Jordaan & the West
Dating back to 1786 as a jenever (Dutch gin) distillery and tasting house, and restored during the 1970s with antique porcelain beer pumps and lead-framed…
Must-see nightlife in The Netherlands
Groningen
Drinking spaces don't get cooler than Mr Mofongo. Think student-hip cafe with buzzing pavement terrace on the ground floor, and cocktail bar with…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Candles burn even during the day in this 15th-century building – one of two remaining wooden buildings in the city – which has been a tavern since 1519…
Rotterdam
Sustainable, innovative and funky as anything, this bar-cafe in the former Tropicana baths has a large terrace boasting views across the Nieuwe Maas river…
Amsterdam Noord
Uber-cool Pllek is a Noord magnet, with hip things of all ages streaming over to hang out in its interior made of old shipping containers and, when the…
Amsterdam Noord
Tucked in a former shipyard and designed by architect Wouter Valkenier, built from recycled materials and with a focus on sustainability, this waterside…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
An Amsterdam institution, Hoppe has been filling glasses since 1670. Barflies and raconteurs toss back brews amid the ancient wood panelling of the bruin…
Rotterdam
Rotterdam's first artisanal coffee roastery (there are now 12), Man Met Bril sources direct-trade, 90% organic beans from across the globe and then roasts…
Amsterdam
Out on a limb by the canal and listing like a ship in high winds, this tiny black building dating to 1695 was once a lock-keeper's house on the Oude…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Pull up a stool at the carved wooden bar and choose from the glinting brass taps. It's all about Belgian beers here: eight flow from the spouts, and…
Amsterdam
This is one of those 'only in Amsterdam' places, and well worth the trip. Once-derelict shipyards now host this epically cool artist collective–bar…
Haarlem
At its brewery 4km northeast of Haarlem's centre, Uiltje has a lively bar area and sunny courtyard where you can try its 10 draught and two cask beers,…
Distilleerderij 't Nieuwe Diep
Amsterdam
Appearing out of the woods like a Hansel and Gretel cottage, the quaint architecture and rural setting of this old pumping station are enchanting and it…
De Pijp
Watch beer being brewed in copper vats behind a glass wall at this outstanding craft brewery. Its dozen beers include a summery blonde, a smoked porter, a…
Frisian Islands
Not far from the picture-book lighthouse in Hollum is this sizzling beach club on the sand. Lounge here with islanders in the know over a G&T and cocktail…
Nijmegen
Famed far and wide for its expertly shaken craft cocktails, Demain (French for 'tomorrow') is a fantastic spot to begin or end an evening out. It has a…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Dating from 1679, this small tasting house in an arcade behind NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky serves scores of jenevers (Dutch gins) and liqueurs. Although…
Overijssel
Two huge potted palm trees herald the entrance to this pop-up beach bar, inside an industrial container by the canal. Striped deckchairs lounge on golden…
Amsterdam
This gloriously historic but updated bruin café (traditional Dutch pub) first opened its doors in 1702. It's named after an icebreaker that used to dock…
Amsterdam
Can you get more Dutch than drinking a craft beer beneath the creaking sails of the 1725-built De Gooyer Windmill? Amsterdam's leading microbrewery makes…
Overijssel
'Fancy hotdogs and original cocktails' is the driver of this uber-hip bar and eatery on fashionable Gasthuisplein. Craft cocktails (€7.50 to €10) are…
Amsterdam
Mixologist Sam Kingue Ebelle concocts impressively inventive cocktails (€10.50 to €13) at this moody bar on Amstelveenseweg. For theatrical drama, try the…
Groningen
The hip go-to address at any time, the Concert House is a hybrid cafe, bar, and DJ and live-music space with pavement terrace overlooking one of the city…
Amsterdam
Reachable via a couple of pedestrian/bike bridges from the NEMO Science Museum, this cool, laid-back waterside cafe is built from recycled materials and…
Amsterdam
Zoom up to the Volkshotel's 7th-floor bar for some of the best views in town, either through its large windows or on the open terrace. A creative-folk and…
Groningen
With traditional, plum-painted facade overlooking the Hoge der A canal, this stylish cafe is the last word in canal-side chic. Its summertime terrace –…
Amsterdam
Look downstairs to the open cellar to see (and, better still, smell) fresh coffee beans being roasted on the Probat at this streetwise spot. Beans are…
Amsterdam
Named after the owner’s grandmother, this charming bar in the canal-side boutique hotel, Misc EatDrinkSleep, feels like your grandma’s living room with…
Haarlem
Haarlem's most atmospheric place to drink is this independent brewery inside a stained-glass-windowed 1910 church. Enjoy brews such as citrusy Hopen,…
Jordaan & the West
Troost's cavernous, industrial Westergasfabriek space is punctuated by big silver tanks cooking up saison, blond ale and smoked porter varieties. The…
Rotterdam
This excellent brewery is the brainchild of Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam, the artists responsible for the enormous Cornucopia work on the inside of…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Beneath 1930s arched brick ceilings, Cut Throat ingeniously combines a men's barbering service (book ahead) with a happening bar serving international…
Den Bosch
Perfect for a coffee, fresh juice, croque-monsieur or lunchtime baguette, Robbies is a prize-winning 'concept store' in a former bank building – look…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Chandeliers glitter beneath wooden beams at Tales & Spirits, which creates its own house infusions, syrups and vinegar-based shrubs. Cocktails such as Any…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
A treasure dating from 1650, with a wall of barrels made by master shipbuilders, the tasting room of distiller Bootz specialises in liqueurs, including…
North Holland
Hidden away at the Compagnieshaven marina, local favourite De Masten has a cavernous nautical-themed interior with printed maps on the ceiling, old ship's…
Jordaan & the West
Monks' phenomenal house blend, prepared with a variety of brewing methods, is outstanding; it also serves superb coffee from small-scale specialists such…
Rotterdam
Beer is a more common tipple than wine in Rotterdam, so many bars here have less-than-stellar selections of wine by the glass or bottle. That's not the…
Rotterdam
In a bokaal (trophy) location at the heart of the enclave around pedestrian Nieuwemarkt and Pannekoekstraat, Bokaal has an indoor bar and a huge all-day…
Western Canal Ring
This gorgeous restyled bruin café, with glowing copper jenever (Dutch gin) boilers behind the bar, only serves Dutch beer – but with more than 100…
