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REGULIERSDWARSSTRAAT
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This street is the trendy gay area of the city. A poseur's paradise and home to Amsterdam's only gay coffeeshop.
ARC (MIX-M)
Reguliersdwarsstraat 44 (6897070)
Mon-Thu 16.00-01.00, Fri, 16.00-03.00, Sat 12.00-03.00, Sun 12.00-01.00
The hippest watering-hole on the street à la Wallpaper*-style. Always packed at weekends.CAFÉ APRIL (MIX-M)
Reguliersdwarsstraat 37 (6259572)
Mon-Thu, Sun 14.00-01.00, Fri, Sat, 14.00-03.00
Modern, spacious and popular late-opening café/bar with a good selection of international papers. Check out the back bar which starts revolving when it gets busy - making cruising completely effortless.DOWNTOWN (MIX-M)
Reguliersdwarsstraat 31 (6229958)
Daily 10.00-20.00
Light and bright corner café with yummy food at reasonable prices, and a good selection of newspapers and magazines. So popular I've never been able to get a seat here. Actually, since writing that I have. Not recommended for stressed claustrophobics. Though it could have just been the company I was in…EXIT (MIX-M)
Reguliersdwarsstraat 42 (6258788)
Mon-Thu, Sun 23.00-04.00, Fri, Sat 23.00-05.00
Great little club with a lot of character. Had a beautiful darkroom experience there once. A guys place but women allowed in (in small doses).THE OTHERSIDE (MIX-M)
Reguliersdwarsstraat 6
Daily 11.00-01.00
The only gay coffeeshop in town. Modern, bright, and clean with friendly staff. Good hash/weed menu, joints, space cake and cannabis tea.SOHO (MIX-M)
Reguliersdwarsstraat 36 (330 4400)
Mon-Thu 20.00-03.00, Fri, Sat 20.00-04.00, Sun 16.00-03.00
Busy two-floor British-style pub. Two drinks for the price of one during the week around midnight.
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WARMOESTRAAT
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Be a little streetwise along this stretch of road on the edge of the Red Light District. Most of the city's leather bars are situated here (or nearby like the Web and Cuckoo's Nest). Getto is a trendy alternative.
ARGOS (M)
Warmoesstraat 95 (6226595)
Mon-Thu, Sun 22.00-03.00, Fri, Sat 22.00-04.00
The oldest and possibly most famous leather bar in Amsterdam. Sexy, cruisey and heavy. S.O.S. (Sex on Sundays) party is held here every last Sunday of the month from 15.00-19.00 (doors close 16.00)CASA MARIA (MIX)
Warmoesstraat 60 (6276848)
Mon-Thu, Sun 12.00-01.00, Fri, Sat 12.00-02.00
It's big windows make this the perfect spot for people-watching down this street.COCKRING (M)
Warmoesstraat 96 (6239604)
Mon-Thu, Sun 23.00-04.00, Fri, Sat 23.00-05.00
Cruisey disco, popular with a wide range of gay men. Regular live sex shows etc.CUCKOO'S NEST (M)
Nieuwezijds Kolk 6 (6271752)
Mon-Thu, Sun 13.00-01.00, Fri, Sat 13.00-03.00
I stayed at a squat opposite here for a while (long before the hideous Kolk shopping centre was born). And I saw a lot of happy men walking out of this leather bar during the day. Maybe something to do with the playroom in the cellar?DIRTY DICKS (M)
Warmoesstraat 86
Fri, Sat 24.00-05.00
Formerly the 'old' Eagle. A late-night weekend leather bar. The name says it all.THE EAGLE (M)
Warmoesstraat 90
Mon-Thu, Sun 22.00-04.00, Fri, Sat 22.00-05.00
Another of the city's well-established leather bars. Ring door to be let in.GETTO (MIX)
Warmoesstraat 51 (4215151)
Tue 19.00-01.00 Wed-Sat 16.00-01.00, Sun 13.00-24.00
I love this place. It's my favourite bar in the whole of Amsterdam. Great cocktails, music, food and quirky entertainment. The staff are always super friendly and this emulates throughout the whole bar-restaurant where lesbians and gays (many international) happily mix. Every Sunday evening Bhasha gives excellent tarot readings. Cocktail Happy Hour is 17.00-19.00.PRIK (MIX)
Spuistraat 109
Not exactly on the Warmoesstraat but near enough. A great new trendy mixed gay bar with DJs spinning Fridays and Saturdays, movie and snack nights on Tuesdays, and a sexy dark corner and fish tank...STABLEMASTER (M)
Warmoesstraat 23 (6250148)
This leather hotel holds the infamous jack-off parties in the downstairs bar.
THE QUEEN'S HEAD (MIX-M))
Zeedijk 20 (4202475)
Mon-Fri 17.00-01.00, Sat, Sun 16.00-03.00
A kitsch little bar along the Zeedijk (off the Nieuwmarkt and near the Warmoesstraat).WEB (M)
St Jacobsstraat 6 (6236758)
Mon-Thu, Sun 14.00-01.00, Fri 14.00-02.00, Sat 14.00-03.00
This is one leather bar which I have actually been into (apart from the Cuckoo's Nest which I walked into without realising it was men-only. Oops!). The corrogated web entrance is just around the corner from the Cuckoo's Nest and a couple of streets away from the Warmoesstraat. Popular, butch, friendly and with an upstairs darkroom, porn videos and a great little roof terrace.
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AMSTEL
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Not my favourite of areas as it encompasses the hellishly touristic, neon-lit Rembrandtplein. However, it's great fun when you're safe inside the bars (or behind them) as people here certainly know how to have a good time. Watch out when you're crossing the Amstel (road) as cars (mainly horrible taxis) race by - and me and my bike have nearly come a cropper a few times when I've been pissed out of my head.
LE MONDE (MIX)
Rembrandtplein 6 (6269922)
Daily 08.00-01.00
Popular gay cafÉ right on the square itself.MONTMARTRE DE PARIS (MIX-M)
Halvemaansteeg 17 (6207622)
Mon-Thu, Sun 16.00-01.00, Fri, Sat 16.00-02.00
Loud, tacky and fun. Happy Hour 18.00-19.00. Pop over to De Steeg for more.LELLEBEL (HARD ONE THIS…)
Utrechtsestraat 4 (4275139
Daily 20.00-03.00
A lively drag café with karaoke on Tuesdays and 'showtime!' at weekends. A small bar but a big laugh.YOU II
Amstel 178 (421 0900)
See Girls Stuff
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KERKSTRAAT
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An up-and-coming street with a local with an uncategorisable mixture of gay venues. Near the busy Leidseplein.SPIJKER (MIX-M)
Kerkstraat 4 (6205919)
Mon-Thu, Sun 13.00-01.00, Fri, Sat 13.00-03.00
I like this leather/jeans bar a lot. It's charmingly seedy and is genuinely welcoming to women, though mainly guys hang out here. Porn videos are screened alongside cartoons, there's a pool table plus a darkroom. Happy Hour daily 17.00-19.00.
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BAR-RESTAURANTS
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GETTO (MIX)
See Warmoesstraat
HUYSCHKAEMER (MIX)
Utrechtsestraat 137 (6270575)
Mon-Thu, Sun 15.30-01.00, Fri, Sat 15.30-02.00 (Kitchen shuts 23.00)
Used to be a favourite of mine though it's changed hands quite a lot and it's a little off the beaten track... However, whenever I go the staff are usually super friendly. Across the road from the infamous Backstage café. Start there, end up here and you can't go wrong.
HEMELSE MODDER (MIX)
Oude Wal 11 (624 3203)
My favourite gay restaurant in town. Spacious and modern, plus excellent food and friendly staff. Its best-kept secret is the small terrace behind the premises which is charming on a warm night.LA STRADA (MIX)
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 93 (6250276)
Daily 16.00-01.00 (Kitchen shuts 22.00)
Good food, lovely staff, and pretty popular with lesbians.
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