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 Amsterdam
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Amsterdam
Mixologist Sam Kingue Ebelle concocts impressively inventive cocktails (€10.50 to €13) at this moody bar on Amstelveenseweg. For theatrical drama, try the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Not much bigger than a vat of jenever (Dutch gin), this magnificent little tasting house has been going strong since 1782. On offer are 14 jenevers and…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Sample organic beers (Scotch ale, IPA, barley wine and many more varieties) from the socially minded De Prael brewery, known for employing people with a…
Amsterdam
With wow-factor views whatever the weather, this bar offers a 360-degree panorama of Amsterdam from the 11th floor of the DoubleTree Amsterdam Centraal…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Candles flicker on the tables, old jazz records play in the background, and chandeliers and a birdcage hang from the ceiling at atmospheric de Dokter,…
Southern Canal Ring
By the Amstel, Café Langereis is a recreation of a brown cafe (traditional Dutch pub), a look the friendly young owner so admires that she scoured the…
Amsterdam
In an industrial estate at Sloterdijk, this warehouse's four enormous halls with phenomenal lighting and sound systems accommodate up to 2500 clubbers,…
Jordaan & the West
Overlooking reed-filled ponds and a weir, the massive decked terrace here is hotly contested on sunny afternoons, but the soaring brick-and-steel post…
Southern Canal Ring
You'll need to send a text or WhatsApp for a reservation to gain entry to this speakeasy behind an unmarked door. Some of Amsterdam's most amazing…
De Pijp
At this bare-brick space, the 30 taps feature a rotating range of obscure brews such as New Zealand Yeastie Boys, Austrian Bevog, Spanish Naparbier and…
Southern Canal Ring
It's easy to lose track of time in this ultra-cool neighbourhood cafe with teal walls and exposed light bulbs and wood shelves hanging on ropes. Back to…
Southern Canal Ring
In this large industrial space, watch from up close as bakers knead dough and work the wood-fired oven. Benches provide ample space for coffee dates or…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Bierfabriek's Pure pilsner, Nero porter and Rosso ruby ale (plus a seasonally changing variety) are brewed in these raw-concrete surrounds and best…
Amsterdam Noord
The original Café Noorderlicht was in a boat, which burned down. Safely ensconced in a soaring greenhouse, with grassy waterside lawns outside and a…
Jordaan & the West
Kegs above the bar at Brouwerij Troost's Bilderdijkstraat outpost deliver fresh beer to its 15 taps. Rotating varieties might include Honingblond (brewed…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Inside the Beurs van Berlage cultural centre, with a massive vintage movie camera in its foyer, this spectacular café with soaring vaulted-brick ceilings…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
The drinks list at this elegant bar in the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky pays homage to AW Krasnapolsky, a tailor who moved from Germany to Amsterdam in…
