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Siberië
It's a comfortable, living-room-like setting and the owners are known for supplementing their wares with cultural events like poetry slams, acoustic concerts, DJ nights and even horoscope readings.
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Soho
Pure kitsch - imagine an old-world English library on the Titanic - this huge, two-storey bar pumps with a young and ridiculously pretty clientele, drinking and flirting around the bar or on the upstairs Chesterfield sofas.
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Star Ferry
It's practically a commandment nowadays that any newly built performing space worth the name has to have a flash café, and the café at the new Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ is hard to beat for location and views. Several storeys of glass give you an IJ's-eye perspective.
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Sugar Factory
Cool spot, excellent location and a varied line-up are the hallmarks here. Most nights have both early programs (live music, cinema or spoken word) and late-night fun including DJs and dancing. So pop in and check it out, there's something guaranteed to tickle every one of your fancies.
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Suzy Wong
This sure-to-impress bar bustles with Dutch trendies and actors. The look? Victorian drawing room on speed, with red velveteen wallpaper and a bamboo garden; a photo of Andy Warhol observes. A worthy place to fortify yourself before heading out for a night on the town.
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Tara
This expat meeting place combines Irish folksiness with Amsterdam chic. In its maze of rooms (the one-time home of German expressionist Max Beckmann) you'll find warm fireplaces, a cool bar, gorgeous wall carvings and seats salvaged from an old Irish church. Catch frequent musical happenings and sports on the telly. Meals include Irish stew, and beef and Guinness pie (mains around €11 .50 to Euro13.50).
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Theater Bellevue
Come here for experimental theatre, international cabaret and modern dance, mainly in Dutch. Its affiliate, Nieuwe de la Mar at Marnixstraat 404 (Ph: 530 53 01) presents road shows (sometimes in English), international festivals and occasionally light kids' plays. The box office for both theatres is at Leidsekade 90.
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Thermos Day Sauna
Thermos is a sprawling, popular place for sexual contacts, with porn movies, private (or not so private) darkrooms, roof deck, hair salon and restaurant. Thermos' night-owl brother, Thermos Night Sauna (Kerkstraat 58-60, Ph: 62349036), is the place to let it all hang out after the clubs close. It's similar to the day sauna, except there's no restaurant roof deck or hair salon.
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To Night
In keeping with the club's name, each night is different - everything from dance classics to salsa. The interior is magnificent, the chapel of a one-time orphanage.
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Tropeninstituut Theater
The live agenda is like no place else in Amsterdam, mainly South American, Indian and African, films and offerings like Japanese geisha.
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Tuschinskitheater
Extensively refurbished, Amsterdam's most famous cinema is a monument that's worth visiting on the strength of its sumptuous Art Deco/Amsterdam School interior decorations alone. In terms of what's screening, expect to see mainly mainstream blockbusters. If you want something more high art, inquire about 90-minute tours of the building.
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Twins Backstage
The twins Greg and Gary Christmas once had a song-and-dance act, and in the 1970s they opened this café as a sideline. Greg passed away several years ago, and Gary keeps things going with substantial help from the neighbours. Don't expect crisp service or top-notch food, but do expect encompassing kitsch, from mannequins in crocheted shawls to flower power decals.
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Vakzuid
A glamorous club-restaurant at the 1928 Olympic Stadium, Vakzuid has a large dance floor and loads of comfortable lounges to pose on. There's a lot of house, with some '80s and disco thrown in for good measure.
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Van Puffelen
Popular with the cashed-up professional crowd, Van Puffelen is one of Amsterdam's largest and busiest brown cafes. It's divided into a range of cosy nooks and romantic alcoves, an arrangement that manages to make its two huge rooms feel quite intimate despite their size. The lunchtime tapas are delicious.
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Vivelavie
Just off Rembrandtplein, this lively place is probably Amsterdam's most popular lesbian café for its flirty girls, good-natured staff, loud music and large windows. In summer the outdoor terrace buzzes.
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Vrankrijk
'Boom!' says the colourful cartoon-poster of a façade, till the early '80s a familiar sound in this squatter's pad, once the scene of scuffles with police in riot gear. It's mellowed a bit but is still active, but more with social-support groups than protests. Monday is Queer Night, and on Thursdays there's 'consultation' for squatters. The interior is still suitably grubby, mainly out of solidarity.
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Web
Cruisey, well-established leather and clone bar with darkrooms and 'bear nights'. No, the pit below the grate in the floor is not a real loo.
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Weber
We love this buzzy bar for its loud indie music, retro décor and unpretentious local vibe. Cheap drinks and friendly service are an added incentive to head here on a Saturday night - if you can squeeze in!
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Westergasterras
This cool, postindustrial, indoor-outdoor space is screamingly popular on Fridays for theme nights such as 'Tropical', and the pace hardly slows the rest of the week. Make an evening of it: dinner or a movie at the Westergasfabriek, and then hit the club.
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Wildschut
A real gathering place for the Old South. When the weather's warm, pretty much everyone heads to the terrace, with views of the Amsterdam School buildings. And when the weather's not great, soak up the atmosphere in the Art Deco interior.
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Winston Kingdom
Changing theme nights (think the 'sexy, trashy and suave' Club Vegas on Sundays) and a fine line-up of local DJs make Winston very hip, very cool and very Amsterdam.
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Wolvenstraat 23
This funky bar with no name - we dare you to find a sign anywhere - is especially popular with locals, who come for the good wines by the glass, great music and tasty Asian snacks. If this is your kind of place, check out their other bar, Finch.
