JD William's whisky bar

One of the best whiskey bars I've been to globally. The have a good selection of Japanese, scotch, Canadian, Irish and American whiskies (and Burgoyne bourbons), but better still- they have staff who take pride in their work! My friends and I took the tasting menu, Japanese, Irish and American (bourbon). In the tasting menu, you get 3 different types of whiskies and the option of a 4th. Our server took time to explain where our whisky came from, the key notes and undertones of flavours and how it's made. Of course you'll need to get some food to absorb all the alcohol you'll be drinking so we ordered some food which was really good too. The atmosphere is excellent, they have different types of seating based on your group size and mood. Overall 10/10, would highly recommend.

Great place for whiskey lovers! The have an excellent selection of whiskey cocktails, we tried the Dark n smoky and a sour cocktail (think it was called Amsterdam sour). Both of them were really great! You don’t need a reservation, it’s usually not too crowded. The bartender was really friendly and had a lot of knowledge of the cocktails and their whiskey.

After living in Amsterdam for one year, we discovered JS William's Whisky Bar and LOVE IT! First off, this is a real whisky bar and has an amazing selection of whisky. The staff is great. They are knowledgeable and friendly. Joao and Matt are great! Now what we did not expect was how good the food is here! WOW! The kitchen team really knows how to make great, tasty and unique dishes. We love the Korean/Japanese spin on the menu items. I highly recommend going there!

I arrived as they were closing down, but the bartender was kind to take me. I had a sore throat and needed a soothing hot tottie or whiskey. Since they didn't have hot drinks available before close, he selected a nice whiskey. Great service!

This place is amazing. Super food and service with the best selections of bourbon and whisky. The cocktails are well priced and extremely well made. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend!!

Shout out to the lovely Buena for making our visits so enjoyable. The vegan, gluten free food was absolutely delicious and the dirty chai martini was scrumptious.

10/10 group of 5. We got to the place and the kitchen was closed. They reopened it for us. Awesome flexibility on orders to share and helpful in suggesting us what to get. Each plate came in 5 portions for us to serve on our plates. Order of plates and dynamism to take away and put the new ones on the table was very satisfying. Good wine with very good price. The chef, despite us being late, was more than friendly and thanked us serveral times for our compliments on the deliciousness of the dishes. She, in 1 min, made a sauce from scratch when we asked for bbq sauce that they didn't have. And for dessert she brought each plate ready with each of portions of a frozen pie that we ordered to share. We finished with a toast of bourbon grateful that we ended up here.

Huge fan of this whisky bar. The menu is full of drinks that will become your favorites and the people working there are friendly and welcoming. The interior doesn’t feel crowded even when it starts to get busy and you can learn a bit about different regions of scotch by reading the huge map on their wall. Check out their food too, they even have a taco Tuesday that you don’t want to miss.

It's truly a whisky bar. They carry very little other spirits. They have a craft beverage menu, and all ofcthem are made with whisky. I did someone get a beer and a glass of white wine. While enjoying our drinks, we got some shareable snacking food. The meat dumplings are steamed. The chili sauce is great. Nice kick! The Asian Broccoli is really good, and it is not often that this is on a starte menu. It is really more a broccoli side dish, but it really enjoyed it and how carb friendly this app is. Service is okay. You have to go to the bar to order and pay for drinks if you sit out front in the terrace tables. Inside there is food and drink service at the table. A staff person does bring the food and drinks out. I enjoyed this locals style non tourist neighborhood whisky bar.

Exactly what we wanted at the perfect time. We'd just had a disappointingly banal canal tour and needed a pick-me up. J.D.'s was warm and inviting; a whisky lover's paradise with food to match. We ordered the chicken kaarage (BOMB) and the Japanese-aged beef nachos (WOW) along with two Rye Old Fashioneds. We followed that up with a Japanese whisky flight that blew my socks off. Service was quick and accommodating. Amsterdam isn't know for its whisky and I began to miss it during our stay...J.D.'s satisfied that craving and left a huge impression on us. Go here and spend all of your money!!!

I died and went to whiskey heaven . Great selection of whiskies from all over the world. Definitely a must for any whisky connoisseur!

Great whiskey bar to check out. Bartenders know what they are doing and has really good tacos! Check them out!

My friend and I were in Amsterdam for 5 days and got caught in the rain one evening while roaming around. This was one of the few places open in the area so we decided to give it a go. So glad we did. Let me start by saying, to say the least, I am not a whiskey drinker. But they had some many options that the first drink did such a good job at making me more open to drinking whiskey. Ended up have whiskey straight by the end of the night. Let me say, JD , the owner did a superb job! They were super short staffed. He tended bar and waited tables the entire night, and efficiently! He did have the help of one bus boy, which surely helps but he did most of the work. Also took his time chatting with us. He's from the US, San Fran, if I remember correctly. The food was quite good as well, probably some of the better dishes I had while in Amsterdam. I was hesitant at first because it's an Asian Fusion Whiskey bar? But it works. It really does. The dumplings we delicious!! The bibimbap was quite good, but I needed more proteins than the egg, I barely ate all day, and was walking for hours! They gladly added the steak for me. The fried chicken was pretty good and super flavorful. Also tried the ribs my friend ordered, yummmmm, and I don't even like ribs. All in all, should I find myself back in Amsterdam. I will surely come back.

Great service and a great ambiance. Drinks were spot-on and delicious. The owner was onsite; super easy going. Definitely a stop next time we're in town again.

Fantastic drinks and atmosphere to sit, relax and enjoy a special cocktail. Bartender is friendly.

Fun atmosphere and very interesting menu. All items we ordered were excellent. My husband loved the pork ribs. And then there is the whiskey

Amazing selection, everyone was friendly and loved to talk about whiskey (scotch was topic of the afternoon). My wife even enjoyed her whiskey cocktail while lounging in the comfy chairs. Rob says "You can never have too much whiskey on hand for Rob to sample! They had over 200 which may be more than Rob can sample - in one afternoon. " If you are ever in area, you MUST stop in for a sample.

Great bar, nice owner, awesome selection, good music. What more could you want? If you're looking for whiskey this is the place to go. Thur also have starters, entrees, and desserts although I didn't go for that. I did get some sweet potato fries and they were good. I think they do brunch on special occasions and hold other events, but only on certain days. Check the board behind the bar for that!

I found this bar in the rain period it was quiet and the food was amazing it's now my local every time I am in Amsterdam. Had an amazing two drinks. Pleasant music and I heard the food is good. But just here for drinks.

I had bookmarked this place for a "date night" with my husband because he loves whiskey, and this place did not disappoint! If you are a whiskey lover (or want to learn more), this is a great place. Their menu is a bit overwhelming because it is so extensive, but their staff is very well trained and I highly recommend that you ask them for a recommendation. If you do not drink alcohol (like me), there is a great selection of appetizers. All of them were very delicious! Of note, this is a bar so though they have a dinner service, the portion sizes are on the small side. Food: 3.5/5 We had the following: Bourbon Glazed Pork Ribs - these were tasty and finger licking good. Unfortunately Mystique is still the king of BBQ ribs. Ahi Poke - this was my first time having a poke, and no I have no idea how to pronounce it. This is a raw tuna salad served with a rice ball, and it was very delicious. The tuna tasted fresh, and the rice ball had been grilled so there was a nice crunch element. Sweet Potato Fries - tasty, the star was the wasabi mayonaise and I wish I could have taken a jar of it home. Service: 4/5 The staff know whiskey, so I would not hesitate to ask them all about it. I overheard one table who had never had whiskey before ask what the difference between bourbon and whiskey was, and the waiter launched into great detail about the history and characteristics of bourbon. Atmosphere: 5/5 This place is very hip, it feels like 1920s speakeasy to me. Combined with the backlit bar, it is a cool place to hang out. Value: 3/5 The drinks were reasonabily priced and there is something for every price range. The food was very refined and appropriately priced. I only wished there was an option to order a larger size (because I am always hungry).

Great whiskey, but the girl serving us was sassy on multiple different occasions. In the beginning she commented on a random girl possibly taking a drink outside (she wasn't, just looking for the Uber). Later I asked for a whiskey recommendation since I mainly drank bourbon and she asked with an attitude whether I knew bourbon was only brewed in the US (no sh*t Sherlock). Finally she gave my friend some sass too when he didn't know he was drinking an independent brewer. Oh she also said "you can't taste the whiskey by smelling it" when my friend was smelling some liquor before sampling it. The guy working with her was polite and patient. I don't think he knew everything about whiskey, but I'd rather speak with him than the girl.

I was fortunate to have gone here with a friend who knows his whiskeys quite well. The suggestions he made were top notch. The selection of whiskeys is outstanding. It's a great variety not too overwhelming though the menu listing all the whiskey is overwhelming if you don't know your whiskeys. With that in mind the staff is well trained and knowledgeable about the whiskeys and is always learning. That's a great sign. So you can ask them to suggest something. Bear in mind that drinking whiskey is very different than drinking wine or beer. Although you can have beer along with whiskey drinking the beer as you would water after the whiskey. I ordered several appetizers to get an idea of how well their food goes with drinking whiskey. I have to say the asian influenced flavors of the food went quite well with the whiskey complementing it nicely. I was impressed with how well. The entrees I saw looked great and from what I could see of those eating they were enjoying their food. I really didn't care for the spring rolls but maybe that was just me. They weren't the deep fried crispy kind. They were the soft wrapped ones. The service was good. The decor was hard surfaces and modernish looking but also warm. It also meant that the busier it got the louder it got. There were a couple of spaces that had couches along with low tables for a more relaxed feel. So you had a choice of sitting at a regular table with stools on one side and a long padded bench on the other side or you could sit at the bar on traditional bar stools or at either of the couches. The back bar is nicely lit in a red glow giving it an interesting look. Things went so well that I managed to drink four whiskeys over the course of the evening enjoying each one. I wasn't anywhere near drunk but that is a good sign that we were drinking high quality whiskeys. I should mention that a carafe of water is immediately served to drink along with the whiskey. It helps you to enjoy the whiskey more by clearing your palette and replenishing your system with water as the alcohol causes you to dehydrate. They're also dog friendly. They furnished my dog with a nice bowl of water.

I went to this bar yesterday for taco tuesdays. I was there to meet with a couple of other yelpers, and I had a great time. The food was amazing, I loved the falafel taco, and unfortunately that was the only one that I could have because of my diet but everyone else tasted all the tacos and they also said good things about them. The falafel taco was pretty special because the falafel was actually made of edamame. It was green goodness. The chef and owner is from Taiwan so he knows the value of a good edamame. Speaking of the owner, he was incredibly friendly and nice and he even told us about the bar and what name is about, he named it after the name of his father and his two kids and I just thought it was the sweetest thing ever. I only had 2 & half tacos and i was pretty stuffed, I have to say that I did want to eat more but I just couldn't (I had a snack at home before going there). Others had more which just proves how delicious they are and you just can't stop eating them. The service was super friendly and nice, the waiter gave suggestions and they were pretty good. We sat on the table right next to the kitchen which I thought was going to be too hot or whatever but it wasn't. It was pretty comfortable and cozy. And sitting next to the chef gave us an opportunity to talk to him and get to know more about the bar and the food. I had the Silly Sally drink (it's with gin and cherries) and it was so good that I ended up ordering another one and I only had those two drinks. I did however sip from peoples drinks (don't worry, they offered me) and they were all great (except for one that had Rosemary, It did not grow on me) and the whiskeys were so smooth. The JD Williams drink is actually pretty good and it's named after the bar. Overall it had a nice atmosphere, and after the sun went down they also dimmed the lights inside so it was very cozy, just great for having conversation and having drinks with your friends or meeting new people. The only reason I'm not giving this place five stars, is because if you're not a very skilled person in the balance category, it can be quite difficult to go upstairs to use the bathroom. And also the hand drying thing is quite loud and it's not protected by any kind of door or inside of a room, so you can hear it extremely loud from downstairs when you're trying to talk to people and that annoyed me a little bit. Other than that, I will be coming back and I would totally tell my friends about this place.

Very nice, relaxing and friendly place. Great whiskey selection but also great cocktails. Craft beer selection is good, a nice selection of local and American beers (bottles only). We had food and it was very nice. It's a small menu but I prefer it that way. I had the beef tacos and they were good. Beef was a little over seasoned but it tasted nice. I'd really recommend people to go and check this place out. The owner Dan is a great guy, super friendly and knowledgable about his whiskey. I'll be going back for sure.

We arrived there fairly early on a Saturday evening and thankfully, this brand spanking new whiskey hot spot had a quiet moment, which meant we managed to find two spots at the bar. Here we were able to meet the owner Dan who was able to make a couple of recommendations. With his recommendations, I managed to try three cocktails (I know, what a lush!), the JD William's old fashioned, an old fashioned and the Silly Sally (a gin cocktail!!!!!) and I have to say, I was very impressed! Dan let us know the bar was named after his two adorable kids (both boys) and his father and gave us a bit of background on why here and why now for a whiskey bar! Armed with all this knowledge, I managed to squeeze in an appetizer as well and I have to say, this impressed me even more! Bite sized deep fried tender and moist morsels of chicken, with a side of creamy mayonnaise! Whilst there, we heard of taco Tuesday, so I think it's safe to say that we'll be back!

I visited here last night with my coworkers. We had one mission: try new whisky and eat tacos. In my mind, that's basically the best kind of Tuesday night ever. The place is small with pretty comfortable seating. Not a lot of decor, not a thick ambiance, which can be charming in a way. It's real easy here. You've got two guys: a man who is behind the bar and one behind the kitchen. Kitchen guy, the owner (not sure if they both are owners), is friendly and chatted with us a bit. The bar guy knows his stuff. I asked for two recommendations and both were right on. There's a really nice selection of whisky here, and the menu gives you nice info on each region the whisky comes from, the tastes, etc. The tacos are bomb! The vegetarian taco is a falafel taco. I know, I know, that's not a taco...I know. But, what it is is tasty. And, that works for me. I like this place. It's easy. It's new. It's friendly. And, again, taco Tuesdays. Come on. We'll be back for sure!

Perfect Amsterdam experience! The leather couch in the window was the perfect seat for visiting over a great whiskey drink. The service was excellent and accommodating. I requested a hot toddy which was not on the menu and the bartender didn't miss a beat, was friendly and sweet. My drink was done well and the experience was picturesque. Highly recommend for a quaint experience.

This place is a gem. Amazing drinks and amazing food. We're from the states and we've been looking for an old fashioned for the past few days. We finally found one. Highly recommend this place

I can't review more than the Whisky selection, the decor and the service. The 5 stars says it all.

JD William's is a new whisky bar in the heart of the city. We went on opening night so of course it is not 100% complete yet. (thus the 4 instead of 5 stars) But with lots of nice whiskys and whisky cocktails plus beer on the menu, there is a lot to like. The food menu also holds lots of promise. Korean tacos, sweet potato fries and ahi tuna poke are exotic treats in Amsterdam. Friendly owners add that special touch! We look forward to making this bar one of our favorite neighborhood spots. See you there! :) For more details you can check out http://awesomeamsterdam.com/articles/492/jd-williams-whisky-bar

I had really high hopes for this place. I think we just hit it at the wrong time, unfortunately. My husband attempted to order one of the pre-fab flights off the menu, but 2 out of the 4 selections were "out of stock." He attempted to replace the two other samplers with other selections from their whiskey menu, but those were "out of stock", too. It's really a shame because there aren't many places with such a wide array of options for world-wide whiskeys.

Whiskey and Asian influenced small plates? Sure, it's not the weirdest thing you'll see in Amsterdam. All jokes aside, this place has fantastic chicken - probably the best I've had in Amsterdam - and a massive selection of whiskey, whisky, and bourbon. It's a nice vibe and the bartenders are cool. Be warned though, they do not serve any other alcohol but whisky, so if you are looking for a Truly, you are out of luck.

We stopped by for a drink in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday with our boys after our bike trip along the canals. We were there as we were waiting for our wives who were doing some window shopping. After we sat down on the outside tables, Daniel the owner, came and greeted us. He was very courteous and friendly, he took our drink orders, a local beer, and two single malts, one was Glenmorangie Original, and I forgot what my friend ordered but more smokey than the GO. Daniel served the whiskeys in these cool tumblers. He then recommended other brands based on our likes and the recommendations were spot on, my recommendation was Ben Nevis, which was very good. We didn't have time to order any food, but the menu looks very good, it has all kind of asian fusion food that I like.

One word to describe the people here - uninterested. They probably thought 'oh no, another guy who wants to drink some whisky' the moment I stepped in. I didn't feel welcomed at all, not even a casual hello. Only after I sat down in a corner sofa did I have to stare someone in the eye to have them ask me if I was ready to order. The interior is also bland and to the point to the extent that you're probably better off buying a bottle of whatever drink you fancy and enjoying it at home. At least, better music. The menu has something for everyone - beers, whiskeys, wines, and sodas. I went for a newer Indian whiskey by the name of Paul John. Really loved it! I didn't get a carafe of water, rather a pony glass of it that seemed to say to me - have this and leave as soon as you can. And leave I did, but after enjoying my fine Indian whiskey.

Don't pass this place by. Owner is friendly and will chat you up all night. 10 page whiskey and scotch menu! Amazing cocktails. And the food??? Fantastic. Had the potstickers and salmon poke. YUM! Friend had the FOB burrito and refused to share. ;). Loved it.

Nice, cozy bar with a great selection of whisk(e)y, and knowledgeable and friendly bartenders who were not at all judgmental of my newbie status, and happy to suggest something for me to try (as well as going along with my own, probably inadvisable, choices). Good atmosphere, one of those bars that isn't awkward to sit in even if there aren't many other people there (enough ambient noise) and comfortable seating. Nice music. Dinging one star because I was really excited for the sweet potato fries, which sadly turned out to be somewhat mediocre. So, great place to go for a quiet drink and a long conversation!

Ambience was great. Food was mediocre. The service was terrible. Ordered a flight and the selection was basically a sponsored selection meaning that whatever placards are on the wall are the ones you're going to get. Generally overpriced for the quality of whiskey/bourbon you're getting.

Ok... to make this short, this place is all about TACO TUESDAY! Maybe this can be called J.D. William's Terrific Tantilizing Taco Titties! (The titties is just because it's fun to say). I LOVE whiskey but the tacos are so god damn good that I could have done without the whiskey and just had a nice beer. I barely even remember the interior because I really spent all my gluttonous energy on the fresh corn tortilla wrapped taco heaven. The tacos are like food truck quality. Creative, flavorful, filling, cheap... I still have wet dreams about the karaage taco. So I guess I'll be here again on Tuesday fo' some mo'!!!!!

this place is great. excellent service, every whisk(e)y you could imagine and the tacos! Maria, the tacos!! such a fan we went two weeks in a row (this will be the second taco tuesday). and another great thing; the owner's a dj, so you can expect bangin funk and soul music while you sip + snack. go go go!

We were in Amsterdam only for two nights after a couple days in Dublin. Already not into the Dutch beer scene, the Navigator at our hotel recommended this place because we were looking for Irish whiskey. This place was exactly what we needed for a nightcap after running around town all day and really wanted to stay away from the pot scene. We found seating in the front window area where we could watch folks walking by. The owner helped us select two whiskeys that we really enjoyed, and he stuck around to chat. Highly recommend!

The best vibe this side of The Jordaan. Had an amazing Taco Tuesday. Great service, great conversation, and even greater lighting.

This place sealed the deal for us. Warm and cozy atmosphere with customer service to match. Drinks are Ultra creative and tasty. Ok, now let's move on to the food. This was not your typical bar food at all. This food was the bomb and we (6 of us) all loved it. You must look at the menu to do it justice. I would definitely go back again.

Pretty nice little bar and addition to Amsterdam! Happened to see this place as my GF and I were walking by the street on Friday night. Heard some good music spinning so decided to pop in. Service was great. Food was good. Hoping this place does good business and succeeds. We will definitely be back and try their taco tuesdays. Can't go wrong with tacos and whiskey!

Wow, what a find! Owner / Operator Dan has put together something very special. Not only does he have a great whiskey selection (Scottish, American and more), the food is fantastic. I had the brussel sprouts as a starter and the salmon poke as my main. Both were excellent, but the poke was on a whole different level...best I've ever had. The crispy rice ball on the side with the wasabi purée truly made the dish next level. I'll be back again and again, great find in my new home.

Such a cute little whiskey bar! Came to Amsterdam for vacation and stumbled across this gem on our way home from dinner. The drinks were all very delicious. The owner was very kind and welcoming. One of our friends with us is definitely not a whiskey drinker and he was recommend drinks for her to enjoy as well, even with whiskey in them! He was very informative of the drinks and gave us recommendations. He also gladly answered all of our questions about the city as well as giving us tips for our next destination. This is a wonderful place to go and I will definitely be back if I return to Amsterdam.

Great whiskey selection and they make a solid Manhattan. I just knocked off a star because they couldn't make me a whiskey sour with an egg white supposedly for health regulation reasons (though I've had cocktails with egg whites before at, say, Bar Mystique). But if you aren't egg white-obsessed like I am, there's no reason not to love this place.

We were curious how the place turned out after the renovation. As my best friend used to work at this place when it was still a restaurant, we knew the mess it used to be. Boy, were we pleasantly surprised!! The venue went from seedy and dirty to classy and upscale! You can really notice that you are sitting in someone's dream, the amount of effort that went into the renovation alone is epic. (it may not look all that interesting to you, but as I mentioned, we know what it looked like before...) The owner (Dan) greeted us with a big smile (which is rare in Amsterdam, sadly) and asked if we'd like to eat or drink, Drink my good sir, at the bar please. No problem. Now, I consider my self a "non-hater of whiskey" but by far a connoisseur or enthusiast. I know my way around a cocktail and a single malt. I have tried almost every Old Fashioned on every menu that I have stumbled upon in my city and along my travels. Dan knows how to make one! And you can tell he takes pride in making his drinks. He takes his time and measures it all just right. From the homemade syrups to the shake and strain, he knows what you need! The cocktails vary in price from €12.50 to €15.00. Some may say that is a bit steep for a drink, but if you want quality you'll be prepared to cough up the dough. If not, guess you don't want quality... They obviously have a wicked collection of whiskeys, more than one for every day of the year, that's for sure. I can't wait to go back on a slow and rainy Sunday t chill in one of the Chesterfield (style) sofa's near the window and sip on an Old Fashioned, all classy like... I can't give you any information about the food they serve, as we didn't have any. But I will definitely return to this place again, and have some food. (I didn't even check the menu, hence the 4* sorry guys)

We're traveling from the Bay Area & this is the first bar we went to! It's conveniently located near so many shops. They carry a variety of great whiskey selections! I had my first whiskey mojito - so delicious!

Awesome bar & excellent drinks! If you're a whiskey fan and like to hang out in stylish, fancy places with cool peeps, this is the place! Tell everyone & come on by!!

I'm a big fan of this place. We made reservations for my husband's birthday and everything from the start was great. I got a quick and friendly response regarding the reservations, we were greeted warmly and we LOVED our drinks. We ate dinner there as well and the food was dangerously delicious. We will definitely return! Have I mentioned how good the drinks are? Yummmmmmm.

Visiting Anne Frank house & lululemon, came upon this great place. We tried all the different tacos & they were very delicious. Even though I'm not a whiskey girl, the wine was nice & smooth, they have a good selection of beers & specialty cocktails. We loved the ambience, warm & welcoming. The whiskey selection is so extensive. We had just come from 16 days in Scotland and every distillery we saw was represented, even the small, boutique ones. Service was excellent too.

What a great find. Nestled in the heart of Amsterdam this bar has great Asian Fusion and a wall of whiskeys. The staff is incredibly attentive and very friendly. A must see for your visit!

Nice decor, loads of whiskeys (whiskies?) and a few non-whiskey drinks for the rest of us. Bartenders were attentive. I wish they had given us a few nuts or something else to snack on but that's probably more because I was a little tipsy than that they are actually needed.

One of the best bars in Amsterdam. Other side of town to all the tourists but only a 10 minute walk from most hotels. There is some seriously outstanding bar food (light snacks rather than big meals I would say), fantastic selection of whisky and other drinks, extremely nice looking bar and great music. If you want a place to relax and catch up with friends in a fantastic setting, this is the place.

World class bar. Daniel knows his stuff. Ask him to create a flight for you. It'll be worth your while!

JDW is "the" place for the best whisky's and finest Asian food in town. The food is completely different than in other places in Amsterdam. The ingredients are all fresh from the market. It tastes very good in combination with whisky and the service is awesome. The owners are very passionate and friendly. The chosen concept and furniture gives an atmosphere of being at home/chilling in your lounge. Conslusion: JD Williams is a perfect place to hang out with friends or having a laid back business meeting.