A night out in: Centrum

Culture

Pop culture at Melkweg Expo

Sometimes it's nice to start the night (or afternoon) with a little bit of culture. Melkweg might be known for its music, but it has an arty side too, in the form of Melkweg Expo. A home for innovative visual culture, the focus tends to be on music and pop culture, with around six exhibitions yearly touching on everything from multidisciplinary festivals to emerging artist showcases. Entry is generally free here so grab a drink and soak up some of the city's most exciting talent.

Pre-drinks

Jazz and cosy beers at De Engelbewaarder

A much-loved and vaunted spot by locals, De Engelbewaarder (The Guardian Angel) lives up to its name. Located right on the canal, it’s as much a summer spot as winter, courtesy of its long, dark wood bar and the jazz afternoons it hosts on Sunday. A popular spot with university students courtesy of the building opposite, you’ll meet all walks of life here over a beer, and at the start of your night, that’s what it’s all about. 

Dinner

Every Asian flavour along the Zeedijk

If you’re heading out with a group or just you, Zeedijk has you covered. You’ll find big tables of excellent Chinese food at Nam Kee and New King; steaming bowls of Pho at Little Saigon; hand-pulled noodles at Xi’an’s; spicy, searing mapo tofu at China Sichuan Restaurant; Malay fare at Nyonya and the city’s best Thai at Thaise Bird Snackbar (the restaurant opposite is good too). The hardest part? Knowing which to pick. 

Cocktails

Animal-themed decor at Rosalia’s Menagerie

Tucked inconspicuously away in a typically charming Amsterdam townhouse is one of the city’s best cocktail bars, where its lack of prominent signage makes it all the more special. Rosalia's Menagerie takes its name from its original purpose as a holding place for travellers with exotic pets who needed a central location to leave them. Now, it leans on its animal history, with drinks and decor inspired by them, all of which lends the bar a slightly mythical apothecary feel. And while the atmosphere is cosy, it’s the cocktails that keep people coming back (sans animals) with a range of classic and unique drinks and a menu that breaks down each ingredient and flavour palate within each cocktail, so you know what to compare it to.

Live music

Fiddles and banjos at Mulligan’s

For those with a deep passion for Irish folk music, Mulligan's is the ultimate destination. Nestled by the Amstel River, this quaint pub not only serves up a fine glass of Guinness but also offers the enchanting sounds of a Fiddle, a banjo, and a Bodhrán (an Irish drum) on most days. It's the perfect spot to transport yourself to another world for a while.

Clubbing

Multi-floor music at Paradiso

Probably Amsterdam's most famous music venue, Paradiso is a former church that was squatted in the 1960s and grew into a renowned performance space. A multi-floor venue, any night out here is a reverential affair. Though it’s known for its gigs and concerts, when the live acts finish, you'll find some fantastic later evening programming with club nights and parties catering to every music genre under the sun, from Balkan beats to hits from Lebanon and Egypt. 

Late-night food

Tackle the iconic snack wall at FEBO

The quintessential late-night snack, nowhere does it quite like FEBO. An institution among Dutchies, this vending-machine style snack bar does everything from burgers to krokets and frikandel (a kind of minced-meat sausage snack which tastes better than it sounds). The trick to any late-night detour here is combining snacks by doing a diagonaaltje; ordering from the top left and going across columns, ordering one box down each time until you draw a diagonal line and have sampled all the snacks on offer. If that’s not art, what is?