-
De Huyschkaemer Designer Bar
A one-time restaurant, De Huyschkaemer has made the transition to a full-time designer bar, with a mixed crowd - gay and straight, expat and local, old and young. The setting is minimalist, with spare walls and booths.
-
De Ii Prinsen
With its large windows, chandelier, mosaic floor and big terrace, this café looks suitably restrained. You may be surprised then by the pumping disco music inside; all those students munching on tasty sandwiches don't seem to mind.
-
De Koe
'The Cow' is loved by a 25-plus crowd of locals for its gezellig atmosphere, fun pop quizzes, darts tournaments, good (cheap) restaurant and free performances by local rock bands.
-
De Kroon
A popular venue for media events and movie-premiere parties, with high ceilings, velvet chairs, and the chance to wave at the Little People below on the Rembrandtplein. There is a lift to get up the two storeys, but climb the two flights instead and you'll be rewarded with an Art Deco tiled staircase.
-
De Pieper
Considered by some customers to be the king of the brown cafés, De Pieper is small, unassuming and unmistakably old (1665). The interior features stained-glass windows, fresh sand on the floors, antique Delft beer mugs hanging from the bar and a working Belgian beer pump (1875). It's a friendly, sweet place for a late-night Wieckse Witte.
-
De Reiger
Assiduously local but highly atmospheric, this funky little cafe has a satisfyingly quiet front bar and a noisy, more spacious dining section at the back for those who prefer a little rumbling with their ambience. The menu provided is reasonably short, but tasty, including steak or duck with peppercorns.
-
De Sluyswacht
Listing like a ship in a high wind, this tiny black building was once a lock-keeper's house on the Oude Schans. These days the canalside terrace is one of the nicest spots available in town to relax and down a beer or two (Dommelsch is the house speciality) with gorgeous views of the Montelbaanstoren.
-
De Smoeshaan
Theater Bellevue's café gets pretty lively, both before and after the shows, with theatre visitors and performers. During daytimes it's a nice place to relax by the Singelgracht. The pub food is better than it needs to be (try the gehakt at lunch time) and there's a good full-on restaurant upstairs too (restaurant closed July to mid-August).
-
De Trut
Just west of the Jordaan, this Sunday-night club is a lesbian institution held in the basement of a former squat. Its name means 'the tart' and it comes with an attitude; arrive well before , and know that heteros are definitely not welcome.
-
De Tuin
De Tuin is always a good place to start your evening before heading on to something else (or perhaps settling back and not going anywhere at all). The youngish clientele enjoying the wide selection of Belgian beers on offer, as well as the good food and the funky soul music that pervades throughout the place.
-
Advertisement
-
De Twee Zwaantjes
The small, authentic De Twee Zwaantjes ('Two Swans') is at its hilarious best on weekend nights when you can join some 100-odd people belting out their own idiosyncratic versions of numerous torch songs and pop standards. The hours that the swans keep tend to be erratic, so it's best to ring ahead before heading down this way.
-
De Zwart
'Not everyone has knowledge of beer, but those who have it drink it here,' is the translation of the slogan on a panel above this atmospheric bar with the original tile floor from 1921. Just across the alley from Hoppe, De Zwart gets a different (though amicable) crowd of left-wing journalists and writers, as well as local-government people.
-
Diep
Diep does first-rate quirky decorations. You might find chandeliers made of bubble wrap, a 6ft fibreglass hammerhead shark, illuminated electronic signs above the bar and a similarly creative crowd
-
Dulac
This former bank building is outrageously decked-out in a kooky, kind of spooky mixture of styles (think a unique combination of Turkish, Art Nouveau and Amsterdam School designs, with Gothic accents). There are DJs Thursday through to Saturday, a pool table and an amiable mix of students, older folks and Americans.
-
Durty Nelly's
Huge, dark and always busy, Durty Nelly's, deep in the heart of the Red Light District, attracts foreign visitors from the cheap hotels in the area on the lookout for fun, drinks, darts and pool. It serves a first-rate Irish breakfast (perfect for the morning after) and has Internet access available as well.
-
Dutch Flowers
Were it not for this shop's main wares, you'd be hard pressed to distinguish it from a brown café, with the game on TV and a lovely view of the Singel. It all means that you needn't slum it with the college kids or feel as if you've gone to Jamaica or India in order to enjoy a toke.
-
El Guapo
Sorta Latin, sorta caveman, this shop is populated by friendly people and is known for some of the best hash in town. You can bring your own music and ask them to play it - just remember to get it back when you leave.
-
Entre Nous
If you're looking for somewhere quiet and calm to lay your head on your arms after the excitement of a visit to Montmartre, this understated bar decked-out with charming red wallpaper is an excellent choice to meet your requirements - it's quiet, friendly and unpretentious with sincerely unimposing staff.
-
Escape
At the largest club in Amsterdam (with a capacity of 2000) you can expect a dressed-up crowd, laser shows, pumping music and heavy security at the door. Chemistry, Saturday's house/techno night, has been pulling in huge crowds for years with its wildly popular mix of local and international superstar DJs. First Friday of the month is Salvation, one of Amsterdam's leading gay dance nights.
-
Eylders
During WWII, Eylders was a meeting place for artists who refused to toe the cultural line imposed by the Nazis, and the spirit lingers on. It's still an artists' café with exhibits, and makes a quiet retreat from the Leidseplein.
-
Advertisement
-
Finch
This funkalicious bar with its retro décor (deliberately mismatched yet somehow harmonious) is just the spot to hang out and knock back a few beers after a visit to the market. It's known for an arty-designy clientele, and lipstick lesbians.
-
G-Spot
While this contemporary minimalist bar-restaurant with its bright light-filled interior is very lovely, the canalside terrace with pretty views will keep you outside. Good wines by the glass.
-
Global Chillage
This relaxed shop with friendly staff looks like a little forest with trippy murals and chilled-out music (African and jazzy beats), populated by happy smokers relaxing on comfortable couches.
-
Gollem
Gollem, the undisputed pioneer of Amsterdam's brown cafes, is a minuscule space literally covered in archival beer paraphernalia (old coasters, bottles and posters). The 200 beers on offer, both on tap and in the bottle, attract lots of drinkers, which, after all is the reason that beer was invented.
-
Greenhouse
One of the most popular coffeeshops in town. Smokers love the funky music, multicoloured mosaics, psychedelic stained-glass windows and the high-quality weed and hash. The central location near the Dam is a plus.
