Vesper

Easily the best cocktail bar we’ve been to in Amsterdam. The Negroni Paradiso is the best riff on a Negroni I’ve ever had - super interesting banana/spice notes and absolutely perfectly balanced. I’m about to ask for the recipe (amounts), let’s see if it’s a closely guarded secret or if I can make the best Negronis in the world at home soon.

Easily our favourite cocktail bar in the city. Perfect cocktails, friendly staff and chilled atmosphere

I can’t recommend this cocktail bar, there are definitely better bars in the area. What I liked about the place: lighting (starts projection on the ceiling) and page in the menu where all drinks were placed on the chart based on their sweetness and strength level. Why 3 stars: cocktails are not good, they all seem to be watery with poor flavour. You can get drunk from them but you cant enjoy the taste. Also, the atmosphere is not very cozy

lovely beachside spot! servers were so attentive and nice, cocktails are great :)

Best in town! Always creative and unique recipes that create delicious cocktails. Friendly stuff and cosy atmosphere! Definitely a great place for cocktail lovers!

All cocktails are amazing. reinterpretations of classic cocktails, pleasant and welcoming service. I've visited this bar several times and there's always a pleasant surprise! The menu changes sporadically, making each visit at different times a unique experience.

Lovely place, they serve amazing cocktails. The manager is a great guy who told me more about his passion: cocktails. It’s amazing that they have a new menu every month. Love the Bond theme as that was the reason for me to go visit the first time.

The lighting fixtures are outstanding and great for taking photos. Most of the cocktails on the wine list are sweet and refreshing. Highly recommended

As our new best friend and the most hospitable bartender in Amsterdam said to me, Yelp is for the Americans - which means unfortunately he's not going to hear me brag about how great his bar is. So this one's for you, American traveler! If you're in Amsterdam, do yourself a huge favor and visit Vesper - especially if you're a real fan of real gin, or genever, or jenever. Or whatever! The menu is delicious. I visited Vesper twice during my trip to Amsterdam. Each night, a very different experience. Both were met with a hospitable warm welcome, a cozy atmosphere, and fine craft cocktails where gin is supreme. Food: (drinks!) On my 1st visit, I enjoyed Vesper's Negroni. Smooth. Easy to drink more than one. While the small space was standing room only when we arrived, once a seat cleared up they brought us a small bowl of bar snacks, common at respectable craft bars in Amsterdam. During the second visit, it started off with us saying, "just one drink" and ended up with us shutting the place down with the bartenders over patron shots. It started off gently with their signature, Vesper - sweet and refreshing, and espresso martini - bold. Then I opened my mouth and we were there until until 2 trying whatever bartender Airto recommended, and you're in good hands when the bartender takes over! Service: On both occasions the bartender's made us feel at home with Joop greeting us at the door with a warm welcome as if we met before and we just stepped into his home. He cares about his customers as much as his neighbors in his quaint, quiet neighborhood. On the second night, our drinks were in the safe hands of Airto. He took great care of us, explaining each drink he crafted. Expanding our knowledge and taste of gin with not one, but two variations of jenever, and old style genever. Ambiance: You never know what you're going to get when you visit Vesper-hospitality and fine cocktails aside. Sure it's cute and quaint with a surprise basement in the floor. I implore you to make nice with your bartenders, explore off menu, be ready to stand, stay awhile to soak up the space, good music, and smooth drinks. I cannot wait for the next opportunity to return and enjoy more of Vesper. Thank you for the generous hospitality and warm welcome by the Vesper staff on the Friday & Saturday of November 11, 2023 of this last visit.

What a lovely place. It was crowded when we arrived but one of the staff members greeted us quickly (and was very friendly) and we were able to take our drinks outside, which was great. The drinks were fantastic - unique and tasty, which I'm always looking for. I especially loved the Fin Fizz. Will definitely come back next time I'm in the city.

Elegant neighborhood bar with super friendly staff.

Stumbled upon this place and so happy we did!! The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable about all kinds of spirits so we ordered a selection of drinks off the menu and they made some from scratch based on the base spirits we wanted. The inside is very modern and they have outdoor tables as well. We met several locals while at the bar and I think that's always the sign of a good place when there are regulars! Loved the seasonal cocktail selection and will be back again.

Vesper is a great place for some serious cocktails. From a small, unassuming storefront, Vesper is an excellent example of cocktail culture in Amsterdam. As you enter, you can see shelves stocked with some hard to find bottles, tons of fresh fruit/herbs, and bitters. Definitely impressed with the layout and inventory, which was a good indication of things to come! As it was a warm summer day, I started off with a Johnnie Taylor- Ketel 1 Jenever with freshly squeezed lime juice and Fever Tree ginger ale, which was very refreshing. I then started to order drinks that were off-menu, and took advantage of the very knowledgeable bar tender and also some aged genever, which was available. Tried a very nice and expensive genever as an Old Fashioned which totally worked, as you do not want to overwhelm a nice spirit with too many mixers or flavors. Also tried another genever as a Negroni, which also worked very well. Service was friendly and excellent, and it was great to learn about the cocktail culture in Amsterdam. I am in Amsterdam only a few times a year, but I plan to come back to Vesper for sure!

Service was pretty slow but we were happy with our drinks. Until....We got served a gin and tonic in a freezer bag. WHUT?! An actual freezer bag that you'd normally y'know, put in a freezer. We had a good old laugh and then asked for it to be transferred to a glass. Nice place but they should drop the gimmicks.

As we were biking down the road towards this place I was worried about there being nothing else happening in the neighborhood. But what a crazy buzzin' little cocktail bar! It's tucked behind the busy streets of Haarlemmerdijk and I would never have known it was there unless someone told me about it. Thankfully my friends all love a good cocktail so we piled into the tiny bar on a frosty Saturday evening. Their selection of cocktails is pretty extensive and they have a fun little cocktail scale so you can pick your poison for the night, be it sweet, sour, strong, mild or wild! What's even better, the cocktails here are well priced. Very well priced compared to some other high-end cocktail places.. ! And the bartenders / owners behind the bar were also super friendly and attentive. They were short staffed but they just about managed without anyone getting upset. But honestly, with a good drink in your hands, what's there to get upset about?

This bar was great. A bit small but it's Amsterdam and that's Gezelligheid. It was packed with a lot of different people. The staff were friendly and skilled in terms of cocktails. The drinks menu was diverse and the range of spirits was great. Unlike me, I didn't look at the beer options. I saw a Pornstar Martini soon after settling in and I was excited as I hadn't had one in about 3-4 years and this was my drink in London. It was off-menu but superbly done; done properly first Prosecco, passionfruit next, then the cocktail. Super Lekker! Great atmosphere, lighting and music. I noticed the barmen were good at giving people water too but not in a rude way.

Good atmosphere with a cool menu. The place is hidden in the small streets under the Haarlemmerdijk. Inspired by the speak easy attitude, with dimmed lighting, this can be a great place for an intimate cocktail with friends or lovers. The menu includes interesting, and deliciously sounding cocktails. Should the offer in the menu not tickle your fancy, however, I recommend you take a "Leap of Faith". Well, tell your preferences, and you will most likely not be disappointed. I was not. The bartenders were very friendly, and not only served up amazing cocktails, but were up for a chat as well. Cocktails are serves with some nuts and olives to nibble on, which I always appreciate. Since the place is quite cozy, it is not possible to make a reservation for a group. But if you are with 2 or 3 people, you should be able to squeeze in somewhere, or a place to squeeze into will probably open up soon. Meanwhile, you can enjoy a cocktail. I am looking forward to my next visit there.

The last bar we visited on our cocktail bar crawl. Nice location, nice interior and the girl behind the bar (was she a barback or hostess?) was very friendly and helpful. The cocktails were not as good as Door 74, but very well mixed and presented. You can't take that away from them. The Vesper Bar came second place overall and is definitely recommended when in Amsterdam and looking for a well made drink. One thing we did notice throughout our trip past all the Amsterdam cocktail bars was a bit of an attitude, a certain arrogant vibe from all the bartenders. Really didn't get that. If they manage to get rid of the hoohaa surrounding mixing drinks (it's not open heart surgery!) than I'm sure that Amsterdam could be a hot spot for cocktail enthusiasts. .

Oh Vesper, dear Vesper, thank you for making my egg white-laced whiskey sour dreams come true! After close to a month without being able to find a whiskey sour made with an egg white in Europe, I was starting to spiral into despair. But last Friday, we were finally able to snag a couple of seats at the preternaturally crowded Vesper and they rescued me from my whiskey sour-bereft despair. They made me a perfect one, of course, and served my man a beautiful Corpse Reviver, to boot. They followed it up with a Clover Club for me and an absinthe spiked beauty of a cocktail for my guy, giving us the perfect cocktail night. Vesper never disappoints - except when we can't get a seat! Cannot recommend this place enough!

Amazing amazing amazing place and cocktails. The bartenders are experts, just tell them what you like in your cocktail and they'll make you something fabulous. Love it. Small but chique and cozy. Great place to go for a date, but also fun with friends. 5stars well deserved!

You'll dig this place if you dig class. How do you define class? At a bar, classy would be: * Great interior * Great clientele * Well dressed staff behind the bar * Great furniture * Low key music which isn't so loud as to inhibit all conversation * Safe place for you and your date to indulge in the company of one another without overbearing interference from others * A very thorough drinks menu * Friendly staff that has time to tend to every customer without making them wait a long time for attention and drinks * A lot many more subtle things.... Vesper in the Jordaan is an embodiment of all these traits. Andrew is my favorite bartender and legend has it that his mastery of the trade keeps him busy with global travel. You'd be lucky to have him mix up your cocktails for you. Every once in a while, Vesper has nights where they serve various punches. It's always a great time to be there. Location really works in the benefit of Vesper as you feel cut off, in a very good manner, from the hubbub that is otherwise the city of Amsterdam. In case you end up spending your entire evening here (which you easily could), there are a few snack bars within walking distance to satisfy that hunger. Vesper is arguably one of the best cocktail bars in the city. You will definitely have a great time, and as always please tip responsibly as these people work really hard to make sure you have a great time. Cheers!

Finally a nice bar with well made cocktails and bartenders who know how to make them. Service is swift despite the crowd and the tiny room. I definitely will be back to this bar the next time I'm in Amsterdam. A smooth and delicious negroni. Even the bartender was happy to make it. Their bar menu of cocktails look good too but I was here for a good negroni.

This small (very small) bar is one of the 2 best cocktail bars in Amsterdam. Real cocktails made with passion and lots of knowledge. The best is to ask the barman to just surprise you, give a few hints of what you like and he will create something amazing! A personal favourite is Porn star martini ! The only downside is that this place is really small! Worth going during the week to be able to have a little bit of space (and even a seat!)

Swanky little spot on the edge of the Jordaan. Had been wanting to go there for awhile and had the chance the other night after seeing "Melancholia" at The Movies. Wow, that's another story entirely. My friend Truus and I got a seat in the front window and waited for our server - who brought us glasses of cucumber scented water and a little bowl of nibbles. While I didn't partake in the cocktails (this time), I did have a lovely glass of wine. The vibe was relaxed, gezellig even and the service was impeccable. And it's right across the street from Small World - now only if the two could coordinate hours so I could swing back and forth between my favorite deli and my new found lush bar.

Top cocktail bar in Amsterdam! Located in the Jordaan area, this bar was very intimate and cozy. When we went there, it was not crowded at all, there were only two other locals which I loved. The award winning bartender/mixologist was GREAT. Such a friendly guy, loved speaking to him. We both tried two cocktails and did they ever hit the spot!! I tried the pornstar martini (i know with a name like that i was hesitant--but so glad i picked it). It was a THREE STEP drink..so interactive..!. My boyfriend tried the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club wtih Jamaican rum--smelled amazing. Not cheap, but who cares? These drinks were on a whole other level!! Great experience.

Awesome place for cocktails. In town from the US and nice to find a proper cocktails. Love the 1920s feel and the wonderful service.

My absolutely favourite place to grab cocktails! It's right in the middle of Joordaan and has a great location in case you like to "pub crawl". They have a selection of amazing and super creative cocktails! And you will love it! I high recommend you take the LEAP OF FAITH, where you tell the bartender your preferences and he will make your own custom drink! You just have to trust! I love how original this place is (just take a look at their menu and enjoy the names and descrptions!), and how cozy you feel in there. Be careful with weekend nights or after 9pm, because thats when the bar gets packed! And i mean super packed! Sure it's a bit pricey but these are the best and most original cocktails you will find in the city IMO. The atmosphere is not pretentious or snobby although it's a boutique bar, and the people are mostly locals. I don't recommend it for big groups though (maybe a max of 3 people) since it's a small place.

This is THE PLACE TO BE on a vrijdag night in Amsterdam. Fun, well dressed, good looking crowd and delicious drinks. The small lounge got a bit packed when I was there, but you can probably wedge in if you don't mind standing. It's in a quiet area of town at night, but only a 10 minute walk from the action. The drinks are tasty, but many of them are around €10, so be ready to blow some cash. The staff is super friendly and will make anything they can for you. Nice touch is they don't make you wait at the bar - they will navigate the crowd with your drinks and find you. Vind het leuk.

A little place right on the corner to look good and drink cocktails in. It's actually an award winning cocktail bar, and one of the awards was for it's service. If you're looking for a beer, go somewhere else. This place specializes in cocktails and the staff will even make a personalized one to suit your fancy, should you be so inclined. There's even some absinthe if that's your thing. Great atmosphere. On a side note, I watched some guy drive up to the intersection where it's located, park, and hit the emergency lights. The driver then proceeded to get out and walk in to the coffeeshop across the street, only returning after another car pulled up behind his.

I'm from San Francisco & have experienced some fabulous bars in my time. This one definitely impressed! The drinks were amazing, I chose to order off the menu & then asked the bartender to, "surprise me". Both of the drinks I received (the Vondel Fizz & then a champagne-based drink that the bartender made up) were so delicious. Coupled with the amazing service we were offered, I had a great experience. Similarly, you won't see many stereotypical tourists here, which is something I truly enjoyed. If you're in the area, make sure to stop here, but don't tell your friends! ;)

Drinks are stellar!! True cocktail bar using real and fresh ingredients for everything, and atmosphere is also great!! Top top on the quality of the drinks, and man they are best of the best! What a find!!

Loved this bar! Not sure how I heard about this place but so happy to have made my way there for a cocktail. It's a small-ish space with a few high tops, bar seating and great music playing. Our server, Dougie, took us through the menu page by page, talked us through the various small batch recipes and the foraged ingredients. They have a unique twist on cocktails. My two friends both had the espresso martini which they enjoyed. I got the Vondel Fizz, a champagne cocktail, which was refreshing and served so beautifully with an orange twist and sprig of rosemary. You know when you get a drink that's too pretty to drink, that was my experience at Vesper. I'd highly recommend stopping here for a drink whether it's before a meal or a nightcap, you can't go wrong.

Trendy cocktail bar in the Jordaan. Excellent variety, friendly waitstaff and perfect location. really intimate interior, nice for small groups of friends sipping on a drink and chatting. a little slowish when busy but it takes time to make a good drink.

It was really nice! Tell the bartender what you are in the mood for (sweet, spicy, dry, specific flavors or liquors) and he will make you a special drink!

An awesome place, very chik with cocktails between 12 and 15 euros. My only wish was that they had a bigger venue, because it got super crowded on the Saturday night we were there. Cudos to the friendly staff who served us like a champion despite that!

Interesting concoctions of drinks in a small and cozy place. Stopped here after dinner for a drink last month. It's a small place north of Jordan - so a little far from the main drag, but worth it for a drink and to see a new area. Not the largest selection of pre-made drinks, but still interesting menu.

Amazing cocktails, great ambiance and super friendly staff!! Even though the space is small it's well worth the visit. Some cocktails may not be on the menu but they will do them for you. I suggest the Porn Star Martini. They will get you water sometimes you don't even have to ask. Obviously they want you to feel well the next day and that's always been the case for me.

Small and busy bar at a lovely corner. Not so crazy about the ambiance, kind of fancy but not homey. But I only really came here for the drinks, and I was not disappointed. Had a smokey Manhattan garnished with rosemary, I had never even seen something like that before. Great stuff!

Best bar in town. Best cocktails, best bartenders. Very very nice. James bond theme. I asked for a bloody mary and they took it as a challenge and made their own, with their own spin. It was amazing.

Easily the best cocktails I found in Amsterdam! On the outside, Vesper Bar looks like any other one of the many little bars in Amsterdam, however, this place is gold. Super classy, upscale and exactly what the doctor ordered after I'd consumed a steady liquid diet of coffee and vodka sodas. We were greeted with a lovely drink menu and a little bowl of crunchy, salty cracker/snacks. Love that. Our server told us to take our time perusing the menu. I loved that while the drink menu is very expansive and has many options, there's also a note where you can ask the bartender to just make you a cocktail of their choice. Um, yes. Done and done. I told him I like whiskey and orange and was served up an amazing drink that was delicious, fruity and perfect for a rainy night. Expensive? Sure. But it's what you'd expect to pay for a craft cocktail in a nice atmosphere. I also have to give props to the bartender. Super friendly, very knowledgeable and managed to take care of the entire bar all by himself. Kudos, Vesper Bar! Can't wait to come back!

The drinks require patience - expect great care to be put into them. Each drink comes served looking beautiful - my tequila cocktail came in a day of dead skull shaped mug with an umbrella. To me, this seems a bit kitschy and unnecessary, but no doubt cute. The cocktails and good and strong, and the way the menu is laid out is like a graph, and makes it easy to choose a drink to your liking (sweet, not sweet, strong, or weak, etc.)

To be fair I didn't know I was going to a cocktail bar when my friends invited me to this tiny little place. It was alright. Bartenders weren't very friendly, maybe because they were exhausted from not only making the cocktails but also running around getting orders and handing the drinks out - no cocktails waitresses at this cocktail bar. I wasn't up for paying 11EUR for a small cocktail so went with a beer instead. Not going back.

A fantastic and unexpected little cocktail bar off the beaten path. Consumed three cocktails each offering three surprise flourishes: an edible flower, a beef jerky garnish, and a rum-soaked fig set on fire. The staff asked all the right questions when ordering off menu, demonstrating a deep and broad knowledge of their craft. The only complaints are the high prices, the multitude of windows that run contrary to the typical lounge aesthetic, and the fact that the fig ended up looking like a floating turd once the fire was doused. While some complain that the space is too small, I found the size to be just the right catalyst to spark a number of long conversations with an eclectic clientele. I'll definitely be back.

3 stars is being quite generous here. We have visited Vesper Bar four times now on different nights ranging months apart as to average my conclusion of the place. The conclusion; it is too expensive for what you get. If it is busy, which it often, the service is slow. Rightfully so since they do take care in their cocktails. Hence the three stars. Each time I've been there, even after consuming three or more cocktails, I haven't even left with as much as a buzz. One night I think I had everything on the menu and could have danced a straight line home. The guys behind the bar are usually nice for the most part but there just isn't enough guts behind this place. Actaully on the last trip there with a six person table, I vowed never to return again becuase of the service, price and content of the drinks. Find another cocktail bar.

This is a small corner bar with a "hipster" atmosphere. I'm not a huge fan of the bar itself, because it's kind of small, but the drinks here are off the FREAKIN charts. These guys behind the bar are like cocktail wizards, and one of them even gave me a free shot of (REALLY GOOD) tequila. If I wasn't such a lightweight, I would have sampled every drink on the menu, and ran up a huge tab, and not even cared. These drinks are freakin delicious. And I've probably had about a million cocktails in my lifetime, easily, because I'm an alcoholic (just ask anyone who knows me). GO TO VESPER BAR.

I've been to this bar a bunch of times, each time growing increasingly underwhelmed. There's not too many cocktail bars in Amsterdam and this one is in my neighborhood, so I gave it a few tries. The cocktails are nice but expensive, the menu is gimmicky and the interior is so so. The biggest problem with this place is the service. Some of the bar tenders are real bros, and yesterday I left with my gf because they were downright rude. We come in, I sit down and my gf walks up to the bar and asks if she can take one of the menus on the bar. The guy snaps at her "sit down I will come by in a minute." (Extra surprising is that she asks this in Dutch but we only get responses from this Dutch guy in English.) We're a little taken aback but have a seat. Then the guy comes by two minutes later and starts off with "Are you guys in a rush or something?" We say we aren't but that we thought we could take a menu with us while we sat down. I say I think it's a bit of a strange comment to make, and instead of apologizing he just starts rattling on about how we need to wait and that he's busy. That's when we leave. I'm sorry, not paying 15 euros for a drink with this attitude.

I love this place as it has the best cocktails in town. Always new recipes, new mixes and adventurous concoctions. The bartenders are always up for a challenge so if you want something particular, they will come up with exciting stuff for you. I have been here a couple of times on friday and saturday late nights and its a great place to get some great drinks but it can be extremely NOISY and extremely CROWDED..so be wary but if you are up for it - I would recommend it for some impressive cocktails...

if you want to have some very impressive drinks (not wine or beer) then this is the place! the only reason i'm not giving it a 5 star is because it's a klein beetje small and they don't have a license yet to drink outside in front of the place. the drinks are not cheap but the quality of the drinks are amazing and worth it. each drink has a story to tell and i want to go back and "read" more! haha. and like the other reviews state, the Porn star martini is not to be missed. they even put half a passion fruit in it with a small spoon :)

Wow. Really a cool place to have some great Cocktails. The neighborhood seems not to be so trendy, there are not so much bars at this crossroad. It is just a small square venue, filled with a lot of poeple. Modern interior, hip atmosphere, and it is really cool watching the bartenders mixing the drinks. The price level is not the smallest, but I think it is good value. You definitely have to try out the zombie, it is really a special thing here.

The best bar I've been to in ages! It's not much from the outside but you'll be amazed by the big atmosphere in this small place! A must if you visiting Amsterdam!

Been here a few times on a busy Saturday night... it gets so crowded that you can't move around the bar anymore. You can make eye contact with the rest of your group on the other side, but it might take a while to reach them again :) The cocktails are very nice and the bar tenders are creative and consult with you. Unlike other fancy cocktail bars, Vesper didn't have the pretentious vibe.

Definitely one of the best cocktails I've ever had in my life. I work in the service industry and I'm from the States but when I ordered that first leap of faith, it restored my faith in the craft of bartending. Hats off to this amazing place and the people that run it!

Best Sazerac in Amsterdam! The staff if very friendly and they have a fresh selection of drinks. Not sure about what you want? Easy, the bartender can make you delicious drink based on your likes and dislikes. Highly recommend this spot.

Amazing drinks! Superfriendly staff! Small place and the crowd is a bit on the young side, but a great place to visit for some quality mixed cocktails.

Fantastic take on the vesper martini. The crowd is mostly local and it's not super centrally-located but it's a great spot for solid cocktails and a nice atmosphere.

Well thinking to have a nice drink just after 17.00 opening hour be carefull you go inside because it s open and therr are people and somebody shouts at you " we are close" and then laughs !!! At your face not very friendly . Don' t know if i try the place again.