Anyone who walks into In the Wildeman for the first time immediately notices that something is different here. No background music, no screaming signs, no cocktail list. What you do get: a tap with 18 changing beers, a bottle list of more than 250, and the sound of people actually talking to each other. That's exactly the point.
Henk Eggens opened the café in 1986, having previously co-founded Gollem, also a name in the Amsterdam beer world. The building on Kolksteeg has been there much longer: built in 1690 as a distillery, and you can still feel that in the atmosphere. The interior is full of beer-related paraphernalia, from old bottles to brewery signs, without feeling like a museum. Rick Kempen, a well-known Amsterdam beer connoisseur, is a regular guest there. That says enough about the caliber of audience that comes here.
The menu cuts across the beer world. On tap you'll find beers from the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany. The selection changes, which means you never know exactly what you'll find, but always find something interesting. The bottle list is even more impressive: more than 250 beers from international and Belgian breweries. And yes, the spectacular firing of a German keg onto the bar is a real attraction here. Worth a look if you've never been there before.
Beer connoisseurs worldwide count it among the best beer bars in the world.
The focus on beer and conversation, without music drowning everything out, makes In the Wildeman a place that is not for everyone but is just right for the right people. Beer connoisseurs worldwide count it as one of the best beer bars in the world. Open Monday through Sunday, starting at noon. Just drop by, ask for something at the bar, and see what's on tap.