De Biertuin Oost

De Biertuin means "The Beer Garden" and it is one of those names that is actually accurate. The terrace is big, the beer list is bigger, and the atmosphere is exactly what you want from a neighborhood bar in Amsterdam Oost.

My friend Bram and I usually hit De Biertuin as stop two on our Linnaeusstraat pub crawl. By this point we have had one beer at Bukowski and we are ready to get serious. De Biertuin is where we get serious. Twenty beers on tap, rotating specials, and a menu of Dutch and Belgian craft beers that Bram treats like a personal challenge. He always orders something he has never tried before. It works out well about 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent he makes a face and quietly switches to a pilsner.

The location is great. It is on Linnaeusstraat, a five-minute walk from Bar Bukowski and near the Tropenmuseum, which gives the area a slightly more diverse crowd than you get in most Amsterdam bar streets. The terrace catches afternoon sun and stays pleasant into the evening. On warm days it fills up fast — this is where the neighborhood comes to drink outside.

Inside is solid too. Good lighting, enough space to not feel cramped, and a kitchen that does proper bar food. The bitterballen are good, the burgers are decent, and the fries come with enough sauce options to keep everyone happy. Bram always orders the bitterballen as "research" and has not found a version he does not like yet.

The beer selection is the real draw. If you are into craft beer, this is your stop. They rotate taps regularly, so there is always something new. The bartenders know their stuff and will happily talk you through what is on if you look lost. Bram once spent ten minutes discussing hop varieties with a bartender and I honestly thought they were going to exchange numbers.

The crowd is mostly neighborhood locals. Some Tropenmuseum visitors, some students, some after-work groups. On weekends it gets busier but never uncomfortably packed. It is the kind of place where you come for one beer and leave three hours later wondering where the time went.

One tip: if you are doing the Oost pub crawl, De Biertuin is the perfect second stop because it has the biggest beer selection. Get your adventurous choices out of the way here while your palate is still sharp. Bram's advice, not mine. Though he is usually right about beer.