Must-see nightlife in Amsterdam

In this grungy all-ages dive bar, the 'Old Masters' are the Ramones and Black Sabbath. Somehow a handful of pool tables, 1980s and '90s pinball machines,…

High up in the skyscraping Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Twenty Third Bar has sweeping views to the west and south. The adjacent twin-Michelin-starred kitchen of…

The plain industrial exterior doesn't give much away but the Houthavens location (opened 2019) of the socially minded Brouwerij De Prael has a stunning,…

Nicknamed 'Amsterdam's living room', this splendid art nouveau 1902 grand café is in the Amsterdam American Hotel. Its huge stained-glass windows overlook…

Set in a historic 1917 brick building with stunning tilework and a retro colour scheme of pale green and pink, KHL's bar opens to a vine-shaded terrace…

A frieze of Delft blue-and-white tiles – the world's largest Delft-tile tableau – wraps around the walls above beautiful wood panelling at this exquisite…

Wine is a serious business at this vintage-style bar named for the two Scottish chemists who discovered that oxygen is lighter than argon gas, which R&R…

Small, unassuming and unmistakably old (1665), Café Pieper features stained-glass windows, antique beer mugs hanging from the bar and a working Belgian…

In a former technical school, with a tuck shop serving food, this 500-capacity club has three darkened stages (the main one is in the old bike storage…

'Islanders' love this hidden-away waterfront place, a lovely spot for Dutch and Belgian beers, cocktails or a glass of wine. There's a fab terrace…

With Delft Blue tiles and a central stove, this bruin café (brown cafe; pub) is a 1642 gem. The name, 'Papists' Island', goes back to the Reformation,…

A local favourite for generations, the Green Elephant is 19th-century elegance meets modern bohemian, with tiled floors, dark bentwood chairs and leaf…

This luxe bar's location on a low-key stretch of Jordaanian shops and businesses gives it a certain mystique. Its martinis will coax out your inner James…

Between the Artis Royal Zoo and the Hollandsche Schouwburg, Koosje has a lovely location, where you can perch at the window or on the terrace and sup wine…

This buzzing choice has designer chandeliers and a lively, laid-back vibe. It's on the neighbourhood's main gay street and is favoured by a mixed crowd.

Oedipus began with four friends trying out some experimental brewing methods, and its brightly labelled bottles are now an Amsterdam institution. This…

Watch the Amstel flow by from the balcony and waterside terraces of this very grand two-level café with soaring ceilings, streaming natural light and…

Speciality roasters White Label Coffee likes its customers to feel at home. Among the Persian rugs, comfy floor cushions, light wooden furniture and…

BeerTemple’s taps, with 35 rotating draught beers, feature mainly American varieties that you’ll be hard-pushed to find elsewhere in the Dutch capital, as…

Toki's interior is minimalist and then some, with painted concrete floors and a terrazzo sitting area. Take a seat in the window and watch the bikes whizz…