Sip ice-cold jenever (gin) in a neighbourhood brown café (cosy bars so
called because of age and nicotine), hang out in one of De Pijp’s stylish
bars, or head to Rembrandtplein/Leidseplein for clubs and live music.
On the town: Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein
Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein are both crowded at night. These are
the hubs for the big venues such as Melkweg and Paradiso, where you need to dress
up. An alternative is a crawl of the smaller bars and cafes.
Jordaan is the place for brown cafes, local crowds and possibly a bit of a
sing-song.
Less touristy than Rembrandtplein, De Pijp is an ethnically mixed area with a
more low-key vibe and cocktail bars.
The Red Light District is safe but still has an edgy feel at night.
Warmoesstraat has a few adventurous gay venues.
Bars tend to open late morning and stay open until the small hours, around 2 or 3am.
You’ll have no trouble getting a drink even later in the busy
Rembrandtplein area.
Sip jenever (gin) in a brown café to any Dutch oom-pah-pah song; find inner
calm in the Begijnhof to a Gregorian chant; chill out in a coffeeshop to The
Ballad of John and Yoko, which chronicles their famous bed-in at the
Amsterdam Hilton.
