Cafe Gollem Raamsteeg

Very good beer/brown bar with great selection of tap beers, wood panelling and just great atmosphere. It is in the side street,so its usually not swarmed with tourists, so you can enjoy your beer in peace!

Loved this place! Very warm and cosy, and the staff was super friendly. They offered a big selection of beers to choose from, and the prices were fair. Would definitely recommend.

It looked cosy and inviting on a cold November night. Loved it so much that it has been instantly added to our list of favourite pubs to visit on our annual trip to Amsterdam! Fantastic selection of beer, great vibes, good chat with the barman and excellent service. Some of the beer here is very strong...you may get lost on the way back to your hotel, then wonder how you got there when you wake up fully clothed the next morning!

Nestled off a busy street, a haven away from the rushing mob. Cracking beer, great atmosphere, it’s old and dark and warm and welcoming. Be there few or many in there it’s always feels like a place you want to stay. Pull up a stool, drink beer, eat cheese and chat nonsense……leave content. Go.

Café Gollem is a really nice cafe in Amsterdam. The bartender Jeroen is very friendly and always helping out everyone with a smile on his face. He makes us feel at home in this cafe. If you want to have a wonderful time in Amsterdam and have a good beer then this is the place to be!!

How do I describe this place. It's a pub and it's tiny and somehow they squeeze in 200 beers and a decent selection of alternatives for the non beer people including very good single malt and rum. We went here twice, on the first night and on the last. It is a very cozy place. We sat at the bar nearest the door on both occasions. The staff seem to know their stuff and could recommend something that would work for you. And because we love a bit of culture we got the chilli and paprika salami to much on. Also the cheese plate is very good. You can while away several hours like us in this place. Locals will come in and happily speak to you. I made a friend 'Alvin' which is unusual for me. Definitely worth a visit.

What a find ! Been visiting the Dam for 7 years and only this year found this gem . Fabulous selection of beers and ales. Barman was very welcoming, knowledge and a great all round fella. Added to our list for next year !

Very large choice of beers to pick from and the prices are quite alright. The place is chill and cozy and it's a great place to discover and taste something new.

This is a mostly beer bar and I'm not a beer drinker - but I absolutely loved this place all the same. It's small, full of friendly locals and serves up great drinks. The chalkboards along the walls tell you what's available for beer - expect great Dutch & Belgian classics. You can also get cocktails too. If we lived here, we'd be regulars no question.

Cool little brown bar. Great dive atmosphere. Great selections of craft beers. Good service. Hidden in a unique little alley.

Extensive tap and bottle list. Divey environment and a huge cheese plate to nibble on with your drinks. Came here from a recommendation from a friend and glad we did! It's off the beaten path (literally in an alley) and you will definitely be able to find a drink to your liking. They have a house beer made just for them on tap, as well as many other local NL beers. If those don't sound good then they have multiple blackboards full of bottles to choose from.

Incredible beer bar in Amsterdam. You would never know it is just down the street from the bustling traffic and tourist traps. They are in a narrow alley with bikes flying by, the space is small, and the lights are dim. It's the kind of place where a patron or two takes their beer to the sidewalk outside to get some air or have a cigarette with their beer, and the bartender will probably step out to join them. But you come for the beer, and they have a beer list that wraps around the room with dozens and dozens of options. Tons are local brews to the Netherlands or Belgium. I'm sure that even the most snobby beer lovers will find some they never heard of. Even better, they are organized by style. As a stout lover, I hate that so many craft breweries lean so heavily on IPAs (as of this writing, Other Half Brewing's DC taproom has 19 drafts, 14 of them are IPAs). Gollem has probably 15 stouts available, and that is a tiny fraction of the menu. Yes they have tons of IPAs too. We loved every second of being in this place and would put it close to the top of any list of must-visit Amsterdam bars.

It's not a service issue. It's a customer issue. Their wifi requires a ton of info to log on. Totally nuts! Your email and password. Phone number, full name, etc. I just wanted to have a few beers, not get full NAZI treatment. I walked out with a few others. Avoid! Better options are near

Had a great time with great beer. Cafe Gollem was recommended by the owner of Beer Mongers here in Portland, OR., it did not disappoint.

I have been coming here for a long time, figured I'd update the review. This place is a classic now, but still a good find. The place is really small and dark compared to the new locations. It could be updated to be in line with the new locations.

Good cozy spot with tons of beer options. If you decide to bring your beer outside be aware that the alley has a fairly considerable amount of bike traffic! Definitely recommended for beer fans, you won't come away disappointed.

Loved this tiny place. The name, location, beer selection and small size. Best part was drinking the last available bottle of Westvleteren Quad. Truly the best beer I've ever had (produced by monks and not commercially available). Best in class

So love this place. Cozy, friendly, amazing selection, fun, clean, perfect location. Go here - you won't be sorry!

I came here with my tour group after the Anne Frank House. It was recommended to us because apparently it's the first bar in Amsterdam? Or maybe it was my tour guides first bar here. At any rate our large group took over the table in the back. The bartender was superb. Always refilling our drinks- probably the best cider I've ever had! They let us stay as long as we want and it was a lovely afternoon talking for hours with my new friends. The vibe is fun- very medieval. It's casual ambience. Pretty quiet during the day. But there's a full bar and it's right in the middle of a lot of sight seeing destinations. I'd recommend it for a drink They only reason I didn't give it five stars is because I did not try the food there.

Excellent spot in Amsterdam. They have a big variety of beers to choose from lots of Netherlands beers and Belgians. Cool bar to look through too.

Fun, friendly bar that seems to be mostly filled with tourists. Some locals, I think due to the huge variety of beers offered. Friendly bartender.

Must be seen to be believed. The vast selection of bier and ales, the chill atmosphere and the relaxed vibe make this a top craft bier destination in A'dam.

Alright, Beer Fans, this is one not to be missed. The Gollem is a cozy beer nook tucked in a small ally, so you may have to do a little searching but it is so worth it. The specialize in Belgium beers but that doesn't mean that you can't find a precious Paulaner on tap. .. And while we are at it Lord of the Rings fans, the one beer to rule them all here and in the tastiness bind them is nearly impossible to choose from this bar's magical selection, but for today, I'd have to say that it is the Gollem's own IPA with fruity notes and subtle hoppy flavor that will make happy that you stumbled on this hobbitesque bar. Yup, this hobbit was quite happy with this pub, and perhaps the only thing missing was Gandalf, but I'm sure that he is hanging out at some coffee shop down the street blowing smoke rings.. But no matter, beer fans, for this place will soon have you thinking of it as your precious all day long..

I was looking for an intimate hole-in-the-wall, and found it here. More beers than bar seats, this place was great for meeting friendly folk, sampling Belgium beers, and gnoshing on a cheese sampler. I'll be back.

Holy cow! This tiny tiny tiny tight little bar has better beers on tap than most large beer stores have in their cases and shelves! Morte Subite on tap! 'Nuff said.

Good dive bar with amazing selection of beers ! Nice place to chill and try out beers

Lovely small beer bar (they have wine and I believe some spirits) with an outstanding selection on draft and an incredible bottle list. The tender was SUPER cool and knowledgeable about the latest good, local beers. Nice regulars popped in who were engaging to chat with.

This is the kind of bar I loooooove! Tons of beer? Check. Atmospheric (read, dark and cozy)? Check. A bar tender that knows his stuff? Check. I only got to come here once during my weekend in Amsterdam, but I can certainly see myself coming back in some future visit. It's the kind of place that only gets better with repeat visits. The space is relatively small, but with two or three people, it should be no trouble finding a spot. Do be prepared to share tables with others. There was a good mix of locals and tourists. It's hard to even put a dent in the number and variety of beers they have. Suffice to say, they'll have what you like here. I would order one beer, and before I even got it, I'd have spotted something else on the board that I wanted to have next. It's a dangerous place. We got seats in the upper section of the bar, that looks directly over the taps and the bar tender. It was a treat watching him work. He clearly knows his bar inside out, there was never any hesitation where each beer was (whether bottle or tap). This doesnt seem surprising, until you realize just how many beers this tiny bar carries. I can't even imaging how he fits cold bottles of every beer into the fridges, and somehow the one he wants is always in the front. Highly highly recommended.

This place is just around the corner from our hotel at NH City Center so we almost always end up here for a nightcap. Albeit small and can feel a little bit of claustrophobic, this place has tons of great beer (mostly on bottle though since they don't have many on tap). First I got the house IPA (Gollem IPA) which was very wonderful (trust me, I'm not an IPA fan) and later I got Russian Imperial Stout as recommendation from the bartender, that also tasted delicious. Bartender is friendly (and like any other establishment in Amsterdam, you get by fine with English) and you can pay by credit card (!! Very important for us from Scandinavia who are not used to carrying cash around !!) Do come to Gollem if you have time, and have the house IPA.

Great place for good beer. Pretty central and smaller than the one in De Pijp (but nicer ambience). Had qwak on tap and the nice Gollem IPA it had cheese and chorizo plates for beer snacks - would highly recommend. Didn't see board games (they have these in the ones in De Pijp) but the fact it's a little smaller and busier gave it a great buzz

Ooooh this place is tiny - but on a regular day in an afternoon you'll find a seat even if you might have to share the table with strangers. Cheers! Great selection of beers - both tap and bottles. Leave before the bladder is full because the toilets are cramped to get into - the ladies' loo upstairs is literally in a tiny closet. If you even can get to it behind all the chairs and tables and people.

Small space. Very nice bartender. Was able to sample a few beers prior to ordering. Great recommendations! We were able to snag a few seats by some miracle and had a very nice time. Bathrooms are an absolute pain to get to though! And they are meat lockers in the winter!!!

Stopped by this beer bar and had some of the best beer I've had in Amsterdam, beer is only seasonal unless they have it in bottle so don't go asking for a bock bier in summer time, they look at you strange then say it's not the season and then they will offer you the best beer you had in awhile, ok maybe not in that order but that's how it went down for me.

The bartender said it's the oldest craft beer bar in Amsterdam, and it was awesome! Inexpensive and the options were endless.

This is another great place you should visit in Amsterdam! 200 special beers in stock. Great old Amsterdam brown cafe with a Belgian touch. Great staff with excellent knowledge of what they sell and kind enough to really make good recommendations. It's really small though, so you should also consider going to their other cafe in De Pijp when full, because, man, they serve beer here! Daniel Stalpertstraat 74, Amsterdam, Trams 16, 24 and 25 and numerous buses pass nearby. From their website: In 1974 Café Gollem was the first café in Amsterdam which served Belgian and other foreign beers. Café Gollem is located at Raamsteeg 4 in Amsterdam between the Spuistraat and the Singel in a former century old liqueur distillery. It all began 30 years ago with a pioneering café owner (Gerard Nooter) who brought in some of the best Specialist Beers from Belgium with a rental car. These Special beers were such a hit that local beer distributors started importing these Ales themselves. In Michael Jackson's Beer Atlas from 1977, two unique Dutch café's were mentioned in the 'Netherlands' chapter: Jan Primus in Utrecht and café Gollem in Amsterdam. As of today, Rick Hermans (originally from Antwerp) is the owner of this world famous beer bodega. Many times others have tried to copy the formula of café Gollem but to no avail.

I had a LOT of pubs on my Amsterdam list, though this was the only one we made it to. They had about 12-16 beers on tap and - if their chalkboard is to be believed - about 100 more bottles to choose from. The bartender was super friendly and helpful if you wanted info about the beers. The atmosphere was cozy and laid back, and a pub cat was making the rounds, happily accepting pets from the patrons. It's small (an entire table of men had to stand up and more in order for me to get to the bathroom) but intimate and friendly. I noticed the majority of those who came in at 5pm on a Friday were Americans. We do love our craft beers :)

Great brewery lots of options to choose from. The bartender Cristian is friendly and very knowledgeable, makes you feel very welcomed. A good mix of locals and vacationers. They also have snacks you can purchase. A definite stop if you are in the area

Dear Yelp, I have a problem... of the drinking kind... You see... I love beer. Like.... LOVE beer... I would like to marinate my body in a vat of beer so that I can take sips of beer from my skin on a frequent basis. The thing is... I have another problem... I'm sort of a slut... a beer slut... I want white beers, wheat beers, brown beers, dirt beers, fruit beers, IPAs, double, triple, warm, cold, red, blue, unmarked from monks in Belgium. I want it all with NO STRINGS ATTACHED! What can I say, I'm a cheer-cheer-thank-you-beer kind of guy. With my... problems... I like to indulge in my hoppy sin in dark bars suspiciously located in random alleys where there exists a huge selection of known and unknown beers to fulfill my bubbly lustful desires.... So why do I bring this up in my review of Gollem??? BECAUSE IT'S THE WORST PLACE FOR MY PROBLEMS!! Thanks for listening Yelp... hiccup!

All of the other reviews have missed the major point about this place. They have Westvleteren! If you don't know what that is then you aren't a beer geek. If you are a beer geek then this should say it all this is the holy grail for most beer lovers. Supposedly this is the only bar in Amsterdam to get it. Besides the Westvleteren, this is a quality pub. Small and quaint with a knowledgeable barkeep they open early for a midday drink.

This is by far the best pub in all of Amsterdam... I spent unintentionally 3/3 days here. Order the sausage and cheese trays and make sure Bart is working he is fucking awesome.

This tiny hole in the wall features an incredible selection of beers, all served in a warm, unpretentious, and intimate setting. The menu literally spans the walls, and you're sure to discover something new to fall in love with. The location on the Overtoom is much better for groups: it has a lot more space but it features the same fantastic menu. In my opinion, this location is infinitely more charming, but it's best suited to a quiet catch-up with one or two friends.

5 starts for the beer selection alone! Besides that its a great pub right off Singel. Glad they finally reopened this location. I make a point of visiting on every visit

Cute, cozy, and the best selection of beers I have found in the city. Service was friendly. It opens late but the hours are not posted on the door, I don't think. Went here on two different days, and it was busy late (after midnight) on Saturday night but not too busy earlier in the evening on a Friday.

Friendly pub-cafe for beer nerds. While there are too many here to choose from, the bartender will gladly recommend something depending on your preferred style and taste profile. Atmosphere is chill and lowkey.

Great little bar with a very impressive selection of beers, especially being the little hole-in-the-wall that it is. It's a little dark and I was afraid I might break the tiny little chair I sat on upstairs but the bartender was friendly, the beers were good, and I enjoyed the intimate feel of the place. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the mood for a nice cold beer!

This is the type of place I'd want to be a local to. Its tiny and was full - but I enjoyed the charm it had. I had a great time sitting at the bar meeting other travelers. The bartender provided me with some great Dutch beers. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. This was my favorite stop in the 7 short hours I had here. I will go back again for sure!

The most comprehensive choice of beer I've ever seen ! Prices are affordable and the staff's advice is very valuable. So bad that the explanations about the different types of beer provided in the menu are in dutch only. I would have been very interested in reading them. Oh, by the way, the only drawback i can notice is the music that was being played when i was there : a Craig David's album... What a shame for such a good place !

Love this place! Great beer, outstanding music, and a laid back vibe all around...my kind of pub!

A tiny, sometimes crowded - a bar, small tables, and a few more tables on a balcony overlooking - dive with outstanding beer. Walls of beer (literally) and way too many to choose from. Emphasis here is on Belgians, so if you like 'em, check this place out. Worth the stop if you like your beer interesting

Randomly found this cozy beer bar! You can get a flight of 4 beers for 10 euros. Very knowledgeable bartender and great atmosphere.

The Dutch have a word for a place like this: gezellig. Some might find it claustrophobic. Nice selection of beers, the bartender is on point (once you figure out how to order- stand by the register to the left of the bar and draw his attention). The problem is finding a place to sit, as the place fits maybe 20 people. The restrooms are VERY small.

Friendly bartender, knowledgeable about local beers. Quiet place off the main streets of Amsterdam. Good selection of beers, including draft.

Small but cozy, with a great selection of beers. It's a place to go with friends to chat and get drunk.

very friendly staff - they let you taste when you don't know what to drink. The beer variety is huuuge. and they also have good Whiskys! I liked the chilly atmosphere.

This place is hard to find. The street is only about three buildings in length. But, it is oh so worth the find. They have over 200 beers, most in the bottle. When I was there only European beers, no US brews. Bar staff knows their stuff and give good recommendations.

Great little Amsterdam beer pub. 14 beers on tap and a massive selection of bottled beer. Friendly staff who are always available to give recommendations and samples. Probably only seats about 40 so get there early and enjoy the laid back atmosphere.

Stumbled across this place with a friend one night. Asked the bartender for his blonde recommendation, which did not disappoint! He was very friendly and knew the alcohol contents off the top of his head. Reasonable price for two large glasses and nice atmosphere inside and out. I don't drink often but would go again some time!