For a drink in an Amsterdam brown café, the Jordaan and the Centrum are where several rooms have been pouring beer and jenever for centuries. In the Jordaan that means Café Chris, Café ’t Smalle and Café Papeneiland. In the old centre, it means Café Karpershoek and Café Hoppe. Proeflokaal De Ooievaar and Café de Dokter pour jenever in very small rooms. If you’d rather work through a beer board, add Gollem.
The short list
9 places, in the order they appear below.
- 1Café ChrisJenever with a beer in a very old roomJordaan
- 2Café 't SmalleCanalside terrace at golden hourJordaan
- 3Café PapeneilandApple pie with your beerJordaan
- 4Café KarpershoekFirst or last drink by the stationCentrum
- 5In 't AepjenLate drinks in an old wooden houseCentrum
- 6Café HoppeStanding on the square after workCentrum
- 7Proeflokaal De OoievaarA quick kopstootjeCentrum
- 8Café de DokterWhisky and jenever by candlelightCentrum
- 9GollemBelgian and craft beer with guidanceCentrum
Which brown cafés in the Jordaan are worth a drink?
Three, all in the Jordaan. Café Chris is the one for age and regulars, and it claims to be the neighbourhood’s oldest drinking house. Café ’t Smalle has a small terrace right on the Egelantiersgracht. Café Papeneiland is the one for apple pie with your beer.
Café Chris has been open since 1624. Do as the locals do and order a jenever alongside your beer. Nobody is in a hurry here. Paying cash is no trouble.
Café Chris
Hours: Mon–Wed 12:00–00:00 · Thu–Sat 12:00–01:00 · Sun 12:00–00:00
Address: Bloemstraat 42, 1016 LC Amsterdam, Netherlands
Inside, Café ’t Smalle keeps its 18th-century etched glass and dark wood. A seat by the water at golden hour is worth waiting for. When the weather turns, the room inside is just as warm at dusk.
Café 't Smalle
Hours: Mon–Thu 14:00–00:00 · Fri 13:00–01:00 · Sat 12:00–01:00 · Sun 12:00–22:00
Address: Egelantiersgracht 12, 1015 RL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Café Papeneiland has held its corner at the top of the Jordaan since 1642. Inside are Delft tiles and a stove in the middle of the room. Take your slice of pie to one of the canalside corner seats.
Café Papeneiland
Hours: Mon–Thu 10:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 10:00–03:00 · Sun 12:00–01:00
Address: Prinsengracht 2, 1015 DV Amsterdam, Netherlands
What are the oldest bars in Amsterdam’s old centre?
Café Karpershoek claims to date back to 1606. In ’t Aepjen occupies a 16th-century wooden house, and Hoppe has been pouring since 1670. They suit different moments: Karpershoek a first or last drink by Centraal, In ’t Aepjen a late visit, and Hoppe a standing beer on the Spui.
Karpershoek used to be a sailors’ haunt, and sand is still swept across the floor, as it was centuries ago. Workers, locals and travellers just off the train all come in for beer and jenever. It’s an easy first round, right by the station.
Café Karpershoek
Hours: Mon–Sun 10:00–00:00
Address: Martelaarsgracht 2, 1012 TM Amsterdam, Netherlands
In ’t Aepjen occupies one of the last wooden houses in the city. The room is dark and crooked, hung with monkey references from the days when it lodged sailors. Mind your head under the low beams, and ask at the bar for the story behind the name. Come late in the evening, when the wooden room feels most out of time.
In 't Aepjen
Hours: Mon–Thu 14:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 14:00–03:00 · Sun 14:00–01:00
Address: Zeedijk 1, 1012 AN Amsterdam, Netherlands
Café Hoppe is where the Centrum goes for an after-work beer, standing up. On a dry evening the drinkers spill out onto the square, and that crush on the pavement is the reason to go. If you’d rather sit, there’s a quieter old tasting room next door.
Café Hoppe
Hours: Mon–Thu 09:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 09:00–02:00 · Sun 09:00–01:00
Address: Spui 18-20, 1012 XA Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where can you drink jenever in an Amsterdam tasting room?
De Ooievaar is a proeflokaal (tasting house) so narrow you can barely turn around. It also pours Dutch liqueurs and works best as a quick drink on your feet. De Dokter is reputedly the smallest bar in the city and adds whisky to the jenever.
At De Ooievaar, order a kopstootje: a glass of jenever with a small beer to chase it. There’s nowhere much to sit. The tasting house sits on the route between Centraal and the centre, and locals fold a quick stop here into that walk.
Proeflokaal De Ooievaar
Hours: Mon–Thu 12:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 12:00–02:00 · Sun 12:00–01:00
Address: Sint Olofspoort 1, 1012 AJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
The same family has run Café de Dokter for generations. It’s one cramped, candlelit room hung with old instruments, with space for about a dozen people at once. The whisky selection is the reason people squeeze in. Go at an off-peak hour if you want one of the few spots.
Café de Dokter
Hours: Mon–Tue closed · Wed 16:00–00:00 · Thu–Sat 16:00–01:00 · Sun closed
Address: Rozenboomsteeg 4, 1012 PR Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where should beer lovers drink in central Amsterdam?
Gollem, in the Centrum, is our pick. It’s a tight, well-loved beer café with a chalkboard of Belgian and craft brews, and a wall holding the right glass for each one. The staff know their range and will steer you by strength and style.
The bar draws a beer-minded local crowd into a very small room. Take the strong Belgian ales slowly; they creep up on you. On busy nights, expect to stand.
Gollem
Hours: Mon–Thu 16:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 14:00–03:00 · Sun 14:00–01:00
Address: Raamsteeg 4, 1012 VZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
How do Amsterdam’s brown cafés compare?
Mostly by neighbourhood. The three Jordaan cafés are about setting: a canal terrace, a tiled room with a stove, a room open since 1624. The table sorts all nine places by neighbourhood and by what each does best, so you can plan an evening around one area.
Most of these rooms are small. They’re easier to enjoy outside the busiest evening hours, and you’ll have a better chance of a seat. Opening days vary, so check each card before you set out. With this much jenever and strong beer on offer, it helps to fit a food stop between rounds.
