Skek

20s / 30s / Artists / Brown Bar / Burgers / Café / Casual / Creative / Dinner / Friendly / Gallery / Hipster / Hipster Style / Indie / Jazz / Live Band / Live Music / Live Music Venue / Locals / Lunch / Music Lovers / Musicians / Performance / Sandwiches / Singer / Songwriter / Students / Underground / Wi-Fi
Skek Situated on Amsterdam's oldest street, Skek is an inexpensive, student-run Café and bar that caters to a casual, sociable crowd of local hipsters and students. Amsterdam Holland 52.376247 4.9000805
4.62 9
Skek - Brown Bar | Café | Live Music Venue in Amsterdam.
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5 User Reviews
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Ratings:
Lucas
Adriana
Jonah
Emma

Party Earth Review Situated on Amsterdam’s oldest street, Skek is an inexpensive, student-run café and bar that caters to a casual, sociable crowd of local hipsters and students. Housed in two historic 16th-century buildings, the space... ... read full review

  • Hours:

    M–Th, Su noon–1am, F–Sa noon–3am

  • Recommended as:

    • Day Spot
    • Night Spot

Party Earth Skek Review

The Scene

Situated on Amsterdam's oldest street, Skek is an inexpensive, student-run Café and bar that caters to a casual, sociable crowd of local hipsters and students.

Red Light District, Amsterdam –

Situated on Amsterdam’s oldest street, Skek is an inexpensive, student-run café and bar that caters to a casual, sociable crowd of local hipsters and students.

Housed in two historic 16th-century buildings, the space includes a small dining area and a brown bar and is most known for its unbeatable deals on good food and drink, as well as its program of live underground music.

Except for the rotating exhibits of contemporary paintings by young local artists, Skek sticks to its rustic roots with dark wood furnishings, simple string lights, and homey touches like soft retro lamps, worn out pillows, and beanbag chairs.

One of the most unique aspects of Skek is how sincerely it fosters a real connection between the place and its patrons, going so far as to solicit suggestions for additions and deletions to the excellent menu. And it is just that creative, open-minded character that keeps the equally creative clientele coming back for more.

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Tip from Emma:

For an excellent view of the action in the bar and on the street, climb up to the loft via the narrow stairwell near the kitchen. It’s the perfect place to kick back on a beanbag with a beer and just relax.

  • Crowd

    Hipsters, neighborhood regulars, and students, 20s and 30s.

  • Entertainment / Music

    Live music Thursdays through Saturdays after 11pm, often featuring local indie groups, singer/songwriters, and jazz musicians. Free Wi-Fi.

  • Food / Miscellaneous

    Fresh, healthy menu selections change according to what is in season. Homemade pies. Lunch served noon–4pm, dinner 6–10pm. Students receive 1/3 off the total bill.

  • Prices

    Sandwiches €3.50–€5.50, appetizers €4.50+, entrées €12+. Beer €2, wine €3, mixed drinks €5+, coffee and tea €2.

  • What to Wear / Dress Code

    Casual.

  • Hot Nights / When to Go

    Live music nights are most popular. Thursdays are more relaxed while Fridays and Saturdays draw a larger crowd.

Tags:
20s30sArtistsBurgersCasualCreativeDinnerFriendlyGalleryHipsterHipster StyleIndieJazzLive BandLive MusicLocalsLunchMusic LoversMusiciansPerformanceSandwichesSinger / SongwriterStudentsUndergroundWi-Fi

Skek User Reviews

Average rating:
Skek is a great hangout or meeting spot!
Edward W.
Edward W. May 29, 2013
I love Skek. It's a restaurant and bar run by students at University of Amsterdam. There's a full bar in the front room, a restaurant in the back. The food is good, the menu is small. Don't forget to ask for your 10 % discount on food as a student. The atmosphere is what you come for here. It's calm, with that quintessential Dutch warmth and coziness. The musical acts that play in the front room have always been great. The drinks are well priced, it's a great hangout to meet up with friends or a spot to get lost in a good book for a few hours. Drop by, it's only 5 minutes from Centraal Station!
Love to hang at Skek!
Lalarumpelpumpel S.
Lalarumpelpumpel S. Dec 13, 2012
Go to Skek and sit next to the fish aquarium on a Sunday afternoon. Order a coffee and plug in your lap top and face the door. That's how I start a working day at Skek when I go there. I really love it because they have free internet and are very cool about staying there for hours and hours. It's just off Zeedijk, which is the oldest street in town, and a busy walking street, so I say face the door because it's an amusing way to take a break when you need something new to look at. The also have a small stage next to the door, so it's a good place to watch live music if you come with friends.
Four star for sure!
Amster M.
Amster M. Dec 9, 2012
Gotta love Skek. First of all their food choices are great, that menu is one of the best in town (hello wasabi burger!), and affordable. It changes seasonally, but definitely worth going to for dinner. I also hang there to work in the afternoons, a local beer and bitterballen snack keep me focused for just long enough until another friend comes along. I even participated in their open mic night once and played a few songs. AND it was well received! Score! Whether you're seated at the bar or overlooking above the rafters with a group of friends, it's a cramped place but great location and I love the atmosphere.
Great if you're young and on a budget
Jody P.
Jody P. Dec 3, 2012
I went here the first time I went to Amsterdam. I can't say that the venue itself is anything special. The decor has kind of a bohemian feel and the crowd is a lot of young people. The food is fine - I don't have any special memories about anything I ate here, and the service is also fine. The best part of this place is being able to eat and drink on a budget and being able to socialize with other young travelers. I am kind of stressing the young aspect of this bar because, at least when I was there, I felt like almost everyone was under 20 years old, give or take a few. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a young bar, sometimes that is just not the thing you are looking for.
Low key and cheap
Craig B.
Craig B. Nov 22, 2012
Skek is conveniently less than a dozen steps away from In 't Aepjen, and the younger patrons of the latter often meander over when it gets too crowded. That's not to say Skek isn't a happening place (it is), it's just that the layout and the lighting seem to make Skek feel larger. There are plenty of tables to eat at, a half dozen seats at the bar, and some thrift-store-esque upholstery for those who wish to dine in semi-luxury. Having not eaten there, I can't vouch for the food personally, but from what I saw it looked decent enough. The beers are nice, pretty much what I've come to any Amsterdam bar or pub worth it's weight in hops. The service is great, and perhaps most importantly for one of the more expensive cities in Europe, the bill is pretty cheap.
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