Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina Club / Live Music Venue

East / East Docks, Amsterdam –

For a taste of the underground Dutch music scene, patrons should head to Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, a small but energetic venue set inside a dingy waterfront warehouse that focuses on rock and indie acts at affordable prices.

Black walls, oriental rugs, and a disco ball constitute most of the décor in this low-ceilinged space, while the shimmery tinsel backdrop adds a slight retro touch. The focal point, however, is the stage, which is big enough to hold a solid rock band and features a killer sound system and professional concert lighting.

The outgoing clientele is hip, cool, and open to meeting new people from around the globe and clearly shows up for both the music and the socializing, creating a casual atmosphere where patrons are comfortable either chatting and nodding their heads to the music or dancing like rock divas in front of the stage.

There are even improv nights, art shows, and karaoke nights on the docket, so while trendy clubbers file in to the massive and chichi Panama Nightclub just down the street, in-the-know music lovers make tiny Pakhuis Wilhelmina a big destination on the Amsterdam nightlife scene.