Amsterdam charges tourist prices in its most visited areas and always has. But the best cheap bars in Amsterdam are a few canals removed from the crowds. The brown cafes of de Pijp, the local pubs of Oost, and the neighborhood spots in Oud-West operate at a different economic logic than anything on the Leidseplein. We spent several evenings navigating away from the obvious and found 10 bars worth knowing.
Classic Brown Cafes and Budget Bars in de Pijp and Jordaan
The brown cafe is Amsterdam's greatest drinking contribution. Candlelit, wood-panelled, and designed for conversation over cold Dutch beer. The ones below have not raised their prices for tourists because their regulars would notice.
01
De Kleine Kroon
de Pijp$Brown Cafe / Quiet
A proper brown cafe on a de Pijp side street that has never developed an interest in cocktail menus or Instagram optimization. The Kleine Kroon pours Hertog Jan and Amstel on tap at prices that have stayed within reason as the neighborhood around it has gentrified steadily. The interior is everything a brown cafe should be: warm, worn, genuinely old. Best on a weekday evening when the Albert Cuyp crowd has dispersed.
Order: Hertog Jan draft with a borrel snack
02
Cafe 't Vaatje
Jordaan$Neighbourhood / Traditional
The Jordaan has gone the way of all charming Amsterdam neighborhoods, but Cafe 't Vaatje holds the line with prices that match its worn-in character rather than its address. The wooden bar is genuinely old, the jenever selection is serious, and the regulars have been coming here long enough to greet each other by name. A Tuesday evening here with a glass of jonge jenever is a perfect Amsterdam evening.
Order: Jonge jenever or a Grolsch draft
03
Het Brouwtje
Oud-West$Craft Beer / Friendly
An Oud-West craft beer bar that has avoided the price inflation that comes with a good tap list. Het Brouwtje rotates 10 Dutch and Belgian drafts and keeps its pour prices at a level that reflects the neighborhood's working character. The staff are knowledgeable without the craft beer evangelism. Saturday afternoons are particularly good here: football on the screen, good beer, and no one in a hurry.
Order: Brouwerij 't IJ IJbock or the rotating session IPA
The full Amsterdam bar guide
Every category, every neighbourhood. Our complete Amsterdam guide covers 120+ listings across the city.
Amsterdam Oost and Noord are where the city's younger residents have been drinking affordably for years. The bars here are not cheap because they lack quality — they are cheap because their clientele demands it and their owners understand that relationship.
04
De Ruyschkamer
Amsterdam Oost$Local / Unpretentious
A long, narrow bar on a Oost side street that has been serving the neighbourhood for more than a decade. De Ruyschkamer keeps a short menu of beers and a basic spirits list at prices that have not been updated for the Airbnb era. The crowd is students, young professionals, and the occasional older regular who has been drinking here since before the students arrived. Outdoor tables in summer are excellent.
Order: Bavaria draft or a rum and cola
05
Noord Tap House
Amsterdam Noord$Industrial / Relaxed
Amsterdam Noord's creative industries have brought new bars to the old industrial areas north of the IJ, and most of them charge accordingly. Noord Tap House is the exception: a genuine local that keeps its prices honest for the people who actually live nearby. The space is an old warehouse unit with outdoor seating on warmer days and good draft beer year-round. Take the free ferry from Central Station, it takes six minutes.
Order: Whatever Dutch craft is freshest on tap
06
Cafe Langendijk
Amsterdam Oost$Brown Cafe / Warm
Another Oost brown cafe that has resisted the urge to become a cocktail bar. Cafe Langendijk is exactly what it looks like from the street: a small, warm, wood-panelled bar with a handful of taps and a long list of Belgian bottles. The jenever selection is good. Arrives early on Thursday evenings to claim one of the window tables and watch the Oost foot traffic. A genuinely satisfying bar experience for very little money.
Order: Westmalle Tripel from the bottle list
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More Affordable Bars Across Amsterdam
These four bars are spread across different parts of the city and represent the best remaining value we have found in neighborhoods that are not traditionally associated with cheap drinking.
07
Brouwerij de Kluizenaar
Westerpark$$Brewery Tap / Casual
A small brewery taproom near the Westerpark that pours its own beers at prices reflecting their origin, not their location. The beers are well made and range from a light lager through to seasonal specialties. The taproom itself is a single room with long tables designed for conversation rather than instagram. The outdoor area fills up on summer evenings and the atmosphere is entirely relaxed. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Order: The house pils or the amber ale
08
Cafe de Bijenkorf
Bos en Lommer$Neighbourhood / Reliable
Bos en Lommer is one of Amsterdam's most genuinely mixed neighborhoods and Cafe de Bijenkorf reflects that honesty. The bar is simple, the beers are cold, the prices are what they should be. Regulars span every decade and the conversations are genuine rather than performative. A strong argument for the parts of Amsterdam that have not been described in a travel feature. Gets lively on Friday evenings with a loyal crowd of locals.
Order: Amstel on draft or a jenever with tonic
09
De Stoep
Transvaalbuurt$Community Bar / Open
De Stoep operates as the living room of the Transvaalbuurt, a neighborhood that most Amsterdam visitors never reach. The drinks are affordable, the crowd is mixed, and the bar stays open until the last person leaves on weekends. The outdoor terrace on summer evenings is one of Amsterdam's least-known good places to be: quiet street, warm air, cold beer, good people. Our pick for anyone who wants to see a less-touristed version of the city.
Order: Heineken draft or a glass of house wine
10
Cafe Saarein
Jordaan$Classic / Intimate
One of the Jordaan's oldest surviving local bars, Cafe Saarein has managed the neighborhood's upscaling by simply refusing to change its pricing model. The interior is classic Amsterdam brown cafe and the beer selection is straightforward. What makes it worth seeking out is the genuinely warm atmosphere that develops after 9pm when the after-dinner crowd arrives and conversation takes over. A Jordaan bar for people who have been to Amsterdam before.
Order: La Trappe quadrupel or a jenever chaser
Hidden gem bars in Amsterdam
The bars Amsterdam locals actually drink at. Our hidden gems guide covers the spots that never make the tourist guides.
The key to cheap drinking in Amsterdam is direction. Walk away from the canal ring, away from the tourist corridors, and prices drop meaningfully within three or four streets. Oost is our first recommendation for anyone who wants good bars at honest prices, followed by Noord if you are willing to take the ferry. The brown cafe format is Amsterdam's great equalizer: unpretentious by design, affordable by tradition.
Avoid the Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein areas entirely if budget is the priority. The bars within 200 meters of either square operate at tourist pricing regardless of quality. Everything on this list is within cycling distance of the centre and worth the extra ten minutes.
After work bars in Amsterdam
Where Amsterdam locals go after work. Craft beer bars, brown cafes, and after-hours spots across the city.
