later during the Summer and from 10.00 to 18.00
in Winter.
Paradiso, A converted church now used to host major bands and
live multi-media events.
Mainly known as a venue for live music, at the weekend it hosts club
nights with local and international DJ's and occasional live acts. Friday
night is VIP club night (Vrijdag in Paradiso) from midnight onwards.
Check out their listings on the website.
Weteringschans 6-8, near Leidesplein tel 623 7348
Tonight @ Hotel Arena, bar, restaurant & dancing. Arena
hosts dance events during the weekend.
Although this hotel and club is a bit out of the centre, it's worth
getting a tram to after a hard day's sightseeing. You'll find a trendy,
relaxed venue next to the pretty Oosterpark (Eastpark). Hotel Arena
is a good place to stay if you are tempted by the fascinating Tropenmuseum,
or the Dappermarkt street market a few minutes walk away.
`S-Gravesandestraat 51
The Rookies, bar and coffeeshop.
A quiet place to smoke a joint, play pool or sit on the terrace. The
owners designed the art-deco furniture inside (and not the plastic tables
on the terrace, hopefully).
Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 145-147
Opening times Weekdays 13.00-01.00 weekends 13.00-03 .00
Bimhuis, Amsterdam's jazz and improvised music venue.
Concerts are held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays whilst open sessions
are held from Monday to Wednesday, starting at 22.30.
There is also the Bimhuis café, which opens from 20.00 or one
hour before a concert.s
Bimhuis
Oude Schans 73-77
Box office 020 623 1361 The box office opens at 20.00 for ticket sales.
Trams 9,14,20 and metro station Waterlooplein nearby
Melkweg, Amsterdam's biggest multi-functional entertainment
venue.
The Melkweg, (Milky way) is not only very central, it also offers music,
drama, movies, a weekend disco, a bar and a restaurant.
Lijnbaansgracht 234
Tel 020 531 8181
Cafe Alto, live jazz every night.
This famous intimate 'brown' bar just off Leidseplein features live
(modern) jazz every night. Alto cafe attracts a mixed crowd of locals
and tourists, and is easily recognized by the large saxophone on the
facade. One of the better jazz spots.
Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 115 (626 32 49).
Open 9pm-3am (4am weekends), admission free.
Bourbon Street, Blues and jazz club with live music every night
This blues and jazz has live music by local talent every night, attracting
a mixed crowd of musicians and other night owls. True to its name, the
interior is filled with lots of references to the roaring twenties.
You can tell if the bar is open when the traffic sign has been placed
outside.
Leidsekruisstraat 6-8
Open 10pm-4am (5am weekends), admission €1,25-€2,25.
Last Waterhole, Traditional 'brown' blues bar is regarded as
Amsterdam's 'Home of the Blues'.
This large rock and blues bar in the middle of the Red Light district
has a strong American feel to it. It seems to appeal to an interesting
combination of Hell's Angels and tourists. Live music every day from
8pm onwards. Three pool tables.
Oudezijds Armsteeg 12 tel 020 624 4814
Open 11am-2pm (4pm weekends),admission free.
Mazzo
Mazzo is a very popular Friday nightclub in Amsterdam. Most of the locals
have nothing but good things to say about it. Everyone reckoned it's
chilled and the staff are friendly. It's not easy to spot: just a door
with MA22O above it in bold black sign letters. Things don't get going
until midnight and there doesn't seem to be much of a dress code other
than come in smart casual or trendy. Although this is probably one of
the smallest clubs in town it has a definite charm and quality to it,
which is lost on a lot of the bigger venues. When you leave, remember
to tip the bouncers (otherwise they may become a bit insistent…)
Rozengracht 114
Mulligans Central Irish Pub
A welcoming Irish pub, apparently the best of the lot, with folk singers
and storytellers most nights. There is Guinness on tap, a friendly atmosphere
and Irish football on a big screen.
Opening times Mon-Thursday 16.00-01:00 Friday and Saturday 16.00-03.00Sunday
14.0001.00, admission free.
The Greenhouse Coffee shop and café in De Pijp
This small coffee shop won the 'High Times Cup' for their particular
brand of cannabis a few years ago and is renowned for the high quality
and diverse range of their speciality products.
Tolstraat 91
9am-1 am Sunday to Thursday
9am to 2am Friday to Saturday
Tram 4 down Van Woustraat to Lutmastraat stop
Café Van Puffelen A unique combination of brown café
and fine restaurant.
This grand café on one of the most beautiful stretches of canals
offers a fine selection of wines as well as afternoon tea.
Café Van Puffelen
Prinsengracht
Happy Hour: Sundays 18.30-20.30 all drinks 50% discount
Opening hours: Midday to late (around 2am)
De Brakke Grond Quiet café with outdoor terrace.
Situated next to the Flemish Cultural Centre behind Dam Square, this
inviting café serves a range of Belgian and Dutch beers.
De Brakke Grond, Nes 45
Opening times Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 - 20.30 Sunday and Monday 13.00-17.00
July and August:Monday to Friday: 10.00 - 17.00 Saturday and Sunday:
13:00 - 17.00
(The café will have later opening hours than the cultural centre
opening times above).
In de Wildeman, Unique bar with hundreds of specialist beers.
Situated in a former Amsterdam distillery, "In de Wildeman"
offers an ideal opportunity to enjoy different beers in an authentic
Dutch environment.
Kolksteeg 3 This path lies between Beurs Van Berlage and Nieuwezijdsvoorburgwal.
Trams 1,2,5,13,17, and numerous buses pass nearby.
Opening times Monday to Thursday: 12:00 - 01:00 Friday and Saturday:
12:00 - 02:00
Closed Sundays
De Bakkerswinkel For breakfast, lunchand high tea. Wonderful
bread and cakes in impressive surroundings.
Until recently, De Bakkerswinkel (The Baker's Shop) had only one lunch
restaurant in the Oud Zuid, ten minutes walk from Museumplein. ranch)
Warmoestraat 69
(Behind Beurs van Berlage, on the corner of Oude Brugsteeg)
Trams 4, 9, 16, 20, 24, 25 to Dam Square or Centraal Station
Opening times:Tuesday to Friday 8.00-18.00 Saturday 8.00 - 17.00 Sunday
11.00 -17.00 Closed Mondays
The other branch of De Bakkerswinkel is at Roelof Hartstraat 68 (near
Museumplein)
Trams 3, 12, 20, 24 stop Roelof Hartplein
Opening times:Tuesday to Friday 07.00 - 19.00 Saturday 07.00 - 17.00
Sunday 10.00 - 16.00 Closed Mondays
Café Gollem, A cosy brown cafe with specialist beers
The best bar in Amsterdam for specialist Belgian beers, and apparently
a friendly place to meet anyone from a top Dutch lawyer to a local plumber.
Trams 1,2,5 and numerous buses pass nearby. A short walk from Spui,
in-between Spuistraat and Singel.
Opening times: Weekdays 1600-01.00 Weekends 1600-02.00
Café Cobra A surprising example of modern architecture
on the edge of Museumplein
Museumplein (behind the Rijksmuseum).
De Sluyswacht: You can imagine yourself chatting to a 17thC
local artist in this rather precarious looking old canal keeper's house.
Built in 1695, probably on wooden piles driven into the water, it leans
quite heavily but has survived intact until now. Virtually opposite
Rembrandt's House, it is like drinking in a tiny-museum, except that
the beer is supplied by contemporary brewers. The terrace at the back
is a peaceful oasis away from the tourist trap of the main street.
Jodenbreestraat 1
(Tram 9, 14, 20 Metro Waterlooplein. Open 11.30-01.00 Monday to Thursday
11.30-03.00 Friday and Saturday 11.30-19.00 Sunday. Credit cards welcome
|