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Dutch Flowers, Coffeeshops, Amsterdam
Karl O'Brien

The Heart of History: Amsterdam Old Centre Neighbourhood Guide

Discover the best restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, nightlife and things to do in the Old Centre of Amsterdam
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Amsterdam's ground zero of consumerism, vice, entertainment and history, the Old Centre is bounded by Prins Hendrikkade to the north, Oudeschans and Zwanenburgwal to the east, the Amstel to the south and Singel to the west. Within these borders, the Old Centre is split into the New Side (west of Damrak and Rokin) and the Old Side (east of Damrak and Rokin). Within the Old Side, roughly in the triangle formed by Centraal Station, the Nieuwmarkt and the Dam, is the famed Red Light District. The area around Waterlooplein was settled by Jews two centuries ago and took its name - Jodenbuurt - from them.

Old Centre Restaurants and Cafés

Brasserie Harkema
Restaurants

Brasserie Harkema

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4
A new landmark, this former tobacco factory has titillated the local scene with its sense of designer space, excellent wines and a kitchen that stays open...
D'Vijff Vlieghen
Restaurants

D'Vijff Vlieghen

  • price 4 of 4
'The Five Flies' achieves a rich Golden Age vibe - it even has a Rembrandt room, with etchings - but also works as a purveyor of over-the-top kitsch. The...
Greenhouse
Restaurants

Greenhouse

  • 4 out of 5 stars
This legendary coffeeshop tenders highly potent weed with prices to match. They've won the Cannabis Cup over 30 times and, with the Grand Hotel next door,...
Rusland
Restaurants

Rusland

  • 4 out of 5 stars
Known as the longest-running coffeeshop in all Amsterdam, this 'Russian' den has hardwood floors and colourful cushions that complement an efficient...
Dampkring
Restaurants

Dampkring

You might recognise this place from the movies...
Bridges
Restaurants

Bridges

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 4 of 4
Exquisite and inventive take on fish, devised by Joris Bijdendijk, protégé of Michelin-star winning Ron Blaauw.
Tweede Kamer
Restaurants

Tweede Kamer

  • 4 out of 5 stars
Small and intimate, this shop embodies the refined look and feel of old jazz sophistication. Aided by a bakery around the corner, their spacecakes are sweet...
Dutch Flowers
Restaurants

Dutch Flowers

Squeezed on a little corner near the copious book and art sales on the Spui, this small shop has all its decor slightly askew - even the CD rack. It's known...
Homegrown Fantasy
Restaurants

Homegrown Fantasy

This brightly lit shop bears an ever-changing lineup of artwork, tables with chess boards and a UV light in the toilet that makes your pee a trippy colour....
Latei
Restaurants

Latei

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 1 of 4
Packed with kitsch and funky Finnish wallpaper - all of which, including wallpaper, is for sale - this little café serves up healthy juices and snacks...
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Old Centre Bars and Nightlife

Hiding in Plain Sight
Bars and pubs

Hiding in Plain Sight

  • 4 out of 5 stars
On a corner in the north-eastern outskirts of the Jodenbuurt, cocktail gem HPS lives up to its name
Café de Jaren
Bars and pubs

Café de Jaren

  • 3 out of 5 stars
All of Amsterdam – students, tourists, lesbigays, cinema-goers, the fashion pack – come here for lunch, coffee or something stronger all day...
Tara
Bars and pubs

Tara

  • 4 out of 5 stars
Never overdoing the Irish theme, this multi-roomed bar has many faces: the Nes side is loungey; the Rokin side is full of rowdy, football-watching Brits; and...
Bubbles & Wines
Bars and pubs

Bubbles & Wines

  • 4 out of 5 stars
This long, low-ceilinged room has the feel of a wine cellar, albeit one with mood lighting and banquettes. There are more than 50 wines available by the...
Bitterzoet
Clubs

Bitterzoet

  • 4 out of 5 stars
This busy, comfy and casual bar triples as a venue for theatre and music. Both bands and DJs tend to embrace the jazzy, world and urban side of sound, as...
Café de Dokter
Bars and pubs

Café de Dokter

For if you like your wine with old jazz records, candles, antique chandeliers, and possibly a birdcage
Wynand Fockink
Bars and pubs

Wynand Fockink

  • 5 out of 5 stars
It's standing room only at this historic tasting-house. Hidden behind the Krasnapolsky, unchanged since 1679, this has been a meeting place for Freemasons...
Prik
Bars and pubs

Prik

  • 4 out of 5 stars
Queer or not - Prik is hot. Indeed, true to the bar's slogan this venue attracts a diverse crowd who enjoy its delicious snacks, groovy sounds and special...
Queen's Head
Bars and pubs

Queen's Head

  • 4 out of 5 stars
The Queen’s is a fun and attitude-free gay bar with a similarly minded clientele, plus a great view over a canal at the back. It holds regular special...
Mata Hari
Bars and pubs

Mata Hari

  • 4 out of 5 stars
Named after the exotic but tricksy Dutch courtesan, it’s appropriate that this new bar, restaurant and lounge has brought a touch of comfort and class...
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Shops in the Old Centre

Puccini Bomboni
Shopping

Puccini Bomboni

Tamarind, thyme, lemongrass, pepper and gin are just some of the flavours of these delicious hanmade chocolates, completely without artificial ingredients.
Condomerie het Gulden Vlies
Shopping

Condomerie het Gulden Vlies

A variety of rubbers of the non-erasing kind to wrap up trouser snakes of all shapes and sizes in a store that's equal parts amusing and inspiring.
American Book Center
Shopping

American Book Center

Now located in a fancier location a mere two blocks from the old shop and an Amsterdam institution since 1972, the American Book Center stocks...
Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum
Shopping

Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum

This is where Amsterdam's most highbrow literary browsers choose to hang around. The Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum, as its name might suggest, also stocks...
De Bijenkorf
Shopping

De Bijenkorf

Translated, 'De Bijenkorf' means 'The Beehive' - an apt alias for this busy department store. Stationed in a grandiose building on Dam Square, this deluxe...
Topshop Topman
Shopping

Topshop Topman

Lovers of Brit style, rejoice: mainland Europe's first ever Topshop Topman flagship is here. Taking up a three-floor, 12,600 square foot space on Amsterdam's...

Lodging in the Old Centre

Old Amsterdam
Hotels

Old Amsterdam

Old Amsterdam offers accommodation in Amsterdam, 600 metres from Anne Frank House and 1.2 km from Royal Palace Amsterdam. The property boasts views of the...
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Old Warehouse Apartment
Hotels

Old Warehouse Apartment

Situated in Amsterdam, Old Warehouse Apartment offers self-catering accommodation with free WiFi. The apartment is 900 metres from Royal Palace Amsterdam.The...
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Old City House
Hotels

Old City House

Old City House offers accommodation in Amsterdam, 300 metres from Anne Frank House. The apartment is 1 km from Royal Palace Amsterdam. Free WiFi is offered...
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Residence le Coin
Hotels

Residence le Coin

  • price 2 of 4
On a quiet, café-lined street between the Old Centre and the main shopping district, this medium-sized hotel arranged across seven buildings has spacious,...
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Old style city apartment
Hotels

Old style city apartment

Old style city apartment is an apartment set in Amsterdam, 400 metres from Royal Palace Amsterdam. The apartment is 400 metres from Beurs van Berlage. Free...
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Old Masters Apartment
Hotels

Old Masters Apartment

Old Masters Apartment is a self-catering accommodation with free WiFi located in Amsterdam. The property is 300 metres from Rijksmuseum and 550 metres from...
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The Old Town
Hotels

The Old Town

The Old Town is a self-catering accommodation located in Amsterdam. Free WiFi access is available. The property is 1.7 km from the Rijksmuseum and 230 metres...
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Romantic bed on old Barge
Hotels

Romantic bed on old Barge

Located in the Amsterdam City Centre district in Amsterdam, Romantic bed on old Barge provides an equipped accommodation with an terrace and free WiFi. The...
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