Amsterdam

The 10 Best Bars with a View in Amsterdam

Amsterdam's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

  1. 01

    Floor 17

    WESTPOORT · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Floor 17 draws a steady local crowd in Westpoort. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  2. 02

    SkyLounge Amsterdam

    CENTRUM · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    SkyLounge Amsterdam draws a steady local crowd in Centrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  3. 03

    Twenty Third Bar

    DE PIJP · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Twenty Third Bar draws a steady local crowd in De Pijp. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  4. 04

    Mr Porter Steakhouse Rooftop

    CENTRUM · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Mr Porter Steakhouse Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Centrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  5. 05

    A Bar

    CENTRUM · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    A Bar draws a steady local crowd in Centrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  6. 06

    Arendsnest

    CENTRUM · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Arendsnest draws a steady local crowd in Centrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  7. 07

    Bar Baarsch

    THE AMSTERDAM TRADITION: DARK WOOD · $ · COCKTAIL BARS

    You come here for a cold Heineken or a house jenever, not a cocktail with a story. The room fills up early on Fridays, but there is always space at the bar for . Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  8. 08

    Bar Oldenhof Amsterdam

    THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Bar Oldenhof is a small Jordaan cocktail and whisky bar that takes both seriously. The room is intentional — leather banquettes, dim lighting, around 30 seats —. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  9. 09

    Bar Roti

    OUD-WEST · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Bar Roti draws a steady local crowd in Oud-West. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  10. 10

    Bo Cinq

    DE PIJP · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Bo Cinq draws a steady local crowd in De Pijp. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Amsterdam or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Amsterdam would tell you to put on the list.

Floor 17 draws a steady local crowd in Westpoort. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

SkyLounge Amsterdam draws a steady local crowd in Centrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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Looking beyond Amsterdam? See our guide to the best bars with a view worldwide, or compare bars with a view city by city.