350 kinds of beer and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Het Arendsnest

Yes, 350 different kinds of beer; and what's more amazing is that they are all Dutch beers!
What's so special? you might ask, since there are hundreds of German and Belgian beers known worldwide for their quality?
Exactly! The beers that you find at 't Arendsnest are rare, and if you like beer as much as I do you will enjoy the novelty.

Their own-brewed Amber Ale (Herengracht 90) is a must!

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Dress casually, people bring their pet dogs here :)
Phone: 020-421-2057
Address: Herengracht 90
Directions: 10 minutes walk Southwest of central station
Website: www.arendsnest.nl

Nightlife Spot: Cafe de Jaren

Cafe de Jaren is a bar/restaurant near Dam square. Is is located in a beautiful building with high ceilings and large windows.
The first (ground) floor is the bar area with several 'library' desks in the middle. I used to come here every sunday morning, sit by the window with a book and a pack of cigarette and drink coffee for hours. During the summer they will open the back door to a small veranda on the Amstel river(!) that sits about 12 people.
The second floor is a restaurant - they serve very decent food but be warned that they have 'typical' Dutch service. Don't expect them to come and check on you. You need to call them to get the menu, call them when you are ready to order, call them when you need more drinks, and yes call them when you want the bill :)

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: 020-62-55-71
Address: Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20
Directions: 5 minute walk Southeast of the Dam square
Website: http://www.diningcity.com/ams/dejaren/index.htm

Nightlife Spot: De Zotte

Zotte is one of the many 'brown' bars in Amsterdam (=pubs with wooden interior and furnitures) located just West of Leidseplein. It is very popular with locals, which I like a lot since it enables me to make new friends.

The best feature about this bar is for its wide selection of Belgian beers, a country which arguably has the best ales in the world :)

It gets busy during the weekend so be prepared to share your table, but then again it's a great way to meet new people.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: 020-626-8694
Address: Raamstraat 29
Directions: About 5-10 minutes walk West of Leidseplein, so take tram 1, 2 or 5 and get off at Leidseplein.

Nightlife Spot: Three Sisters (Rembrandtplein)

The original Three Sisters Pub in Rembrandtplein remains to be the finest grand cafe in the city. A very popular hangout the pub has nice leather seats and booths and a good looking full bar.

In the weekend they crank up the music up so that people can dance around the bar area (music from the top 40) but on any other time it is a cozy place to hold conversations while sipping Irish Coffee or a downing a pint of Guiness

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: During the weekend evenings you cannot wear sneakers or shorts
Address: Rembrandtplein 17
Directions: From central station take tram #9 and get off at Rembrandtplein, or take any of the subway and get off at Waterlooplein (and walk 5 mins)

Nightlife Spot: The Grasshopper

The grasshopper is probably the first bar & coffeeshop you come across as you step out of the central station onto Damrak. That coupled with the fact that it is located at the 'gate' of the red light district mean that it can always enjoy a steady steam of tourists.

I went here once and never came back - it's expensive and full of tourists on stag parties; not really my cup of tea.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (020) 626-1259
Address: Oudebrugsteeg 16
Directions: 5 minutes on foot Southeast of the central station

Nightlife Spot: Satellite Sports Bar

Located at the corner of Leidseplein this little bar is very touristy, expensive, serves mediocre food and always super noisy. So why bother you might ask?
Well it was the only bar that had regular feeds for American sports, and being a basketball fan this was my only option to watch the playoff and the March madness.

It does get lively when there's a big British football match on - but go elsewhere for a taste of real Dutch nightlife.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: +31 20 4272529
Address: Leidseplein 11
Directions: Take tram 1, 2 or 5 and get off at Leidseplein
Website: satellitesportscafe.nl

Nightlife Spot: Bulldog (Leidseplein)

Bulldog is a chain of bars and coffeeshop in Amsterdam. They have quite a few of branches on busy spots throughout the city.
Being a very 'tourist-friendly establishment the Bulldog is immensely popular especially among British tourists.
Their 'flagship' branch at the Leidseplein consist both of a coffeshop (basement) and a bar (ground and second floor). It is an 'ok' place to drink a pint, watch a football game, but you will not be able to experience what a 'local' Amsterdam bar feels like. My advice is, go elsewhere if this is your first trip to Amsterdam :)

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: 020 6271908
Address: Leidseplein 15
Directions: Take tram 1, 2 or 5 and get off at Leidseplein
Website: bulldog.com

Nightlife Spot: Cafe Cuba

Cafe Cuba is a small bar located at Niewmarkt. There's nothing spectacular about the bar: it's rather small, service is just ok and the crowd is not that exciting.

They do however, have a good selection or rums; so I would come here from time to time when I was in the neighbourhood with friends towards the end of the night for a nightcap or two :)

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (020) 6274919
Address: Niewmarkt 3
Directions: Take any metro from the Central Station and get off at Nieuwmarkt

Nightlife Spot: Teasers

Teasers model is similar to Hooters; only instead of a restaurant selling wings it is a bar selling drinks with young female waiters dressed in tight shorts and tops. The waiters will also dance on the bar and offer body shots.

Due to its location at Damrak, the first street you are on as you stepped out of the Central Station it makes a lot of money from tourists. I went there once with visiting colleagues from abroad and I never wanted to go back.

The drinks are of course very expensive, I remember a pint of lager costing almost twice as much as in the local bars. But then again if you want a Hooters-type establishment you will find it here.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (020)4218739
Address: Damrak 35
Directions: About 5 minutes on foot South of Central Station
Website: http://www.teaserscafe.com/

Nightlife Spot: O' Reilly's

One of the largest, biggest Irish pubs in Amsterdam and probably also the most famous.

It's actually a very friendly and cozy pub - a good mix of tourists, locals and British expats. Always a fun place to go see a rugby game or a FA Premiership match.

The food is decent too - Irish lamb stew was always a favourite of mine for Sunday afternoon brunch.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: +31 20 6249498
Address: Paleisstraat 103
Directions: Just behind the Royal Palace at Dam square
Website: http://www.oreillys.com