The Winston

20s / 30s / Anything goes / Bar / Casual / Club / Comedy / Conversational / DJ / Dancing / Disco / Diverse / Drink Specials / Easygoing / Expats / Finger Food / Flirty / Friendly / High Energy / Hotel / House / Indie / Jazz / Live Band / Live Music / Live Music Venue / Locals / Music Lovers / Patio / Regulars / Rock / Sandwiches / Techno / Teenagers / Tourists / Trendy Vibe / Vegetarian Food / Wings
The Winston Since its remodeling in 2008, The Winston – an energetic club associated with Belushi's Bar and St. Christopher's Inn next door – has attracted a friendly and diverse crowd of regulars, expats, and travelers eager to enjoy... Amsterdam Holland 52.3739441 4.8961335
2.73 11
The Winston - Bar | Club | Hotel | Live Music Venue in Amsterdam.
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7 User Reviews
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Ratings:
Lucas
Adriana
Jonah
Emma

Party Earth Review Since its remodeling in 2008, The Winston – an energetic club associated with Belushi’s Bar and St. Christopher’s Inn next door – has attracted a friendly and diverse crowd of regulars, expats, and travelers eager to enjoy... ... read full review

  • Hours:

    M–Th, Su 9pm–3am, F–Sa 9pm–4am

  • Recommended as:

    • Night Spot

Party Earth The Winston Review

The Scene

Since its remodeling in 2008, The Winston – an energetic club associated with Belushi's Bar and St. Christopher's Inn next door – has attracted a friendly and diverse crowd of regulars, expats, and travelers eager to enjoy...

Red Light District, Amsterdam –

Since its remodeling in 2008, The Winston – an energetic club associated with Belushi’s Bar and St. Christopher’s Inn next door – has attracted a friendly and diverse crowd of regulars, expats, and travelers eager to enjoy live music in a sociable environment.

The improved décor features a well-lit bar, a sleek new stage, and a relaxing back area for loungers.

A big, fluorescent sign blinking the words “Hell, Yeah!” hangs on one of the black walls, while a sea of disco balls reflects the stage and club lights, bringing to life the shadows of partygoers at the long, ever-busy bar.

Although some traces of the venue’s former life as a Red Light dive are still evident, the club overall has created a trendy, social, and open atmosphere for the two hundred chatty patrons who crowd in to dance, hang out, flirt, meet new people, and listen to a variety of good music.

Once a popular underground club for rock lovers, The Winston has also revamped its lineup and widened its horizons to include more mainstream acts, so the weekly schedule is now a mixed bag of DJs spinning techno and poppy house and indie bands who know how to keep an audience moving all night long.

Despite its size and decibel levels, The Winston has managed to maintain an inviting tavern-like feel where guests can simply enjoy an easygoing scene over a drink or two.

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Tip from Jonah:

If you need a breather from the music, head to the patio at Belushi’s Bar next door. Just make sure to get your hand stamped when exiting The Winston so you’ll have no trouble getting back in.

  • Crowd

    Varies depending on the night and music, but usually a fusion of young internationals, neighborhood locals, and Amsterdammers, 18 to mid-30s.

  • Entertainment / Music

    Mondays feature drum and bass, while the rest of the week can feature anything from hip-hop to electro jazz, disco pop, cabarets, and rock bands. Local celebrity Coco Coquette hosts the occasional Travestival comedy night.

    Check the website for the schedule.

  • Food / Miscellaneous

    Drink specials on beer and Jager shots before 11pm.

  • Prices

    Beer €2.50/bottle and €4.60/pint, wine €3, mixed drinks €6, soda €2.

  • What to Wear / Dress Code

    Casual/anything goes.

  • Hot Nights / When to Go

    Cheeky Mondays are big nights for electronic clubbers, while the live rock music featured two to three times a week also draws a good crowd.

  • Close By

    Warmoestraat is full of bars, cheap food, coffeeshops, and small bakeries.

Tags:
20s30sAnything goesCasualComedyConversationalDJDancingDiscoDiverseDrink SpecialsEasygoingExpatsFinger FoodFlirtyFriendlyHigh EnergyHouseIndieJazzLive BandLive MusicLocalsMusic LoversPatioRegularsRockSandwichesTechnoTeenagersTouristsTrendy VibeVegetarian FoodWings

The Winston User Reviews

Average rating:
Touristy - But the only thing to do on a Monday evening
Rose O.
Rose O. Mar 6, 2013
The Winston is located in the oldest street of Amsterdam, de famous Warmoestraat. It is not only the oldest, but also the most crowded-with-English-tourists street and that is something you notice when visiting The Winston Kingdom. The Winston Kingdom is a club, a ho(s)tel and a bar in one. I know a lot of bands playing their gigs there and those are very fun to go to, like Cheaky Monday on Monday. Problem is that in the weekends all the tourists who stay on the Warmoestraat go to The Winston, the music gets kind of crappy and the girls a kind of easy. So if you are into that: you should definitly go. If you're not you should go next door to W139 - which is a much more underground kind of gallery which hosts a lot of parties too - and you get to drink cheaper, better beer. So go there on Monday.
That's why I like it
Mokum G.
Mokum G. Dec 12, 2012
It was MokumGroupie's first video interview in Amsterdam of Joey Cape and Jon Snodgrass. Their gig was at Winston, and they were crashing at the hostel next door. We did the interview in their room. And there was a giant photo of a couple of S&M beasts about to get dirty on the bed. The photo was the size of the wall. Distracting to say the least! But I digress. They did a smashing show, and the venue as a whole was perfect. It fit the crowd just right. The mood was right. The two felt very much comfortable in their own skin up there. Their acoustic set sounded beautiful. And an acoustic guitar is a very unforgiving instrument. That's why I like it.
The only Red Light venue
Amster M.
Amster M. Dec 12, 2012
My good buddy works at Winston, which doesn't mean I get in for free but I do check it out when I can. Arjan is right, for gigs it is perfect -- intimate, small, and the crowd seems to be big fans of whomever's playing. They should really book more bands, but I think they pull more money with DJs and dancing so they lean more that way. It helps that the hostel is connected and they have some of the best drink specials in town. It could easily be labeled as a dive, which it used to be. And there are still some shady-ass peeps hanging around there, because it's the start of the Red Light. But I'd still show up there late, just to dance for a little bit with a buddy if we were in the hood.
Good Pint
Colin J.
Colin J. Dec 11, 2012
I come frm England where a pint is never more than 3 quid. Which before I left to go travelling I thought was expensive. So to find a bar where a pint is less than 5 euroes was a good sign for me. Even if you only get 40 cents change from 5 euroes it s it makes it a nicer pint. I loved the sign of Hell Yeah, and as I got drunker and drunker, I would say this phrase louder and louder. I found a good spot to dance and made some new friends. I woke up with an arrid mouth from the beer, but it was worth it just to get 40 cents change back. I loved the lounge area and I think a few of the locals in there really enjoyed my dance moves. Good memories of this place.
Sweet and intimate club
Arjan v.
Arjan v. Dec 10, 2012
I've only been to the Club part of Winston, situated in the infamous Red Light District. It's a great place to go to shows. The venue is way more intimate than the bigger venues like Melkweg and Paradiso. The only downside is the entrance, where they throw your bag on a big pile. When the concert is over, it can take quite some time to find it back. Other than that, a highly recommended and enjoyable club. Go check it out!
Meh
Craig B.
Craig B. Dec 9, 2012
I met up with some friends who were staying at the attached hostel here for some drinks, but we didn't stay long. The drinks were moderately priced, but The Winston didn't offer up the kind of Amsterdam experience that I was hoping to show them, Red Light District or otherwise. It tends to be filled with internationals, which can be fun, but it tends to be a younger crowd looking to hook up with someone for a night and then move on to the next city rather than backpackers with stories to regale you with. That being said, the location is pretty good since it's on the edge of the Red Light District, a few doors down from the Condomerie, a couple of clubs, and a number of coffeeshops.
An interesting accident
Risa C.
Risa C. Nov 19, 2012
I was in Amsterdam for 2 days and we were kind f tired but looking for something to do on a Monday night that was nearby. I checked this site and came up with "the Winston" playing drum and bass, sounds good right? My two relatively conservative friends and I walked up and got in line with other tourists, and a lot of locals with large gauges in their ears, tattoos and umm...creative hairdos. Disclaimer: I had no idea what drum and bass music was. When we got in with the bouncer smirking as he let us in and stamped us with a devil imprint entrance stamp, we were greeted by sweaty people moshing to music that I could best liken an intense extended drum solo with someone yelling reggae over it. I wouldn't say it was the worst experience I could possibly have, but it was not what I had dressed for or expected. We ended up staying for two drinks before my friend couldn't take the music anymore. If you like your music loud, and intense this is a great place on a Monday night, if you like your eardrums and your shoes unscuffed, go somewhere else.
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