Amsterdam MUST go to places

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BrewNow

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Traveling to Amsterdam next week and am looking for bars that serve good beers. I have plenty of time - 2 weeks to explore so I may be taking a trip to Bruggs, Belgium.

Thanks!
 
I assume by "Bruggs" you mean Bruges or Brugge. Yes. You need to go. Wonderful place.
 
I highly recommend In de Wildeman (http://www.indewildeman.nl/), it's a fantastic bar with a load of beers.

Also, there are 2 fantastic beer stores: Cracked Kettle (I picked up some Westvleteren's there) and De Bierkonin.
 
The Heiniken brewery has an interesting tour. Anyone visiting Amsterdam really should go to Anne Frank's house, it will make you think...
Maybe take the Heiniken tour AFTER Anne Franks house, to sort of lighten the mood.

There are a couple of places that cater to those who smoke (if you're into that sort of thing) The Bulldog (just follow the leaves on the sidewalk), and The Milky Way.
There used to be a little coffee shop on Dam Square that served up the best coffee I've ever had, they used to have a half wine barrel out front with a huge pot plant growing in it, but nobody bothered it. Their cream was so thick & rich it turned the coffee an orange color.

There are some nice boat tours of the canals & city, and plenty of art galleries & museums to visit.
Just one more thing: Watch where you step when walking down the sidewalk. When I was there they didn't seem to have any "pooper scooper" laws, or if they did, NOBODY obeyed them; there was dog crap everywhere. I went in late autumn, there will most likely be a lot more for you to see & do in the spring/summer.

Wish I could remember some names of bars/pubs there, but I visited quite a few, had a great time at every one & that makes it kind of tough to remember some of the details. Hope you have a great time! Regards, GF.
 
gratus fermentatio said:
The Heiniken brewery has an interesting tour. Anyone visiting Amsterdam really should go to Anne Frank's house, it will make you think...
Maybe take the Heiniken tour AFTER Anne Franks house, to sort of lighten the mood.

There are a couple of places that cater to those who smoke (if you're into that sort of thing) The Bulldog (just follow the leaves on the sidewalk), and The Milky Way.
There used to be a little coffee shop on Dam Square that served up the best coffee I've ever had, they used to have a half wine barrel out front with a huge pot plant growing in it, but nobody bothered it. Their cream was so thick & rich it turned the coffee an orange color.

There are some nice boat tours of the canals & city, and plenty of art galleries & museums to visit.
Just one more thing: Watch where you step when walking down the sidewalk. When I was there they didn't seem to have any "pooper scooper" laws, or if they did, NOBODY obeyed them; there was dog crap everywhere. I went in late autumn, there will most likely be a lot more for you to see & do in the spring/summer.

Wish I could remember some names of bars/pubs there, but I visited quite a few, had a great time at every one & that makes it kind of tough to remember some of the details. Hope you have a great time! Regards, GF.
Click to expand...

Jeez, is the Bulldog still there? Been a while. I lived in the NL for a few years when I was in the Army.

OP, be sure to do some "Window Shopping". And, be prepared for a LOT of skanky types to try to sell you hard drugs on the street.
 
Things keep coming back to me now......a little tavern across the big street in front of the main train depot. Coming out of the depot, bear to your left, the Groote Swaen (Big Swan) has a nice selection of Netherlands beer and good soup.
 
Can't help with Dam recommendations, but on the whole, I preferred Gent to Brugge. Brugge is pretty touristy. Gent has a more authentic feel imo. Or better yet, go to Brussels and visit Cantillion!
 
BrewNow said:
Traveling to Amsterdam next week and am looking for bars that serve good beers. I have plenty of time - 2 weeks to explore so I may be taking a trip to Bruggs, Belgium.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If you're in Amsterdam, look for good places to smoke, that advice is probably better sought at a different substance-based forum :). Once you cross the border to Belgium, that's when you drink! :mug:
 
Another piece of advice if you have a sweet tooth and do end up going to Bruges...take the number of truffles that you originally want to buy, multiply it by about four, and buy that many. Really that applies to almost anywhere in Europe, but I noticed in Bruges there were a lot of candy shops.
 
Awesome tips! This is a business with a family vacation tacked on so I'll be staying away from the alternate substances. Coming down to the final planning stages this evening and it appears traveling to Belgium is out (I am VERY disappointed). But the wife is the 'master' planner and a 3 hour train ride back to Amsterdam with a young child...after multiple beers doesn't sound like fun.
 
BrewNow said:
Traveling to Amsterdam next week and am looking for bars that serve good beers. I have plenty of time - 2 weeks to explore so I may be taking a trip to Bruggs, Belgium.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Was in Amsterdam last winter, actually Heineken paid for us to go :rockin: but I was a fan pretty dirty town, Id stick to Belgium, but there were a couple bars Id definitely check out.
TwoGunz said:
I highly recommend In de Wildeman (http://www.indewildeman.nl/), it's a fantastic bar with a load of beers.

Also, there are 2 fantastic beer stores: Cracked Kettle (I picked up some Westvleteren's there) and De Bierkonin.
Click to expand...

Wildeman being on and Cafe Belgique being the other. http://www.cafe-belgique.nl/html/index.html

I bought some Westvleteren at Cracked Kettle IIRC, that place was hard as hell to find.
 
You have to go to de Waag for dinner one evening. It is a Castle built in 1488 that now serves good food.
Also, the old church, built in 1306 and the "New" church built in 1408 are great places to tour.
 
woodenbuick said:
You have to go to de Waag for dinner one evening. It is a Castle built in 1488 that now serves good food.
Also, the old church, built in 1306 and the "New" church built in 1408 are great places to tour.
Click to expand...

I agree, I made it there and the food and atmosphere were great.
 
I've an extensive pub guide to Amsterdam here:

http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/amsintr.htm

My personal recommendations would be:

In De Wildeman
Kolksteeg 3,
1012 PT Amsterdam.
Tel: 020 - 638 2348


Beer Temple
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 250,
1012 RR Amsterdam.


Café `t Arendsnest
Herengracht 90,
1015 BS Amsterdam.


De Ooievaar
Sint Olofspoort 1,
1012 AJ Amsterdam.


Café Belgique
Gravenstraat 2,
1012 NM Amsterdam.


't Loosje
Nieuwmarkt 32-34,
1012 CS Amsterdam.


Wijnand Fockink Proeverij
Pijlsteeg 37,
1012 HH Amsterdam.


Batavia 1920
Prins Hendrikkade 85,
1012 AE Amsterdam,


Proeflokaal het Gemaal
Flevopark 13,
1095 KE Amsterdam.
Tel: 06 40100909
http://www.proeflokaalhetgemaal.nl/
 
woodenbuick said:
You have to go to de Waag for dinner one evening. It is a Castle built in 1488 that now serves good food.
Also, the old church, built in 1306 and the "New" church built in 1408 are great places to tour.
Click to expand...

I just returned from Amsterdam and walked by de Waag. Looked perfect and a great menu. Unfortunately, they were booked every night I called. Must plan 1-2 weeks ahead for this place next time!
 
unionrdr said:
The only country where you can have good beer,& good weed at the same time!:ban:
Click to expand...

They just passed a law that prohibits coffee shops from admitting foreign visitors (although that will probably be overturned in court).
 
Went to In De Wildeman 3 times. Du Pont Saison on draft to start. The friendly lady bartender recommended 3 or 4 different locally or Belgian brewed beers. I did not have anything to write with, take a picture with and my memory was painfully lacking. I do recall the brews were all spicy and very dry. One XX Bitter?? was very tongue splitting bitter and zero hop flavor.

La Trappe and Duvel were EVERYWHERE. Some could be have for 2.0 euros.
 
How has Cafe Gollem not been mentioned? Great place, right across from Cracked Kettle.

Heineken tour is not worth it- 15 euros for a walkthrough of a few displays, a few old pieces of equipment, and two small drafts. They don't even brew there any more. I guess that's coming from a St. Louisian though- we have the free Budweiser tour that is 10x better.
 
Also, a nice place close to the city center (albeit a 3 mile walk, I'd rent a bike if I did it again) is Brouwerij 't Ij. It's inside a windmill which is pretty cool, and has a nice bar with snacks. Beer is pretty good and they offer a lot of selection.

main.php
 
BrewNow said:
I just returned from Amsterdam and walked by de Waag. Looked perfect and a great menu. Unfortunately, they were booked every night I called. Must plan 1-2 weeks ahead for this place next time!
Click to expand...

If they're booked next time, try Kantjin an der Tyger for outstanding Indonesian food. We've been there every time we've been in town.
 
Also took a trip to Antwerp for an afternoon and stopped by Kulminator. I highly recommend a visit for anyone visiting the city. Had Roddenbach on draft...oh BABY! The beer menu was several pages. They offered Orval and the rest of the trappist brews as far back as 10 years. On the way back to the train station, a marvelous building in itself, I stopped by a local pub. The clientele average age was 70+ years old, all smokers and all drinking De Koninick (really cheap), Roddenback, Duval, etc. . I was just astonished by this. At any typical bar in the US, the older generation would be sticking to the BMC labels. I suppose it isn't strange because these folks probably grew up on these world class beverages. Bottom line, I need to move to Belgium.
 
rico567 said:
If they're booked next time, try Kantjin an der Tyger for outstanding Indonesian food. We've been there every time we've been in town.
Click to expand...

Ate here the last evening I was in town. Absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. The beer selection sucked but the food made up for it.
 
ArcaneXor said:
They just passed a law that prohibits coffee shops from admitting foreign visitors (although that will probably be overturned in court).
Click to expand...


Not very likely as they already ask the courts and got the green light to ban foreigners, but the city councils of Den Bosch and Maastricht have already voted against the plan and the four big cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht have also pledged to campaign against it.

As most people familiar with Dutch laws know nothing is ever black-n-white, take the mushroom ban. They oulawed fresh `shrooms but never decided what department would enforce the ban..:drunk:

But the effect was still the same, theres no longer fresh ready to eat mushrooms for sale, only grow kits.

couple links that make you ask wtf...
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/12/maastricht_mayor_opposes_soft.php
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/02/eindhoven_joins_opposition_to.php



bh10 said:
Considering most coffee shop owners are foreigners, I wonder how thatll work.
Click to expand...

But they all hold a Dutch business license and pay huge amounts of taxes from sales... money talks:p

pauljmccain said:
How has Cafe Gollem not been mentioned? Great place, right across from Cracked Kettle..
Click to expand...

That pub has been closed for sometime now.
 
Houblon said:
Not very likely as they already ask the courts and got the green light to ban foreigners, but the city councils of Den Bosch and Maastricht have already voted against the plan and the four big cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht have also pledged to campaign against it.
Click to expand...

It probably violates EU regulations to exclude citizens of other EU countries from entering. But like you said, there are usually ways around such things :)
 
ArcaneXor said:
It probably violates EU regulations to exclude citizens of other EU countries from entering.
Click to expand...


Nope back in Dec. the European Court of Justice already ruled that Dutch authorities can ban coffee shops from selling marijuana to foreign visitors.

Everybody forgets but cannabis has never been legal in NL, it just applies a gedoogbeleid (tolerance policy) possession of a maximum amount of five grams cannabis for personal use is not prosecuted.

Thats why the EU courts ruled in favor of the ban, (cannabis) has never been legal to begin with so NL. can decide who is allowed to buy.
 

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