The best ice cream shops Netherlands

Timetable

The hours vary depending on the establishment but, in general, bars and cafés open from 11am and close at 1am. On Friday and Saturday nights, they close at 2am, sometimes at 3am. Some establishments have 24-hour permits and can stay open very late. Bars are very busy from 5pm onwards, the time of the famous borrel, the little drink when you get off work.

Budget & Tips

The places that offer it are often the ones to avoid: no happy hour in the good Dutch bars..

If you are on a tight budget, we advise you to avoid drinking wine during your stay, which is often expensive, and to prefer beer, preferably local, which is more affordable.

Age restrictions

If binge drinking, especially among students, is a real problem, alcohol is officially prohibited for minors and to buy and consume it you will have to prove that you are over 18.

What's very local

The Borrel. It is the famous drink at the end of the working day around 5pm! It is customary to meet around a lager with a tray of snacks (pieces of cheese and meatballs).

Kids

Minors will not be allowed to consume alcohol in the cafes and restaurants, but they will be allowed to enter. Some bars do not allow children, but we have specified this in the description.

Smokers

We only smoke on the terrace! Electronic cigarettes are also forbidden inside cafés.

Tourist traps

Here, you don't order a pint. Beers are drunk in halves or not drunk at all

We recommend caution when it comes to some of the signs in Amsterdam's Red Light District.