EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Café Vertigo , Vondelpark 3. Attached to the Film Museum, a wonderful place to while away a sunny afternoon (or take refuge from the rain) with a spacious interior and a large terrace overlooking the park.

Last Waterhole , Oudezijds Armsteeg 12. Red-light district refuge, with a lively, warm atmosphere and a fun-loving house band playing until dawn.

De Drie Fleschjes , Gravenstraat 18, near Dam Square. Tasting house for spirits and liqueurs. No beer, and no seats either. Closes 8pm.

Durty Nelly's , Warmoesstraat 117. Irish pub in the heart of the red-light action, packed if there's weekend football.

De Engelbewaarder , Kloveniersburgwal 59. Once a meeting place of Amsterdam's bookish types, with live jazz on Sunday afternoons.

Flying Dutchman , Martelaarsgracht 13, near Centraal Station. Principal watering hole of British expats, and not a word of Dutch to be heard.

't IJ , Funenkade 7. Situated in the base of a windmill to the east of the centre, with exceptionally strong home-brewed beers. Wed-Sun 3-8pm.

De Jaren , Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20-22, near Muntplein. Grand café overlooking the river - one of the best places to nurse the Sunday paper.

Koophandel , Bloemgracht 49, Jordaan. Empty before midnight, this is the early-hours bar you dreamt about, in an old warehouse on one of Amsterdam's most picturesque canals. Open until at least 3am.

Lokaal 't Loosje , Nieuwmarkt 32. Quiet old-style "brown café" that's been here for 200 years and looks its age.

Mulligans , Amstel 100, near Rembrandtplein. Best Irish pub in the city, with superb traditional music.

O'Donnells , Ferdinand Bolstraat 5. The best Guinness in town, just behind the Heineken Brewery.

Sound Garden , Marnixstraat 164, Jordaan. Grunge bar, packed with people and noise, with a canalside terrace to retreat to.

Tara , Rokin 89. Excellent Irish bar with regular live music.

De Tuin , 2e Tuindwarsstraat 13. The Jordaan has some marvellously unpretentious bars, and this is one of the best. Agreeably unkempt.

De Twee Zwaantjes , Prinsengracht 114. Tiny oddball Jordaan bar where locals sing along raucously to accordian music - you'll either love it or hate it.