Café The Minds Bar / Café

Nieuwe Zijds, Amsterdam –

Take the cover of a punk rock album, throw in some skateboard decks and a few beer-soaked tables, then add a talkative crowd sporting mohawks and worn out Chuck Taylors, and the end result is none other than Café The Minds.

Raw and gritty, the modest space features peeling punk posters, old leather boots dangling from the ceiling, wagon-wheel chandeliers, and a clunky wooden bar.

All in all, it’s the perfect setting for the local leftists who show up to pound cheap beer and rant about the latest clash with “The Man,” as well as the squatters and budding rockers who stick around to party all night.

It’s not easy to stay punk forever, but The Minds does its best by saying no to conventionalism and breaking the rules every chance it gets.

The bar is a place to drink beer other than Heineken, play air guitar to punk power chords, and joke around, all in the name of nonconformity.

Smoker friendly and open later than most bars, The Minds is a great choice for those who want to encounter Amsterdam’s true alternative scene.