“My neighbor took me here on my birthday and I genuinely did not want to leave. It feels like drinking cocktails in a 19th-century living room.”
My neighbor took me to Bar Oldenhof for my birthday last year and I have been obsessed ever since. If you are the kind of person who appreciates a well-made cocktail in a setting that makes you feel like you have time-traveled, this is your place.
The interior is the first thing that hits you. Dark wood, velvet upholstery, old paintings, candles, antique furniture — it genuinely looks and feels like a 19th-century Dutch living room. But not in a theme park way. In a way that feels completely authentic, like this room has always been here and always will be.
The cocktails are the real reason to come. The bartenders here actually know what they are doing, which sounds like it should be a given but is surprisingly rare. Tell them what you like and they will make something perfect. My neighbor ordered "something smoky but not too heavy" and got a cocktail that made her close her eyes and say "oh wow" out loud. That is the level we are talking about.
They do not have a massive menu and that is intentional. A focused list of classics and house creations, all executed flawlessly. Prices are on the higher end — 14-16 euros per cocktail — but you are paying for the craft, the setting, and the experience. My friend Jake, who spent years bartending in New York, said it was "one of the five best bars I have ever been to." Coming from him, that is not a compliment he throws around.
The space is small and intimate. Maybe 30 seats total. This is not a party bar. This is the bar you go to for a date, for a celebration, for a Friday night where the conversation matters as much as the drinks. My neighbor and I sat there for three hours on my birthday and I did not check my phone once.
Practical stuff: it is on the Reestraat in the heart of the canal ring. Easy to find but easy to walk past because it does not scream "bar" from the outside. Reservations are not taken — you show up and hope. Go before 9 PM on weekdays for the best chance of getting a seat. Weekends get busy after 10 PM.
One thing I appreciate: there is no attitude here. Some cocktail bars make you feel like you need to know the password. Bar Oldenhof is confident enough in what it does that it does not need to be exclusive about it. Walk in, sit down, let them make you something extraordinary.
This is where I take people when I want to show them the sophisticated side of Amsterdam. Not flashy, not trendy. Just really, really good.
You might also like
Local FavoriteHotel V Nesplein
My friend Lisa stayed here for a work trip and ended up booking a personal weekend the next month. Right on the Nes, walking distance to literally everything.
Local FavoriteThe Dylan Amsterdam
This is the hotel I tell people about when they say money is not an issue. My coworker's parents stayed here for their anniversary and called it the best hotel they have ever been to.
Lloyd Hotel
A former emigrant hotel turned design icon. Rooms range from one to five stars — in the same building. My coworker stayed in a one-star room and said it was the most Amsterdam thing she has ever done.