Medieval Centre & Red Light District
This long restaurant-bar is loved for its open, welcoming attitude, great people-watching from the front, and rear lounge where you can chill. It's a…
Must-see nightlife in Amsterdam
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Dark, woody Molly's holds spontaneous trad-music sessions (bring your own instrument and let loose) as well as various live music gigs. Irish beverages…
Western Canal Ring
Decorated with old chemists' bottles and vintage posters, this former pharmacy has a canal-side terrace with afternoon sun and occasional live jazz. It's…
Amsterdam
A fabulously old-school vintage bar, this grand café is a real gathering place for the Old South neighbourhood. When the weather's warm, everyone heads to…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
The teeny, wood-panelled Tweede Kamer ('second living room') feels more like a brown cafe than a coffeeshop, especially given the local crowd and…
Southern Canal Ring
Ablaze with tiling the colour of sunshine, this Spanish tapas bar has an agreeably battered interior and its margaritas are the business. It gets busy…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Also known as Engelse Reet (ask the bartender for a translation), this small, narrow and ramshackle place doesn't allow you to do anything but drink and…
Southern Canal Ring
Café Brecht is one of Amsterdam's loveliest bars, with mismatched armchairs, vintage furniture, books and board games; all are a hit with a young and…
Amsterdam
With a covered terrace and heaters for chillier weather, 'the beer garden' attracts a young and beautiful crowd of locals with its lengthy beer list …
De Pijp
Grab an outdoor table along Sarphatipark, order a frothy beer and see if you don't feel like a local. This is one of the neighbourhood's most genial spots…
Southern Canal Ring
With a cascade of greenery draped over the outside, Café de Wetering is a cosy charmer for a drink or a snack, with a large fireplace and a gloriously…
De Pijp
One of the hottest hang-outs in the 'hood, this 'Barcelona in Amsterdam'–themed bar is the heartbeat of Marie Heinekenplein. Tapas and Catalan mains are…
Jordaan & the West
If you don't want the night to end, P 96 is an amiable hang-out. When most other cafés (pubs) in the Jordaan shut down for the night, this is where…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
In the Tara's maze of rooms spread over six buildings (one of which is the one-time home of German expressionist Max Beckmann) you'll find warm fireplaces…
Amsterdam
Transport yourself to the tropics with a Caribbean negroni and spicy watermelon punch at this Caribbean tiki bar. It mixes up a menu of over 200 Spanish-,…
Amsterdam
This is where the classic Dutch brown cafe (pub) meets the Caribbean: there's a background of faded decadence, palm-leaf-print walls, rattan lightshades…
Southern Canal Ring
Amid the hubbub off busy Leidseplein, this is a mellow, friendly brown cafe (traditional Dutch pub) with yellow walls and mismatched decorations. The main…
Amsterdam
A cafe for literature and music lovers, with regular photographic exhibitions, this is a peaceful canal-side haven, renowned for its in-house live jazz…
Amsterdam
A former dentistry academy now contains this 24-hour-licensed venue hosting DJ-fuelled dance parties and various events such as art exhibitions, workshops…
Amsterdam Noord
With its industrial setting, this small, laid-back venue has a rough-around-the-edges feel, very much in keeping with its neighbours on the up-and-coming…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Around since 1979, the Eagle is a classic. This men-only, leather-denim bar offers three levels of action, including basement darkrooms and a house-music…
Southern Canal Ring
From front to back, Duke of Tokyo is packed with trendy designs. Each of the bar's eight karaoke booths has a different look inspired by districts like…
Jordaan & the West
House, techno and acid dominate at this club in a concrete, steel and brick building with exposed pipes and great acoustics for the state-of-the-art sound…
Amsterdam
Orloff's sprawling terrace, shaded by a red awning on the picturesque Kadijksplein, is perfection on a sun-splashed day, supping from its array of beers…
Amsterdam
A light-filled corner cafe that fills with creatives on laptops and hip mums catching up over expertly made brew, Rum Baba does its own roasting just a…
Jordaan & the West
'Farm to cup' coffee here focuses on Colombian beans, which Drupa roasts, grinds and brews utilising methods including V60, Chemex and Kyoto-style cold…
Jordaan & the West
Always a good place to start the evening, De Tuin has a timeless decor of stained-glass light fittings, paisley wallpaper, posters and mirrors, and a wide…
Southern Canal Ring
Opened in the 1700s as a tea and coffee outlet for the Dutch East India Company, Oosterling is now run by friendly brothers Oscar and Marcel, the fourth…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
The pioneer of Amsterdam's beer cafes is a minuscule space covered all over in beer paraphernalia. The 14 beers on tap and 200 in the bottle (mostly from…
Amsterdam
This modern cafe has a stylish fit-out with wooden floors, dangling light globes and a timber-slatted curved ceiling. Single-origin beans are roasted…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
This is one of the most popular coffeeshops in town, with a mostly young, backpacking crowd partaking of the wares. Smokers love the funky music,…
De Pijp
Jones Brothers roasts organic and UTZ (certified sustainable) beans in Amsterdam and brews them here; you can stop for a coffee at its clutch of tables,…
Southern Canal Ring
Gay favourite Taboo has plentiful two-for-one happy hours (6pm to 8pm and 1am to 2am). It's snug inside, though on warmer days everyone spills out onto…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Mellow music, comfy sofas, thick milkshakes and rooms with different energy levels spread across Abraxas' floors, connected by a spindly spiral staircase…
Southern Canal Ring
A knowingly fabulous crowd frequents Suzy Wong, a celeb magnet for its exclusive feel and louche drawing room interior featuring red-velveteen wallpaper…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
With an interior that resembles a larger-than-life lava lamp, Dampkring is famed for having one of Amsterdam's most comprehensive cannabis menus, with…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
More than 50 wines are available by the glass at this stylish wine bar, along with wine-tasting flights (three half-glasses from €16). All up there are…
Southern Canal Ring
NeL, a stately white house on a hidden-away square, is a contender for having the best terrace in Amsterdam. Outside, mature trees provide a canopy that…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
While the terrace spreading over a bridge spanning the Singel is one of the prettiest spots for a drink when the sun's shining, the interior – with its…
Jordaan & the West
The hub of the Jordaan chess circuit is one of the neighbourhood's oldest cafés (pubs). Local masters test their wits over a drink; you can also battle it…
