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…
Must-see nightlife in Amsterdam
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Amsterdam
Mixologist Sam Kingue Ebelle concocts impressively inventive cocktails (€10.50 to €13) at this moody bar on Amstelveenseweg. For theatrical drama, try the…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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Amsterdam
In an industrial estate at Sloterdijk, this warehouse's four enormous halls with phenomenal lighting and sound systems accommodate up to 2500 clubbers,…
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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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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De Pijp
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…
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Amsterdam
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…
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Medieval Centre & Red Light District
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…
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De Pijp
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…
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Amsterdam
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…
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Amsterdam
'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…
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Amsterdam
A local favourite for generations, the Green Elephant is 19th-century elegance meets modern bohemian, with tiled floors, dark bentwood chairs and leaf…
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Amsterdam
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…
Amsterdam Noord
Oedipus began with four friends trying out some experimental brewing methods, and its brightly labelled bottles are now an Amsterdam institution. This…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
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…
