Entertainment in The Netherlands
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Oosterling
Opened in the 1700s as a tea and coffee outlet for the Dutch East India Company, Oosterling is as authentic as it gets – run by the same family since 1877. These days it’s packed with the after-work-drinks crowd and is one of the very few cafes that has a bottle-shop (liquor-store) permit.
reviewed
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Abraxas
The Abraxas management knows what stoners want: mellow music, comfy sofas, rooms with different energy levels and thick milkshakes. The considerate staff and laid-back clientele make this a great place for coffee-shop newbies, who can get stoned and send strange emails from the computers.
reviewed
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De Admiraal
The grandest and largest of Amsterdam’s tasting houses, De Admiraal is also a restaurant and party venue. Although some grumble that they pour only their own house brands (16 jenevers and 60 liqueurs), it’s hard to quibble over the lovely setting and pleasant staff.
reviewed
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Baba
Not the cheapest weed in town, but it packs a punch and is sure to get you walloped to another plane. Pick up a bag of Silver Haze, plant yourself at the front window and watch the colourful types all run together along Warmoesstraat. The hash brownies have mother’s special touch.
reviewed
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NEL
The new owners of NEL (formerly called Janvier) have spruced up the inside with a mellow brasserie on one side and a stylish bar on the other, but on a sunny afternoon there’s nothing better than to sit under the shady canopy of trees and lazily contemplate the quiet surrounding square.
reviewed
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Latei
Don’t worry, the cool staff at this tiny cafe won’t sell the Formica-top table out from under you - though it, and every other piece of mod decor here, is for sale. A steady stream of neighbourhood residents pops in for koffie verkeerd (milky coffee) .
reviewed
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Café de Vergulde Gaper
Decorated with old chemists’ bottles and vintage posters, this former pharmacy has amiable staff and a terrace that catches the sun. It gets busy late in the afternoon, with all kinds of people meeting for after-work drinks and big plates of fried snacks or salads for dinner.
reviewed
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De Buurvrouw
This grungy late-night bar is where you inevitably end up when there’s nowhere else to go. Take it easy because someone’s watching: above the entrance is a painting of de Buurvrouw (the woman next door). And yes, everyone is probably as drunk as you.
reviewed
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Rokerij
Behind this black hole of an entrance you’ll find Asian decor and candlelight for those tired of the Rastafarian vibe. Staff at this flagship branch have a reputation for friendliness, explaining why outlets have shot up like weed(s), but this is the cosiest location by far.
reviewed
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Take One
Cramped and narrow from the outside, this 1930s’ tavern has well over 100 beers from the most obscure parts of the Benelux. It’s run by a husband-and-wife team who help you select the beer most appropriate to your taste. The Bink Blonde is sweet, tangy and very good.
reviewed
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Kapitein Zeppo’s
This site, off Grimburgwal, has assumed many guises over the centuries: a cloister during the 15th, a horse-carriage storehouse in the 17th and a cigar factory in the 19th. These days it’s festive, attractive and almost romantic, with a beautiful garden and Belgian brews.
reviewed
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Café ‘t Smalle
There’s no more convivial spot than this canal-side terrace on a sunny day, and the 18th-century interior is perfect in winter. Proof of its powerful gezelligheid (cosy sense of wellbeing) : it manages to remain a lively local bar even while newcomers discover it daily.
reviewed
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Struik
If you prefer your beer with a background of hip hop, breakbeats and soul, come to this laid-back corner cafe, which does good food (rockin’ roti on Tuesdays, hangover brunch on Sundays) then segues into drinking and chatting to an old-school playlist or a DJ on weekends.
reviewed
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Bitterzoet
Always full, always changing, this is one of the friendliest venues in town. One night it might be full of skater dudes; the next, relaxed 30-somethings. Music (sometimes live, sometimes a DJ) can be funk, roots, drum’n’bass, Latin, Afro-beat, old-school jazz or hip-hop groove.
reviewed
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Canvas
A restaurant/cocktail bar/club that sits up high on the 7th floor of the former Volkskrant newspaper office. Expect arty, edgy types coolly sipping their €6 cocktails; taking in sweeping views; boogying to hip hop, house and funk; or chillin’ on the spacious terrace.
reviewed
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Dansen Bij Jansen
For over a generation, this rambling space has been Amsterdam’s most famous student nightclub, and it still thumps nightly on two sweaty floors. The secret? Cheap drinks, a fun selection of classic disco and house, and a relaxed dress code. Valid student cards are required.
reviewed
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Bar Rock
A fun joint with old LPs hanging in the window (that would be large vinyl records, not guidebooks…). You never know what you’ll hear at night as the payment policy for bands is a crate of beer. There’s also darts and a classic merry Dutch drinking vibe.
reviewed
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Café-Restaurant Dantzig
Located in the Stopera building, Dantzig doesn’t have the history of some of the other cafes in town, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing. The great Amstel-side terrace is always busy in summer, with excellent views over the water and lots of sunlight.
reviewed
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Boom Chicago
Performances of English-language stand-up and improv comedy year-round. See it over dinner and a few drinks. The ‘Late Nite Improv’ show (the second and third Friday of each month) is always a crowd-puller. Inspiration is drawn from Chicago’s legendary Second City theatre.
reviewed
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Chocolate
Chocolate is a standout lounge bar. It's nestled among a clutch of other bars on a great little pedestrian street, all of which attract a lively local crowd, especially on summer evenings. And while Chocolate's terrace is the most popular, we really love the vibe inside.
reviewed
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De Unie
Truly cultural, this venue is a vision in white, which provides a blank slate for events from cabaret to forums about taxation and the middle class to acoustic folk. It’s safe to say that the high-brow debates here continue right out to the tables out the front.
reviewed
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De Zotte
If you can’t make up your mind in this Belgian beer bar, start with the weekly special. Those Trappist monks can brew some deadly ones so you might want to line your stomach with a hearty cheese plate or steak - the kitchen’s open between 6.30pm and 9pm.
reviewed
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Het Papeneiland
This popular 1642 place features Delft-blue tiles and a central stove. The name goes back to the Reformation, when there was a clandestine Catholic church across the canal, allegedly linked to the other side by a tunnel that’s still visible from the stair-top.
reviewed
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Doelen
On a busy crossroads between the Amstel and the Red Light District, this cafe dates to 1895 and looks it: carved wooden goat’s head, leaded stained-glass lamps, sand on the floor. During fine weather the tables spill across the street for picture-perfect canal views.
reviewed
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Café Dante
This huge art deco space is quiet as auntie’s back garden during the day, but after 5pm weeknights it transforms into a lively bar for the downtown business crowd. Plus, you get your choice of outside views: the busy Spui out front or the lovely Singel in the back.
reviewed