Amsterdam now has so many serious cocktail bars that choosing is harder than ever. Speakeasy's that you don't enter until you ring the doorbell. Hotel bars that are better than their reputation. A listening bar in a basement. A bar without a single branded bottle behind the counter. And someone who came back from Mexico to finally put something down here. Here's everything in a row.
Shakerato - Sister child of the world's best bar
Shakerato opened in late 2025 after a year-and-a-half delay, and is the second project of Eric van Beek, co-owner of Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City - voted best bar in the world in 2024. The menu combines signature drinks from Mexico City with new work for Amsterdam, including the Once Upon In Amsterdam with gin, mint and cucumber. The atmosphere is warm and Italian-art deco, the interior white and gold. Open Thursday through Sunday. - Stadhouderskade 7, Center
“I missed the craft and love here. Not only for cocktails, but also for people. Hospitality is the premise of Shakerato.” - Eric van Beek, founder Shakerato (Entree Magazine, 2026)
Chapter 1896 - Speakeasy for the adventurous drinker
Chapter 1896 describes itself as a multisensory sanctuary for philosophically inclined minds, and that sounds exactly as heavy-handed as the bar looks. The concept revolves around the seven liberal arts as inspiration for every cocktail on the menu. Open Wednesday through Saturday, reservations can be made for as few as six people. For those who prefer to arrive unexpectedly: just walk in. - Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14, Center
Tales & Spirits - Dark, antique and always good
Tales & Spirits is in an old building on an alley between Singel and Spui, and you can tell by the interior: antique, dark, full of details. The cocktail menu is extensive and changing; the bites are serious enough to eat from. One of the few cocktail bars in Amsterdam that also serves a full restaurant menu. Already a fixture on the Amsterdam scene since 2012. - Lijnbaanssteeg 5-7, Center
Vesper - Small corner bar in the Jordaan.
Vesper sits on a corner between Haarlemmerdijk and Brouwersgracht and is named after the only woman James Bond ever really loved. That already tells you something about the tone: with taste, without being too heavy-handed. Walk-ins only, small and intimate, the menu changes regularly. Ideal for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown. - Finch Street 57, Center
Belly of the Beast - Nautical and playful, in the basement of the Odeon
Belly of the Beast is by Tess Posthumus and Timo Janse and sits in the basement of the historic Odeon building on the Singel. The theme revolves around sea monsters and mythical creatures, which translates into a creative but accessible menu. Cocktails have names like Sea Horse Smash and Nessie's Pearl, and there are non-alcoholic options as well. Open seven days a week. - Singel 460, Center
Cue - Listening bar and restaurant on the Utrechtsestraat
Cue has two faces: upstairs a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant, downstairs a Japanese listening bar. In the basement, only vinyl plays, on a custom-built sound system, while you sip cocktails and eat bar food from chef George Kataras. A different guest selector behind the records every night. The bar operates on walk-in; the restaurant requires reservations. - Utrechtsestraat 30A, Center
By 74 - Oldest speakeasy in Amsterdam
Door 74 opened in 2008 as Western Europe's first speakeasy bar. You ring the bell at number 74 on Reguliersdwarsstraat, then are let inside a dark space with leather couches and an extensive seasonal cocktail menu. The team has made the Worlds 50 Best Bars list for years, with a highest ranking of spot 15. Reservations are wise. - Reguliersdwarsstraat 74, Center
Feijoa - Bartenders bar on the Vijzelstraat
Feijoa has been a fixture on the Amsterdam scene for more than a decade. The name is a fruit from New Zealand; the bar itself is anything but exotically difficult - just good cocktails, qualified bartenders and a relaxed atmosphere. There is a menu, but the bartenders also make on-demand. Walk-ins only. - Vijzelstraat 39, Center
Fitz's Bar - 1920s glamour next to the Oosterpark
Fitz's Bar is in the Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel on Mauritskade, on the edge of Oosterpark. The interior is dark wood, velvet seating and soft lighting - a speakeasy-like setting with room for theater behind the bar. Bartender Nick Vrielink has won several awards, including Cocktail Bar of the Year 2024 from Gault & Millau. The menu draws inspiration from historic cultural movements of the 20th century. - Mauritskade 61, East
Flying Dutchmen Cocktails - The classic, in a monument on the Singel
Flying Dutchmen belongs to Tess Posthumus and Timo Janse and has been running for years on the principle that you have to master the classics before you can improvise. The back bar has more than 800 different spirits - the largest collection in the Netherlands. The building is a national monument from 1662, open seven days a week until 04:00. Nominated several times for Best International Cocktail Bar. - Singel 460, Center
“You have to learn to walk first, before you can run. And to create a real cocktail culture in the Netherlands, we have to learn the classics first.” - Tess Posthumus, founder Flying Dutchmen Cocktails
Hasta La Vista, Baby! - Mediterranean rooftop bar on nineteen high
Hasta La Vista sits on the nineteenth floor of the INNSiDE by Melia hotel on the Zuidas, overlooking Amsterdam-Zuid. The concept is Mediterranean, the atmosphere exuberant and over the top in its own words. Film nights are also held here on Sundays and Mondays. Bar open from 17:00. - Eduard van Beinumstraat 40, South
Dutch Courage - Ode to gin and old Dutch liqueurs
Dutch Courage is from the same duo as Flying Dutchmen and runs entirely on gin. The bar has 150 different genevers from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, and combines them with gin cocktails and a headshot machine - the world's first chilled headshot machine. Open seven days a week, Friday and Saturday as early as 3 p.m. - Seawall 12, Center
“Our traditional gin has been traded and drunk around the world. Twenty-five percent of all classic cocktails are traditionally based on gin.” - Timo Janse, founder Dutch Courage (tessposthumus.com)
Law & Order - Hip, hard and no-frills
Law & Order describes itself as ’the bar without bullshit. Good cocktails, hip-hop from the speakers, relaxing at the bar. No reservations, no dress code theater. Has won the award for best cocktail bar in Amsterdam several times, including from Gault & Millau (2023) and the Entree Awards (2021). Favorite among bartenders. - Foot Arch Street 4, Center
LuminAir - Skybar on the eleventh floor
LuminAir sits on the 11th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton on the Oosterdok, right next to Amsterdam Central Station. The cocktail menu is called Menu of Lumen and is built around gradations of light and warmth. In good weather, there is a large terrace overlooking the city. Accessible to a wide audience, open until late on weekends. - Oosterdoksstraat 4, Center
Nido - Spanish-Mediterranean with 360° views of the Oosterpark
Nido is the cocktail bar on the second floor above Orchid House on Linnaeusstraat, with an almost entirely glass facade and views of Oosterpark in all directions. The menu is Spanish-Mediterranean in inspiration: citrus, Balearic spices and sherry-like notes. Open Thursday through Sunday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. - Linnaeus Street 2C, East
Bar Lotti's - All-day bar at The Hoxton
Lotti's is the bar of The Hoxton Amsterdam, in five contiguous canal houses on the Herengracht. By day it operates as a restaurant and coffee spot, by night as a cocktail bar with a recently revamped Latin American-inspired menu. On Thursdays through Sundays, a resident DJ spins. Open daily from 07:00 to 01:00. - Herengracht 255, Center
Njoy - Mysterious, red and right behind Leidseplein
Njoy is one of Amsterdam's oldest cocktail bars and has a distinct atmosphere of its own: red curtains, candles, little space. Not large, so reservations are smart. Located in an alley within walking distance of Leidseplein, but far enough from the crowds to feel something different. - Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 93, Center
Bar Oldenhof - Film-inspired and atmospheric in the Jordaan area
Bar Oldenhof is hidden in Elandsgracht at the end of the Jordaan, and operates with a movie theme that changes every season. You ring the bell, are let in, and find yourself in an interior with dark wood, velvet and a fireplace. Forty guests maximum, no large groups, no caps or sneakers. Open daily, Friday and Saturday until 03:00. - Elandsgracht 84, Center
Pressroom - Prohibition-era atmosphere at the INK Hotel
Pressroom is in the INK Hotel, a former printing house next to the Spui. The concept revolves around the Prohibition Era - Prohibition in the 1920s - and you can see that in the dark rooms and a cocktail menu featuring rums, maraschino and white rum. Part of a hotel, but with its own character. - Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 67, Center
Super Lyan - Colorful innovator in a seventeenth-century building
Super Lyan is the Amsterdam corner of Ryan Chetiyawardana's London-based Lyan empire, located in the Kimpton De Witt hotel at the beginning of Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. The interior is retro-futuristic and brightly colored; the cocktails are technically strong and seasonal. The menu always includes non-alcoholic options taken as seriously as the rest. Open daily. - Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 3, Center
Bar The Tailor - Tailor concept at the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky
Bar The Tailor sits in the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky on Dam Square and pays homage to founder A.W. Krasnapolsky, who was a tailor. The tailoring motif runs through the interior and cocktail menu: drinks are named after fabrics, the lighting is made of ribbons and the carpet is hand-stitched. Voted Amsterdam's best classic hotel bar in 2025. There is also a terrace. - Dam 9, Center
Vault Bar - In the vaults of the Waldorf Astoria
Vault Bar sits on the garden-floor level of the Waldorf Astoria, in the former bank vaults of the canal house. The original vault doors and bank lockers are still there. The cocktail menu has a distinct gin influence and uses local liqueurs and Dutch ingredients. One of the most theatrical settings of any hotel establishment in the city. - Herengracht 542-556, Center
Bar TwentySeven - Fine drinking on Dam Square
Bar TwentySeven sits on the third floor of Hotel TwentySeven on Dam Square, overlooking the Royal Palace and the Bijenkorf. The concept is called ‘fine drinking,’ which means a menu full of signature cocktails with unexpected flavor combinations and premium spirits. Not the cheapest address in town, but the setting justifies it. - Dam 27, Center
Taiko Bar - Tokyo energy at the Conservatory Hotel
Taiko Bar sits in the Conservatorium Hotel next to the Concertgebouw and takes its inspiration from the nightlife of cities like Tokyo, Bangkok and Shanghai. The cocktail menu revolves around Asian flavors and spirits: think the Taiko Negroni with coconut gin, lemongrass Campari and plum sake, or a Japanese highball variation on the Saketini. Matching bites from Taiko Cuisine - sushi, sashimi, wagyu - are just there to order. Open Monday through Thursday until midnight, Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m. - Van Baerlestraat 27, South
Taxman Cocktail Room - Ethanol in a former excise house
Taxman is the latest project by Latvian bartending duo Sergey Platonov and Vitaly Alekseyev, previously known from Law & Order. The building on Oudebrugsteeg is a seventeenth-century excise house where ships once paid city taxes for tobacco, alcohol and spices. The cocktails are named after it: Sugar, Salt, Wine. Remarkable: there is not a single branded bottle behind the bar. All cocktails are built with ethanol as the base, with the other ingredients determining the flavor profile. Guests sit together at one long table that ends at the bartenders' work stations. - Oudebrugsteeg 7, Center
“Law & Order was loud and lively, open until four in the morning. Now we close at one o'clock. It's more sophisticated, quieter. Maybe we're just getting older.’ - Sergei Platonov, founder Taxman Cocktail Room (Entree Magazine, 2026)
Amsterdam now has dozens of serious cocktail bars, but the addresses above are worth planning specifically for. Most speakeasy-style bars work by reservation or bell; if you do walk by unannounced, early evening is your best bet.