COC
Jordaan
Founded in 1946, this center of the Dutch Association for the Integration of Homosexuality is the oldest organization of its kind in the world. Check the website for parties and events.
4 Best Bars in Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Beyond the smoke and red-lighted windows, Amsterdam is a city teeming with music, dance, theater, and art, which has given it the epithet "nightlife capital of the world." Think outside the box—even outside the Grachtengordel—and you'll be amazed at what this city that (almost) never sleeps has to offer.
Many people know that The Night Watch is the name of Rembrandt’s most famous painting, but not everyone remembers that, back in the early 2000s, it was also the nickname of a bunch of "Night Mayors." This group of cultural leaders saw their role as fighters against the frumpiness that had cast a shadow over Amsterdam’s night scene since the city fathers cleared away the "squats"—the deserted buildings that were the settings for city’s wildest nighttime events and raves. Now, 15 years later, Amsterdam has happily reclaimed its reputation as a true nightlife capital. The city is a must-stop on the international DJ circuit, and new pop-up clubs and dance venues, plus a plethora of homegrown festivals, keep all walks of life shaking until the wee hours of the morning. The city is rich with inspired folk who are willing to organize a video-arts festival in a cruise-ship terminal, a gentle Bach recital on a canal, an arts festival in an abandoned factory, a house party in a football stadium, or some heart-stopping spectacle in a park. So get ready to savor Amsterdam’s giant cultural wallop through its numerous venues—from former churches and industrial monuments to the acoustical supremacy of the legendary hall of the Concertgebouw.
De Plantage
Plantage
The neighborhood's newest culinary addition has an old-world feel with a back terrace practically in Artis zoo, from which it leases its historic Art Nouveau home. A stunning, capacious hall catering to a more mature crowd, the bar offers an ample selection of wine by the glass, including alcohol-free prosecco.
Kingfisher
De Pijp
For a taste of the neighborhood's regentrified café culture, check out this favorite corner bar that fills up most nights with parched Pijpers. They also serve snacks and light meals.
Recommended Fodor's Video
Saarein
Jordaan
Amsterdam's best lesbian bar, as it's been labeled, started out in the 1920s as a brown café in the Jordaan and has since been modernized; today a "mixed" policy prevails.
