Café Belgique

Alternative / Alternative Music / Artists / Beer / Beer Lovers / Belgian Beer / Bluegrass / Blues / Brown Bar / Casual / Conversational / DJ / Expats / Grungy / Jazz / Marijuana / Occasional Live Music / Pub / Rock / Sandwiches / Smoking Area / Snack Food / Street Performers / Urban
Café Belgique Specializing in Belgian beer, Café Belgique is a small brown tavern oozing with rustic charm and filled with colorful characters. Amsterdam Holland 52.3742502 4.8932682
4.29 11
Café Belgique - Brown Bar | Pub in Amsterdam.
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7 User Reviews
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Ratings:
Lucas
Adriana
Jonah
Emma

Party Earth Review Specializing in Belgian beer, Café Belgique is a small brown tavern oozing with rustic charm and filled with colorful characters. Ever since the well-known graffiti crew London Police took a liking to the place years ago... ... read full review

  • Hours:

    M–Th, Su 3pm–1am, F–Sa 3pm–3am

  • Recommended as:

    • Day Spot
    • Night Spot

Party Earth Café Belgique Review

The Scene

Specializing in Belgian beer, Café Belgique is a small brown tavern oozing with rustic charm and filled with colorful characters.

Nieuwe Zijds, Amsterdam –

Specializing in Belgian beer, Café Belgique is a small brown tavern oozing with rustic charm and filled with colorful characters.

Ever since the well-known graffiti crew London Police took a liking to the place years ago, street artists have gathered here regularly to showcase their talents in the bar’s narrow alleyway. On a nice day it’s common to find an urban artist or two busily decorating the walls outside with their latest psychedelic musings.

The interior décor consists of all the typical elements of a cozy Belgian bar, from the dusty collection of bottles and rusty beer signs to the sparkling glasses, low lighting, and simple wooden benches and tables.

Café Belgique is also an herb-friendly place with an easygoing vibe where a bit of strong ale and some good conversation are always warmly welcomed by the locals, artists, and expats who call this place a second home.

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Tip from Jonah:

Pull up a stool at the bar and have a chat with Philip, the knowledgeable and friendly owner, or grab a seat outside to mingle and watch the artists at work. For beer selections, try the popular La Chouffe or the locally-brewed Vlo, but beware – they’re high in alcohol content (the highest tops out at 11.5% abv).

  • Crowd

    Grungy, alternative, and artistic. Many expats from Italy, Spain, England, and North America, 20s and 30s.

  • Entertainment / Music

    Range of music from alternative rock to trippy beats. Live music on Monday nights in the off season (May to early September) features bands with a jazzy, bluesy, bluegrass vibe.

  • Food / Miscellaneous

    Typical Belgian and Dutch bar snacks like peanuts, tostis, beer-dipped Trappist cheese, Gouda cheese with mustard, and Spanish sausages.

  • Prices

    Snacks €3–€7.50. Beer €3+, mixed drinks €6.

  • What to Wear / Dress Code

    Casual.

  • Hot Nights / When to Go

    The best scene is Thursdays through Saturdays after 8pm, as well as off-season Mondays for the live music.

  • Close By

    Across the Nieuwe Zijds Voorburgwall at Molsteeg is Café Molé, which offers filling and spicy donor kebabs.

Tags:
AlternativeAlternative MusicArtistsBeerBeer LoversBelgian BeerBluegrassBluesCasualConversationalDJExpatsGrungyJazzMarijuanaOccasional Live MusicRockSandwichesSmoking AreaSnack FoodStreet PerformersUrban

Café Belgique User Reviews

Average rating:
lovely lovely place
klara k.
klara k. Jul 11, 2013
If you had enough of the commercial places in Amsterdam you have to go to Cafe Belgique. As someone like me , who is living Belgium this place is a true escape when I'm visiting Amsterdam. They serve the best beer is town and this place is perfect to get know people if you are on your own, cause its so so tiny that you eventually ending up talking to someone. The atmosphere is just lovely: I saw a couple of random acoustic concert here at around midnight....Should I say more?
The best small place in A'dam
maria v.
maria v. Apr 11, 2013
Different Dj's everynigth, that make really specials nigths because you don't know what is going to happend, wich kind the party you are going to find there, also depend a lot wich kind of beer you would like to drink.. here you can find all the best beer from Belgium ( Kuak, La Chouffe, Rochefort 10 or 12, Floreffe..) Every two months they have a different big poster outside painted for different artis that they used to go there, it's normal to see a lot of artist there, for example the london police street art collective they use to frequent in this cafe. It's nice atmosfera always there even if it's full you can be out side sitting in the banks or enjoy your beer in the little street.
Strong beer, friendly faces, good times.
Roy S.
Roy S. Dec 11, 2012
Café Belgique is a teeny tiny bar that serves strong beers that’ll knock your socks off. We were recommended the ever-popular La Chouffe which was strong in flavour and in strength- you only need a couple of these to get you going on a night out… There’s a couple of small benches outside the front and a few seats inside but it doesn’t take a lot of people to fill the place up. When it’s full inside most of the drinking takes place in the alley which is a bit of a bummer when it’s raining! If you don’t mind being packed in while you drink this is a nice, traditional feeling bar that gets you away from the tourist trade (despite still being right in the centre of it all) and drinking with the locals.
No better place! For locals!
Lalarumpelpumpel S.
Lalarumpelpumpel S. Dec 4, 2012
Belgique is the best place on the planet! Anytime is a good time to go, but I guess after 19.00 is the best. I go because all of my friends like to go there and it's central so it's an equal meeting point. I go just for a normal bier, but people who love the Belgium ones will have a good selection by bottle or on tap. It's very very little and so gets easily full, so wear a warm jacket in winter so you can hang outside. It's cooler anyway because there's more room in the street than in the bar! And check out the london Police street art because those guys are really represented there. A cool underground vibe where anything goes as long as your cool and are having fun!
One of the best spots in A'dam
Stéphanie T.
Stéphanie T. Dec 3, 2012
One of the smallest yet most popular bars in Amsterdam. Good beer selection, very interesting playlists and DJ sets (no house music thank God), friendly staff and international crowd, the combination definitely works. No matter if you manage to seat on one of the few chairs inside or on the outside benches or if you have to stand all night outside, your beer will keep you warm, and you will make new friends very easily. No matter what time you show up, there is always something going on at Café Belgique. Furthermore, its very central location makes it a perfect place to gather with your gang.
Love it here
Amster M.
Amster M. Nov 30, 2012
This is where a night out with my friends usually starts, and ends. We'll roll up there around 7, Karl is usually first one to show, then Grant, and we stay until it closes, after many La Couffes, sitting on the benches, and by then it's pretty easy to drag half of us out to some bar with a dance floor that we'll have vague memories of the next day. I don't know what it is, but everyone loves Belgique. It's so small, so gritty, and not even cheap really, but none of that matters. The owner is great, and has good taste in what his patrons like. It's one of the few spots in the city where you can see some great street art by London Police. Best bar in the city? Could be.
Place you might hear an amazing story.
Ula L.
Ula L. Sep 2, 2012
Amsterdam is a beautiful city full of madness. Amount of crazy people you might meet on the street is great and each time, during the night, you have the possibility to hear an amazing story. Cafe Belguique is the smallest pub in the city. Close to the main square, this cosy place, specialize in beer from Belgium. Warm lights inside and nice service creates an ideal space for exchange experiences, ideas or styles of life. Gathered people are locals, as well as Spanish, Italians, Polish, etc. All exchange happens around two tables inside and three benches outside the pub. Around 8pm each evening appears a man dancing in front of the Cafe Belguique on his wheelchair.
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