Get lost in Amsterdam at night and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Lost and wandering

My first night in Amsterdam in mid October 2001, after getting a taxi back from the original Greenhouse at Tolstraat 91 in the old south, I got out of the cab and even though I was probably only a 1/2 block from my hotel, I was smashed

I made a wrong turn down one of the narrow streets in the city center and immediately got lost.

It was an excellent introduction to Amsterdam, wandering around late at night, knowing I was close to my hotel and having a fairly good idea where I was, but still getting lost as I walked around the Dam area, Red Lite, Nieuwendijk, Jordaan, and up/down Damrak.

Amsterdam centraal is an old part of the city with such interesting little streets and original architecture, it was almost a disappointment when I accidently found my hotel.

It would be hard for me to get lost there now as I know the city so much better, but I recommend it if you have never been there before.

Picture upper-left for laughs is of an almost deserted Nieuwendijk late after midnight, pasteled & blurred in the spirit of a controlled substance

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Theme: People Watching
Dress Code: Pants
Phone: 911
Directions: South of Centraal Station and north of Dam square, after midnight, get los and zwerven.
Website: http://www.greenhouse.org

Nightlife Spot: ADam clubs 4 dancing

If expensive drinks, dulling disco/techno/house music and clubs are your thing:

There are so many clubs of all types, way too many to list here, and they are changing all the time (popularity, venue, and how you are treated by the infamous bouncers), so by the time I post a recommendation, that place will change or become unpopular.

Best recommendation is to keep checking the latest nightlife tips from VTrs, Clubzone, Let's Go Amsterdam, Yahoo, etc etc. and read online Dutch newspapers and websites. It is a dynamic & changing scene.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Dress codes definitely determine whether or not the goonlike and sometimes racist bouncers let you in. Dress up, or better still, go somewhere else.
Website: http://www.amsterdammusicdance.com/

Nightlife Spot: Saow Thai Cafe' and Restaurant

In Amsterdam, the opportunities are "fleur-de-lis" / whatever you desire, & if you are of the open-minded/"anything-goes" persuasion, this could be an interesting diversion.

At the Saow Thai cafe in the main red light district, it is possible to meet, pass the time & share a drink or nice dinner with (the food is very good there), and allegedly negotiate an evening out with some of the lovely Thai ladies who frequent this little place that sits on the west side of the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in the rld.

And at the climax of the evening, you might even get a little surprise.


Holly came from Miami, Fla.
Hitchhiked her way across the USA
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was she - she said
Hey Babe, take a walk on the wild side...
© the great Lou Reed

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Theme: Other
Dress Code: Dress upscale and clean up, the "girls" are beautiful.

8/24/06 - update: bummer .... it appears saowthai has moved on to the great katoeyclub in the sky .... will advise after checking around ... anyone in A'Dam know??
Address: 160 Oudezijds Achterburgwal
Directions: In the red light dist.
Website: http://www.saowthai-cafe.nl/

Nightlife Spot: Greenhouse Tolstraat

Intro:

Note: This tip is for older, first-time visitors who may be curious but possibly apprehensive about coffeeshops.
Greenhouse Tolstraat is more expensive and a little more "formal" than most, so if you're a hardcore channelite, etc. you know to skip this tip entirely. Audience for this tip is for the uninitiated.

October 12 2001

For a more laid-back, mellow, "upscale" coffeehouse experience (best for 1rst-time "mature" travellers), take a cab or tram from Amsterdam Centrum to the "old south" (Oud Zuid) section of Amsterdam to the Original Greenhouse on Tolstraat.
There are 2 other Greenhouse locations that are closer to city center, but this is the original and (imho) the best.... worth the cab ride.

Excellent atmosphere/ambience with good music (mellow yet cool funk/jazz, but not elevator music), top quality cannibis products, served by a helpful staff.

The dealer and waitress make good recommendations, provide efficient yet inexpensive glass pipes & round up screens;

as well as bring drinks to the table in the very cool and comfortable lounge (they serve alcohol as well), chat customers up with friendly conversation, yet allow privacy.
They will even call a cab (a friendly/helpful driver they know personally) for a ride back to your hotel.
A perfect, first-time night out at a Dam coffeehouse.

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Theme: Adult Spot
Dress Code: As always in Amsterdam, clothing is sometimes optional but usually recommended.

Seriously, the more "local" you appear, & the less brash & touristy you behave, the friendlier the service.

Recommendations:

Haven't been there in a couple of years, but back then some highlights were:

Hashish: King Hassan Supreme, Manali Creme
Weed: Kali or Super Kali Mist (good sativa), Great White Shark; AK47
Greenhouse Tolstraat is a little more expensive than most coffeeshops, but for first-time, more mature travellers, it is (imho) one of the larger (most coffeeshops are tiny) cleaner, classier shops and a great introduction to the Amsterdam coffeehouse scene. (Later on you can do Picasso, grey area, Anyday, Siberie, Dampkrig/Dutch Flowers/Tweede Kamer (the big 3 in the Spui) etc. etc. ad infinitum if coffeeshops are your scene... (I find them tedious after a while).
Address: Tolstraat 91 in "Old South" (Oud Zuid) section
Directions: address &map (see greenhouse website)

or Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory

and take a cab, unless you know the trams. It's in Old South, a long walk from center of town, but worth the trip.
Website: www.greenhouse.org

Nightlife Spot: Boom Chicago

What was in-yer-face comedy at Boom Chicago is now starting to get old/boring and becoming more like a tourist trap.

Shows change all the time. Much like having dinner at Saturday Night Live, but don't make eye-contact with the performers unless you want to become part of the show.
No one gets spared here, especially Americans. Here's an excerpt from
"Yankee Go Home - Americans & Why you Love to Hate Us"

"According to a poll in the Volkskrant, Americans (right behind Turks and Moroccans) are one of Holland’s least favorite minorities. Shapiro and Rosenfeld invite you to a show about loud, ignorant, self-righteous, Jerry Springer-watching, violent, hypocritical fat-asses with psycho foreign politics. And they're not going to stop until Americans climb past the Moroccans and the Turks and finish first. U-S-A! U-S-A!! U-S-A!!!"

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Theme: Nightclub
Phone: (020) 530 7300
Address: Leidsplein 12, 1017
Directions: By bike: Bike to the Leidseplein. Lock bike nearby. See show. Replace stolen bike.
Website: http://www.boomchicago.nl