Best Local Beer Bars
There’s a lot of great new places popping up in Amsterdam these days.
Here are just a few of my favorite in no particular order.
Proeflokaal Arendsnest
Peter Arend (where the name comes from) started this place in 2000 - kicking off the beer craze which would come to Amsterdam. Still one of my favorite go-to’s to impress guests, it boast only Dutch beers, 52 on tap and more than 100 by the bottle.
The tap is often changing and seasonal so if you find something you like you’d better stick around as it could be gone very soon.
Address: Herengracht 90
De Prael — Oudezijds Armsteeg 26 —
This is one of my favorite bars in the city, both for the beer but mostly for the atmosphere. De Prael is both a brewery and social workplace. This means that they are part of a system that helps people get back to work after various hardships ranging from mental health issues and imprisonment. Sometimes that means the staff can appear a little “off” but all are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Try to stay patient with the service but always feel free to flag someone down and ask for service.
They make the beer on location but have also expanded to a second location in the city and other cities too. Every other Monday night there’s an International Stand up Comedy showcase. You can grab tickets on Eventbrite here. It’s also packed and makes for a fun night.
Open Daily
Birrificio Oedipus — Gedempt Hamerkanaal 85 —
Commonly just called Oedipus. Is one of the newer breweries in town although it’s been open a few years . It’s located in Amsterdam’s trendy up-and-coming area simply called “Noord.” A short free ferry ride behind central will carry you across the ‘t IJ (direction ‘t IJplein) And from there a easy 15 mins walk and you’ll find yourself amongst warehouses that centuries ago held good shipped from all over the world. Today they are being converted to hipster art spaces and - for instance - this local gem.
As a bonus The Beef Chief grills delicious food up daily. Although expect him to have his own place very soon.
Open Thursday- Sunday at variable times.
Brouwerij 't IJ — Funenkade 7 —
…or 'brewery on the IJ' is commonly known as the Windmill Brewery. Not to be confused with De Molen - which means mill and is also located in a Windmill but not in Amsterdam ( more later).
They've been brewing beer there since 1985 and it shows. They have fantastic beers! My personal favorite is De Natte (moist), but ask them for their sampler and they'll give you 5 smalls beers to test and see which will be better for you; good for sharing between two. Sometimes they'll say something like "we're sold out" which basically means all the small glasses are out. One is asked to return the glasses to the bar and sometimes people don't. It helps to have a quick wander about the bar to see if there are any small glasses laying around (Pro Tip).
The service can be a bit 'first come first serve'. Most of the staff are friendly, one or two dislike tourists and can be rude. Such is life. You should keep in mind Dutch service is not like service in many counties - I'm looking at you America ;-) People may form a cue but this is Holland, cue jumping is an art form. They are often busy so if you hear something along the lines 'wie is aan de buurt' then don't be surprised that if you are too slow someone will go ahead of you. If you want service just make your way to the front best you can.
open daily 2-8pm
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, an English language tour starts at 3.30pm, followed by a Dutch one at 4pm. Tickets are only available at the bar on the day itself, booking in advance is not possible costs €6.50, which includes choice of beer. With a limited number of places, be sure to check in early at the bar and get your tickets.
Honorable mentions…
Beer Temple — Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 250 — open daily
In de Wildeman — Kolksteeg 3 —open daily
Birrificio Walhalla — Spijkerkade 10 — open Thursday - Sunday
Belgique — Gravenstraat 2 — open daily
Gollem — 5 locations, faves are: Raamsteeg 4 and Overtoom 160— open daily
Het Elfde Gebod — Zeedijk 5 — open daily
In 't Aepjen — Zeedijk 1 — open daily
Updated March 24th 2020