6 of the best Amsterdam bars
Amsterdam bars have taken bartending to new heights over the last decade. As you walk through the city streets, you’ll discover next level cocktail bars, speakeasies and high-end mixology bars. But with brilliant bars on every corner, where should you choose to go?
We have put together a short but sweet bartender’s guide of the 6 best Amsterdam bars that you need to check out the next time you visit the city (or join the EBS Amsterdam International Bartender Course)!
1. Door 74
First stop, Door 74. It may not look like much from the outside, but this is the jewel in our crown of Amsterdam bars. Opened back in 2009, it’s the Netherland’s most prestigious cocktail bar, and was voted as 26th best bar in the world back in 2014. You’ll find some of Amsterdam’s best bartenders behind the stick here. Now, we would like to give you the address, but then again, that’s against the rules of a speakeasy, right?
Phone: +31 (0) 6 34045122
2. Tales & Spirits
Tales & Spirits was voted 44th in the list of the 50 best bars in the world in 2014, it climbed up to 30th in 2015, and was then positioned at 18th in the 2016! One of the reasons they have risen to fame is because they have a menu of sensational cocktails and mouth-watering food that accommodate each other perfectly. It also helps that their staff are some of the most professional around.
Address: Lijnbaanssteeg 5, 1012 TE Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0) 6 55356467
3. Feijao
This is not one of the Amsterdam bars that you want to miss out on. Welcome to Feijoa, the name derives from the South-American fruit, and sometimes the fruit pops up on the bar’s cocktail menu. The guys here are passionate about their trade and are some of the city’s most creative bartenders. It’s a small joint, so make sure you turn up early if you want to get in. It’s worth stopping by just to check out the most awesome back bar in all of Amsterdam, it’s a towering 5 metre selection of the world’s best spirits.
Address: Vijzelstraat 39, 1017 HE Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0) 621710434
4. Mystique
Amsterdam bars don’t get much better than Mystique, especially if you enjoy delicious food accompanied by kick-ass cocktails. Mystique is a restaurant as well as a cocktail bar, spread over two floors. It features a very long bar, with mirrors all over the ceiling, which gives it a classy vibe. Be sure to head over there on a Wednesday, as they serve up their bad-ass spareribs, trust us, they are the best in town.
Address: Utrechtsestraat 30A, 1017 VN Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0) 20 330 2994
5. HPS
HPS stands for Hiding in Plain Sight, located in the east of the city, it’s another one of the marvellous mixology bars in Amsterdam. HPS takes you back in time, it has some spectacular details which completely immerse you in a 1930s, prohibition bar. Try to reserve a table so you can slowly sip your cocktails and have the full experience. This bar also made it onto the world’s best bars’ list, and has many great reviews from all over the world.
Address: Rapenburg 18, 1011 TX Amsterdam
Phone: +32 (0) 625293620
6. Vesper
Last on our list of Amsterdam bars, but definitely not least, is Vesper. Named after the famous James Bond girl, Vesper Lynd, finds itself west of Central Station and just north of The Jordaan district. This is a very small but extremely cozy place. Great service and amazing cocktails go hand-in-hand here, and the walls are filled with James Bond memorabilia. You can’t go home without ordering their signature drink – The Vesper Martini, shaken, not stirred.
Address: Vinkenstraat 57, 1013 JM Amsterdam
Phone: +31 6 87244056
There you have it, you now know which Amsterdam bars you can’t afford to miss out on the next time you visit this wonderful city.
