39 Best Nightlife in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Complete with Golden Age chandeliers, leaded-glass windows, and the centuries-old wooden ceiling, this corner café is one of Amsterdam's most charming spots. Once home to one of the city's first jenever distilleries, there's almost always a crowd at their canalside terrace, although the historic interior certainly has its charms, too.

One of the best cafés in the Jordaan commands a charming corner between Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht. The staff are friendly, have a funky taste in music, and serve Indonesian-inspired bites. It's packed at night but is also the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon drink outdoors with a canalside view.

This hippie hot spot offers a waterfront terrace, boat access, and live music some nights.

The Vondelpark's quietly pulsating epicenter is a blue flying saucer–shape "teahouse" dating back to 1937. In step with the style of Nieuwe Bouwen (the Dutch version of Bauhaus), the building was erected from concrete, glass, and steel, and with its minimalist forms it still looks strikingly modern. It's now owned by the famous Amsterdam brewery Brouwerij 't IJ, serving organic craft beer and pizza al taglio from morning until late. Its park-center location and enormous terrace, where DayGlo parakeets fly overhead, make this warm weather nightlife at its finest.

Artists, students, and businesspeople unite in this popular brown café installed in a building from 1900 that used to be a waiting room for the horse-drawn trams. Much of the turn-of-the-20th-century interior, including the tile-covered walls, remains.

Run by students, this artsy cultural café on the Zeedijk attracts a young, alternative crowd. They serve tasty, well-priced food, and three times a week there is live music, including jazz on Sunday.

Whether you have the musical motivation to visit the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, the building's bar-restaurant is alone worth the hike. Stop by for a drink or a meal of fresh fish and take in the panoramic views of the harbor and docklands.

Down a small alley, just a stone's throw from the Dam, you'll come upon what would seem to be the multilevel home of a family of hip hobbits. You'll know better once you spot the suitably slumped travelers smoking joints or nibbling on blueberry "space muffins." At No. 6 is the souvenir shop, where you'll find branded organic cotton hoodies, T-shirts, and weed-themed memorabilia.

Having a drink at this corner cafe is reminiscent of the Golden Age, which makes sense since this quaint bar has been pouring beverages since 1624, making it the oldest bar in the Jordaan. The historic interior features stained glass windows and a wooden ceiling decorated with old ceramic pints.

This always-lively Nieuwmarkt mainstay serves relatively cheap cocktails and with a jazzy electronic sound track. On sunny days you can enjoy your drink on the terrace overlooking the square.

This light and airy multilevel café offers reasonably priced food and a lovely terrace overlooking the Amstel. It is popular with a big cross section of the population, from students and pensioners to artists and businesspeople.

Hardly bovine in any sense, the Cow's Café is still a fine place to chew the cud or graze a little, and it's a special favorite of local musicians and students. There's an extensive beer menu and, downstairs, a restaurant that's popular for a bite before a show at one of the many venues nearby.

Occupying a 17th-century canalside warehouse, this beam-ceilinged bar with a large terrace serves beers, cocktails, and meals from morning until the wee hours 365 days a year.

A family business since 1966, Café Nol has a cozy living room feel where four generations of owners have welcomed guests for a biertje and the lively sounds of native Jordaaners singing folk songs while having the time of their lives. Looking for live music? Stop by on a Thursday evening.

Open to all “queer minded” people but catering mostly to lesbians, this traditional bruincafé has a modern interior, complete with pool tables, where plenty of drinks flow along with the music and conversation.

Housed in a former newspaper building rechristened the Volkshotel, or People's Hotel, Canvas offers splendid views over the city from its seventh-floor perch. The restaurant and bar is satisfactory but really comes into its own with sunny weather when you can enjoy the rooftop terrace. Meanwhile, Canvas Nights (Friday--Saturday) is known for its relaxed vibe and progressive programming of live jazz, experimental house, hip-hop, indie, and so forth.

Eyeglasses peek over books and tablets as a well-read and socially conscious crowd fills the café-bar of this center for art, culture, and politics. This is an ideal spot for an affordable meal, drinks with friends, or date night. The English-language program includes film screenings and lectures, too.

In this small sawdusted and kitsch-strewn haven, students and alternative types don't mind yelling over the latest in loud guitars and funky beats. They also enjoy a pool tournament every now and then.

This mainstay along the Prinsengracht is blessed with a canalside patio and a perfect view of the Westerkerk tower and adjacent canal. While a bruincafé atmosphere prevails, their modern kitchen sends out simple, well-priced snacks and meals.

Stop by this intimate canalside café for a traditional Jordaan feel. Singing is encouraged, and (tipsy) patrons are known to belt out a song or two.

At this friendly Red Light District café, you'll find an excellent selection of beers on tap and tasty and sustainable food. Despite its name, which means "foolish things" in Dutch, the place has a Christian identity, but if you're not looking for it, you probably won't see it.

This friendly neighborhood coffeeshop is in the heart of multicultural De Pijp. With a happy, homey vibe and light and airy decor featuring work by local artists, this is a place where everyone will feel welcome. They have a patio where you can freely smoke their high-quality, all-organic products.

Another Cannabis Cup darling—and a not uncommon docking station for celebrities like Rihanna and Snoop Dogg—this chain is renowned for quality weeds and seeds. Artful mosaics provide a trippy background, and storefront tables let patrons take in a breath of fresh air. There are two other locations in Centrum and one in De Pijp.

This chain serves mellow jazz alongside scrumptious chocolate-chip cookies in airy historical locales, providing a refreshingly understated approach to getting high. Take your purchase to Café Zoutsteeg across the street at No. 11, if you like to enjoy your smoke with a drink.