DIY Pub Crawl: Amsterdam Oost (Where Locals Actually Drink)

Every tourist pub crawl in Amsterdam starts at Leidseplein and ends with you paying 5 euros for a Heineken surrounded by other tourists doing the same thing. My friend Bram calls this "the Amsterdam experience for people who do not want to experience Amsterdam."

Here is the alternative: a self-guided pub crawl through Amsterdam Oost. Four bars, all walkable, all places where actual local people actually drink. No shot wheels, no neon signs, no guides in matching t-shirts. Just good bars in a great neighborhood.

Why Oost?

Amsterdam Oost (East) is the neighborhood that most tourists skip entirely, which is exactly why it is great. It is where young professionals and students live, where the rent is still somewhat reasonable, and where the bars are designed for people who live there — not people visiting for three days. The whole route is about 1-1.5 kilometers, easy walking distance between each stop.

Getting There

Take tram 3 or 14 from Amsterdam Centraal to the Oosterpark area. The whole neighborhood is centered around the Oosterpark and Linnaeusstraat, which is where most of the bars are.

The Route

Stop 1: Bar Bukowski (Oosterpark 10)

Start here. Bar Bukowski is a relaxed, slightly chic bar right across from Oosterpark. It is the perfect first-drink bar — the terrace overlooks the park, the beer selection is good, and the vibe is "I could sit here for hours." My friend Bram orders a craft beer and watches the Oosterpark crowd while we decide how ambitious our evening is going to be. Some nights we never make it past Bukowski. That is also fine.

Open from 8 AM (they do coffee and breakfast too), so you can start early if you are the day-drinking type. The afternoon sun hits the terrace perfectly.

Stop 2: De Biertuin Oost (Linnaeusstraat 29)

A five-minute walk down Linnaeusstraat. De Biertuin means "The Beer Garden" and it lives up to the name. Twenty beers on tap, a big outdoor terrace, and a location near the Tropenmuseum that gives it a slightly more diverse crowd. This is the beer nerd stop. If you want to try Dutch and Belgian craft beers, this is your place. Bram always gets something he has never tried before. It has worked out well about 80 percent of the time.

The terrace is great in summer, and they have heaters for when it gets cold. Food menu is decent if you need something to soak up the first round.

Stop 3: Cafe de Jeugd (Linnaeusstraat 37A)

Walk three minutes further down Linnaeusstraat. De Jeugd means "The Youth" and it is the taproom of Brouwerij De Eeuwige Jeugd (Brewery of Eternal Youth). They brew their own beers and they are genuinely good. The vibe is more relaxed than De Biertuin — think board games on the tables, comfort food on the menu, and the kind of atmosphere where you end up staying longer than planned.

Bram's move here is the beer flight, which lets you try four of their house beers. The food is solid pub fare — burgers, fries, snacks. If you are hungry, eat here. You will need it for stop four.

Stop 4: Cafe Kuijper (Linnaeusstraat 79)

The finale. Another few minutes down Linnaeusstraat. Cafe Kuijper is a modern brown cafe — it has the cozy brown cafe feel but with a slightly more contemporary touch. This is the neighborhood living room. Locals come here after work, after the gym, after everything. The heated terrace stays open late. Tuesday nights they do a pub quiz that Bram's team has been competing in for months. They have never won. He does not like to talk about it.

This is a good place to end because the vibe is mellow enough for a nightcap but lively enough that you do not feel like the evening is dying. Order a local beer, maybe some bitterballen, and enjoy being in a bar where nobody is wearing an "I Amsterdam" t-shirt.

Bonus Stops

If the night is still young after four bars:

• Bar Basquiat (Javastraat 63) — A short walk to Javastraat, which is the up-and-coming bar street of Oost. Basquiat is a cocktail bar with live music and a great atmosphere.
• Roest (Jacob Bontiusplaats 1) — An urban beach and bar with an industrial vibe. More of a summer spot but worth checking.

Practical Tips

• Total walking distance: about 1-1.5 km from first to last stop
• Budget: expect to spend 4-6 euros per beer, so roughly 20-30 euros for the whole crawl (not counting food)
• Best night: Thursday or Friday. Tuesday for the pub quiz at Kuijper
• Getting home: tram 3 or 14 back to Centraal, or grab an Uber
• Pace yourself: four bars is plenty. This is not a sprint, it is a neighborhood experience
• Eat before or during: De Jeugd and Kuijper both have food. Do not try to do this on an empty stomach

Bram has done this crawl approximately fifty times. He says it never gets old because the crowd at each bar changes, the beer taps rotate, and there is always someone interesting to talk to. I have done it about twenty times and I agree. This is how locals drink in Amsterdam. No tourist tax, no matching t-shirts, just great bars in a great neighborhood.