Proeflokaal Arendsnest

A great place to enjoy craft beer! The bartender was very friendly, professional and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the music (classic rock), atmosphere and conversation. And with 52 Dutch beers on tap, what could be better? 😋

If you’re aiming to have fun, enjoy the good beers and have a joyful tour ending with a free T-shirt, Arendsnest is the first pub that you should visit!! Then you should follow the other sister pubs in order! When you reach number 4 you’ll enjoy your beer and get the T-shirt! Why not? Just for fun and having a good memory 🍻

From the moment you step inside, you can feel the amazing ambiance. The wide selection of high-quality beers can be perfectly paired with delicious appetizers. Prices are quite reasonable for Amsterdam. The bartenders are polite, friendly, and always helpful. I’m sure I’ll be coming back on every visit and I’ve already started recommending this place to my friends.

Astonishing selection of great beers, accompanied by cheese and other cold snacks. Super knowledgeable and helpful staff. Beautiful place.

Phenomenal craft beer spot in historic Amsterdam specialized in Dutch offerings. Nicely curated selection, offering around 50 draft beer rotating options. They cover a great gamut of styles, contemporary and classic pours, with special releases in a nicely maintained set up. They also have some selected bottles and cans, and a few designated offerings that can be taken to go. Snack food in the form of charcuterie and cheese boards offer plenty of Netherlands options. Portions are generous and tasty. The venue´s decor has a classic copper and wood feel with some breweriana. Atmosphere is casual and relaxed with indoor and outdoor seating by the canal. Staff is very professional, knowledgeable, and affable. They offer courteous sample pours to explore some options, and do know the craft and hospitality business very well. I saw bartenders being exemplary, courteous, and very professional managing with dexterity and elegance the rare potentially difficult patron. The pub is part of a group that has other venues associated around town with a more international range of ales. The specialization of this one into the Dutch craft beer scene is very notable, offering a very enjoyable insight into their brews. It's a compulsory stop for the Amsterdam visit.

As beer lovers, this is a must visit in Amsterdam!!! Lovely staff, incredible beer lineup, and they even have cheese plates if you're hungry.

One of the best pubs I’ve been to in Amsterdam. The tap list is great and the food options are also very nice. Prices are regular. The staff is very friendly and helpful. This is also the first stop of the MoreBeer beer tour of Amsterdam. Definitely worth a shot!

Wonderful selection of Dutch beers and amazing cheese platter for snacking. If you have time there is 3 additional bars that collaborate in a one day challenge of tasting a beer all 4 bars for a free shirt. It was a fun way to try the local bars and take back a souvenir from our trip.

This place really is all that. Their beer selection is out of this world and it's virtually all small Amsterdam craft breweries. The two fellows working the bar were very nice and happy to give a small taste first and answer questions. I wish there was a place like this back home.

The atmosphere is great. Old world bar with wood and copper! It looks great! The service is amazing, and I appreciate it! The beer selection is crazy great. I can't drink them all, but I'll try. I was told to come here from a friend in Denver! Great choice!

Of the many watering holes in Amsterdam, P Arendsnest has been one of my favorites for 20+ years. Departing from the typical Heineken or Amstel bar, Arendsnest offers up dozens of local brews and genevers in a friendly, welcoming & warm atmosphere. If you're stuck on getting a Heineken, they still can fix you up...but why not try a similar alternative?

If beer has its own heaven - then PA is it! Just the coolest place. The dark wood ambiance and the dim Edison lighting make for a truly Amsterdam experience. Oh, and taking your libation outside to a canal-side bistro table takes the experience up a notch. What makes PA most appealing in my opinion is the absolute coolness factor of the bar tenders. They seem to have come off a European Netflicks special.

It was very busy on this trip to Arensnest, I am not sure if that was part of the service issues. As my favorite pub stop in Amsterdam, this place is always on my schedule. The service was spotty however, one younger gentleman behind the bar was very helpful and kind, the other gentleman that was curt and impatient with our table of six. The third lady never even checked on our table. I had to wait at the bar for long periods of time to order and even to return a beer that was quite terrible. Not my favorite visit this time around.

Update four long years after my original review: The tap list is still amazing. The bartenders will give good recommendations if you need them. The food is fine. Don't come here for it, but if you need a snack it'll be tasty. They have also added a nice jenever list. My previous complaint was that non-beer drinkers were left with nothing to drink, so this is a nice change. But honestly if you can't find a beer you want off of this list then you aren't giving it an honest try.

We had such a fun time at this place! It was not crowded at all inside and the beers on tap are absolutely wonderful it their taste and variety I had an Amber La Trappe Isid'Or first and then couldn't get myself from other more than one of their Smoked Chilli Stout, not a thick beer as you could assume by its deep chocolate colour with a wonderfully spicy aftertaste if that's tour thing. The staff are friendly and the ambiance very much like that of a brown pub as described in one of the previous reviews. As noted by others, their menu seems to have expanded and now includes other type of drinks which I'm personally not interested in at all seeing that wonderful selection of beers but hey! There's something for your if your not a beer lover! We also had the platters of charcuterie and cheeses which were a yummy accompaniment for our beers! Cheers to Dutch beers and to authentic places like https://www.arendsnest.nl/en/enjoy-beer-from-dutch-brewers/

(lit. Eagle's Nest tasting room) Brown cafes are an institution in Amsterdam. While some brown cafes actually do serve coffee, in most cases they are simply a bar that serves light refreshments. The color refers to the stained walls as a result of cigarette smoke back when smoking inside was legal. Proeflokaal Arendsnest is a brown cafe located on the edge of the Jordaan district. The bar is distinctive for serving *only* Dutch beer, with 50 beers on tap at any given moment and 100 beers on the bottle. This is good considering most bars not producing their own beer serve brews from their more popular southern neighbor. Their website publishes what's on tap at the moment: http://www.arendsnest.nl/on-tap/on-draft/. There are also beer tastings Mondays at 6pm, Friday at 4pm and Saturday at 2pm. Indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor seating overlooks the canal. Indoor seating has a central bar area with several small high tables. Details are a little fuzzy with what I had exactly but I think I had a Gerardus Dubbel. I remember that all the beers I had resembled Belgian beer styles, and this one in particular was a Belgian double. This beer was quite smooth and although not as mind-blowing as Rochefort or Westvleteren, it was an enjoyable sipping beer. Additionally I had a small cheese platter with a sour onion. Cheese was on the nutty side, which went well with my beer. I'd go back here should I ever find myself in Amsterdam.

What a fun place. My friend biked me all around the city showing me everything and insisted we stop by for their special drink. We joked it was like "jet fuel" only because we had to take tiny tiny sips of the very strong liquor we were drinking. Everyone was having a great time and we sat at the cutest table outside overlooking the canals. Great place!!

Very friendly bar tenders. Nice beer collection and great Cheese samplers. Can't ask for more after 10 hours at IBC 2022 and a canal side drink over.

Fun place to go grab reasonably priced locally brewed options. Seating area in basement and also outside if things get crowded. However, the fun is being close to the bar. There are also cold food options (sausages, cheese, chips, etc) if you are hankering for something to accompany your lager.

Excellent service and atmosphere. I highly recommend the food and friendly waiting staff

Fun authentic place, with a great selection of local beers on tap and lovely crowds. Right on a picturesque canal, it's a great place to stop by during your Amsterdam adventure.

Okay, so the Dutch might not be known for their cuisine, but they've got some pretty damn good beers. I read about this spot online and how they only (well mostly) offer Dutch beers. I was excited to try something form the local breweries, all in one spot. That's exactly what I did. They've got a great list of things in draft, and bottles as well from the local breweries and those around the Netherlands. The barkeep was really nice, though she seemed bored by the absence of tourists. Thanks COVID. She was really nice and knew a lot about the beers. If you're looking to try some Dutch brews. There's no other place.

Easily a 5 star beer bar if you have a chance to visit Amsterdam. There are 52 beers on tap, so one of them must be to your liking, unless you're a true beer snob. Well, there are one saison and one witbier on the tap list, so that's good enough to make me happy!

Beer. Beer. Beer. Just ask and try everything they give you. Probably a good idea to max out at 4 beers though as you will be drunk. Very small!! Be prepared to wait. But it's worth it. I travel solo a lot so I was able to belly up to the bar no problem. I tasted 4 beers all selected at random by the man behind the bar. Korenwolf - light and crisp. Not much robust flavor or anything that screams unique. Would be great on a hot day though! Lambiek - sour and bitter as hell! But it really grows on you. With each sip I was starting to like it more and more. Has great citrus undernotes. Second Secret Eagle - extremely light and refreshing. I actually had two of these it was so good.

Enjoyed a lovely afternoon sitting by the canal and having a few pints with friends. The beer menu is vast and has something for everyone, no matter what kind of beer you like. There are plenty of tables to sit outside and enjoy the quiet neighborhood. The staff was very friendly and helpful when it came to choosing a good beer to try. I very much enjoyed this place and will come back next time I'm here!

Lots of beer on tap! Opens at noon. You can choose to drink inside or outside as you watch the canal. Free WiFi. Yes, they take card.

Arendsnest is living proof that there is so much more to Dutch beers than just Heineken. Tucked away on a small section of the Herengracht, Proeflokaal Arendsnest or the Arendsnest Tasting Room boasts over 50 local beers on tap ranging from dark stouts to American style IPAs, and my personal favorite - La Trappe Isid 'or. (Side Note: This beer is amazing. Beautiful amber colour, floral and fruity at the front, with this beautiful malty butterscotch aftertaste. I almost considered moving to the Koningshoeven Abbey. What a beautiful way to grow old!) The atmosphere at Arendsnest is quiet, old-fashioned and cozy. I think this is what the word gezellig means. The patrons are a beautiful mix between international tourists and older locals. If your visit is anything like my visit to Arendsnest, expect a very friendly and lively atmosphere. If you are lucky (like we were) you might also come across a drunk expat drunkenly explaining her newfound opinions about Dutch men. If this is the case, you may - like us - discover that in addition to a beautiful array of beers on draft and bottled, Arendsnest also hosts a wide selection of much stronger liquors - Dutch whiskies, Dutch gins (jenevers), etc), and of course a beautifully curated bar snacks menu. We had a selection of Gouda cheese and some aged Jenever to go with this rant. All in all, Arendsnest is a beautiful bar for those of you looking for a nice taster of more traditional and new Dutch drinks and bar foods. Great for a slow afternoon with a book, or a lively evening meeting strangers.

This place is amazing!! We were craving a beer, so we wandered into this place's sister bar, which has mostly American craft beer. We don't want American craft beer in Amsterdam! The bartender pointed us in the direction of Proeflokaal Arendsnest and we were supremely happy for the suggestion. The place was almost totally packed with locals, tourists, and American businessmen. We sat at a cozy little table and the bartender came over to us within a few minutes. All of the beers on tap are written on a chalkboard on the wall, so we had tried to decide what we wanted by looking at that. The bartender helped us figure out what beer would cater most to our specific tastes. He did a great job of choosing amazing beers for us. We both had two different beers and we enjoyed all of them.

Almost a 5. Still, a fantastic place with the best selection of beer from the Netherlands. Nobody has more beers on tap from the Netherlands. It's small, but rarely overly crowded. If you are relaxing and with a few friends, there is a great round table by the front window to relax. It's located in a nice location for stopping off at after you've had a nice dinner in the Jordaan. This place deserves all the accolades. However, there's one place I like better, so just 4 stars.

We were walking the streets of Amsterdam at night, enjoying the beautiful views and weather and decided to head into this pub to get a bite to eat while we had some beer and socialized with our friends. The place had a really cool atmosphere and the service was good, very attentive and helpful. They spoke English as well so that was a plus for us since Dutch isn't in our forte. I enjoyed the spot, typical sports pub, with native pub food and beer.

Okay, while not technically a craft beer bar (since craft beer is really only an American term), it certainly feels like one - a huge range of beers on tap, tapas on order, and a menu covering all of the beers available. Sure, you can came here for a normal pils, or something else, but that is like going to a coffeeshop for a cup of coffee - you can have a cup of coffee (or pils) anywhere - this is a beer bar. As I mentioned, the range of beers is huge, from pils (though why would you come here for a pils?) to IPAs to Trappist Beers. It may look as if there isn't much room inside, but they do have more room down in the basement. While it may not technically be a craft beer bar it certainly looks, and feels, like one.

Arendsnest is an ultra cozy brewery that I will keep coming back to everytime in Amsterdam

A great cozy bar with a huge drink selection. Right in city center, very close to dam square. Prices are very reasonable here. The servers will explain what the beers are like if you ask. Card is accepted here. Space is small is be prepared for that

It was so difficult to find a beer bar in Amsterdam, I'm so glad I found this place. Oh and some locals alps recommend it after we told them we liked beer. The place is tiny inside, well I guess that's a norm here in Amsterdam. Yet, they do have a basement and some outside (across the street) sitting. We arrived at around 16 to the hour and when we asked for a cheese plate they told us it was rush hour and they couldn't help us... The table next to us felt bad and as they where leaving they give us what they had left of their cheese plate. Lol weird yes but also super nice of them! Usually after an experience like that I would have given this place a 2 star review but their beer selection was so huge, the place is cute, and I was totally in love with the views.

I. Love. This. Bar. We live in Denver, the land of craft beer, and wanted some Dutch brews. We sat at the bar and told the bartender what we usually like. He served us each something different from their extensive draft selection. Each was better than the next, and precisely the flavors each of us was looking for. What a rad spot. We'll definitely be coming back the next time we're in town! Bonus: it's on a picturesque canal and super cozy inside.

Great beer bar! They have a huge selection of beers--at least 40. There is a huge variety of beers. I had a spicy blonde and I sampled a Flemish beer that was amazing! The place is super small and is on a beer tour route so it gets packed. Definitely a good stop!

If you're fan of Dutch beer, go to this place instead. When you enter this small bar, it might look like it's a fancy cocktail bar instead, with the bartender dress in uniforms and all, but don't let that fool you, this bar has a great tap list of Dutch beer, and an extensive bottle list as well. They have so many taps I can't remember how many there are, and also a list of De Molen bottle list on the entrance. Bar does get a bit crowded in popular hours though, so make sure you come here early, as visitors - tourists and locals alike - like to hang out at this bar, on which I could totally understand.

I can see why this place comes highly recommended. The menu boasts a variety of Dutch beers and they offer charcuterie, cheeses and other various snacks, at a very fair price. The staff is friendly and super helpful. When my boyfriend and I sat down at the end of the bar, the light was glaring on the chalkboard menu, making it hard for me to see the selection, but the bartender was nice enough to turn the lights down (without me requesting so), so that I could see the menu. The beers were all delicious, as well as the food, in which we got in generous portions. All-in-all, this is a great place, especially for beer enthusiasts. We will definitely be visiting here again!

Arendsnest is probably my favorite beer bar I visited while I was in Amsterdam. It just feels so much cleaner than the others (notably it doesn't smell like stale beer and yack) and the selection is top notch. They carry Belgian beers and many other craft Dutch beers. Do ask for a taster before you invest in one because there were a few that tasted pretty nasty (FAIL for butcher's tears). 4 stars.

A lovely beer bar on a canal side. Enjoyable terrace outside, great bar on the inside. Massive range of great local and international craft beers. Knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Very loud local pub that was famous back in the day. The service, NONE of you are sitting along the wall in the stools.

Arendsnest has 100 great beers, a patio, and is part of a bar crawl; what else do you need?! While everything tasted great and the indoor bartenders were amazing, I wish the staff that was helping outside was more knowledgeable and services orientated. -1 star.

Awesome spot for Dutch beers. Even though a lot of the beers are modeled after ipas or Belgian styles. All the breweries are Dutch. The service is excellent. The staff super fun and lively. They also have Genevieve if you wanted to dip your toe into that water. I was here like 12 years ago and the place looks the exact same and is more fun than it was 12 years ago. There are some locals to go here mixed in with tourists. It's a nice blend.

Amazing selection of beers. Curated is a good word to describe what they do. But sounds awfully pretentious - its a bar for chrissake! This bar is rated as one of the best belgian/dutch beer bars in AMS. Its hard to argue with that honestly. But the notiriety drives some popularity. Many beer lovers, some beer snobs, and more than a few tourists who come here looking to say - "just give me the best beer Ive ever had." Small snack menus of sausages, cheeses, that go really well with the beers. Definitely a great spot. And fancy enough to be a place to take a business partner.

When one thinks of Amsterdam, beer might not be first and foremost in mind. Yet, as one of the world's most fun cities, beer has to be a part of that somehow, right? Enter t'Arendsnest. There are other beer bars in the city, but this one is quintessentially Dutch. In fact, this bar serves nothing but Dutch beer. No, not "Dam Good Bier," real beer from tiny breweries. I have nothing against Heineken per se, but know that that is not what you are here for. The selection from the De Molen brewery alone, a brewery beloved by American beer geeks, was enough to bring a tear to my eye. I wanted to try some beers from Dutch brewers I'd never heard of, but I just couldn't. We get some De Molen in the US, but not all this, all the time. I started out with a Bed & Breakfast, a light spiced beer, and quickly moved to a Zus & Zo, a saison I had to try. I forget what else I had - I would have had more, but since it was so crowded inside with no open seating, we were sitting out by the canal. Which would normally be quite pleasant, but there was a cold wind a'blowing, too cold for my Floridian blood to sit outside drinking in a tshirt and light jacket. Before you call me a weenie, I should also note that no locals were sitting outside, either. Shame there wasn't any seating inside, as I would have preferred to drink among the locals, who were clearly having a great time inside the nice warm bar. I wish I could teleport myself here every once in a while. This is Dutch-style beer-drinking even better than I envisioned.

Loved this little bar that felt super local. It was clean and had plenty of beer selections to choose from. Our bartender was wonderful and helped us choose the perfect Jenever to go with the beer choices. They even had a few board games to play with friends. Perfect spot to hang out and rest your feet

A friend of mine told me that if I'm in Amsterdam that other than Van Gogh and Anne Frank, that this is the only other thing that I absolutely have to do. That's a pretty big endorsement, so I bookmarked it and made sure that it was a stop on my wandering tour of the city. Wow, he was right. What a beer menu! So many choices from witbiers to stouts to lagers to ales and even ciders. At least 20 choices on tap and I couldn't even begin to guess at how many varieties they have in bottles behind the bar. Good service and while I was a little concerned about my total lack of any language other than English, that worry was misplaced. The bartenders are used to the tourist crowd and they know their beers. I only stuck around for two excellent brews and watched the room ebb and flow for a bit before heading on. Quite lively but only in a bunch-of-friends-having-a-drink sort of way. A really nice place, I'm very glad I made it here. If you're a beer drinker in AMS, then make a point to get here. It's excellent stuff!

Great selection of Dutch beers! So if you're looking to try some Dutch beers, this is the place to go. The selection is huge too. Workers are nice and the ambiance is low-key and casual. They also have some bar food to go with your beer, which I appreciate but did not get to try. The bar itself is on the smaller side, so it might be hard to find a seat on a busy night. Highly recommend if you're a tourist or a beer love, or both!

Some Amsterdam locals told me and my friend about 't Arendsnest after warning us away from doing the Heineken Experience - something about there actually not being a Heineken brewery in Amsterdam. We were told this bar was a good place to truly taste what Dutch beer was all about, and I'd have to say that kind of sells this place short. Not only did we sample some great Dutch beers, it's also a good place to sample that other Dutch alcoholic specialty - jenevers. My friend and I were having a conversation about Geneva (Switzerland) when a local overheard us and though we were talking about jenever (alcohol) and proceeded to strike up a conversation on the wrong topic. Hilarity ensued where neither one of us knew what the other was talking about, before we finally sorted out the confusion and learned a little about Dutch jenevers as well as beers. First lesson - it's pronounced juh-NEE-ver (like a Brit saying Geneva), not JEN-uh-ver. While my friend and I were trying the fruity jenevers at restaurants, we learned the error of our ways here when we sampled some of the higher-quality stuff. Some jenevers offered here went down as smooth as a well-aged scotch. This place closes a little early, so for any tourists looking for a good bar to have a few drinks before a late night out of gawking at the Red Light District, I'd definitely recommend coming here. It's a nice, relaxed spot where you can hang out with the friendly locals, and tourists in the know. Also, definitely don't limit yourself to just the beer menu.

Lovely beer options, all Dutch beers. Kind and friendly bartenders. If not too packed, ask for a tasting of a few draft beers to get a full experience before your taste buds give out. Good cheese. Clean bathrooms.

Excellent beer selection and knowledgable staff. Its been said and it's true this is a must. I recommend carving out an hour or so ordering one of their fantastic cheeses and allowing the staff to take you on a local beer adventure. Most of the beers are dutch (if not all of them) Don't worry if you can speak dutch or not. This is Amsterdam. A port city steeped in centuries of world commerce. They know that in order to better sell to english speaking people speaking english is an advantage.

This is hands down my favorite bar in Amsterdam. It's warm and cozy inside, has a great staff, fantastic snacks, and an amazing local beer selection. Our group of three were all excited to try a handful of different beers - All made in The Netherlands. We also chatted with one of the servers, who put together a big plate of meat and cheese for us, again, all locally made. My fav meat was the lavender-infused sausage...it was amazing!! It was a great experience, and I would recommend this to be a visitors first bar they try in Amsterdam.

This was the best beer bar we visited in Amsterdam. Perched right on the canal, we grabbed a canal-side table (they also have an inside bar) and watched boats ride down the river and pedestrians wandering down the streets and across the bridges. They have a huge beer selection on tap, with plenty of Dutch and Belgian beers, including a wide range of styles. If you are looking for great beer choices in Amsterdam, stop here.

Amazing beer selection and extremely knowledgeable staff. My wife and I stopped in for one beer, and ended up staying for hours. A must visit for beer lovers in Amsterdam.

One of my favorite places to go for beer in NL. They have about 30 different Dutch beers on tap and about 100 other ones in bottles. They only have "good" beers here (aka, no Heineken or Amstel, etc.) The place is located on the Herengracht in an old canal house. Really cool to see. They also have a downstairs that that you can use if you go with a group. I am usually there with a meetup group and the downstairs works out pretty nicely. In the summer they have about 3 or 4 small tables that they put out by the canal. Really a great place to enjoy your beer if the weather is nice, but you really do have to be lucky to get a seat because seating really is very limited outside.

This is a local pub best for beer lovers. They have a number of local (Dutch) beers on tap, the bartenders are very friendly and offer you tastings in case you wanted to try a few before buying a full pint (or half). The decor is very pleasant with a high class feel and the pricing is reasonable. I would definitely recommend this place mainly if you are into beers although they do have other selections.

Perfect pub for finding local brews! The bartenders are incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and will help you find the perfect beer for you out of their 52. Also have 2 great Gluten Free beers if that's your thing.