This next evening activity (which can also be practiced during the day) is a major occupation in Amsterdam—and a cheap and pleasant one, too. No sidewalk cafe will ever require that you take more than a single cup of coffee, over which you’re then permitted to linger the entire evening as you watch the passing parade in Amsterdam’s two major entertainment squares: the Rembrandtsplein and the Leidseplein.
Of the two, the Rembrandtsplein possesses a bit more activity, and here the cafes, with their sidewalk table areas, are lined almost solidly along two sides of the square. On the Leidseplein, the major outdoor cafes are those operated by the American Hotel and the Cafe Moderne, but the three most exciting ones are the Hoopman Bodega, the Cafe Reynders, and the Cafe Eylders, all three on the Korte Leidsedwarsstraat, just off the Leidseplein, alongside (but across another small square from) the Opera. Of these, the Cafe Reynders is the outstanding student cafe of Amsterdam, heavily patronized by Amsterdam’s version of the beatnik, along with their surprisingly pretty, pony-tailed companions.
Obviously, there’s no minimum, no cover charge, for which you can sit and meet people all evening. The Cafe Eylders is a slightly more polished version of the Reynders, and the Hoopman Bodega is a somewhat more elegant bar, patronized by some fairly elegant older people. During the winter, all three establishments continue full blast, but without the sidewalk tables.
Related Link: Amsterdam Travel Guide
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