Amsterdam is one of
Europe’s top party cities. At night, it is like a human zoo,
with all kinds of weird and wonderful activities on offer. Amsterdam
can be the venue for a romantic stroll, with the lights of the bridges
and old houses reflected in the canals, or a night spent bar hopping
from buzzing bar to buzzing bar, before partying through the night
in one of Europe’s top clubs. It could even be a nefarious
evening, dipping into the dirty underbelly of a city with few inhibitions.
There are hundreds, of bars dotted around Amsterdam and it can be
just as pleasant to idle away a few hours in a neighbourhood bar
as it is to spend the night in one of the trendier venues in the
centre of Amsterdam. If, however, you are interested in listening
to live bands and dancing the night away, then you should head for
the Rembrantsplein-Leidseplein area. If you want
seedy, then head for Walletjes and indulge. Over
the last few years, the trend in Amsterdam has been away from smoky
pubs towards ‘grand cafes’, a mixture of bar and café,
where it is equally as acceptable to explore the excellent range
of Dutch beers as it is to flick through a newspaper over a café
latte.
Amsterdam’s clubs usually open at 1000 hrs and, by law, must
close promptly at 0400 hrs during the week and 0500 hrs at the weekend.
The best nights to go out tend to be Thursday and Saturday. The
mainstream clubs prefer a smart-casual dress, with no trainers or
jeans. Anything goes at the more cutting edge venues. Only those
over 18 years are allowed to purchase alcohol in bars and clubs
and drinks cost in the region of €5.
Amsterdam
tolerates the sale and use of soft drugs, which centres around smoking
cafés or coffee shops. These are easy to recognise, as their
names normally include words like ‘free’, ‘high’,
‘happy’ and ‘space’, and, of course, you
can smell them too. These places usually have a drugs ‘menu’,
with all sorts of nefarious offerings available.
The best listings for Amsterdam’s nightlife is available online,
timeout, which
is regularly updated.
Bars
De Waag, Nieumarkt, is a trendy bar in the
red-light district, which also stages cultural performances and
exhibitions. Whisky lovers should head for De Stil,
Spuistraat 326, which boasts over 150 single malt whiskies. The
owners are friendly and will coach whisky virgins through the first
stages of discovering whisky unaided by cola or water as a mixer.
Meanwhile, beer aficionados should make a beeline for De
Wildman, Nieuwezijds Kolk 3, which has an array of bottled
beers from all over Europe. Satellite Sports Café,
Leidseplein 11, is tacky and touristy but a great venue for those
missing their rugby and football.
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal
is the currently the most hip area in the city for bar/clubs. Seymour
Lounge, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 200, is a funky place with
a bizarre fish tank full of bricks behind the bar, where live DJs
entertain Amsterdam’s party set before they move on the clubs.
Just across the road, at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 169, is the ultra
trendy NL Lounge, with its cutting-edge sounds,
discerning crowd and nightmare bouncers and you can dress to impress.
The gay and lesbian scene thrives in Amsterdam, with Reguliersdwarsstraat
one of the more cutting edge nightlife areas, with April,
at Reguliersdwarsstraat 37, and Soho, Reguliersdwarsstraat
36, two of the most popular venues.
Casinos
Holland Casino Amsterdam, Max Euweplein
62, open daily 1330 hrs–0300 hrs (last entry at 0200 hrs),
and Holland Casino Schiphol Airport, in Terminal
West at Schiphol Airport, open daily 0600 hrs–1930 hrs. Smart
attire is requisite and only those over 18 years are admitted and
passports are required.
Clubs
Old dames Paradiso, Weteringschans 6–8,
and Melkweg, Lijnbaansgracht 234, seem like they have been around
forever and can look a little tired. They might not always get the
big contemporary names anymore, but they are both a good bet at
weekends for an unpretentious and fun night out. Escape,
Rembrandtplein 11, is a massive venue that can hold up to 2000 revellers.
Its Saturday ‘Chemistry’ night is a Dutch institution,
attracting some big name international DJs, although the queues
to get in can be a nightmare. A more intimate club venue is Sinners
in Heaven, Wagenstraat 3–7, with a trendier and older
crowd than many of the city’s larger, more mainstream clubs.
Newcomer Panama, Oostelijke Handelskade 4, also
caters for an older crowd in the up-and-coming Zeeburg warehouse
district. More, Rozengracht 133, is an exclusive
club by the people behind the Supper Club restaurant, with the same
chic feel and smattering of beautiful people.
Live
music
Jazz has always been very popular in Amsterdam. Many of the jazz
greats have lived in the city, including Chet Baker,
who died here. Head for Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Club,
Leidsekruisstraat 6–8, or the main jazz venue of Bimhuis,
Oude Schans 73–77, in the historic centre, where the Dutch
Jazz Orchestra plays on Wednesday and musicians from all over
Europe perform on the other days of the week. Paradiso,
Weteringschans 6–8, and Melkweg, Lijnbaansgracht
234, both often have rock gigs and sets by alternative acts.
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