The Venice of the North, Amsterdam's attractions can read like a heady
cocktail in honour of a rock'n'roll lifestyle. Besides the famed red-light
areas where window-shopping takes on a whole new meaning and the coffee bars
that are more popular for their other wares, Amsterdam is also home to
hundreds of great bars and clubs. Style bars, cocktail bars, bistros,
restaurants and casinos - a night out in Leidseplein or Rembrandtplein will
lead you into the small hours. Oh, and if you want to rest your liver, don't
forget to visit the Van Gogh museum.
De Still
Spuistraat 326 -A 1012 VX, Amsterdam
Telephone: (00 31 20) 427 6809
This
unique bar has stamped its mark on the area by being the only watering hole
to stock over 150 different whiskeys. Most places have an engraved glass or
tacky tankard for each of the regulars, but here they have their own bottle.
You’ll never work your way through the lot unless you’ve moved here, but
that's no reason to stop you trying.
Funky hotel bar rich in history and character with two outdoor terraces
to soak up cocktails and rays on summer days. The grand building dates back
100 years and the multi-purpose space includes the hotel’s hip club Tonight
- located in a beautiful old church. The bar though is the real centre point
of the place, a dining space for guests in the mornings and at lunch, and a
laid-back neighbourhood bar in the evenings. It comes into its own as a
pre-club venue on weekends though, when Tonight welcomes big-name DJs and
Amsterdam’s gorgeous glamour girls turn out in force.
Supper Club
21 Jonge Roelensteeg Old Centre: New Side Amsterdam
Telephone: 00 (0) 20 638 0513
Hours: Open 8pm-1am daily
Hip
restaurant and lounge with a design bar beneath that’s the sexiest haunt in
town right now. The dining area walls are white and you sit on beds - a
suggestive sexual intent if ever there was. Food is rich and Mediterranean
and drinks are pricey yet the artsy cool crowd are surprisingly
unpretentious. The cosy bar beneath is done in similarly lush style with
mirrors, pillars and couches completing the sultry effect. Live DJs keep
playing until late and the measures in your Cosmopolitan are maximalist not
minimalist.
Altmann
Amsteldijk 25
Amsterdam, 1074 HS
Telephone: 31 020 662 7777
This
classy restaurant-bar on the Amstel is a bit of a trek out of town, but they
do see- and-be-seen like nowhere else: there’s a VIP deck with four tables
on a raised platform slap bang in the middle of the space. Ok, it’s a bit
much for modest types like us who mostly come for fine drinks and
conversation, but it might appeal to the exhibitionist in you. Set in a
former garage, the rest of the place is more tastefully understated, all
done in muted brown and white tones romantically lit up by the glow of
dozens of flickering candles. Ease yourself into one of their cushy dark
brown sofas, order up a whiskey sour and survey the see and be scene. An
adjoining dining area specialises in Modern European food and the chef was
formerly a star at Blakes.
Tasman Bar
A cozy bar were international drinks and snacks are served. This is a
hotel bar at the Victoria Hotel
Amsterdam. The Tasman Bar serves a wide range of cocktails.
This
unique bar has stamped its mark on the area by being the only watering hole
to stock over 150 different whiskeys. Most places have an engraved glass or
tacky tankard for each of the regulars, but here they have their own bottle.
You’ll never work your way through the lot unless you’ve moved here, but
that's no reason to stop you trying. 
Hip
restaurant and lounge with a design bar beneath that’s the sexiest haunt in
town right now. The dining area walls are white and you sit on beds - a
suggestive sexual intent if ever there was. Food is rich and Mediterranean
and drinks are pricey yet the artsy cool crowd are surprisingly
unpretentious. The cosy bar beneath is done in similarly lush style with
mirrors, pillars and couches completing the sultry effect. Live DJs keep
playing until late and the measures in your Cosmopolitan are maximalist not
minimalist. 
This
classy restaurant-bar on the Amstel is a bit of a trek out of town, but they
do see- and-be-seen like nowhere else: there’s a VIP deck with four tables
on a raised platform slap bang in the middle of the space. Ok, it’s a bit
much for modest types like us who mostly come for fine drinks and
conversation, but it might appeal to the exhibitionist in you. Set in a
former garage, the rest of the place is more tastefully understated, all
done in muted brown and white tones romantically lit up by the glow of
dozens of flickering candles. Ease yourself into one of their cushy dark
brown sofas, order up a whiskey sour and survey the see and be scene. An
adjoining dining area specialises in Modern European food and the chef was
formerly a star at Blakes. 