TOP TIPPLES AT THE BEST COCKTAIL BARS IN AMSTERDAM
Cocktail bars in Amsterdam are elegant, enchanting and a gateway to a glamorous city.
CONTEMPORARY TIPPLES
Amsterdam is the perfect city for a cocktail. The small, narrow buildings here provide the ultimate backdrop for cosy candlelit tables and nooks. You can spend hours sipping the delicious tipple of your choice (with intermittent sips of water) while the world passes by outside on the busy cobblestone streets.
Cocktails bars in Amsterdam have polished and refined their menus since the days of overly sweet daiquiris or the suggestively titled sex on the beach. But while there will always be time for those primitive cocktails, like the sweet punch of a Pina Colada on your favourite sunny vacation – in the effortlessly classy streets of Amsterdam, a beautiful cocktail bar with an air of sophistication will draw you like a magnet.
Our menu of fine cocktail bars will have a potation for everyone.
Bar Mokum
TOP TIPPLE: Tortelduiffie
With an underground, speakeasy atmosphere and their theme an ode to the infamous Red-Light District of real Amsterdam above it, Bar Mokum is a hidden bar where you’ll feel salacious just being there.
The drinks list is separated by sweet, bitter, and sour cocktails – helping to steer you in the direction of a drink to suit your tastes. We recommend their excellently strong Tortelduiffie – a negroni style cocktail – if your preference is for potent drinks. Or the lemon and limey Citroentje for a fresher, sour taste. Most popular here, however, is the Gleuvenrijder – their take on the Espresso Martini with the welcome addition of stroopwafel. So good we recommend you squeeze it in even if you’re only here for 24 hours.
Door 74
TOP TIPPLE: State of Deception
If you get a thrill from visiting inconspicuous, hidden gems you’ll love Door 74. Disguised behind a non-descript door a few minutes’ walk from rowdy Rembrandtplein you’ll find this clandestine, art-deco style cocktail bar which serves some of the best cocktails in the city.
Inside you’ll feel as though you’ve entered an exclusive members club from a different era. Dim lights and wood panelling set the scene for an extravagant evening. Their menu is well labelled, guiding you to your perfect tipple. Sweet, floral, nutty, herbal – they offer many drinks that will wet your whistle and also live up to the expectations of such a beautiful venue.
Flying Dutchmen Cocktails
TOP TIPPLE: Pharmaceutical Stimulant
Perfectly centrally located Flying Dutchmen Cocktails is another glamourous cocktail bar in Amsterdam. High ceilings and lush décor make this an inviting spot to enjoy a few drinks after a day spent shopping on Kalverstraat.
Although grand, the space is small, and we definitely recommend booking here where possible to avoid waiting long periods for a table. Their creative menu explores cocktails throughout their evolution playing with different variations from different times. The original Espresso Martini is by far one of the best in the city.
Rosalia's Menagerie
TOP TIPPLE: Cacao Martinez
If you prefer something a little different, with a sprinkle of theatrics and drama thrown into your evening (or daytime) drinks, then Rosalia’s Menagerie is an escapism in the city you won’t forget. First you must ring the doorbell and wait for capacity for your party. Once inside you’ll discover a perfectly kitsch space to transport you to another time.
Their menu changes seasonally with a new theme arising from each update but they have a few classics and guest favourites as mainstays along with a list of Dutch Courage cocktails – classics but uniformly Dutch. The Cacao Martinez is a malty twist on a classic which we encourage everyone to try.
Bar the Tailor
TOP TIPPLE: Poole Coffee House
Located inside the 5-star Grand Hotel Krasnapolsk you’ll find the exceptionally sophisticated, Bar the Tailor. Comfy seats in a beautiful lounge make this a perfect getaway from ultra-busy Dam Square. If you’re really in the mood for a treat they offer cigars to enjoy in their outdoor terrace. The bar staff will also advise you on which cocktail to pair with your chosen cigar.
On the drinks side of things – A Stitch in Time is a strong, to the point cocktail not for the faint of heart. If you’re abstaining from alcohol their menu is one of the best available for teetotallers. In every section you’ll find an alcohol-free option but none better than the Poole Coffee House – milky, sweet, and enough caffeine to help you keep up with the drinkers.
Tales & Spirits
TOP TIPPLE: Zombie
Perfect if you love novelty style cocktails that feature small design details which are as enjoyable as the cocktail itself. Your drink might come served in a Tiki, skull, or an owl shaped cocktail cup – some of which even arrive on fire (no joke).
A large menu delivers their interpretation on some popular concoctions along with a full list of their own classics developed and loved enough over the years to become permanent fixtures. One of their favourites is the Zombie, a cocktail so potent they allow only two per guest. Their selection of Old Fashioned’s provide the perfect drink to cheers the cocktail of all cocktails.
Pulitzer's Bar
TOP TIPPLE: The Breakfast Margarita
Classy, elegant, distinguished – the Pulitzer Bar is for those who want their surroundings to match their fancy tipples. The old-world cocktail bar in the prestigious hotel is exactly how you’d expect it be, all the aforementioned adjectives and – expensive. The ultimate hideaway to cosy around their warming fireplace with your artisan cocktail for a luxurious few hours.
Their cocktails are truly exceptional and unique to Pulitzer. The Breakfast Margarita, a menu highlight, features cornflakes and tequila. The Starter Martini combines butter and sage as unusual principal ingredients. The considered thought and effort involved to curate each drink makes them worth every cent.
Wynand Fockink Proeflokaal and Spirits
TOP TIPPLE: Half en Half Likeur
Not a modern cocktail bar per se but arguably an early incarnation of the cocktail – Wynand Fockink has been around for an astounding four centuries. The walls are stocked with their own brandies, bitters, liqueurs and genevers from recipes which have been passed down for centuries.
Whilst you can’t go in and pick from a menu, the bartenders will help you discover the best drink for you from their huge selection. Whether that’s a strong, dry genever neat or one of their rich, sweet liqueurs in various flavours – maybe with a few drops of bitters for balance and served in a traditional genever (or jenever) borrelglas. Remember to always take the first sip before picking up the chalice-shaped shot glass or you’ll most likely spill its contents over the wide rim (thus wasting precious alcohol). A traditional, unexpected experience not to be missed.
