One of the most scenic terraces on one of the prettiest canals, it's no surprise that waterside seats are snared early in the day, so patience - or an alarm clock in good...

Occupying a prime spot on a side-canal of the Amstel, this bar's cavernous insides are filled with yuppies chowing down posh Dutch food and grooving to weekend DJs. But that's...

Being 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the sea, Amsterdam was hardly anyone's choice for a beach holiday until sand was tipped on the artificial islands of IJburg, where 45,000...

Although there's an odd ski-chalet theme (complete with cable car cabin), the April is at its best when the sun shines and the sexy gay crowd spills out onto the terrace....

Light from the enormous windows floods this delightful locals' café that's busy at all hours with students taking advantage of Wi-Fi, parents treating offspring to (excellent)...

A dirty old rockers bar where musos, journos and everyone else who refuses to grow up gets smashed in one big, sloppy melée. The soundtrack is the entire back-catalogue of...

The grandness of this vast café on the corner of the Stopera complex belies the fact that it's modern: velvet drapes, Chesterfields and faux oil paintings give the feel of a...

All of Amsterdam - students, tourists, lesbigays, cinema-goers, the fashion pack - come here for lunch, coffee or something stronger all day long, making it sometimes difficult...

In a nutshell, this is a brown café with knobs on. It's occupied a lovely site on the river near Amstel station for 110 years, and offers all the joys of an old-fashioned...

One of the city's first designer bars still cuts it after nearly 25 years, from the Rietveld-designed exterior to the great international menu. The clean lines and flavours...

Mankind is quiet locals' place tucked down a side-street near the Rijksmuseum and the antique shops and art galleries of Spiegelstraat. Not just an excellent stop for culture...

This place achieves much by not trying too hard. What you get is an uncomplicated venue for an evening's carousing among a mixed bunch of trendies, locals and the odd visitor....

Just a short ferry hop from Centraal Station, this little bar feels like it's miles away in the heart of the countryside. There are no pretentions here, just friendly service...

Still trendy after all these years, and great for a market pit-stop or bar crawl kick-start. Inside is sleek and pared down in style - like the punters. If full, try Finch next...