The best bars in Amsterdam
Picture this: it’s early evening, and you’re biking through cobbled city streets, past elegant canal houses with cosy, glowing interiors and over centuries-old bridges. Suddenly you feel drops of rain. They steadily increase in frequency as a strong gust of wind blows you back, ripping your hat from your head and stopping you in your path.
No matter what the season, this could describe any average evening in the Netherlands. But what do countries with less-than-ideal weather have in common? They have fantastic bars.
From brown bars – the traditional Dutch pub – with ornate interiors to dashing cocktail bars and everything in between, Amsterdam is filled to the brim with drinking wells to suit all styles. Here are very best bars in Amsterdam.
1. Bar Centraal
Bar Centraal is a neighbourhood spot with a five-star natural wine list, and elegant small plate selection. But it’s the interiors of this place that really make it stand out – its exceptionally cosy with a distinctly Dutch feel. Pull up a stool at the bar and sip a chilled glass of wine as you order pretty plates piled high with fresh, tasty ingredients.
Area: Oud-West
Price: ££
Website: barcentraal.nl
2. Murmur
While a trip on the ferry may seem daunting to visitors, the good thing about heading north in Amsterdam is that you’ll find much more space – which means bigger terraces and more space for dancing. Murmur serves up Levantine food and great drinks, but the best bit is the live music – the bar has a schedule of acts from Thursday to late Saturday. Check the website for the programme, and be sure to reserve for dinner.
Area: Noord
Price: ££
Website: murmurmur.nl
3. Vesper
Vesper Bar is a true neighbourhood establishment. While the venue itself is historic, the bar is just over 10 years old and has managed to create a deeply embedded sense of community. Visitors should be sure to order its namesake drink, a twist on the classic martini.
Area: Haarlemmerbuurt
Price: ££
Website: vesperbar.nl
4. Phono Lake
If you want a bar where you can dance, Phono Lake is your best bet. This bar describes itself as a “musical environment” – and is one of the city's most talked about nightlife spots. It’s a bit of a trek, but its lakeside location in Sloterpark makes it well worth the long bike ride.
Area: Nieuw-West
Price: ££
Website: instagram.com
5. Café Lennep
Café Lennep is one of those under-the-radar spots in Amsterdam that sits right on the canal, just far away enough from the centre so you can still find a terrace seat on a sunny day. The menu features beers from local brewery Brouwerij 't IJ, and a menu featuring locally sourced ingredients. The terrace is also the perfect place to catch the sunset.
Area: Centrum
Price: ££
Website: cafelennep.nl
6. Flying Dutchman Cocktails
Ideal for a nightcap, Flying Dutchman Cocktails focuses on high-quality cocktails made with local spirits, all served in a frescoed and stained glass interior. Try the Sunset Strip – a punchy blend of whisky, grapefruit liqueur and Campari. If you’re looking to sample the Flying Dutchman’s tipples on a weekend, a reservation is your best bet.
Area: Singel
Price: £££
Website: flyingdutchmencocktails.shop
7. Café de Dokter
Founded in 1798 by a surgeon, Café de Dokter is also considered the smallest pub in the city. Enter for charming antique interiors and quirky bric-à-brac including an old birdcage, vintage lamps and a spindly spiral staircase.
Area: Centraal
Price: ££
Website: instagram.com
8. Hannekes Boom
There are an unfortunately small number of bars in Amsterdam that successfully bridge the gap between pub and casual dance venue, but Hannekes Boom, a shack-style venue made from reclaimed wood and other salvaged materials, does just that. This waterfront bar frequently hosts live music, has plenty of outdoor seating (although it still fills up fast on a sunny day) and even appears to float on water.
Area: Oost
Price: ££
Website: hannekesboom.nl
9. Vergulden Eenhoorn
Another off-the-beaten-path gem, Vergulden Eenhoorn, which translates to “golden unicorn,” is a former farmhouse built in 1702 and tucked in between modern residential buildings. With an eclectic, cabin-like interior and roaring fireplaces in the colder months, this bar and restaurant will make you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.
Area: Oost
Price: ££
Website: verguldeneenhoorn.nl
10. Cecconi’s Amsterdam
Cecconi’s is not your typical Dutch bar – small, cosy and filled with dark wooden fixtures and dusty artefacts – but there’s no doubt that it’s beautiful. Set in Soho House and decorated in typical Soho House style, this former trading office boasts tall ceilings, elegant lighting and stairwells running from the ground floor to the rooftop bar, making it a lighter, brighter, aperitivo-style venue.
Area: Centrum
Price: £££
Website: cecconisamsterdam.com
11. Door 74
There are few better places for elegant cocktails and moody lighting than Door 74. This speakeasy brings in techniques from all over the world, without the fussiness or pretension that plagues many cocktail bars of its ilk. However, this is a favourite haunt for many locals, so be sure to make a reservation to guarantee a seat.
Area: Grachtengordel (Centrum)
Price: £££
Website: finddoor74.com
12. Tales & Spirits
Run by a couple, Lydia Soedadi and Boudewijn Mesritz, Tales & Spirits is one of the city’s most well-known cocktail bars, serving everything from classic mixed drinks to theatrical cocktails. Be sure to try their most famous drink, the What If, a pineapple-ginger twist on the daiquiri. No reservation is needed.
Area: Singel
Price: £££
Website: talesandspirits.com
13. Branie Bar
Known more as a restaurant, Brainie Bar also has a small bar at its front where patrons can order cocktails influenced by Indonesian flavours. We recommend it as a bar, but be sure to order some snacks as well to help you understand the flavours.
Area: Oud-West
Price: ££
Website: branieamsterdam.com
14. Distillery ‘t Nieuwe Diep
Located in the depths of East Amsterdam’s beautiful Flevopark, Distillery ‘t Nieuwe Diep is, as the name suggests, both a bar and distillery. Considering how tricky it is to find, patrons are mainly locals, and the bar largely serves traditional Dutch cocktails and spirits, such as jenever, making it a true cultural experience.
Area: Oost
Price: ££
Website: nwediep.nl
15. Pulitzer’s Bar
Pulitzer’s Bar is a true hotel bar – fitting the nook-and-cranny style of the Pulitzer Hotel, it’s a respite from the maddening crowds of the nearby canals. Don’t leave without trying the house Martini.
Area: De 9 Straatjes
Price: £££
Website: pulitzeramsterdam.com
16. Bar Bukowski
A true Oost classic, this bar is named after the writer, who allegedly once said “there is always a reason to drink.” Bar Bukowski sits on the corner of Oosterpark and serves cocktails, drinks and an all-day food menu. The evenings are lively, and the bar frequently hosts events such as spoken word as well as private events.
Area: Oost
Price: ££
Website: barbukowski.nl
17. Brewed by Women BAR
Gebrouwen door Vrouwen translates to “brewed by women”. As the name suggests, it’s an entirely women-led brewery. Gebrouwen Door Vrouwen was founded by two sisters who started brewing home beer in 2013. Since then, their empire has grown. As one of the city’s most popular local craft breweries, you can find their beers in many of the tastiest restaurants and best bars in Amsterdam, but you can also visit their bar outpost on the charming Jan Pieter Heijestraat.
Area: Oud-West
Price: ££
Website: gebrouwendoorvrouwen.nl
18. Cafe ‘t Smalle
There are a huge number of brown bars in the city, but Cafe ‘t Smalle just may be the prettiest. Located on the terribly picturesque Egelantiersgracht, here you’ll see patrons of all ages huddled around dimly lit tables nursing vaasjes of witte bier and nibbling on plates of oude kaas, bitterballen and kaastengels.
Area: Jordaan
Price: ££
Website: t-smalle.nl
19. Cafe Katoen
Cafe Katoen is well-loved amongst locals – not only is it ideally located on Singel in the heart of the city, but it’s also got the laid-back, no-nonsense vibe that captures Amsterdam as a city. Come for excellent draft pints and reliably good burgers.
Area: De Wallen
Price: ££
Website: cafekatoen.nl
20. Pllek
Pllek is a sustainability-minded Noord bar creatively constructed using old sea containers and other raw materials, contributing to its industrial feel. If you find yourself in Amsterdam on King’s Day, it’s also home to one of the city’s liveliest, can’t-miss parties.
Area: Noord
Price: ££
Website: pllek.nl
21. Café de Sluyswacht
A visit to Café de Sluyswacht is like a trip back in time. The lopsided tiny house on a lock was originally built in 1695 and is still surrounded by historic landmarks such as the Rembrandthuis, Rembrandt’s place of residence for years. The bar fare is nothing fancy – think bitterballen, croquettes and fries – and the cocktails are limited to the basic, but what more could you want from a classic brown bar?
Area: Centrum
Price: ££
Website: sluyswacht.nl
22. Polly Goudvisch
Located a short ferry ride from Centraal Station over the IJ river, this new bar has a light, spacious interior, which is better for seeing the beautiful cocktails served up at the bar. Treat yourself to a few to work before taking yourself for a ride on Europe’s highest swing at the top of A’dam Lookout Tower, just a stone’s throw away.
Area: Noord
Price: ££
Website: polly.goudvisch.nl
23. Skatecafé
Have you ever been at a bar and thought to yourself: this place could really use a skate ramp? Well, you're in luck – Skatecafé is an industrial bar, restaurant and venue in Amsterdam Noord. Just don’t try and have a go after a few bottles of natural wine.
Area: Noord
Price: ££
Website: skatecafe.nl
24. Brouwerij 't IJ
A trip to Amsterdam just isn’t a trip to Amsterdam without a stop in Brouwerij 't IJ, a brewery and bar inside a windmill. Visitors can sample the brewery’s organic blonde and dark beers, buy a classic Dutch bar snack, take a tour or buy a Zatte Tripel to go – that’s "biertje voor onderweg" to you.
Area: Oost
Price: ££
Website: brouwerijhetij.nl
25. GlouGlou
GlouGlou is one of the city’s most popular natural wine bars. The menu boasts of organic wines from all over, and of varying funkiness. Set in De Pijp, come for a laid-back evening taste-testing your way around bottles (ask the staff for their flavour of the month). Interiors are stylish and chic without being pretentious.
Area: De Pijp
Price: ££
Website: glouglou.nl
26. FC Hyena
Another uber cool, industrial venue in Noord, FC Hyena is a natural wine bar doubling as a cinema and small restaurant. The cinema regularly shows both new and classic films and lets you bring your wine into the movie, so really it’s a win-win.
Area: Noord
Price: ££
Website: fchyena.nl
27. Chateau Amsterdam
Chateau Amsterdam is a unique venue in the city in that it’s an urban winery. A winery in the Netherlands? Yes, but don’t panic – Chateau blends imported wines from France and Italy, although it is technically “made in Amsterdam.” The venue is huge, and visitors can sign up for a tour or intimate wine tasting, making it a great place to visit for groups.
Area: Noord
Price: £££
Website: chateau.amsterdam
28. Hiding in Plain Sight
Hiding in Plain Sight is a cocktail bar located just east of the Red Light District. And as the name suggests, the nondescript exterior is easily missed – you won’t get many newcomers stumbling into it. Considering it’s near the Red Light District, that might be for the best.
Area: Oost
Price: £££
Website: hpsamsterdam.com