One night in Amsterdam bars takes you through one of the most varied bar scenes in northern Europe. From Jordaan brown cafés that have not changed since 1980 to cocktail bars in De Pijp that could hold their own in any city, Amsterdam rewards the evening drinker who moves through its neighbourhoods with intent.
6 pm to 8 pm: Jordaan Brown Cafés
01
Café de Dokter
Centrum$$Brown Café
The smallest bar in Amsterdam, operating on the Rozenboomsteeg since 1798. It holds twelve people. The whisky list is exceptional for a room this size and the atmosphere — low ceiling, candlelight, Dutch football memorabilia — is unrepeatable. The bartender has been there for thirty years.
Order: A Dutch jenever with a beer chaser — the traditional combination
02
Wynand Fockink
Centrum$Proeflokaal
A tasting room behind the Krasnapolsky Hotel that has been selling Dutch spirits since 1679. Stand-only, cash-only, extraordinary. The house advocate liqueur and the range of aged jenevers are reasons enough to come. Do not look for it — you will walk past it twice before you find it.
Order: The aged jenever — any age category, ask the bartender what they recommend
03
Café 't Smalle
Jordaan$$Brown Café
A canal-side brown café on the Egelantiersgracht with a terrace that is one of the best places to sit in Amsterdam on any evening from May to September. The interior is genuine — this building has been a distillery and café since the eighteenth century.
Order: A Heineken on draft — occasionally the occasion calls for the obvious choice
8 pm to 10 pm: De Pijp Cocktail Bars
04
Door 74
Rembrandt$$$Speakeasy
A reservation-only cocktail bar on the Reguliersdwarsstraat that is reached by calling ahead and being given the address. The menu changes monthly and the programme is among the best in the Netherlands. The space holds about thirty people.
Order: The current seasonal menu — the programme is the whole point
05
Tales & Spirits
Centrum$$$Cocktail Bar
One of Amsterdam's most consistently excellent cocktail bars, operating on the Lijnbaanssteeg with a programme that mixes classic technique with Dutch ingredients. The food is also worth ordering — the bar snacks are genuinely good.
Order: The Negroni with Dutch genever substituted for gin — it is a revelation
06
Bar Oldenhof
Jordaan$$Neighbourhood
A genuinely good neighbourhood bar on the Elandsgracht with a rotating natural wine list and a short cocktail menu that changes weekly. This is the bar that locals go to when they want a drink without ceremony.
Order: Ask what is on the natural wine list — they rotate it properly
Amsterdam bar guideOur Amsterdam bar guide covers brown cafés to rooftop bars across every neighbourhood.
10 pm and beyond: Leidseplein Late Night
07
Brouwerij 't IJ
Centrum$$Craft Brewery
Amsterdam's most famous craft brewery, operating inside a windmill on the Funenkade. The taproom opens until midnight on weekends. The IPAs are among the best in the Netherlands and the brewery tour during the afternoon is an excellent preamble to an evening.
Order: The seasonal IPA — the brewers rotate this regularly and it is always worth trying
08
The Butcher Social Club
De Pijp$$$Late Night
A late-night bar attached to The Butcher burger restaurant on Albert Cuypstraat. Stays open until 3 am on weekends. The cocktail programme is more serious than the attached restaurant suggests. Good music and a crowd that skews creative industry.
Order: A mezcal cocktail — the programme leans towards agave-based drinks
Amsterdam craft beerThe best craft beer bars in Amsterdam — from Brouwerij 't IJ to specialist tap rooms in the Jordaan.
Verdict: One night in Amsterdam bars is best organised around the canal ring. The Jordaan for brown cafés early, De Pijp for cocktails in the middle of the evening, and Leidseplein or the Centrum for late night. This arc takes about forty minutes on foot and covers three completely distinct bar cultures without a taxi.
Amsterdam cocktail barsThe full guide to Amsterdam's cocktail bar scene, updated by our Amsterdam editor.
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