Best-of list · Craft Beer
The 9 best craft beer bars in Amsterdam for 2026, from Brouwerij 't IJ and Oedipus to Butcher's Tears, Arendsnest and Foeders' 42 taps in De Pijp.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Amsterdam pairs centuries-old brown cafés with the modern Dutch brewing wave, and the best beer bars sit on both sides of that line. These nine run from a windmill brewery in the east to a 42-tap room in De Pijp.
Brouwerij 't IJ brews beside De Gooyer windmill in the east, the most recognizable beer address in the city. The proeflokaal pours the full organic range, from the Zatte tripel to the Columbus amber, with a small terrace that fills the moment the sun shows. This is the first stop for a visitor. Best on a dry afternoon when the windmill-side seats open up.
Full listing & hours →Oedipus Brewing runs a taproom in Amsterdam-Noord, a short ferry hop across the IJ, in a high-ceilinged industrial room. The brewing is playful rather than precious: the Mannenliefde saison with lemongrass is the signature order. Long benches and a courtyard make it a group destination. Best on a weekend afternoon when the taproom and its kitchen are both running.
Full listing & hours →Butcher's Tears keeps a spare, no-frills taproom near Vondelpark's south edge, the focus squarely on what its own brewery is pouring. The room is small and the beer list rotates, so come to drink whatever is fresh rather than chase a fixed lineup. There is no kitchen to speak of. Best early evening for a quiet pint among people who care about the beer.
Full listing & hours →De Bekeerde Suster brews on the site of a 1544 convent brewery on Kloveniersburgwal, near Nieuwmarkt. Eight house and guest taps front a list of more than 45 bottles, and the copper kettles behind the bar are working, not decoration. The kitchen turns out solid lunch and dinner. Best for an early evening that pairs the house brews with a proper meal.
Proeflokaal Arendsnest pours only Dutch beer, around 30 rotating taps and hundreds of bottles, from a handsome canal house on Herengracht. It is the single best place to map the national scene in one sitting. Ask the staff to build a flight by style. Best for a focused tasting session rather than a loud night out, ideally before the canal-side seats fill.
Full listing & hours →De Prael brews in the heart of the red light district on Oudezijds Armsteeg, a social enterprise that trains staff facing barriers to work. The beers carry old Dutch-singer names, and the upstairs tasting room is calmer than the street below. Order the Heintje blonde. Best in the late afternoon, before the surrounding lanes get crowded, for the beer and the backstory.
Full listing & hours →Foeders runs 42 rotating taps from a corner of Ceintuurbaan in De Pijp, the widest fresh selection on this list. The range is always changing and the bartenders know it cold, so hand over the menu and ask to be steered. The room is relaxed and unfussy. Best for a serious tasting flight when you want depth and a guide rather than a quiet pint.
Gollem is the city's classic beer café, a cramped brown-bar with 14 taps and more than 200 bottles, mostly Belgian. The De Pijp location adds room and a kitchen; the original near Spui is the tighter, older haunt. Order a Belgian Trappist and a board of cheese. Best on a cold night when the small rooms and deep bottle list do their best work.
Full listing & hours →Westergasterras sits beside the gas holder in Westerpark, a bar and grill built around a large heated terrace rather than a deep tap wall. It earns its place for the setting and the after-work crowd, with beer, cider and gin poured beside a seasonal kitchen. Thursday summer salsa nights draw a crowd. Best for a relaxed terrace drink on a warm evening, not a tasting deep-dive.