Photos: GoldenArtists, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Massimo Catarinella, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 David Evers from Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: GoldenArtists, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Massimo Catarinella, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 David Evers from Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Brown cafés and jenever in the old centre
Your local guide
Fleur Visser
View profile
Highlights
- A brown café dating back to the 1600s
- Jenever poured to the brim, the old way
- Old and young jenever, explained side by side
- Bitterballen and ossenworst as bar snacks, shown up close
- Sailors' stories along the Zeedijk
About this tour
This session moves through Amsterdam's brown café culture and jenever tradition, starting in a café dating back to the 1600s before reaching a jenever tasting house and finishing on the Zeedijk. The guide explains what makes a café brown, the difference between old and young jenever, and the sailors' history behind this stretch of street. It focuses on drinking customs and history rather than the drinks themselves.
The call opens with a sound check, then follows the three stops in order, with the guide pausing at each bar to explain a custom or a detail on the wall. Questions come in as the walk goes, and a short list of names and addresses follows afterwards.
This suits anyone curious about Amsterdam's older pub culture, whether planning an evening out or just enjoying one from a distance. It also suits anyone who has heard of jenever but never seen how it is served.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Amsterdam before heading out.
-
A brown café from the 1600s 21 min
Inside one of the oldest brown cafés in the city, dating back to the 1600s, the guide points out the dark wood panelling and worn floor that give this kind of pub its name.
-
Jenever tasting house 21 min
At a jenever tasting house, the camera shows the tulip-shaped glasses filled to the brim at the bar, and the guide explains the old custom of sipping the first mouthful without using your hands, along with the difference between old and young jenever.
-
The Zeedijk 21 min
Walking the Zeedijk, the guide tells stories of the sailors who once filled this street and points out where the old bars have survived alongside the newer ones.
-
Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Amsterdam: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Stroopwafel and Amsterdam-Noord, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Amsterdam time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Amsterdam, showing you Canal Ring (Grachtengordel) and Vondelpark live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Is this suitable if I do not drink?
Yes. Say so when you book and the guide will focus on the atmosphere and venues rather than the drinks list.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Amsterdam live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Amsterdam time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Thu 29 Oct · 10 seats left From 29,00 €
Book