UCityGuides.com Home > AMSTERDAM > AMSTERDAM BARS & CLUBS
All the drinking and dancing hotspots
|
|
After a quick glimpse of the famous Red Light District to see what it's all about (if it's still there -- it's in the process of being cleaned up as you read this), go elsewhere in the city and you'll still be able to see how Amsterdam became known as a party city. Hip bars and clubs are thriving in the Eastern Docklands area, and the old "brown bars" of the Jordaan district remain favorites among locals and tourists. Whether you're looking to drink, chill out, or spend the night on a dancefloor, these are the places to go:
Werck
Found in the heart of the Jordaan district, this is an attractive meeting place for a drink or a light meal during the day, but it's even better on weekend nights when it throws a party with live music and DJ sessions. On the days with no special events it's still a great place to sit with a mojito, a cosmopolitan, or a caipirinha.
Vyne
This trendy wine bar and shop owned by the same team behind "Envy" (see Amsterdam Cafes & Restaurants) has a fantastic selection of bottles to buy and fine wines to taste as you sit on the sexy suede banquettes nibbling on tapas-style snacks.
Supperclub
This is such a legendary place that you must really make the effort to experience it during a visit to Amsterdam. It presents you with a 5-course menu, but the reason to come is not really for the food, but for an all-night experience with performances and dance music. It is also possible to have the same service on water, in a boat (the Supperclub Cruise) with live DJs providing a soundtrack for watching the sunset or sipping champagne.
Vakzuid
Overlooking the Olympic Stadium, this fashionable restaurant/cocktail lounge/club in a four-level space attracts the city's most affluent crowds. The food fuses Mediterranean and Asian dishes, to be savored before heading to the outside terrace in good weather.
Odessa
It's a floating retro restaurant inside an old Russian ship serving international fusion cuisine but also a hip nighttime hangout with DJs on weekends. When the weather is good, the deck is opened for al fresco dining and drinking.
Sinners
This club is for the seriously hip, well dressed, and very often celebrity set who crowd the three dancefloors to see and be seen. Surrounded by designer furniture, you can hear various sounds ranging from R&B to hip hop.
Jimmy Woo
One of the top choices for Amsterdam's most glamorous crowds to party, this exclusive club often hosts Europe's top DJs in a space decorated with 18th century antiques and silk fabrics. Get your name on the guest list to increase your chances of getting in.
Rain
This hip restaurant-bar-club has a tastefully-decorated dining area, and a cocktail bar and dancefloor downstairs. The food combines flavors from all corners of the globe, while the music mixes chill-out jazzy sounds on weekdays and house and hip hop on weekends.
Odeon Theater
Once a concert hall, then a theater, a cinema, an auction house, and gay club (where famous names like Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and Jean Paul Gaultier spent a few nights), the historical Odeon is now an all-day and night venue consisting of two restaurants, a bar, a club, and concert hall. Every room has its own style, but the décor is always elegant and sophisticated, fitting for such a legendary space.
The Zebra
Once somewhat sleazy and controversial for its pole dancers, this stylish and now respectable club has gotten rid of the poles, but the dancers remains around its two dancefloors and bars. Reserve one of its glamorous private booths and order by the bottle if you feel like spending some money.
Panama
This entertainment complex includes a restaurant and a club that is always packed for its special musical events, especially on those nights when star DJs such as John Digweed, Deep Dish, or Eric Morillo are in the house.
MORE AMSTERDAM:
SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS | HOTELS & HOSTELS | BARS & CLUBS | CAFES & RESTAURANTS | SHOPPING | BODY & SOUL |
GAY & LESBIAN | MAP & TRANSPORTATION | CAR RENTAL | TOURS & DAYTRIPS | CONCERTS & EVENTS
