Featuring a myriad of welcoming venues, Amsterdam is renowned for its high-spirited nightlife, where every taste is catered for! There are various bars, pubs, and nightclubs, from big & modern to modest & homely. DJs and live musical performances from techno to funk and jazz to hip-hop hold the crowd up, offering enjoyment from night till dawn. Notably, the Dutch capital has three leading areas to party - Dam Square (or the Red Light District), Rembrandtplein, and Leidseplein.
After your long day out exploring the attractions & other things to do in this city, you are likely to have a thirst-quenching drink and unwind. Here is a hand-curated list of the choicest nightlife venues available in Amsterdam to make you feel happy & satiated.
1. Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam
The colorfully-lit Xtracold Icebar in Amsterdam is the coolest place in the city, with temperatures around -10° C. The bar is entirely made out of ice, from walls & furniture to drinking glasses. At Xtracold, you can have the unrivaled experience of drinking in a glass crafted from ice and what it feels like at the North Pole, enjoying three free drinks alongside. Inside the bar, you will receive two drinks in the Icebar (choices of sambuca, rum, Heineken beer, different flavors of vodka, regular vodka, and orange juice) and a cocktail or beer at the Lounge Bar. Also, coats and gloves are provided before entering the Icebar.
Location: Amstel 194, 1017 AG AmsterdamTimings: Monday - Sunday: 11:45 PM - 1:00 AM
2. Club Escape
Club Escape is a spirited weekend nightclub that is one of the city's biggest and most renowned dance clubs, featuring a splendid dance floor, DJs, and a full bar with a VIP area. Since 1986, Escape has been a big name in Amsterdam's nightlife and is famous among locals and tourists alike. They offer prompt & high-quality service, and everything, including music, ambiance, crowd, bar & menu, is outstanding here. It organizes parties in varied themes & genres around the year and expects the guests to be in a groomed look. Also, a specific dress code is applicable on certain themed nights.
Location: Rembrandtplein 11, 1017 CT AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 11:00 PM - 5:00 AMDress Code: Sportswear, broken or obscene clothing, caps, & untended appearance not permitted.
3. Waterhole
Another popular Amsterdam nightlife venue is Waterhole, which is in the city center. It is a live music bar offering a diverse music selection, including everything from pop to rock. Here, you can enjoy refreshing drinks with a quick bite, and they also have their Tap & Dine restaurant. There is a lovely ambiance with an old-school feel, and the remarkable thing about visiting Waterhole is that you get your separate beer tap at your seating table. Their weekly music programs feature gigs from local and global artists, including Indie Mondays and 80’s Funk & Rock on Thursdays and Fridays. Whatever your choice of music, this bar is an idyllic spot for a musical night out.
Location: Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 49, 1017 PW AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 12:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 12:00 PM - 4:00 AM
4. Beer Temple
Famous for its reasonable selection of American-style beers, the Beer Temple is a welcoming bar set in the city center of Amsterdam. It is one of the first American bars in Europe that serves around 50 draft beers and has nearly 200 bottled or canned beers. Some of the breweries represented here include Stone, Anchor, Goose Island, Lagunitas, Rogue, and Evil Twin, in addition to a selection of beers from Uiltje Brewing from Haarlem on draft and house beers from Morebeer Brewing. The interior of the bar is lustrous and fresh, with rows of beer taps. There is a friendly atmosphere & amazing vibe. Those seeking a more local flavor must try the Dutch-brewed house beer Tembelbier here.
Location: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 250, 1012 RR AmsterdamTimings: Monday - Thursday: 2:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Friday: 2:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Saturday: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
5. Proeflokaal Arendsnest
Proeflokaal Arendsnest is a snuggly bar situated in the heart of Amsterdam on Herengracht. It has been presenting its special beers from Dutch Breweries for over 20 years, and beer lovers worldwide acknowledge this bar for its passion & expertise in Dutch beers. Proeflokaal Arendsnest has over 100 beers in bottles and 50 beers on draft and other beverages, including liquors, ciders, whiskeys, and over 40 types of gin, everything from Holland. This space features copper pipes & wood-paneled walls in an intimate setting, including a beer-tasting room & a terrace along the canal. Here, the visitors enjoy a high-quality beer and learn about what they are drinking.
Location: Herengracht 90, 1015 BS AmsterdamTimings: Monday - Thursday: 2:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Friday: 2:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Saturday: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
6. Cafe Hill Street Blues
Snuggled on a cozy street in the middle of Amsterdam, Café Hill Street Blues is a little canal-side bar that is a meeting point for locals and tourists. It is a former coffee shop that turned into a coffee shop & juice bar with a hospitable staff & modest prices. The artful interior at Hill Street Blues is the highlight, as its extensive decor is a fusion of vintage and modern with vintage leather couches, funky light fixtures, and colorful graffiti sprayed from floor to ceiling, adding a quirky touch.
Location: Warmoesstraat 52A, 1012 JG AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 12:00 PM - 01:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 12:00 PM - 03:00 AM
7. THE BUTCHER Social Club
Located right at the waterside in the A’DAM tower, the popular THE BUTCHER Social Club is a full-service party hotspot for the townies. THE BUTCHER Social Club joins the night owls and early birds of the city with amazing food, modern music, creativity, and urban lifestyle, as its concept gets people together as a happy-go-lucky cafe, a business center, a casual restaurant, and a bar with live DJ music. The urban lounge is united with a well-known burger bar & an old-school video game hall that features football tables, pool tables, ping-pong tables, and pinball machines. The club never stops, and nor does its all-day bar, which can be headed anytime before dinner, after dinner, pre-clubbing, or when you experience nocturnal cravings.
Location: Overhoeksplein 1, 1031 KS AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 7:00 AM - 1:00 AM
8. Excalibur Café
Nestled on Oudezijds Achterburgwal Street in the center of the Red Light district, the Excalibur Café is an ebullient dark-wood pub for fans of heavy metal and bikers, which is embellished with bikes and armor suits. It is an amazing place to hang out with friends with a humble staff offering one of the friendliest services in the city. It features Sky Sports television and pool tables on the top floor where you are allowed to smoke. There is a decent atmosphere, and you can also enjoy splendid views of the main street. For those who are rock music fans or passionate about motorcycles, Excalibur is worth a visit!
Location: Oudezijds Achterburgwal 48, 1012 DP AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 11:00 PM - 3:00 AM
9. Café Old Sailor
Embracing a nautical vibe, Café Old Sailor is a revered bar that is one of the city's best & most famed bars for locals & tourists alike. It sits on a corner in the heart of Amsterdam, right in the middle of the Red Light District. It is a traditional Dutch brown bar with a pleasant atmosphere that used to be a pub for sailors in the old days. The interior is uncommon and is decorated with a lot of tools used on ships, like steering wheels, meters, clocks, and more. Cafe Old Sailor serves draft beer, whisky & cognac with good music & football game broadcasts, & an unmissable view.
Location: Oudezijds Achterburgwal 39-A 1012 DA AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 11:15 PM - 01:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 11:15 PM - 03:00 AM
10. Stone's Café Bar & Nightclub
Stone's Café Bar & Nightclub is nestled in the center of the Red Light District. It is a wood-paneled nightclub that serves English breakfasts like pancakes & toasties and features a pool & big-screen sports. Here, you get a splendid mix of the local culture with international vibes as it offers a combination of a traditional Dutch Cafe and a proper English pub. You can enjoy flavorful draft beers & cocktails and watch your favorite sports on large screens at this bar.
Location: Warmoesstraat 96, 1012 JH AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 9:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 9:00 PM - 5:00 AM
11. Red Light Bar
Located in the De Wallen neighborhood, the Red Light District of Amsterdam, the Red Light Bar is a spirited wood-clad sports bar serving refreshing cocktails & beers. It has three floors with an impressive ambiance, offering good music, drinking, and dancing experience. Also, there are three pool tables, several big screens broadcasting different kinds of sports, and rotating DJs playing on Friday and Saturday. The drinks are reasonably priced, and you are also allowed to smoke here.
Location: Oudezijds Achterburgwal 61, 1012 DB AmsterdamTimings: Monday - Thursday: 12:00 PM - 01:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 11:00 AM - 03:00 AM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 01:00 AM
12. Chin Chin Club
Snuggled in the basement of Rozengracht, the Chin Chin Club is inspired by the vibrant nightlife scene of Hong Kong that complements Amsterdam's party culture. It is a social clubhouse concept that encompasses three bars, a karaoke room, arcade games, & a restaurant with interiors featuring vivid red walls, a mahjong table, and plenty of lucky cats (Maneki Nekos). The three distinct bars here serve their signature cocktails incorporating flavors from Hong Kong, London, and the Dutch capital, like the Elderflower Collins and Sailor Moon.
Location: Rozengracht 133, 1016 LV AmsterdamTimings: Thursday: 6:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 6:00 PM - 5:00 AM
13. Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is a cozy club that hosts live musical programs playing jazz, blues, soul, & funk. The talented musicians in the musical town of Amsterdam flock to Bourbon Street, making it a distinctive musical fusion spot. With various music souvenirs covering all its walls, the bar features leading quality bands, cordial bar staff, and jovial music & beer-loving crowd. There are regular programs across the week comprising jam sessions & local talent on stage, and big names playing occasionally. Bourbon Street has welcomed some notable names in music, from local artists to international superstars like Sting, ZZ Top, B.B. King, Joss Stone, Herman Brood, and Toto.
Location: Leidsekruisstraat 6-8, 1017 RH AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 PM - 5:00 AM
14. Club NYX
Club NYX is a three-floor nightclub that is slightly more 'free' than the other nightclubs in Amsterdam. It has uncommon decorations, such as neon words everywhere and stairs that lead nowhere. Each of the three floors at this club embraces a different style of music and ambiance. A lot of parties are hosted across the week that emphasize inclusivity. Though NYX is still a gay club, it is open to all, especially on Thursday nights. Also, there are ballroom parties organized on a regular night known as Vogue, where all party guests put on wigs and large dresses and dance together to have some fun.
Location: Reguliersdwarsstraat 42, 1017 BM AmsterdamTimings: Wednesday: 8:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Thursday: 10:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 PM - 5:00 AM
15. Belushi's
Located on the edge of the buzzing Red Light District off Dam Square, Belushi’s Kitchen & Bar Amsterdam is a sports bar run by Belushi's, a chain of bars set all over Europe. The venue encompasses a garden, restaurant, & late-night bar, and they are open for all meals & drinks of the day throughout the week with live DJs exhibiting their talent. The bar offers outdoor seating, a private smoking terrace, huge screens broadcasting live world-class sports, pool tables, and a nightclub attached.
Location: Warmoesstraat 129, 1012 JA AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 AM
16. Beer Tasting Room In The Wildeman
Beer Tasting Room In The Wildeman is an eccentric bar set in a former Jenever (Dutch gin) distillery that serves over 250 bottles & tap beers from all over Europe. Full of happy Dutchmen, In de Wildeman is one of the best beer bars in the Dutch capital, with an authentic ambiance and caring staff. Notably, it serves 18 draft beers, and additionally, it has a selection of 250 varieties of bottled beers representing Great Britain, America, and Germany, while the most part consists of Belgian and Dutch beers like Trappists. However, the tap list at this bar is frequently changing. Besides, they serve delicious snacks to accompany your beer, and their snack menu has something for all.
Location: Kolksteeg 3, 1012 PT AmsterdamTimings: Monday - Thursday: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Sunday: Closed
17. Panama
Nestled on the northeast edge of central Amsterdam, Panama is a top-name set right on the water in an antiquated former Port Authority building. The venue serves as both a concert hall and a nightclub for local and global house and techno DJs & live acts. It has a multi-room interior, including a lobby, a restaurant for pre-clubbing gourmet dining, a nightclub with a vast dance floor, & theatre, and serves expensive wines and classy French fare. Panama takes its music seriously and hosts parties in various genres across the week. There is a sweeping clubbing space with high ceilings and windows due to the warehouse's heritage. With its state-of-the-art sound & lighting system and great vibes, Panama Amsterdam is one of the best Techno clubs in the Netherlands.
Location: Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 1019 BM AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 AM
18. Mulligans Irish Music Bar
Mulligans Irish Music Bar is a buzzing riverside bar featuring a graffiti terrace for Guinness on tap, Irish sports, and regular live music. It is the oldest & best Irish bar in the city and is renowned for its traditional Irish music performances by varied musicians and instruments from multiple nationalities. Also, for Irish sports lovers they broadcast G.A.A. or Football, Rugby, Hurling, and Camogie on satellite televisions. They serve Irish and Belgian beers, including Kilkenny, Guinness, Magners, Leffe, Jupiler, and Hoegaarden, on tap, and a range of bottled beers, wines, and soft drinks. There is a small terrace called The Oscar Wilde Courtyard to enjoy the drinks peacefully, away from the crowds.
Location: Amstel 100, 1017 AC AmsterdamTimings: Wednesday & Thursday: 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Friday: 4:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Saturday: 2:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Sunday: 2:00 PM - 1:00 AM
19. Ton Ton Club Westergas
Famous as the arcade bar of The Netherlands, TonTon Club is a Japanese-inspired restaurant & bar that offers various retro arcades and board games. TonTon Club West in the historic Zuiveringshal, Westergas, is the second location of this popular arcade hall in Amsterdam. Here, both the food and the arcade games represent a stirring union of Japan and America. You can enjoy the Japanese button-bashers with globally renowned ramen burgers and boozed-up American milkshakes. Also, the guests can play arcade shooters or dance the night away at the special Dance Dance Revolution room while having the flavorsome Japanese whiskeys till the bar closes.
Location: Polonceaukade 27, 1014 DA AmsterdamTimings: Tuesday - Thursday: 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Friday: 4:00 PM - till late
Saturday: 1:00 PM - till late
Sunday: 1:00 PM - 1:00 AM
20. Café Soundgarden
Café Soundgarden is an amusing venue featuring a pool & waterside terrace. It always remains well-stocked and offers an old-school rock spirit ambiance with its wooden floors. Besides its wide-ranging selection of beers, the cafe offers a beer of the month. Also, you can play a game of pool or foosball with your friends, and they also have a pinball machine. Soundgarden welcomes various DJs and bands, and its DJ nights & live acoustic sessions are mostly focused on low-key music. Some bands that have played here include Lab Cane, Nancy's Revenge, and Kleveland. They play great tunes to rock out to, and if you love rock, then you will surely love Soundgarden!
Location: Marnixstraat 164-166, 1016 TG AmsterdamTimings: Monday - Thursday: 1:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Friday: 1:00 PM - 3:00 AM, Saturday: 3:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Sunday: 3:00 PM - 1:00 AM
21. Bitterzoet
Situated on the Spuistraat, Bitterzoet (Bittersweet) is a spiffy bar close to both the Central Station & Jordaan neighborhoods. Offering club nights from hip-hop, rock, & funk to reggae, Bitterzoet functions as a bar and club. It is a two-story nightclub with the ground floor featuring a grand bar, stage, & dance floor, and a mellow bar and theatre podium are on the first floor. The venue has a sleek design, lined with quirky stained glass, and there is a different DJ line-up, band, or theatre program each day, attracting all-inclusive music lovers. Bitterzoet has become one of Amsterdam's core music venues and clubs, owing to its independent party location and the collaboration with pop temple Paradiso.
Location: Spuistraat 2 HS, 1012 TS AmsterdamTimings: Sunday - Thursday: 8:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Friday & Saturday: 8:00 PM - 4:00 AM
Things to Do at Night in Amsterdam
22. Romantic Night Canal Cruise Over Amsterdam’s Canal Ring
23. Witness the Amsterdam Light Festival
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam has a varied nightlife scene offering a gripping and all-embracing mix of swarming night bars, pubs, and welcoming clubs serving many party animals. There are numerous venues to accommodate the preferences of every single visitor, and you will surely find a suitable spot for your favored night out. Whether you like to go clubbing or more laid-back fine dining with a splendid view, the nightlife in Amsterdam has it all! The charmingly exotic choices of drinks will gratify your nightlife experience during your trip to Amsterdam, which will be terrifically unforgettable for you.