Jordaan Historic Brown Cafes

This neighborhood walk takes you through the Jordaan's most legendary wood-paneled pubs to experience centuries of local history over a traditional draft or house genever.

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1. Café Chris

Café Chris at Bloemstraat forty-two is identified by its dark, wood-paneled interior, a hallmark of the traditional Dutch brown café. Established in sixteen twenty-four, it holds the record as the oldest café in the Jordaan district. The…

2. Café Brandon

Café Brandon stands at the corner of Keizersgracht and Leliegracht, marked by its position on the edge of the western canal belt. It traces its origins back to sixteen twenty-six, earning a reputation as one of the oldest operating cafés…

3. De Twee Zwaantjes

De Twee Zwaantjes stands along the Prinsengracht canal as a traditional Dutch brown café, recognizable by its classic, unassuming exterior and its location in the historic Jordaan district. First established in nineteen twenty-one, the…

4. Café 't Smalle

Café 't Smalle is a traditional brown café located at number twelve Egelantiersgracht. The building dates back to the late eighteenth century, when a German immigrant named Pieter Hoppe arrived in Amsterdam and established a wine shop on…

5. De Blaffende Vis

Café de Blaffende Vis sits on the corner of the Westerstraat and the Tweede Boomdwarsstraat. You can pick it out by the elaborate, often satirical displays that cover its facade during King's Day. While the building has housed a liquor…

6. Café Lowietje

Café Lowietje is a traditional brown café located at Derde Goudsbloemdwarsstraat two in the heart of the Jordaan district. You can pick it out by its classic, unassuming exterior, which has remained largely unchanged since the bar opened…

7. The Papeneiland

Café 't Papeneiland occupies a distinctive seventeenth-century canal house on the corner of Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht, easily identified by its stepped gable façade. Built in sixteen forty-two, the building is one of the oldest…

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