White Moses wrote:Thanks for all the replies. We will be there May 16-22. Do you guys know any cool local bars that serve cheap drinks and booze close to the apartment or is that too much of a tourist neighborhood?
R u kidding? I like to think of Amsterdam as the Land of Bars. You can drink and smoke a spliff at Barney's Uptown, Stones Cafe, and Hunters Bar (open til 3 on the weekends I think). There are just scads of cool bars all over the city. Nearby your location happens to be the Wonder Bar on Nieuwendijk, one of my faves. You'll be sure to recognize it on the way home from the RLD because of the spinning disco ball. It's deliciously divey and skeazy and they let you toke up as well. They have a padded window seat you can lounge in and hookahs with flavored tobacco.* Imagine sprawled across those cushions, sipping your cocktail, huffing on a hash joint, tripping on the disco ball, and watching all the nightcrawlers pass by on the street. Not a bad way to end an evening's debauchery. Down the street from Wonder Bar happens to be Lost in Amsterdam, which also has narjilahs and allows toking. I'm afraid I don't know much about it as I invariably find myself at Wonder Bar.
If you want to hang with the hip and trendy yuppie set, I would recommend Cafe Thijssens on Brouwersgracht & Lindengracht or De Vergulde Gaper on Prinsengracht. These fit the mold of what the Dutch fondly refer to as "brown bars," basically well-worn watering holes where the walls have attained a dark patina from years of tobacco smoke. A lot of these places are fantastic to visit (e.g. they're done up in Delft tiles, have unique tap fixtures, and antique decor) and it's very easy to devise a walking tour of the Jordaan where you basically alternate between going to a coffeeshop and going to a historic, beautifully preserved bar. I've done it many times myself. Trust me, it is one of more charming ways to get lost.
As a resource, I suggest you look up this
site which is an excellent introduction to Dutch pubs and plot your own itinerary. Pay attention to the page for de Jordaan. The author has exhaustively combed through the Amsterdam drinking scene and published several books on the topic. This website, though not comprehensive, is a great starting point to become acquainted with bruin cafes.
If you're a Belgian beer connoiseur, I would recommend you visit de Zotte, Cafe Gollem, or in de Wildman, three well known and easily Googled specialty bars. A good place to learn specifically about Dutch brews is Café `t Arendsnest on Herengracht.
If that's not enough to occupy your interest, there are also the jenever bars!
Have fun. Must sleep now.
*since I shun tobacco now, I've never partaken of their hookahs. Dunno what happened after the tobacco ban was instituted.