I am one of those cats that is unable to study in a quiet environment. What I need is a lively environment, with chattering people in it having a pleasant time.

Café Crea is located on the grounds of some of the most beautiful buildings of the UvA (University of Amsterdam), and it is a haven for students looking for a break. As the place is divided into three smaller parts, the conversations of the guests do not bounce around against the walls, but fill the rooms with a pleasant humming.

Crea is one of my favorite places to go to when I need to study or write, want to drink coffee and read a newspaper, or drink a beer with fellow students. Located in a quieter part, but right the middle of the centre, it is a perfect base of operations to plan your explorations in.

In the meantime you can enjoy a delicious coffee, French toast, a sandwich or a bowl of soup, or even a decent and decently priced dinner between five and eight-thirty. With a different atmosphere in each of the rooms and a small patio on the canal side, you can be sure to find a spot that fits your mood.

The view from the patio is picturesque in a way that is typical for Amsterdam. Since I have been studying at the UvA, I have found the surroundings of Crea very inspiring. You feel very close to the history of the city and the university. When you are there, take the time to enjoy the atmosphere and stroll around between the university-buildings.

Details about this spot
Café Crea | Coffee & tea, Bars, Restaurants (international) | Beer € 2.00
Turfdraagsterpad 17 | Old center (area map) | +31205251423
Mon - Sat 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00

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It is a well-known place in Amsterdam right next to Hotel de L’Europe. A nice looking place from the inside, especially because of the extremely high ceilings.
In the summer this is one of the best outdoor cafes to sit with loads of boats passing by. The beer company Grolsch still owns this building, so in the summer you can enjoy your beer on one of the most beautiful terraces of Amsterdam.

On not so sunny days, loads of magazines are there to get you through a rainy day. You can sit here for hours with one drink without waiters looking at you like “go away or order something else”. Maybe this is because they do not notice you either if you want to order something.

The sandwiches are fine, but personally I would stick to the beverages only.

Details about this spot
Café de Jaren | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee € 2.00
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20/22 | Old center (area map) | +31206255771
10:00 - 00:00 daily

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Struik is a typical relaxed, ‘easy going’ café. The audience is a mix of locals, old & young, varying from hip to old fashioned.

At Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays dj’s are playing their music: hiphop/soul/classics. Popular but original at the same time. Once in a while special events take place.

The graffiti on the brick wall changes every now and then, made by several artists. Struik has a small lunch and snack menu; keeping its bar-image.

Great to start off your night, or to hang around all night. Guaranteed you meet some nice locals!

Details about this spot
Café Struik | Bars | Beer € 2.00
Rozengracht 160 | Jordaan (area map)
Tue - Thu 10:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 11:00 - 03:00, Sun - Mon 14:00 - 01:00

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Club 8 is a great venue for a fully filled, entertaining night! With more than 24 pool tables there’s always space to start your game! Feeling hungry?
The restaurant menu offers burgers, soups, pasta and typically Dutch snacks like ‘bitterballen’ en ‘kaassouffle’. Check out the menu for drinks (JPEG, 162kb) or the menu for food (JPEG, 162kb)!

The restaurant area might not be a picture perfect place for going out for dinner, but for a quick bite it’s just fine.

At night, Club 8’s nightclub plays funky sounds: electro, pop, indie, house….name it, they have it! Check out the program on the website, just to be sure you like what’s on that particular night!

The audience is very diverse: students, tourists, expats, and locals…everybody likes Club 8!

Details about this spot
Club 8 | Bars, Music, Restaurants (international) | One hour pool € 9.50
Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B | Oud-West (area map) | +31206851703
Mon - Thu 14:00 - 03:00, Fri 14:00 - 04:00, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 03:00

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In a rather quiet neighbourhood, just around the corner where I live, at nr. 10, coffeeshop Pacific is situated. A place I would not have ever visited, because I don’t smoke and drink coffee at home or in an Italian Café. But I realize my thoughts are narrow-minded. So, I visited the place for a cup of coffee as a good neighbour.

It is a rather simple place, with flipper machine and one arm-bandit and in the middle they placed a glass wall to divide the room into two since 1 st. of July 2008 (smoking is banned day).

So one part is for smokers with no service and the other part is for non-smokers with service.

The menu offers a wide variety of smokies, and there is coffee and soft-drinks, people and service are nice and helpful. It is a typical neighbourhood coffeeshop, with a worldly name!

Details about this spot
Coffeeshop Pacific | Bars | Coffee or soft-drink € 2.00
Balthasar Floriszstraat 10 | Oud-Zuid (area map) | +31206710318
Mon - Sat 11:00 - 01:00

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This brown colored pub on the Kloveniersburgwal was here when my father was studying in Amsterdam. It is supposed to be a literary café, a place where you can read a book or newspaper in peace, but I usually find it quite lively.

It has a layout that is typical for Amsterdam: quite narrow and deep. There is only sunlight in the front, but bars like these are not supposed to be bathing in light. The crowd is usually positioned in the narrow space in front of the bar, in the smoke free area back you can sit down in relative peace; take a look at the photos that are exhibited, or play a board game.

This place has an atmosphere that you will not find in newer bars, but what is more, they serve beers that you will not find anywhere else in Amsterdam. It is not a beer café per se, but the beers they have on tap are exquisite. I would not know where to find a tastier beer on a hot summer day. You can enjoy it on the patio facing the canal, in front, across the street.

During the day you can have a tasty lunch, served on proper, thick slices of bread. After five in the afternoon you can pick your dinner from the small menu written on a chalkboard in front of the bar. The food is tasty and far from expensive; the meal of the day will set you back about Euro 8.50. It is no haute cuisine, but it is good and healthy and you can flush it away with a delicious beer.

Details about this spot
Engelbewaarder | Bars, Restaurants (Lunch) | Beer € 2.00
Kloveniersburgwal 59 | Old center (area map) | +31206253772
Mon - Thu 12:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 14:00 - 01:00

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The reason that this bar is suitable for daily use is because you can go here for breakfast, coffee, lunch, diner, cocktails or a night out. An all-round bar so to say!

The mix of tourists, hip students, and locals creates a relaxed, but outgoing atmosphere.

The Noordermarkt area has always been very popular, therefore Finch is packed almost all the time..

The food is simple, but tasteful and not too expensive. Maybe it’s not the best place to go for dinner, as the staff sometimes has a problem with serving the bar, making coffees, playing the right music, ánd have a chat with some of locals…

But, if you’re not too hungry and not in a hurry: why not.

Details about this spot
Finch Café | Bars, Restaurants (International) | Wine € 2.80
Noordermarkt 5 | Jordaan (area map) | +31206262461
Mon 07:00 - 01:00, Tue - Thu 11:00 - 01:00, Fri & Sun 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 09:00- 03:00

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This cinema/bar is run by a staff of about forty-five volunteers that are all students. Since I am one of them, my perception of the place might be quite different from that of a customer. I have however experienced Kriterion literally at every hour of the day and at every hour of the night, and I might be able to give you a good insight into what it has to offer.

Kriterion has been through a lot of reconstruction work in the summer, which resulted in a new smoke-free space in the bar, and a third room for our cinema. We took the opportunity to cover the once white but since long nicotine-yellow walls with a new layer of paint. The color scheme gives a fresher look and blends in with the original features of the building. Although it looks a bit more modern, the atmosphere of a “bruin café” (that’s the Dutch word for all smoky, dark colored bars, with dimmed lights and wooden floors) is maintained.

Located in front of one of the bigger branches of the UvA (University of Amsterdam) our café is swarmed by students during the day. Their continuing presence shows that the hours in between classes are longer than the classes themselves. The UvA students spend their free time drinking lattes or cappuccino’s (this to my annoyance; I want to hug everyone that orders an espresso), reading a newspaper, or, I see this quite often, studying.

What looks like a café during the day, feels more like a pub at night. With the candles lit, the music turned up a bit, and a friendly beer drinking crowd, I dare to say that Kriterion is the only cinema in Amsterdam that has a real pub in it. You can go there just to drink a beer, or just to see a movie, but for anybody that wants to combine these two experiences, Kriterion is the perfect place. It is one of the main things that attracted me, since I like to think of going to the movies as going out. Besides, the conversations about the movie seem so much more insightful when you’re gulping down a cold beer.

If you’re from abroad you will not feel a stranger, since a large part of Kriterion’s clientele consists of foreign students or member of our international community. You can easily blend in with a very diverse crowd of moviegoers, students from all over, and the quite eccentric individuals living in the neighborhood.

Details about this spot
Kriterion | Bars, Cinemas | Movie € 7.00
Roetersstraat 170 | Plantage/Oost (area map) | +31206231708
Mon - Fri 10:30 - 01:00, Fri 10:30 - 03:00, Sat 13:00 - 03:00, Sun 11:00 - 01:00

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A downside of living in the district De Baarsjes is that good bars or restaurants are almost non-existent in this part of the city. Fortunately, in 2005 Louter was opened. It has been very popular ever since, because of its excellent location at the border of De Baarsjes.

It is quite a hip place, with mixed crowds. The interior is nice, although you could have your own opinion about the lamps above the bar. It is excellent for a morning cup of coffee (with homemade coco-cookies) or a drink. The food is nice and of good value. The sandwiches have some ordinary choices on it, but the taste is surprisingly. In the weekend they have a hearty breakfast, with croissant, egg and bacon, fresh orange juice and coffee from 10:00 to 12:00.

Details about this spot
Louter | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (international) | Mains from € 12.00
De Clerqstraat 82 | Oud-West (area map) | +31203892623
Sun - Thu 10:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 10:00 - 02:00

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MOMO brings the mystic from the far East and the sophisticated West together, from a bento box for lunch to a Seared Mabel Beef for dinner. It is an experience!

The bar serves a wide range of cocktails and mixes, classical, traditionals to new, not yet discovered, taste explosions.

A trendy, new hot spot to be seen and to have been!

Details about this spot
MOMO | Bars, Restaurants | (Asian-Western fusion) | Main course € 32.50
Hobbemastraat 1 | Oud-Zuid (area map) | +31206717474
Bar & Lounge: 10:30 - 01:00 | Restaurant 12:30 - 14:30 & 18:00 - 22:30

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STOUT = Naughty! Because rules are there to be broken. Because risky business, the sin and sense go frequently nicely together. Giving meaning to enjoyment, is what restaurant STOUT does! Therefore every guest is a welcome challenge, every product, selected carefully by the Chef, prepared in a stimulating way, every wine a sunny holiday and every employee an individual with a refined feeling for your wishes. Thus it is the challenge, which seduces us and seduction, which we defy. Chef Onno is inspired by the international kitchens and trends and is very familiar with the metropolitan and most recent developments, tendencies and developments of high-quality food & beverage products, concepts and formulas. Purely to keep informed; Naughty! He does not obey to fashionable one day trends. We are naughty! , a little bit wrong, a source, to enjoy!
© Website Stout, free translation by author of this article.

Stout is one of my favourites for lunch and I love to go there for a coffee when I finished my shopping in the Haarlemmerstraat.

I like the ‘broodje ½ OM’ in particular, a nice roll with thinly sliced pastrami and cooked calfs liver slices: very Amsterdam! The fresh fruit juices are also very good. The focaccio STOUT, is a cheese melted tuna sandwich is also very good! Coffee’s and espresso’s are of very good quality and delicious.

The service I experienced as personal and friendly.

Details about this spot
Stout | Bars, Restaurants (international) | Broodje ½ OM € 7.00
Haarlemmerstraat 73 | Canals (area map) | +31206163664
11:00 - 01:00 daily

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Tucked away quite far in the eastern part of the city you find a cinema/theatre/club/pub/restaurant rolled into one. Studio K is located prominently on the Timorplein, in a building that used to be a school for craftsmanship. The building has been beautifully renovated and it looks airy and fresh. The large building houses a budget hotel, and a number of offices for small companies.

Studio K is an ambitious project, meant to create a cultural and creative center in a neighborhood that has otherwise very little to offer. It is located in a part of the Zeeburg quarter that was already quite decent, but in my opinion this little oasis is working its magic on the rest of the district.

Young, creative entrepreneurs were drawn to the dynamic environment of Studio K, and the offices were quickly rented out. Inhabitants of Zeeburg now have a place to go to in their own neighborhood for a coffee or a beer.

I would not know another place in Zeeburg that is as suitable as Studio K to have a drink or enjoy a movie, but, from another perspective I would actually take the effort to make the trip to this part of the town to enjoy a beer or a proper meal in a beautiful bar, served by a friendly staff, and to watch a movie if I feel like it.

Their selection of films is usually good, although it usually includes some reruns of films that have been already been in other cinemas for a few months. I do not always feel like being in the midst of the rumor of the city and Studio K has all the atmosphere that you need in a quieter part of the city.

Details about this spot
Studio K | Theaters, Bars, Cinemas, Restaurants (International) | Coffee € 1.50
Timorplein 62 | Plantage/Oost (area map) | +31206920422
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In my quest for an authentic pub experience I’ve been stopping by a small pub called “The Minds” quite often lately.

It is small, brown, and what’s more, smoky! Yes despite the ban on smoking in public places, the clientele is still steadily puffing away over here. It doesn’t matter whether they’d be sucking on a joint or on a cigarette, them smokers do provide this dark and shady atmosphere that even I as a non-smoker have been missing since the ban.

For the health freaks this is obviously not a strong selling point. The alternative, relaxed crowd might be however, just as the stone hard rock music that is constantly being played. From The Doors to Queens of the Stone Age and everything in between. The bartender, who’s been the owner of The Minds as long as anybody can remember, obviously plays just what he likes.

I happen to think that this is the perfect way to attract the people to your establishment that fit in. If you like rock in all its different shapes, cheap beer and smoking, you should go to The Minds. Don’t mind the interior, it’s all rough edges, the atmosphere is better than in most other pubs.

Details about this spot
The Minds | Bars | beer € 1.60
Spuistraat 245 | Old center (area map)
21:00 - 3:00 Su - Thu, 21:00 - 4:00 Fri - Sat

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At the end of the very lively Haarlemmerdijk you will find the oldest cinema in the Netherlands. The building of The Movies does not look very impressive from the outside, but when you enter it you find yourself in a different era.

The whole interior is in the original, well-preserved Art Deco style. In the café or in the film rooms you feel as if you stepped back into a time when cinema was young and exciting.

The bar inside the cinema is rather large, with a drinking and an eating area. The place feels more like a café than the bars in bigger cinemas, and you don’t feel pressured to go to your seat in the film room. The beer that they serve, from the south of the Netherlands, is one of my favorites.

A delicious, cold beer makes for a very pleasant cinematic experience, and The Movies is certainly a good place to watch a film. Their program usually consists of a mix of art films and more mainstream cinema, so you are likely to find something that suits you. If you are in the neighborhood but you don’t feel like settling in a dark room, you might just want to take a peek at the interior, or have a drink or a meal.

Details about this spot
The Movies | Bars, Cinemas | Movie € 8.50
Haarlemmerdijk 161 | Canals (area map) | +31206386016
check on the website

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Small and elegant at the corner of the Banstraat and Valeriusstraat, that’s Valerius.

A place to go to for breakfast, lunch and after work drinks. If you have something to celebrate, small parties are welcome, but please call a little in advance.

The interior is modern and elegant. Beautiful photo’s decorate the walls.

Breakfast is a feast with many choices. Lunch offers a range of nice salads, tosti’s, egg-dishes, slices of bread sandwiches with delicious fillings and toppings and interesting finishing sweets.

Details about this spot
Valerius Eten & Drinken | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Breakfast € 8.00
Banstraat 14 | Oud-Zuid (area map) | +31204713976
Mon - Fri 09:00 - 18:00

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This is a new wine bar in Amsterdam on the Prinsengracht. Next door they have a restaurant called Envy. In both establishments it is all about the wines.

It is quite expensive, but all waiters are real trained professionals. They all have a sommelier certificate. They know all about the wines they have (and that is a lot).

The nicest item on the card is the flight. This is to taste several wines from the same grape or to taste different wines from different grapes, for instance Chardonnay, Bourgogne or Champagne. The staff tells you everything about the wines, from which grapes they are made, which year the wine is from, on which land it has grown and what the taste of the wine is. And of course all special items which are typical for a particular wine.

The entourage is also very nice. On the left, red wines all hanging on a wall of bricks, then you have the bar and on the right the entire wall is covered with one large refrigerator with all white wines, rosé and champagnes. The opposite is one large couch with small tables and bar stools. It is a very modern interior.

Details about this spot
Vyne | Bars | Flight of 3 wines € 11.00
Prinsengracht 411 | Canals (area map) | +31203446408
Mon/Thu/Sat 17:00 - 23:00, Fri 16:00 - 23:00, Sun 15:00 - 23:00

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Walem is the place to be, when you are in the mood for great drinks, sandwiches on the canalside with a great terrace. They serve smoothies, but also a good white house wine. The famous dutch bitterballs and the tuna sandwich are also good.

To kick off after a hangover, start the morning with their nice and tasting croques. But best of all, is the location and the gorgeous staff. Cute waiters in black, serving with a smile.

It’s next to the Famous Metz on the corner of the Leidsestraat and the Keizersgracht: hard to miss!

Details about this spot
Walem | Bars, Restaurants (International) | Lunch € 25.00
Keizersgracht 449 | Canals (area map) | +31206253544
10:00 - 17:00 and 18:00 - 22:30 daily

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