The Best Bars in the Jordaan

The Jordaan is Amsterdam's most atmospheric drinking neighbourhood — a maze of narrow streets and canals dense with old brown cafés and tucked-away bars. It's made for a slow, wandering crawl; here's where to start.

Café Chris

On the Bloemstraat, a beer house since 1624 and often called the oldest café in the Jordaan. A genuine time capsule — warm, lived-in and quietly legendary. The perfect first stop.

Café 't Smalle

On the Egelantiersgracht, perhaps the prettiest brown café in the city: a beautiful wood-and-brass interior in a former 1780s jenever distillery, with one of Amsterdam's loveliest canal-side terraces.

Café Papeneiland

On the gorgeous corner where the Prinsengracht meets the Brouwersgracht, in a building from 1642 — famous for its apple pie and the legend of a hidden tunnel to a clandestine church across the water.

Café de Twee Zwaantjes

A compact Prinsengracht hideaway with pure Jordaan energy — sing-alongs, karaoke and Dutch classics belted out late into the night among a mixed crowd of regulars and visitors.

Vesper Bar

For something more refined, this cosy, James Bond-inspired cocktail bar near the Haarlemmerdijk pours smooth, spirit-forward drinks in a welcoming 'living room' setting — a stylish end to a Jordaan crawl.

The Jordaan rewards wandering, so don't over-plan: duck into whichever candlelit doorway looks inviting. For more on the city's classic pubs, see our guide to Amsterdam's best brown cafés.