Looking for the best cocktail bars in Amsterdam for a proper night out? You are in exactly the right city. Amsterdam has everything from polished rooftop bars with skyline views to intimate speakeasies, stylish hotel bars and lively spots where the cocktails are every bit as important as the atmosphere. Whether you want a classic Negroni, a creative signature serve or a late-night bar with serious energy, there are plenty of places worth adding to your list.
The best cocktail bars in Amsterdam for a great night out
One of the best things about Amsterdam’s cocktail scene is the variety. You can start the evening with a drink overlooking the city, move on to a hidden bar for something more refined, and end the night somewhere buzzing in the centre. Some bars are made for a full evening, while others are ideal for one excellent drink before dinner or after a show. That makes Amsterdam a brilliant city for bar hopping, especially if you stay around the city centre, the Nine Streets, Dam Square or Oud-Zuid.
If you are choosing where to go, it helps to think about the kind of evening you want. For views and a big-city feel, rooftop bars are the obvious choice. For serious cocktail lovers, the smaller speakeasy-style bars usually deliver the most interesting menus and the best bartending. And if you want cocktails as part of a more dressed-up night out, Amsterdam’s luxury hotel bars and restaurant bars are hard to beat.
SkyLounge Amsterdam
SkyLounge remains one of the best-known cocktail spots in Amsterdam, and it earns that reputation mainly because of the setting. The bar sits high above the city at DoubleTree by Hilton near Central Station, so it is an easy choice if you want your evening to begin with a view. From here you can look out over the rooftops, the water and the historic centre while settling in with a cocktail.
This is not the place to come for a hidden, local speakeasy feel. It is much more about the location, the energy and that classic rooftop-bar atmosphere. If you are visiting Amsterdam for the first time, meeting friends straight after arriving by train, or simply want a stylish first stop before moving on elsewhere, SkyLounge does that job very well. Go for sunset if you can, because that is when the experience feels at its best.
Bar TwentySeven
For something much more polished and intimate, Bar TwentySeven is a strong choice. Tucked inside Hotel TwentySeven on Dam Square, this is a luxury bar with a quieter, more exclusive feel than many of the busier cocktail spots in the city. The room feels elegant rather than flashy, and the drinks are designed with the same attention to detail you would expect in a high-end hotel setting.
This is a good pick if you want cocktails in a refined environment, perhaps for a date night or a special occasion. The central location is convenient, but once you are inside it feels more removed from the crowds outside. If your ideal cocktail bar involves comfortable seating, smart service and a more relaxed pace, Bar TwentySeven is one of the best options in the centre.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Hiding in Plain Sight is one of the names that comes up again and again when people talk about Amsterdam’s best cocktail bars, and for good reason. It has the mood many travellers hope to find in the city: intimate, low-lit, stylish without trying too hard, and focused on drinks that are carefully made. It has a speakeasy flavour, but it is not a gimmick. The appeal is that it feels personal and a little tucked away, while the cocktails stay front and centre.
If you enjoy bars where the room has character and the menu goes beyond the obvious, this is the kind of place that usually delivers. It works well for a slower evening when you actually want to sit down, talk and enjoy what is in the glass. Compared with Amsterdam’s larger rooftop bars and hotel venues, Hiding in Plain Sight feels more like a proper cocktail bar first and foremost.
Flying Dutchmen Cocktails
Flying Dutchmen Cocktails is a must for anyone who really cares about classic cocktails. This bar has become one of the key names in Amsterdam’s modern cocktail scene and is especially popular with people who appreciate technique, balance and a huge range of spirits behind the bar. If you like places where the bartenders clearly know their craft, this is exactly the sort of address you want.
The atmosphere is lively and welcoming rather than stiff, which is part of what makes it so easy to recommend. You can come here as a cocktail enthusiast and dig into the menu properly, but it also works if you simply want a very good drink in a central location. It is a smart choice for a later night too, especially if you want somewhere with real energy instead of a quiet hotel lounge.
Tales & Spirits
Tales & Spirits has been a favourite in Amsterdam for years and still deserves a place on any shortlist. The setting is cosy, the team is known for friendly service, and the menu usually has enough originality to keep things interesting without becoming overcomplicated. It strikes a nice balance between a serious cocktail bar and a place where you can just have a fun night out.
Because it sits so centrally, it is also easy to fit into an evening in the city centre. It is especially good if you want somewhere with personality and a bit of buzz, but not the full club atmosphere. For many visitors, this is the kind of bar that feels immediately easy to like: stylish enough to feel special, but relaxed enough that you do not feel out of place.
Door 74
If you love the idea of a proper speakeasy, Door 74 is one of the classic names to know in Amsterdam. Hidden away in the centre, it is known for its discreet entrance, dark interior and cocktails that lean into the theatre of a night out without losing focus on quality. It feels intimate, a little mysterious and very much designed for people who want the bar itself to be part of the experience.
Door 74 is ideal for a memorable stop on a cocktail-focused evening. It is the sort of place that feels more special than spontaneous, so it suits a planned night particularly well. If you are deciding between bars and want one that delivers atmosphere as strongly as the drinks, this is a very solid choice.
Pulitzer’s Bar
Pulitzer’s Bar offers a different side of Amsterdam nightlife. Instead of rooftop views or late-night intensity, you get a beautifully styled hotel bar with canal-side elegance and a much calmer pace. This is where to go when you want a sophisticated cocktail in a setting that feels classic, comfortable and distinctly Amsterdam.
It works especially well earlier in the evening, before dinner or after a long day walking through the city. If you are staying around the Nine Streets or want a bar that feels polished without being overly formal, Pulitzer’s Bar is easy to recommend. It is one of the best options in the city for travellers who value atmosphere as much as the drink itself.
Super Lyan
Super Lyan brings a more playful and modern feel to Amsterdam’s cocktail scene. Set in a historic building near the centre, it has a more casual energy than some of the city’s classic hotel bars, but that is exactly what makes it appealing. The drinks are inventive, the atmosphere is warm and the whole place feels contemporary without becoming try-hard.
This is a great bar to choose if you want something current and creative, especially with friends. It feels less traditional than somewhere like Door 74 or Pulitzer’s Bar, and that gives it its own place in the city. If your ideal cocktail night is relaxed, social and a bit more modern in style, Super Lyan is a very good fit.
MR PORTER
MR PORTER is best thought of as a stylish steakhouse and bar rather than a dedicated cocktail bar, but it still belongs on this list if you are planning a more dressed-up evening. Located at the W Amsterdam, it combines dinner, cocktails and rooftop-city-centre atmosphere in one address. That makes it especially useful if you want one place that can carry the whole evening.
Come here if you are after a glamorous night out, perhaps with food first and drinks afterwards. It is not the most intimate place for cocktail purists, but it is a strong option for travellers looking for a lively, fashionable venue in the middle of town. For birthdays, celebrations and a more upscale night, MR PORTER works very well.
MOMO Amsterdam
MOMO is another venue that blends restaurant and bar rather than focusing only on cocktails, but for many people that is exactly the attraction. The room has a stylish, energetic feel and the crowd often comes for the full night out experience: dinner, drinks and atmosphere all in one place. If you are spending an evening around Museumplein or Oud-Zuid, MOMO is a smart address to know.
The cocktails here are a good match for the setting. Think polished, sociable and well suited to a lively evening, especially if you do not want to move between multiple venues. If you prefer smaller specialist bars, this may not be your first stop, but if you want somewhere fashionable with a strong night-out feel, MOMO still makes sense.
Which cocktail bar in Amsterdam suits your night best?
If you mainly want views, go for SkyLounge and pair it with a second bar later in the evening. If you want luxury and a more refined atmosphere, Bar TwentySeven and Pulitzer’s Bar are both excellent. For serious cocktail lovers, Hiding in Plain Sight, Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, Tales & Spirits and Door 74 are some of the strongest picks. If your night revolves around dinner and drinks together, MR PORTER and MOMO are both easy options. And if you want something modern and fun without losing quality, Super Lyan is a great choice.
A good way to plan your evening is to combine two different styles. Start somewhere scenic or elegant, then move to a more focused cocktail bar once the night gets going. Amsterdam’s centre is compact enough that this works surprisingly well, especially if you stay around Dam Square, Central Station, the canal belt or the Nine Streets.
Practical tips for a cocktail night in Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s best cocktail bars can get busy, especially from Thursday to Saturday. If you have a particular place in mind for a special evening, it is sensible to check whether they take reservations. Some bars work better for walk-ins than others, and smaller speakeasy-style venues can fill up quickly.
It is also worth thinking about what kind of crowd you want. Rooftop bars and big hotel venues usually attract a broad mix of travellers and locals, while the more specialist cocktail bars tend to feel more intimate and drink-focused. Neither is better, but they do make for very different evenings.
If you are staying outside the centre, it can be worth booking a hotel closer to the nightlife so you can enjoy the evening without worrying about a long journey back. Amsterdam is very walkable in the central districts, and that makes a big difference when you want to move between bars or finish the night at your own pace.
Whether you want rooftop views, hidden speakeasies or stylish bars for a full night out, Amsterdam has plenty of excellent cocktail spots to choose from. Pick the atmosphere that suits you best, plan around the area you want to explore, and you are very likely to end up having a great night.
Discover great hotels for your evening out to Amsterdam’s cocktail bars
If you want to stay right in the middle of the action, these central hotel options make it easy to turn your cocktail night into a full city break. Both are well placed for bars, restaurants and late-night drinks in the centre of Amsterdam.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel is a particularly handy choice if you like the idea of starting your evening at SkyLounge and staying close to Central Station.
Hotel TwentySeven is perfect if you want a more luxurious stay right on Dam Square, with one of the city’s most elegant bars in the building itself.
If you prefer a stylish hotel with a lively restaurant-and-bar scene, W Hotel is another strong option for a night out in central Amsterdam.