{"id":84345,"date":"2026-05-06T18:10:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/?p=84345"},"modified":"2026-05-06T18:24:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:24:10","slug":"zum-barbarossa-speakeasy-bar-cocktails-foot-arch-street","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/uitgaan\/zum-barbarossa-speakeasy-bar-cocktails-voetboogstraat\/","title":{"rendered":"Zum Barbarossa: speakeasy bar tucked away in Footbow Street"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you look for it, you don't actually see anything. On the facade of the building on the Voetboogstraat hangs a mosaic: a fruit tree, two clovers like on playing cards. That's the clue. The small door next door leads to Zum Barbarossa, a speakeasy bar-restaurant, in the basement of The Seafood Bar<\/a> on the Spui, which is completely hidden behind the center's facade. No signboard, no window to the outside. Just: to know or not to know.<\/h2>\n

Co-founder Pepijn de Visscher built the concept around the history of the building itself. The building dates from around 1900 and originally served as a beer cellar. Not just any warehouse: this is where barrels of Barbarossa beer, a Groningen brand, secretly flowed while gambling took place behind closed doors. So the bar's name is not an invented romance but a direct reference to what actually happened in the cellar. That the atmosphere of secrecy and underground activity is incorporated into the concept therefore doesn't feel forced.<\/p>\n

\"zum-barbarossa-amsterdam4\"<\/p>\n

The space itself is completely invisible from the street. Those inside are shielded from everything outside: no windows, no see-through. The bar runs on inventive, seasonal cocktails made by hand. Small dishes are served in partnership with The Seafood Bar, a well-known name in the Amsterdam hospitality industry. This gives the kitchen a clear profile: fish and seafood, expertly prepared, to accompany a good glass.<\/p>\n

The name Barbarossa refers to beer that once flowed stealthily from the barrel, and the bar keeps that tradition neatly alive.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Voetboogstraat is right in the center, near the Kalverstraat and the Spui. A neighborhood full of tourists and walk-throughs, which makes it all the more remarkable that Zum Barbarossa sits here so inconspicuously. The neighbor probably doesn't even know there's a bar behind that wall. And that is exactly the point: the name Barbarossa refers to beer that once flowed surreptitiously from the barrel, and the bar neatly upholds that tradition.<\/p>\n

Check out our list of Best Cocktail Bars of Amsterdam<\/a> enjoy sipping and sipping the tastiest cocktails.<\/em><\/p>\n

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READ ALSO<\/p>\n

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Subscribe to Amsterdam Magazine and receive 4 editions!<\/h3>\n English-language Amsterdam Magazine is all about fun things to do, discovering new places and the city's tastemakers. From eating and drinking, art and culture, going out and entertainment, shopping and markets, neighborhoods & sights to...<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n
\n <\/div>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you look for it, you don't actually see anything. On the facade of the building on the Voetboogstraat hangs a mosaic: a fruit tree, two clovers like on playing cards. That's the clue. The small door next door leads to Zum Barbarossa, a speakeasy bar-restaurant, in the basement of The Seafood Bar on the Spui, which is completely ... <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":84781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[10930],"district":[9],"class_list":["post-84345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uitgaan","tag-cocktailbars-amsterdam","district-amsterdam-centrum"],"acf":{"slider":[84774,84775,84779,84778],"fotograaf":"","editor":"","video":"","google_360":"","instagram_code":"","subregel":"Pepijn de Visscher bouwde een eeuwenoude bierkelder om tot hipste cocktailbar van de stad","new_in_town":false,"featured_item":false,"beste_van_amsterdam":false,"homepage_carousel":false,"cord_A":"4.890649","cord_B":"52.368573","introductie_tekst":"Op de Voetboogstraat zit een bar die je bijna niet vindt. Zum Barbarossa verschuilt zich achter een kleine deur naast een moza\u00efek op de gevel, in een gebouw dat ooit dienstdeed als bierkelder met geheime gokspellen. Wie de ingang weet te vinden, belandt in een ruimte die volledig aan het zicht van de straat is onttrokken.","rubriek":"Locatie","locatie_event":null,"naam_locatie":"Zum Barbarossa","adres":"Voetboogstraat 1","stad":"Amsterdam","website":"https:\/\/www.zumbarbarossa.com","telefoon_nummer":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84345"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84806,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84345\/revisions\/84806"}],"acf:attachment":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84778"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84779"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84775"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84345"},{"taxonomy":"district","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amsterdamnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/district?post=84345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}