A typical evening moves between brewery taprooms in De Pijp and Noord, natural wine bars in Oud-West and De Pijp, small cocktail rooms run by their bartenders in the old centre, and a serious jazz hall by the water in the east. Most bars stay open past midnight.
The short list
9 places, in the order they appear below.
- 1BimhuisLive jazz and late jam sessionsOost
- 2Brouwerij TroostHouse beer with a full dinnerDe Pijp
- 3Oedipus BrewingExperimental beers in a yardNoord
- 4Cafe the BarrelA relaxed last drink near DamCentrum
- 5Taxman Cocktail RoomFlavour-led cocktails at one shared tableOude Zijde
- 6Hiding in Plain SightBartender-built drinks at the barCentrum
- 7Bar OldenhofWhisky and quiet conversationJordaan
- 8Bar CentraalNatural wine and small platesOud-West
- 9Wijnbar Paulus AmsterdamWine by the glass in a calm roomDe Pijp
Where do locals go for live jazz in Amsterdam?
Locals who want jazz go to the Bimhuis, the city’s main hall for jazz and improvised music. The building is a modern black box jutting out toward the water beside the concert building in the east. Programming is international and the acoustics are sharp, so people listen closely rather than talk through the set. Plan the night around the music.
Name acts sell out. Book as soon as the schedule lists someone you want to hear. If you haven’t planned ahead, the late-night jam sessions cost less and feel looser, and they’re the easier way in.
Bimhuis
Hours: Mon 18:30–01:00 · Tue 21:00–01:00 · Wed–Sun 18:30–01:00
Address: Piet Heinkade 3, 1019 BR Amsterdam, Netherlands
Which Amsterdam pubs and breweries do locals drink in?
For beer, Amsterdammers head to breweries that pour their own, in De Pijp and across the IJ in Noord. At the better ones the food holds up next to the beer. You settle in for the evening here instead of stopping by for one round.
Brouwerij Troost brews on site in a former orphanage in De Pijp. The kitchen is good enough to keep you there all night. The house beers are the point, so take the tasting flight, and the burgers pair well with the range.
Brouwerij Troost
Hours: Mon–Thu 16:00–01:00 · Fri 16:00–03:00 · Sat 12:00–03:00 · Sun 12:00–23:00
Address: Cornelis Troostplein 21, 1072 JJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oedipus Brewing in Noord is the playful one. The beers are colourful and experimental, and the taproom has an anything-goes feel. Some of the range gets adventurous, so ask for a taster before committing to a full pour. Go in the warmer months, when the yard opens up and the place is at its best.
Oedipus Brewing
Hours: Mon–Tue closed · Wed–Thu 16:00–23:00 · Fri 16:00–01:00 · Sat 14:00–01:00 · Sun 14:00–22:00
Address: Schaafstraat 21, 1021 KD Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cafe the Barrel sits in a narrow alley a few steps from Dam Square. It’s close enough to the centre to be easy and far enough from the main drag to stay relaxed. In the afternoon it serves coffee; later it switches to local craft beers and a short cocktail list. It stays open late most nights, which makes it a useful place for a last drink in the old centre. Late afternoon is the quiet hour, and the bar can tell you which local beers are on that week.
Cafe the Barrel
Hours: Mon–Sat 15:00–01:00 · Sun 14:00–00:00
Address: Jonge Roelensteeg 4 H, 1012 PL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where can you get a serious cocktail away from the tourist bars?
Three on our list suit different moods. Taxman puts everyone at one long table in an old excise house, Hiding in Plain Sight is a snug den in the Centrum, and Bar Oldenhof, near the Jordaan, is a library-like room built for whisky and quiet conversation.
Taxman Cocktail Room fills a seventeenth-century excise house where ships once paid the city duty on tobacco, alcohol and spices. Every drink starts from neutral ethanol and is built up from there, so the menu is sorted into Salt, Fruit or Wine instead of by brand. The tomato and kimchi drink lands savoury; the banana and black pepper one goes dry. Around thirty people share a single table that runs straight into the bartenders’ stations. Name a flavour you like, and expect to end up talking to your neighbours. Thursday is when the team has the most time to explain.
Taxman Cocktail Room
Hours: Mon 20:00–01:00 · Tue–Wed closed · Thu 20:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 18:00–02:00 · Sun 20:00–01:00
Address: Oudebrugsteeg 7, 1012 JN Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hiding in Plain Sight is a snug speakeasy in the Centrum. The drinks are inventive and well built, and the team is happy to improvise. Get a stool at the bar and let them build something around your taste. The room is small. Midweek is calmer.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Hours: Mon–Thu 18:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 18:00–03:00 · Sun 18:00–01:00
Address: Rapenburg 18, 1011 TX Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bar Oldenhof, near the Jordaan, has leather and low light and feels like an old members’ club. The drinks lean classic, and the whisky and brown spirits selection runs deep. Order a slow glass and settle into a long conversation; it’s a bar for talking. Weekends are worth reserving.
Bar Oldenhof
Hours: Mon–Thu 18:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 18:00–02:00 · Sun 18:00–01:00
Address: Elandsgracht 84-H, 1016 TZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where do locals drink wine on a night out in Amsterdam?
For wine, locals pick bars pouring natural or European bottles, with small plates or cheese on the side. Our two sit at opposite ends of the mood scale: a loud Oud-West room where most people stand, and an unhurried bar like a living room on the corner of Sarphatipark in De Pijp. Both change what they pour often, so what’s open on the night matters more than any menu.
Bar Centraal turns its natural wine list over constantly. The kitchen sends out sharp little plates, and ordering a few of those makes more sense than a full meal. Ask the staff what is exciting right now. The crowd is local and knows its food and wine. Most of them are standing.
Bar Centraal
Hours: Mon–Thu 17:00–00:00 · Fri 15:00–01:00 · Sat 13:00–01:00 · Sun 15:00–00:00
Address: Ten Katestraat 16, 1053 CE Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wijnbar Paulus looks like somebody’s seventies living room, with a few dozen seats and no hurry at all. Paul Kickert grew up in a family of Dutch wine importers. He keeps eight to ten whites and eight to ten reds open by the glass, mostly European, with sausage and cheese to go with them. The pour list changes from day to day, so drink by the glass and work across what’s already open rather than commit to a bottle. The room stays quiet enough to hear the person across the table.
Wijnbar Paulus Amsterdam
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Thu 17:00–23:00 · Fri–Sat 15:00–00:00 · Sun 15:00–19:00
Address: Ceintuurbaan 348, 1072 GP Amsterdam, Netherlands
Which Amsterdam bar suits which kind of night?
Pick by mood, not neighbourhood. The Bimhuis is for listening and Troost for beer with proper food. For a long conversation with a bartender, go to Taxman or Hiding in Plain Sight; for wine by the glass, Paulus. The table below sorts all nine places on our list by area and by the kind of evening each does best.
Most of these bars open in the late afternoon or evening, and several close one or two days a week, so check each card before you set out. Book ahead for name acts at the Bimhuis and for weekend nights at Bar Oldenhof. Oedipus is across the IJ. Give it a night of its own.
