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Spotlight

Amsterdam

Nightlife

Anything goes in Amsterdam – whatever your preference, you'll find it somewhere between the Red Light District, the coffeeshops that sell soft drugs, the Holland Casino, the velvet-roped clubs, the gay bars on Reguliersdwarstraat, and the casual local haunts.

Coffeeshops
"Coffeeshops" don't pull in customers with the aroma of java, and while it is an offense to sell or buy marijuana, the tolerant police turn a blind eye to personal use as long as there are no disturbances. Abraxas (Jonge Roelensteeg 12; 020/625-5763; www.abraxasparadise.nl) has the best space (marijuana-infused) menu in the city with muffins, brownies, shakes, and bon bons. Grey Area Coffeeshop (Oude Leliestraat 2; 020/ 420-4301; www.greyarea.nl) has won numerous Cannabis Cup awards and is run by helpful owners. Homegrown Fantasy (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 87a; 020/627-5683; www.homegrownfantasy.com) serves one of the largest selections of marijuana in Amsterdam, including locally grown weed. In the Jordaan the coffeeshops offer a little something extra: Paradox (Eerste Bloemdwarsstraat 2; 020/623-5639; www.paradoxamsterdam.demon.nl) has a delicious health food menu and Siberie (Brouwersgracht 111; 020/623-5909 www.siberie.net) hosts local artists, poets, and DJs.

Bars
Just about everywhere you turn in this city you'll see bars serving beer with exactly two fingers' worth of foam on top. Our favorite is In de Wildeman (Kolksteeg 3; 020/638-2348; www.indewildeman.nl), which serves 200 bottled brews from around the world. You can't leave Holland, though, without tasting a traditional jenever (a gin-like spirit made from juniper berries) in a proeflokaal (tasting house) such as Wijnand Fockink (Pijlsteeg 31; 020/639-2695; www.wynand-fockink.nl).

While the hot spots are always changing, the lively neighborhoods that come alive at night rarely do. Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein draw tourists 24 hours a day with the greatest clustering of restaurants and nightlife, while Rain (Rembrandtplein 44; 020/626-7078; www.rain-amsterdam.com), a hip club-bar-restaurant, has a lounge feel with a pulsating dance floor. Closer to Leidseplein, Lux (Marnixstraat 403; 042/422-1412) offers DJs every night and a trendy crowd, but if that's not your scene, try the quieter Weber (Marnixstraat 397; 020/622-9910). A little closer into the city center, you'll find bars clustered on either side of the Red Light District around Nieuwmarkt and Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. Café 't Loosje (Nieuwmarkt 32-34; 020/627-2635) is an old brown café with lots of character, while Bep (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 260; 020/626-5649) offers a newer, hipper scene. For a neighborhood bar feel, head to the residential Jordaan or De Pijp areas, often compared to New York's West and East Villages respectively. In the Jordaan, Café de Tuin (2e Tuindwarsstraat 13; 020/624-4559) and De Blaffende Vis (Westerstraat 118; 020/625-1721) are typical brown café settings, while Finch (Noordermarkt 5; 020/626-2461) is more modern, and De Kat in 't Wijngaert (Lindengracht 160; 020/ 622-4554) is a true locals hangout. In De Pijp, a winning trio on the same street should do the trick; there's the traditional De Duvel (Eerste van der Helststraat 59-61; 020/675-7517; www.deduvel.nl); funky Chocolate Bar (Eerste van der Helststraat 62A; 020/675-7672; www.chocolate-bar.nl); or trendy Madame Jeanette (Eerste van der Helststraat 42; 020/673-3332).

Clubs
Amsterdam has, over the past few years, developed a major club scene with strict dress code policies. Escape (Rembrandtplein 11; 020/622-1111; www.escape.nl) is one of biggest with frequent parties and current music, but one of the newest, Jimmy Woo (Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 18; 020/626-3150; www.jimmywoo.nl) has become popular quickly for its modern style and large lounge and dance floor. Celeb-hangout Mansion (Hobbemastraat 2; 020/676-6664; www.the-mansion.nl) is a must-see club/restaurant just because of the décor – ostrich leather, gold leaf on the walls, and Sistine Chapel-inspired ceilings – while Tonight, Hotel Arena's nightclub ('s Gravesandestraat 51; 020/850-2451; www.hotelarena.nl) has authentic religious murals, as it is located in a former church – a bit far from the center, but the local and international DJs make the trip worth it.

Live Music
Besides the city's large concert halls, Amsterdam has a few venues that offer almost nightly live music or DJs. Paradiso (Weteringschans 6-8; 020/626-4521; www.paradiso.nl) draws big name acts, but even when the former neo-gothic church isn't hosting the likes of the Rolling Stones, it's packed with crowds there for live DJs or dance parties. Melkweg (Lijnbaansgracht 234A; 020/531-8181; www.melkweg.nl) is the place to go for local musicians and cutting-edge international talent, dance events on weekends, and the Cannabis Cup each November. A little less mainstream, the Bimhuis (Piet Heinkade 3; 020/788-2150; www.bimhuis.nl) and De Badcuyp (Eerste Sweelinckstraat 10; 020/675-9669; www.badcuyp.nl) offer more jazz, international, and improvisational music acts.