Café Vertigo
, Vondelpark 3. Attached to the Film Museum, a wonderful place to while away a sunny afternoon (or take refuge from the rain) with a spacious interior and a large terrace overlooking the park.
Last Waterhole
, Oudezijds Armsteeg 12. Red-light district refuge, with a lively, warm atmosphere and a fun-loving house band playing until dawn.
De Drie Fleschjes
, Gravenstraat 18, near Dam Square. Tasting house for spirits and liqueurs. No beer, and no seats either. Closes 8pm.
Durty Nelly's
, Warmoesstraat 117. Irish pub in the heart of the red-light action, packed if there's weekend football.
De Engelbewaarder
, Kloveniersburgwal 59. Once a meeting place of Amsterdam's bookish types, with live jazz on Sunday afternoons.
Flying Dutchman
, Martelaarsgracht 13, near Centraal Station. Principal watering hole of British expats, and not a word of Dutch to be heard.
't IJ
, Funenkade 7. Situated in the base of a windmill to the east of the centre, with exceptionally strong home-brewed beers. Wed-Sun 3-8pm.
De Jaren
, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20-22, near Muntplein. Grand café overlooking the river - one of the best places to nurse the Sunday paper.
Koophandel
, Bloemgracht 49, Jordaan. Empty before midnight, this is the early-hours bar you dreamt about, in an old warehouse on one of Amsterdam's most picturesque canals. Open until at least 3am.
Lokaal 't Loosje
, Nieuwmarkt 32. Quiet old-style "brown café" that's been here for 200 years and looks its age.
Mulligans
, Amstel 100, near Rembrandtplein. Best Irish pub in the city, with superb traditional music.
O'Donnells
, Ferdinand Bolstraat 5. The best Guinness in town, just behind the Heineken Brewery.
Sound Garden
, Marnixstraat 164, Jordaan. Grunge bar, packed with people and noise, with a canalside terrace to retreat to.
Tara
, Rokin 89. Excellent Irish bar with regular live music.
De Tuin
, 2e Tuindwarsstraat 13. The Jordaan has some marvellously unpretentious bars, and this is one of the best. Agreeably unkempt.
De Twee Zwaantjes
, Prinsengracht 114. Tiny oddball Jordaan bar where locals sing along raucously to accordian music - you'll either love it or hate it.
