The best cocktail bars Amsterdam

Timetable

Tearooms open from 10am to mid-afternoon, while bars open around 11am and close around 1 or 3am. Many open 7 days a week, but Mondays are often closed.

Budget & Tips

Some tourist bars offer happy hours, but this is rarely a good sign... As a general rule, beers here are not very expensive, often around €3, more in trendy places.

Age restrictions

A priori, it is forbidden for anyone under 18 to consume alcohol. But access to bars is open to all.

What's very local

The borrel is the drink you drink when you leave the office. It's amusing to see hordes of men and women in suits getting drunk on the terrace, often standing shoulder to shoulder. You never drink a pint when you're local. Pints are reserved for tourists, often British... Likewise, you never drink a small beer(fluitje).

Kids

Children are allowed in the bars, but you won't see many in the evenings, as the Dutch family rhythm is very tight.

Tourist traps