Amsterdam now has dozens of wine bars, and every neighbourhood has its own character. In De Pijp it is mostly natural wine, around the canals you find the wine bars with big cellars, and in Oost and Noord you can combine a glass with a bottle to take home. Below are the wine bars we recommend, by area.
De Pijp: natural wine and classics
In 2015 GlouGlou opened in De Pijp, the first natural wine bar in the Netherlands. The list is natural wine only, and you sit on a small terrace among the flowers. Around the corner, on the Ceintuurbaan, is Wijnbar Paulus, a fixture for more than ten years: a retro living room with eight to ten white and red wines by the glass, European only, with finds from Greece, Israel and Lebanon. On the Lutmastraat is Wijnbar Paskamer, linked to the Amsterdam Wine Academy; from four people you can book a tasting.
Around the Utrechtsestraat and the Frederiksplein
Bar Babar on the Utrechtsestraat feels like a small Parisian bistro: natural wines, candlelight and almost everything by the glass. The owners work with Amsterdam suppliers, from Mater's bread to the wines of Pieksman and Vleck. A few hundred metres away, on the Frederiksplein, Oocker mixes original wines with well-known favourites, plenty of them by the glass too.
The canals and the centre: big cellars
On the Prinsengracht, in the basement of Sinck, is a wine bar with around 400 wines, mostly French, for every budget; sommelier Sabas Joosten previously worked at De Librije. Weinlokal Stern on the Singel is as German as it gets: from Mosel Riesling to Spätburgunder from Baden, with schnitzel and spätzle. Bar du Champagne on the Rokin pours only Champagne, from a cellar of more than 450 labels, with oysters and seafood. On the Lijnbaansgracht, Wijnbar Shiraz has a broad list with plenty by the glass, even a 40-year-old tawny port. And on the Zeedijk, Vermeers Wijnkamer pours two wines with every bite: one under ten euros and one pricier.
Oud-West: neighbourhood bars with character
In Oud-West, Frenchman Paco runs Bar François on his own, from the kitchen to the wine list, with southern French dishes that change every week. On the Wilhelminastraat, Barrica combines Spanish and international wines with tapas, on one of the nicest terraces in the area.
Oost and Noord: wine bar and wine shop in one
Bottleshop on the Wibautstraat goes all in on natural wine, alongside sake, cider and Champagne. At Clos on the Beukenplein you can choose from plenty of affordable wines by the glass and a high wine of three to five courses. Cross the IJ and in Noord you will find Wijnbar Vindict: more than 50 wines by the glass and over 800 by the bottle, which you can also take home straight away.
Tip
Many of these wine bars are small and fill up quickly in the evening. Book if you can, or come early in the evening. You will also find all the addresses on the wine map and in the Amsterdam guide.
