The Best Hidden Gem Bars in Amsterdam

On Egelantiersgracht in the heart of the Jordaan, this is one of Amsterdam's oldest brown cafes — open since 1786, originally as a jenever distillery and tasting house. The interior is all dark wood, low ceilings, and candle smoke. The canal-side terrace is the best seat in Amsterdam on a warm evening. Order the house jenever neat and watch the boats pass for as long as you have.

Order: House jonge jenever, neat, with a glass of water

A Jordaan institution where patrons sing Dutch folk songs with an accordion player from around 9pm until the small hours. The Two Swans is not a bar for people who want a quiet drink — it is for people who want to experience something genuinely Amsterdam. The beer is cheap, the crowd is mixed between older locals and the curious, and if you do not know the words, you will learn them by the third song.

Order: Heineken on tap or Amstel — keep it simple

A short walk north of the Jordaan into the old Western Docklands brings you to this waterfront bar that most visitors never find. The terrace faces the IJ harbour and the crowd is local workers, boat owners, and people who live in the surrounding houseboats. The kitchen serves solid Dutch bar food until 10pm. Go at sunset when the light on the water is worth the detour alone.

Order: Local craft beer on tap with bitterballen on the side

Troost brews on site in a converted warehouse and pours its own range directly across the bar. The Saison and the IPA are both reliable, the seasonal specials are worth asking about, and the kitchen does a proper Dutch bitterballen alongside the more substantial plates. The building is enormous — if you arrive at 7pm, you will almost certainly find a seat on the main floor.

Order: Troost Saison or whatever seasonal is on the chalkboard

The De Pijp branch of Amsterdam's long-running Belgian beer specialist is quieter than the Rembrandtplein original and the better bar for it. The list runs to over 200 bottles plus rotating taps, the staff know every beer on the list, and the wooden interior has the warm patina of somewhere that has been taken seriously for a long time. Go for the Trappist range; stay because you lost track of the time.

Order: Chimay Blue or Orval on tap if available

On the Haarlemmerdijk side of Oud-West, this is the sort of neighbourhood bar that every Amsterdam resident has a version of within walking distance of their apartment. It is unpretentious, cheap, and busy with locals from 6pm onwards. Pool table, dart board, rotating tap beers at fair prices. If you are looking for atmosphere without performance, Baarsch delivers it reliably.

Order: House lager on tap and a jenever back

Down a narrow alley behind the Nieuwe Kerk, this jenever tasting house has been operating since 1650. The barrels behind the bar are original, the list of house jenevers runs to dozens of varieties, and the serving format is stand-up at the bar. The crowds inside know what they are doing. This is where you go to understand what Amsterdam actually tastes like before tourism arrived.

Order: Korenwijn aged jenever straight from the barrel tap

A small cocktail bar on Lijnbaanssteeg that requires hunting down the first time. The bartenders are among the best in Amsterdam, the menu is seasonal and changes without notice, and the room seats perhaps twenty people at capacity. Our recommendation for Amsterdam's best cocktail experience that is not on any tourist map. Arrive early or reserve — there is no walk-in guarantee at the weekend.

Order: Whatever seasonal special is on the current menu

Amsterdam's smallest bar — officially — with seating for perhaps eight people and standing room for another dozen. Open since 1798, Café de Dokter is on Rozenboomsteeg, a lane so narrow you could miss it on foot. The whisky list is remarkable for a room this size. The barman will tell you stories about the bar's history if you give him any opening at all, which you should.

Order: A glass from the whisky wall — ask for a recommendation

Accessed via an unmarked door on Reguliersdwarsstraat — ring the bell, give your reservation name, and be taken downstairs into one of Amsterdam's best cocktail programmes. Door 74 has been the city's benchmark speakeasy for over a decade and shows no sign of slipping. The menu is short, technically precise, and priced fairly given the craft going into each drink. Book at least a week ahead for weekends.

Order: A classic Martini or a menu seasonal — both are excellent