Café de Spuyt Brown Bar

Leidseplein, Amsterdam –

Over one hundred types of Belgian and Dutch beers await in this snug Flanders-meets-Amsterdam brown bar, a place that has apparently radiated warmth and charm since the day it first opened its doors as a communist hangout in 1968.

Besides the requisite beer signs, posters, and a communal acoustic guitar, the walls also feature a row of chalkboards boasting the impressive list of Belgian Trappist and Dutch micro-brewed beers available on tap and in bottles.

Other boards list the limited food menu or offer the sale of single cigars and cigarettes, while a flashy floral bouquet – a twenty-year tradition at de Spuyt – adds a splash of color to the background of hustling workers and clinking beer glasses.

To enhance its homey, authentic personality, the bar works on the tab system, so patrons can just leave a name with the bartender, place an order, and take care of the bill when it’s time to go.