Best-of list · City Guide
The best cheap bars in Amsterdam, from de Pijp brown cafes to Jordaan local favourites. Our editors pick where to drink well in Amsterdam without the.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Amsterdam charges tourist prices in its most visited areas and always has. But the best cheap bars in Amsterdam are a few canals removed from the crowds. The brown cafes of de Pijp, the local pubs of Oost, and the neighborhood spots in Oud-West operate at a different economic logic than anything on the Leidseplein. We spent several evenings navigating away from the obvious and found 10 bars worth knowing.
The brown cafe is Amsterdam's greatest drinking contribution. Candlelit, wood-panelled, and designed for conversation over cold Dutch beer. The ones below have not raised their prices for tourists because their regulars would notice.
How we picked
The key to cheap drinking in Amsterdam is direction. Walk away from the canal ring, away from the tourist corridors, and prices drop meaningfully within three or four streets. Oost is our first recommendation for anyone who wants good bars at honest prices, followed by Noord if you are willing to take the ferry. The brown cafe format is Amsterdam's great equalizer: unpretentious by design, affordable by tradition.
Avoid the Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein areas entirely if budget is the priority. The bars within 200 meters of either square operate at tourist pricing regardless of quality. Everything on this list is within cycling distance of the centre and worth the extra ten minutes. If you want a fully planned evening around these principles, our editors have built a budget bar night in Amsterdam guide that routes 5 bars — including two Jordaan brown cafes and a De Pijp brewery taproom — into a complete evening for under €25.
Sofia has been covering European bar culture for nine years, including three extended stays in Amsterdam. She keeps a running list of brown cafes worth defending and has a strong opinion about which neighbourhoods are still worth visiting for honest drinking.
Last reviewed 2026-04-06 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.