Going to Amsterdam: Need Drinking Suggestions

So I'm headed to Amsterdam for a few days. I like a lot of the Belgian beers, especially some of the strong golden fellows. I've heard of Cafe Gollum and Wildemans; anywhere else I should do some drinking? Does anyone have beer recommendations for fantastic things that would be difficult/impossible to find stateside?

Hard to say what kind of place you like to drink in, but there's a little spot we like only about a 5 minute walk from the main train depot, where you'll almost certainly end up after you land at Schiphol. Just cross the main street & bear left & walk, you'll find it. It's called the Tapperij de Groote Swaen (Big Swan Restaurant), address Prins Hendrikkade 52 Amsterdam, 1012 AC Netherlands.

This link gives a map, but you don't really need it; Amsterdam is basically a small town:

Restaurant Tapperij De Groote Swaen in Amsterdam, Netherlands - by Trav-Well.com

This isn't drinking as much as it eating but De Waag is a 14th Century castle converted to a restaurant. Great food and the ambiance cant be beat, all lit by candles only.
There are lots of pubs on the side streets that are good to watch traffic (Bicycles) go by on an evening.

I didn't know people went to Amsterdam to drink...

De Waag looks like an interesting joint. Any suggestions for beer brands/bottles?

Boy! I was so busy thinking about a good watering hole that I completely forgot about eating. If you have any notion that you might like Indonesian food (and if you don't, you should), please don't miss out on Kantjil an der Tyger (The Antelope and the Tiger). It's on the street behind the palace off Dam Square. Let's just say....you will thank me. The Netherlands has a relationship with Indonesia of long standing, and its complement of restaurants featuring Indonesian cuisine is one of the hidden delights of Amsterdam. The one I mentioned is one of the best.

Schnitzengiggle said:

I didn't know people went to Amsterdam to drink...

Click to expand...

HAHA! :cross: I was gonna say the same thing! I go for the coffee houses and brothels!

Brouwerij De Prael (Oudezijds Voorburgwal 30, 1012 GD Amsterdam) will give you a tour for 5 euro, also try Brouwerij t' Ij (Funenkade 7, 1018 AL Amsterdam... under the windmill.. the bus goes very near there from the central train station, it is basically a brewpub that only serves their own beer)

when i was in amsterdam the food was great at whatever french place and every other place went the other stuff was great and the beer was almost always Heineken or Grolsch moslty heine .. i was looking for other beer but thats all we could get in the few places i went to .. hope you do better than i did

In de Wildeman. Fantastic selection. Done many hours there with A'dam friends getting hammered.

Here is the bottle selection from de Wildeman: http://www.indewildeman.nl/Bierkaart maart 2007_Bierkaart op A4 MEI 2006.pdf.

It's hard to know where to start. I want to try a Saison, since I've never had anything along those lines. I really like Great Divide's Hades, a straw-colored Belgian; it would be nice to find something along those lines. Maybe a beefy double to trippel. Decisions decisions...

If you havent had one before, have a Rodenbach Grand Cru at de Wildeman

+1 on Cafe Gollum

You can spend all day/night there if you're not careful.

Get a t-shirt, we'll be twins.

I've been to Amsterdam twice now (just got back a few weeks ago, actually). The first time, I found Golem, which quickly became my favorite bar.

This time, I found a new place through a Red Light Walking Tour given by Mike's Bikes. (I highly recommend their bike tour to the countryside, their red light tour was good too.) I didn't remember the name of the place, but the pictures from google maps tell me it's "Nederlands Biercafe 't Arendsnest" on the street Herengracht 90. ([ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=amsterdam+dutch+microbrew&vps=2&jsv=168d&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.334641,79.013672&ie=UTF8&cd=2&ei=0dRsSoTyI4yO8gTEmJmMAg&usq=dutch+microbrew&dtab=0&cid=8659992894988214724&li=lmd"]Link here[/ame])

They had many dutch microbrews. Our tour guide told us that, apparently, some Dutch brewers have been taking tips from American micro-brewers. I got a very hoppy ale which was very good. Not actually that bitter, but loads of hop flavor. You should check it out!