Amsterdam Pub Guide (all 9 parts!)
| Amsterdam Pub Guide (Part Six) |
| Amsterdam South |
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| Introduction | |
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Index
Practical Stuff Where do I find Pubs? Dutch breweries (large) Dutch breweries (small) Belgian breweries Amsterdam breweries Bockbier Tasting 2004 Bokbierfestival Amsterdam Pubs Overview Map Nieuwezijd (Dam) Oudezijd (Nieuwmarkt) De Jordaan De Pijp Amsterdam East Amsterdam South Amsterdam West Utrechtsestraat Rivierenbuurt Buying Bottled Beer |
| Amsterdam South I can, for once, feel totally comfortble as I start to write this description. The South is my home patch, maaan. No need to rummage through any old tourist guides for this page. Above you can see the Concertgebouw (Concert Hall), one of several cultural instances clumped around Museumplein. Yes, it does mean Museum Square and, yes, it is the address of Amsterdam's major museums - the Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum (though it's closed until around 3015) and the Stedelijk. More general information on Amsterdam, its pubs and their beers they sell . . . |
Pub Index |
| Map Index | ||
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| For more about Dutch breweries & beers: | |
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Every Dutch breweries and all their beers.
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Detailed tasting notes of many Dutch beers.
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Amsterdam South
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| De Balie | |
| Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 10, Amsterdam. Tel. 020 - 553 5131 Fax: 020 - Email: info@balie.nl Homepage: http://www.balie.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Thur 10:00-01:00 Fri - Sat 10:00-02:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 5 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-10 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
When re-splitting these pages the pubs I have listed around the Leidseplein
presented me with a dilemma. Logically they belong in the Jordaan page, yet they don't
connect up well with the other pubs. Which is my way of explaining why I've put Balie
here. I didn't know where else it could go. De
Balie ("counter" or "ticket office" in English) is the bar of
the theatre of the same name. You may have already read my comments elsewhere about
the Leidseplein. I'll limit myself here to the remark that this is the only pub on
the square in which I would voluntary drink a beer. There are two distinct rooms served by a central bar. The front room has a view over the square and the assembled idiots upon it, whilst that to the rear has a magnificent wooden staircase that provides access to the auditorium. The style is light brown with a contemporary (I know that I shouldn't use the c-word - I would propose administering electric shocks of increasing intensity to the presenters of design programs every time they utter it) twist. They could lose the industrial ducting and not greatly upset me. Has anyone thought how incredibly naff and old-fashioned this is going to look in about 10 minutes time? Oh, and for anoraks like me it's a great location for tram-spotting. A reasonable pub, it stands out so much becuse of the sea of dross surrounding it. Columbus is only €3.30, by the way. Balie has earned itself an extra star by having one of a handful of no-smoking rooms in Amsterdam (not the one pictured above, but the one at the rear). |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: Tram 1, 2, 5, 7, 10 to Leidseplein |
| Belgica | |
| Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 25, 1001 NJ Amsterdam. Tel 020 - 535 3290 Email: info@belgica.nu http://www.belgica.nu/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon-Sun 07:00 - 01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 8 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-25 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks €3-7, meals €9.50-12.50. Draught pils €2.20 for 0.25l, Duvel €3.75, 75cl bottles €9.75. | |
 The
innovation in Belgica is the absence of table service. Unusually for Amsterdam,
you have to fetch your own drinks from the bar. Which helps keep the prices
down - or at least that's what they claim. I can't say that I find €3.75
for a Duvel particularly cheap. But I don't drink on the Leidseplein that
oftenBelgica is large for an Amsterdam pub and consists of a single square room. One wall has benches unholstered in a fetching shade of kack brown, while the rest of the space is filled with tables-for-two in bland blond pine. There are few surprises in the beer range, which is a mixture of Inbev products and and Trappists, for the most part. The presence of Achel sets it slightly apart from the crowd. I suppose the choice of around 10 75cl bottles is also something you wouldn't normally see outside af a specialist beer cafe. The small food menu has sandwiches for €5, saladds for €7.50 and hot meals for between €10 and €12.50. The kitchen closes at 00:30. Compared to most of the shitty pubs around the Leidseplein, it's not too, bad. But De Balie directly opposite is both nicer and cheaper. |
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| Rating: ** | Public transport: Tram 1, 2, 5, 7 or 10 to Leidseplein. |
| Butcher’s Tears | |
| Karperweg 45, 1075LB Amsterdam. http://butchers-tears.com/ |
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| Opening hours: Open Wednesday to Sunday 16:00 - 21:00 | |
| Number of draught beers:varies | |
| Number of bottled beers: | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Beer €2.50 - 4.00 | |
| Life's been good to me recently. First there was the Kimchi Farm Festival just a tram ride away. Then the following weekend a brewery tap opening that was a mere walk away. Result. Breweries are popping up like the hollyhocks that sprout from the cracks in the pavement in my neighbourhood (Hoofddorpplein buurt, if you're wondering). Two have addresses no more than a ten-minute walk away from my flat. One of those being Butcher's Tears, who officially opened their tasting room last Saturday. I'm beginning to really spoil Dolores, taking her out two weekends in a row. We struggled to hit that number in a year after the end of the Happy Time*. "I hope they make some normal beer. Not just that weird strong rubbish." Dolores sounded a little concerned. "Yes, I'm sure they do. Look, there are a couple on the list that are only 5 or 6%." Which there were. 
Amsterdam has lots of odd little corners. Bits of countryside, light industry and housing that have been engulfed by the city's sprawl. Karperweg is one of them. On its northern side crouches a row of single-storey garages; while a hotchpotch of an electricity substation, ambulance station, houses and scraps of industry stretches along its southern flank. It's on this side, just before it hits a dead end, that Butcher's Tears is located.
We get there just after kickoff and it's pretty quiet. Just a dozen or so people hanging around outside sipping beer. "What would you like, Dolores?" "Nothing too strong." "I'll get you the Imperial Stout, then." Only joking. There isn't an Imperial Stout. I'd have been on it like a ferret up a trouser leg. Or maybe not, given what happened earlier in the week at the beer hacks' do. I get Dolores one of the weaker beers and the strongest for myself. Dolores has found us a bench to sit on. "That's a result." I say, passing her a glass. "The beer's free." "You should have got us two each, then." "There's no rush." I say pointing at the queue of two people at the bar. asked Will along. He did tip us off about the Kimchi Festival, after all. Probably be down later, he told us. Some pathetic excuse about wanting to watch the football. We work our way through all the beers over the course of a few rounds. Each one takes longer to fetch, as it starts to fill up. Some swapping of beers goes on when we decide we prefer each other's beer. I'm surprisingly unkeen on the dark one, Lipreader, I think it's called, but luckily Dolores is more enthusiastic. "I quite like this one," I say passing Dolores my Mercenary to taste, "it smells really nice." Which it does. "Ugh. It's one of those grapefruit beers. I thought you didn't like them?" "They have their place." It really is very pleasant. Lovely aroma, not just of grapefruit, but of pineapple and other tropical fruits, too. I stick with it for a couple more. But it's starting to get really crowded. The queue now stretches out of the tap room almost to where we're sitting. "Everyone must have called their friends and told them about the free beer." Dolores suggests. She might well be right. When they run out of glasses, it's apparent the crowd is larger than expected. We're just about to leave when Will arrives. "The beer's free." Dolores tells him. "I'd have come earlier if I'd known that." We stay for one last round with Will before starting on the long trek home. "We could take a 15 bus back." I'm feeling lazy. Very lazy. It's only two stops. "I don't have my OV chip card." That's put paid to that then. Walking it is. I realise that I haven't really described the pub. It reminds me, in a way, of somewhere like Kernel in London. A very simple, almost impromptu venue, with plain whitewashed walls, simple table and benches. There's a light industrial chic thing going on. The brewery itself is next door to the tap room. |
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| Rating:***** | Public transport:Tram 16, bus 15 and 62 to Haarlemmermeer Station |
| De Koe | |
| Marnixstraat 381, 1016 XR Amsterdam. Tel. 020-625 4482 |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Thu 14:00-01:00 Fri - Sat 14:00-03:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-15 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
 This tiny, two-floor pub/restaurant is the
closest decent pub to the Leidse Plein, which despite being virtually wall-to-wall
bars, has nowhere of interest and not much that is even bearable for anyone
with a modicum of taste. Downstairs is the restaurant and upstairs the bar,
which despite its small dimensions manages to find room for a pool table
(the table has now been removed). For those of you who don't understand Dutch, the name means 'The Cow'. The sign outside, showing a very jolly cow wearing a red scarf, should give you an idea of the decoration to be found inside. One wall has a mural of a cow made up of old bits of tiles, while glued upside down to the ceiling over the pool table is a toy car racing set. Looking more closely at the interior, you'll see that behind the bar is a collage made from photographs of raw meat and naked women. Very strange. Even odder is the collection of Barbie dolls hung from the ceiling on chains. What could it all mean? From the description above, it's not hard to guess that this is an establishment orientated towards the young and trendy. However, unlike the horrific places on the Leidse Plein, here it's done with skill and wit, which make all the difference. If you want to enjoy the artistic environment over a quiet beer or have a game of pool, an early visit is recommended. Later in the evening, especially at the weekends, it can get unbearably packed and in the bar section there are very few seats. While the beer selection may not be the largest, there are some reasonably interesting items to be found amongst the bottled beers. Amongst these is Girardin gueuze 1882, a rare example of an unfiltered gueuze. The draught beers are a little less inspired. Bavaria manages to make even Heineken taste good and must surely be the worst pils produced in Holland. Palm, with its sweet, sickly taste, is a poor alternative to De Koninck. Steendonck is the best bet - a good enough witbier and not that common. |
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| Rating: *** | Public transport: Tram 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10 to Leidse Plein |
| Bar Café "Anno 1890" | |
| Amstelveenseweg 1124, 1081 JW Amsterdam. Tel. 020 - 644 5906 Fax: 020 - 661 1912 Email: info@anno1890.nl Homepage: http://www.anno1890.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Thur 06:30-01:00 Fri - Sat 16:00-02:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-6 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks 2-6 euros, meals 6-15 euros. | |
 Before
anyone starts moaning, I am well aware that the beer selection here is not up to the
usual standard. And that 1890 is about as far out of your way as you can get and still
be in Amsterdam. On the other hand, it does open at 6:30 in the morning.This pub surely holds the record for number of times passed without ever getting around to entering. Twice a day my number 170 bus used to go drive past (or stop outside (as the pub's next to a bus stop) 1890. Oddly enough, on the bus home I bumped into an acquaintance who, like me, had been wondering what it was like inside for years. Now it's official - it's very nice inside I won't bother going into all that now. Surely you can see from my smudgy pictures how dark it is? While you're perusing said pics, perhaps you'll spot the carpets. On the tables. It's usually against my principles to include anywhere incorporating this unique Dutch design feature. But 1890 is so impressive, I've let them off.  Where
was I? Oh yes ... 1890 is filled with enough "stuff" to make the
Steptoe's front room seem like an exercise in minimalism. The theme, as
far as I could deduce, is of old signs. Every spare bit of wall space is
filled with them. Very decorative, but what happens when you need to find
the toilet? In a hurry. It doesn't look so clever then, I can tell you.I still haven't told you where 1890 is. Take a look at the address. Amstelveenseweg starts at the far end of the Vondelpark. Yup - this is as far as you can get from Centraal Station and still be in Amsterdam. The border with Amstelveen is about 30 metres away. A whole host of buses - 170, 171, 172 - will take you there. I won't claim that it's worth the whole journey from town, but if you're in Buitenveldert, you should drop by. |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: Bus 170, 171, 172 (and many more) to Kalfjeslaan |
| Vertigo | |
| Vondelpark 3, 1071 AA Amsterdam. Tel. 020 - 612 3021 Fax: 020 - 618 2537 Email: info@vertigo.nl Homepage: http://www.vertigo.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun 11:00-01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-10 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. Pils €2.20 (vaasje), other draught beers €2.80. | |
We have to assume that the name is meant to be ironic. Vertigo occupies
the basement of Amsterdam's Film Museum. The address won't be much use in
finding the pub. Vondelpark is rather large. I'll help you out by letting
you know that if you enter the park by Roemer Visscherstraat, it's just
on your right as you go through the gates.What I've always thought that the Vondelpark lacked was a few beer gardens, like those jammy gits in Munich get in the Englische Garten. The seating outside Vertigo as about as close as we get. I've included a snap so you can see for yourself how lovely the view is. Though obviously in the Summer you've more chance of the lake being frozen over than you do of finding a seat. Inside, the vaulted ceiling is reminiscent of another central European icon, the Czech beerhall. It's roomy enough by Amsterdam standards, but popularity means seating can still be hard to find. |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: |
| Café Het Groot Melkhuis | |
| Vondelpark 2, 1071 AA Amsterdam. Tel. 020 - 612 9674 Fax: 020 - 612 9917 Email: groot.melkhuis@wxs.nl Homepage: http://www.groot-melkhuis.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: Winter (Oct - Mar) Wed - Sun 10:00-18:00,
Monday and Tuesday closed. Summer (Apr - Sep) Mon - Sun 10:00-??? |
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| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-10 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
Surprisingly, since I live not far from the park and spend a great deal
of time there (sleeping on benches, drinking cans of super-strong lager),
Het Melkhuis was recommended to me by a fellow parent. For any of you visiting
the city with a hyperactive infant, this pub is the perfect spot to release
the energy that's been building up inside the little monster.Why is that? Because not only does this pub have an enclosed (some of it is moated) playground, but it's situated inside the park. Even if one of your offspring is wily enough to escape, they still have a way to go before they find a main road to play chicken on. Set amongst mature trees, Melkhuis is a thatched chalet with an unexpectedly stylish interior.The 20 metre black and white striped leatherette-style bench seat is a classic. And the ... but I'll leave the rest for you to discover personally. |
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| Rating: *** | Public transport: |
| Het Blauwe Theehuis | |
| Vondelpark 5, 1071 AA Amsterdam. Tel. 020 - 662 0254 Fax: 020 - 67 09 787 Email: Info@blauwetheehuis.nl Homepage: http://www.blauwetheehuis.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun 09:00-01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-10 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
 This
will be the greatest challenge to your skills of orientation. On the plus side, the
building is both distinctive in form and brightly painted. But it is right in the
middle of the park.Chez nous, it isn't known, as you might expect, as the "blue pub" (that's the nazi pub's alternate monicker) but as the "______ pub". I won't worry you with the relevant details. Suffice it to say; there are no visible bloodstains. There's somerthing of the English seaside about this pub. The curving form, painted concrete walls and metal-framed windows smack of Butlin's or a pub on the promenade. A perfect circle in plan, the bar counter is dead centre of the ground floor, leaving only enough space for the lengthy queues which appear in the Summer. Upstairs is smaller room with a wide balcony. Outside a hedge marks the limit of the outdoor seating. Beyond the hedge is a a canal-style scene (with trees) that really is rather scenic. Very pleasant. No great choice of beer, but a lovely place to see how Duvel tastes in the open air. It is genuinely tricky to explain how to reach. The easiest way is if you go into the park through the entrance halfway along van Eeghenstraat. In front of you and slightly to the right is a concrete bridge with bright blue railings. Go over the bridge and you can't miss the pub. |
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| Rating: *** | Public transport: |
| De Wildschut | |
| Roelof Hartplein 1, 1071 TR Amsterdam. Tel. 020 - 676 8220 Fax: 020 - 679 4846 Email: wildschut@diningcity.nl |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Thur 11:00-01:00 Fri - Sat 11:00-02:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-10 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
 I
was quite surprised to find that Wildschut, which I had thought to have
included back somewhere around the beginning of history, was still missing
from these pages. My only explanation is another of those black holes which
occupy so many of the slots allocated for the past in that twisted lump
of sausage called my brain.I rode past Wildschut for many years on the tram ... no I've already done that one ... Wildschut is on Amsterdam's only square to compete regularly in the Champion's League of European public spaces ... no, that doesn't work either ... Roelof Hartplein is why Rem Koolhaas should top himself now ... No, sorry. That's it. I've officially run out of ideas. Which is a great shame, because, if it deserves anything, a pub of such beauty, one tooth in a full bite of pearls, is an original (or otherwise) idea. It's slightly odd that a town with as many stunning buildings from the 1920's and 30's should contain such a paucity of art-deco (or fat ugly sofa style as that philistine who claims to be my elder brother always calls it) interiors. De Wildschut, by itself, fully compensates for that lack. I will let the photographs speak for themselves, those gossippy little ruffians.  Wildschut
forms - quite literally - one corner of Roelof Hartplein, which explains its unusual
L-shape. You enter at the junction of the two arms, each of which is a separate bar.
Lots of the original 1930's features have been retained, including some smaller pieces
of etched glass in the windows and the light fittings. The latter are certainly pretty
funky. One (see photo) looks like alien chrysalis hanging from the ceiling. I hope
nothing starts hatching while I'm in . . .Old cinema seats sort of fit the art-deco
theme, but aren't always the most practical form of seating. Turning to the square itself, Wildschut occupies a typical Gruter creation - lot's of elegantly curving brick balconies. Lydia, the young ladies' hostel over the road is unmistakbly by Boterenbrood, with its enchanting asymmetry and multiplicity of window forms. Whilst the library on the remaining side (see photo right) slits open the junction like an ocean liner at full speed. I wasn't joking about it being one of the best public spaces in Europe. |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: Tram 3, 5, 12, 24 to Roelof Hartplein |
| Café Welling | |
| J.W.Brouwerstraat 32, 1071 LK Amsterdam. Tel: 020 - 662 01 55 Email: info@cafewelling.nl http://www.cafewelling.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: | |
| Number of draught beers: 5 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 8 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks. La Chouffe €2.90, Duvel €3.20. | |
 Welling is another ur-gemütlich brown café, located directly behind the Concert Gebouw. Which makes it pretty easy to find, if you know where to look. In my years of pounding Amsterdam's mean streets (not that they're very mean in this chic neighbourhood), I had never stumbled across it. It rates near-black on the brown scale. So dark, in fact, that it's difficult to see where pictures stop and the wallpaper begins. The collection of images (at least the ones I could make out) are so diverse that they must have been collected over decades. Judging by the way they were chatting amongst themselves, most of the other customers were locals. Which is just as it should be. The bottled selection - all the Rocheforts, Westmalle and Duvel - isn't bad for a neighbourhood local. |
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| Rating: *** | Public transport: Tram 16, 3, 12, 5 to Concert Gebouw. |
| Macy's | |
| Amstelveenseweg 266, 1075 XV Amsterdam. Tel. 020-671 2717 |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun 11:00-01:00 (Saturdays private closed for private parties) |
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| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 6 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
 Macy's
has what you could describe as a slightly unusual location: inside what
was once Haarlemmermeer Station. It occupies the eastern half of the building
while the western half is used by the Amsterdam
tram museum (or Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam - EMA - as it 's
known in Dutch). It's been many years since the station has seen a scheduled
train service (that should sound familiar to rail commuters the world over).
To enter the pub you have to walk around to the rear, and over the platform
used by the museum tram. The doors you can see on the photo above are purely
for decorative purposes. The ornate late-Victoriam interior makes an excellent pub. Original brick and glasswork of exceptional quality has been incorporated very tastefully into the design. The high wooden ceilings give an airy, spacious feel, even though the main room isn't really that large. I'll admit that the beer selection is nothing to write home about, but it's so attractive inside that it doesn't really matter that much. Just look upon it as a good opportunity to remind yourself how good a beer Duvel is. The boundless enthusiasm of my sons for any form of railed public transport has given me plenty of chances to reacquaint myself with the devil from Breendonk-Puurs. Being a happy father myself, I know the need to find suitable entertainment for youngsters on the edge of going berserk. Here's a family tip: one Sunday (it has to be a Sunday because it doesn't run any other time) take the 16 tram (and do remember you can only do this from Easter to the end of September) out to Haarlemmermeerstation.  Take
a museum tram (if you're lucky, you'll get the viennese one and you can
pretend to be Einstein travelling to work) all the way to the last station.
Head down the road towards the massive spire of Bovenkerk church. Right
opposite the church you'll find Zilversand, not a bad little pub, with enough
decent beers to keep me quiet on a hot Sunday afternoon. (Not a bad place
to eat, either. I can't believe the prices they charge now in the centre
of town. These people have no shame. The meals here are priced in broad
agreement with the laws of nature.) If the kids get restless, there's a
sort of waterpark/lake round the back of the church where you can take them
for a run. There's always a little frison of relief that goes around the
bar when I head off in that direction with my two. Sure, threre's lots of
scope for them to drop into one of the many bits of water. Don't worry -
none of it's deep and an unexpected dip can work wonders in calming an infant
running amok. Do remember to check the time of the last tram back to Haarlemmermeerstation
on your way out to Bovenkerk. (Don't say that I didn't warn you. You've
only yourselves to blame, if you strand yourselves in the outer reaches
of Amstelveen.)For more edetails about such excursions, see my guide to the pubs of Amstelveen. In the Summer there is outside seating on the tram platform, with a free show of classic trams to entertain you (Sundays only). The bottled selection is both Westmalles, a couple of Ij beers, Duvel and De Koninck. |
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| Rating: **** (for the interior) | Public transport: Tram 16 to Haarlemmermeerstation |
| Café Gruter | |
| Willemsparkweg 73-75, 1071 GT Amsterdam. Tel. 020-618 3249 |
 |
| Opening hours: Sun - Thu 12:00-01:00 Fri - Sat 12:00-02:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 6 | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-10 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks. | |
 Gruter
is located on one of the small squares that punctuate Willemsparkweg as it meanders
out of town. (Straying off the subject, the way these little public spaces are created
along this section of the number 2 tram route is extremely ingenious. I would explain
how they do it - here and in a few other parts of Amsterdam - but it's beyond my meagre
powers of description. OK, I just can't be arsed. Come and have a look. There are
plenty of other buildings in the neighbourhood worth investigating, anyway. Look at
it like this: how many other tourists are going to bother to come all this way? Tell
everyone it's the eighth, wonder of the world and the one thing you just
have to see when in town. No-one will ever be any the wiser.) The unusual
shape of the building means that it is much smaller than it looks in the photo above.The interior is triangular in shape, with the bar counter in a raised area to the rear. Beer and cigarette enamel advertising signs are scattered around walls in an encouraging way. This being a fairly dark brown sort of place, there are bare wooden boards and a highly unmixed set of tables and chairs. The covered terrace (clearly visible above) is almost as large as the pub proper and is furnished in a similar fashion. OK, the beer selection is nothing that special, but 6 draught beers does show some commitment. The pub itself is very pleasant, in a typically Amsterdam way. I wouldn't recommend a special trip to see it, but if you're around the Vondel Park, do drop by. I'm sure that you'll feel at home. |
|
| Rating: *** |
Public transport: Tram 2 |
| Van Mechelen | |
| Sloterkade 96-H, 1058HK Amsterdam. Tel: +31 20 221 2348 email: info@stadscafevanmechelen.nl http://www.stadscafevanmechelen.nl/ |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Mon 09:00 - 01:00; Fri - Sat 09:00 - 02:00. |
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| Number of draught beers: 8 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 20 | |
Regular draught beers:
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|
| Food: Snacks €, meals €. Beer € for 0.5l. | |
"Where?" "Right next to the Dirk's. Where they dug out all the stinky earth. They were open at 9:30 in the morning." "Sounds like my type of pub." I was still non the wiser. Only one option: take Andrew there and the nearest opportunity. Saturday afternoon was that opportunity. It is indeed, right next door to Dirk's. In what used to be a workshop or something. The former industrial use is pretty obvious. Especially as they've performed minimal redecoration. "It's got that rustic Belgian look, Dad." Andrew's right. The walls are decorated with Belgian stuff. Old beer sign, posters. Makes the place quite atmospheric. There's an especially attractive Aigle Pils sign over the bar. The sort of thing I'd have in my living room, if I didn't have a wife. "Look at all the families in here, Dad." Andrew's right again. "I hate people who take their kids to the pub, son." I blame all the space. Plenty of room for those three-wheel yuppie pushchairs. I'm reminded of the "Yuppies raus" graffiti that appeared on another recently gentrified pub in the nighbourhood. We sit at the bar. A pleasant, copper-topped affair, but not quite flat. My beer leans alarmingly until I move it to a flatter spot. Next to my Filliers 8. "The food looks nice, Dad." "All the sustenance I need is in the two glasses in front of me." "It's only 2.25 for a Pils." That's important to Andrew, as a Pils drinker. I'm more worried about the price of stuff I drink. €4.50 for a Tripel Karmeliet isn't too extortionate. Not for Amsterdam nowadays. And €3.80 for a Gouden Carolus Classic I can live with, too. Somewhere new locally for me to go. Brilliant. |
|
| Rating: ** | Public transport:No. 2 Tram to Hoofddorpplein. |
| Wijnwinkel-Slijterij Ton Overmars | |
| Hoofddorpplein 11, 1059CV Amsterdam. Tel: 020-615 71 42 Fax: 020-615 01 99 Email: info@tonovermars.nl www.tonovermars.nl |
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| Opening hours: Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Tue - Wed 09:00 - 18:00, Thur - Fri 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: n/a | |
| Number of bottled beers: +-100 | |
| Regular draught beers: n/a | |
| Food: n/a | |
 I'm
sure this excellent independent off-licence is one of the reasons the Hoofddorppleinbuurt
is such a popular residential location. At least that's what I like to think;
I live just around the corner.Despite specialising in malt whisky (it stocks around 500) and wine, there's still a very respectable beer selection of 100 plus. It includes most of the trappists (some Achel, no Westvleteren), a good selection of quality Belgians, the full range from local brewery De Prael, all the Jopen beers and the odd German Weizen. The "Beer of the month" has included oddities such as Zwergla from Bamberg's Fässla brewery and Anchor Bock from San Francisco. Delivers orders of €50 or more free in Amsterdam within 48 hours. |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: Tram 2, bus 14, 62, 145 to Hoofddorpplein |
| The Amsterdam Pub Guide Continues:1 | |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part One | Dam Square - Leidseplein |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Two | Zeedijk/Nieuwmarkt |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Three | De Jordaan |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Four | De Pijp |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Five | Amsterdam East |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Six | Amsterdam South |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Seven | Amsterdam West |
| Amsterdam Pub Guide Part Eight | Utrechtsestraat |
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| Amsterdam Pub Guide | |
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| Haarlem Pub Guide | |
| The Hague (Den Haag) Pub Guide | |
| Utrecht Pub Guide | |
| Pub Guides to Other Dutch Towns | |
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"They've opened a new pub next to Dirk's." Dolores told me a day or two ago. A new pub. You can never have too many pubs.