Ten Amsterdam bars confirmed open on December 25 — the rooms editors actually go to when the family lunch is over.
Christmas Day is the hardest reservation in the bar calendar. Most of Amsterdam closes; the rooms that stay open are the ones run by people who do not have anywhere else to be. Our editors spent three Decembers calling managers to confirm hours, double-checking on December 24, and crossing off every venue that uses 'open' loosely. These are the ten Amsterdam bars our editors trust to be pouring on Christmas Day.
Where the editors drink on Christmas Day in Amsterdam
The first six picks below are the editors' default — the rooms we send a friend to first when they ask. Each is followed by a recommendation we have ordered ourselves at least three times. Click any bar name to read the full review, signature drink notes, neighbourhood guide and how to book.
Hiding In Plain Sight sits in De Pijp, and the hps sour is on the menu year-round for a reason, and the bartenders pour with intent. the December 25 hours are confirmed and the staff who work the day genuinely want to be there. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At Tales & Spirits in Centrum, the eden arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. the December 25 hours are confirmed and the staff who work the day genuinely want to be there. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At Vesper Bar in Jordaan, the vesper martini is on the menu year-round for a reason, and the bartenders pour with intent. the December 25 hours are confirmed and the staff who work the day genuinely want to be there. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Rosalia's Menagerie (in Centrum) the rosalia's botanical arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. the room turns down the lights and turns up the warmth on Christmas afternoon — quiet, cosy, no theatre. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Door 74 sits in Centrum, and the door 74 old fashioned arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. the room turns down the lights and turns up the warmth on Christmas afternoon — quiet, cosy, no theatre. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At Flying Dutchmen Cocktails in Centrum, the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the kitchen runs a short Christmas Day menu and the cocktail list rotates a Christmas pour onto the menu from late November. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
Order: Flying Dutchman Punch
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These last four are the editors' deeper-cut picks. Smaller rooms, more specific energy. If the first six feel obvious to you — meaning you have already been — start here.
Bar Oldenhof sits in Jordaan, and the oldenhof sour is on the menu year-round for a reason, and the bartenders pour with intent. the room turns down the lights and turns up the warmth on Christmas afternoon — quiet, cosy, no theatre. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
The Tailor (in Centrum) the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the December 25 hours are confirmed and the staff who work the day genuinely want to be there. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
In De Baarsjes, Bar Baarsch the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the room turns down the lights and turns up the warmth on Christmas afternoon — quiet, cosy, no theatre. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
At Mercer Cocktail Bar in Centrum, the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the December 25 hours are confirmed and the staff who work the day genuinely want to be there. Editors' rating in our database: 4.6 of 5.
Order: Mercer Negroni
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More Cocktail Bars in AmsterdamThe full editor-curated list of Cocktail Bars in Amsterdam, with neighbourhood notes and signature-drink picks.
Three Christmas Day rules. Call the day before to reconfirm — even venues with published hours sometimes close last-minute. Tip cash, the staff are giving up their own day. And book the early slot, not the late one — the kitchen usually closes by 9pm even at venues that say they are open until midnight.
Other seasonal Amsterdam guidesFrom New Year's Eve to Halloween - every annual Amsterdam occasion our editors cover, cross-linked.
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