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Amsterdam

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Amsterdam gay guide from Amazon Amsterdam gay guide from Amazon

The Amsterdam gay bar and club scene can easily be split in 3 areas:

1. the young & trendy scene in and around the Reguliersdwarsstraat: April, Exit, Havana, Downtown coffeeshop, the Roxy, the iT club, etc: for the young and trendy; or those who think they are. This is usually the place where tourists go first. Downtown is the busiest coffeeshop during the day, the April is the busiest gay bar in Amsterdam, and the iT is the largest gay dance club;
2. the local scene around the Amstel and the Rembrandtsplein: Gaiety, Amstel Taveerne, Montmartre de Paris, the Monopole, the Entre Nous, etc: in general a slighly older crowd. Not very interesting for tourists, unless you wanna escape all your fellow-tourists and visit the most Dutch bar of all Amsterdam gay bars, the Amstel Taveerne, where - if you'd know the lyrics - you would be able to join in the Dutch sing-alongs;
3. the leather scene in and around the Warmoesstraat, the Web, the Cuckoo's Nest, Mr B's leather and rubber, the Argos, the Eagle, the Cockring. All these bars/clubs cater only to men. I'm not sure if they have a "no women allowed" door policy, or if women simply don't come to these places, but I've never seen a woman in any of these leather bars. A good tip for people that wanna cruise the leather bars at night but don't wanna carry their jackets everywhere: drop them - and any other piece of clothing you'd like to get rid of - at the coat check of the Cockring, which opens at 11pm, and pick 'm up later. The Cockring doesn't have a cover charge, and you can walk in and out whenever you want.

Most bars open at around 2pm, and don't attract many people during the day. At about dinner time (7pm) bars tend to be a bit busier, and at about 10pm, or in the weekends after 11pm the large crowds arrive. Bars are usually open til about 1am, and til 2 or 3am on Friday and Saturday. Clubs are usually open from 11pm til 4am, and til 5am during on Fridays and Saturdays. There's no use to go to a club before midnight (except for the Trut); they usually don't get busy before 1am.

Bars

• Amstel Taveerne
  Amstel 54; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 16-1, Fri-Sat: 16-2
  Traditional bar with sing-alongs. Women are more than welcome.
• Anco
  Oudezijdsvoorburgwal 55; phone: 6241126; fax: 6205275
  opening hours: [?]
  Hotel bar with large darkroom. Sleazy, even for Amsterdam standards.
• April
  Reguliersdwarsstraat 37; phone: [??]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 14-1, Fri-Sat: 14-3
  My favourite bar, and probably Amsterdam's busiest gay bar. The crowd is quite mixed: camp queens, would-be leather queens, muscle mary's, tourists, locals, men in suits, boys in sportswear, fag hags, everybody comes here. In the summer the crowds spill outside, to watch each other and watch the people go by. There are 2 bars, one in front, which is always open, and one in the back, only open in the evenings from Thursday through Sunday. Note that the whole back bar slowly rotates (!!), which makes cruising much simpler: just sit down and watch the people go by. April gets busy on weekdays around 6-7pm, when people get off work. And on most nights (Monday and Tuesday are usually very quiet) from around 11pm. Very popular is Sunday's happy hour, from 6 to 8pm.
• Argos
  Warmoesstraat 95; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Mon-Thu: 21-2, Fri-Sat: 21-3, Sun: 20-2
  Very popular leather bar with a large darkroom. Gets busy late.
• Backstage Coffeeshop
  Utrechtsedwarsstraat 67; phone: [?]
  opening hours: [?]
  
• Casa Maria
  Warmoesstraat 60; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 12-1, Fri-Sat: 12-2
  Traditional bar with a great view on one of the busiest streets in the Red Light District.
• Club Jacques
  Warmoesstraat 93; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 20-2, Fri-Sat: 20-3
  Locals bar in the leather district
• COC coffeeshop
  Rozenstraat 14; phone: 6263087
  opening hours: Mon-Sat: 13-17
  
• Cosmo Bar
  Kerkstraat 42; phone: 6248074
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 24-3, Fri-Sat: 24-4
  
• Cuckoo's Nest
  Nieuwezijdskolk 6; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 14-1, Fri-Sat: 14-2
  This (in)famous bar with a huge playroom in the basement is the place for quick encounters. Busy all day long, especially around 5, when people come in for a quicky after work.
• Downtown
  Reguliersdwarsstraat 31; phone: [?]
  A coffeeshop, not a bar really. More info here.
• Eagle
  Warmoesstraat 90; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 22-4, Fri-Sat: 22-5
  Famous leather bar that gets busy late.
• Gaiety
  Amstel 14; phone: 6244271
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 15-1, Fri-Sat: 15-2
  Small but friendly bar on the Amstel river.
• Havana
  Reguliersdwarsstraat 17; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 16-1. Fri-Sat: 16-2
  Stylish bar. Gets quite busy. Used to have a dancefloor upstairs, until Club Havana opened in the Summer of '97. A shame, because Club Havana closed down a few months after it opened, while the upstairs dancefloor in the Havana bar used to be packed with people. Tries to compete with April bar, in the same street, but it would be nice if some of the bar men and visiting crowd would drop their attitude.
• Krokodil
  Amstelstraat 34; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 16-1, Fri-Sat: 16-2
  Attracts an older crowd.
• Lellebel
  Utrechtsestraat 4; phone: 4275139
  opening hours: [?]
  Drag bar. Live shows during the weekend.
• Mankind
  Weteringstraat 60; phone: 6384755
  opening hours: 11-1
  
• Meia Meia
  Kerkstraat 63; phone: [?]
  opening hours: [?]
  
• Milord
  Amstel 102; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 18-1, Fri-Sat: 18-3
  
• Monopole Taveerne
  Amstel 60; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 16-1, Fri-Sat: 16-3
  Cosy clone/leather bar on the Amstel river.
• Montmartre de Paris
  Halvemaansteeg 17; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 16-1, Fri-Sat: 15-2
  Sing-alongs, drag queens behind the bar, entertainment. Who's got the darkest tan and the blondest highlights in his hair?
• Otherside
  Reguliersdwarsstraat 6; phone: [?]
  opening hours: [?]
  The Dutch expression for "being from the other side" means being gay. This is not really a bar, but a coffeeshop where one can buy hasheesh or marijuana, and smoke it.
• Queen's Head
  Zeedijk 20; phone: 4202475
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 15-1, Fri-Sat: 15-3
  Camp new pub in Amsterdam's red light district. Watch out for the bingo nights.
• Reality
  Reguliersdwarsstraat 129; phone: 6393012
  opening hours: 20-2
  Sent to me by a regular: "For two years now there is another gay bar in Amsterdam. It's different, owned by a Surinam gay, they play a lot of samba, merengue and other carribean music, sometimes live shows/music. Mixed  people, old/young, black/white, you can still be yourself in there, if you want to dance there is always someone wanting it too, or just a talk at the bar, no problem. In the weekend also visited by black lesbian girls." Your hottest black and white tropical gay bar. Daily happy hour from 20:30 to 22:00.
• Shako
  's Gravelandseveer 2; phone: 6240209
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 21-3, Fri-Sat: 21-4
  Friendly bar. Mostly locals.
• Soho
  Reguliersdwarsstraat ...; phone: [?]
  opening hours: ???
  This bar's just opened in June 1999. Is supposed to look like an old traditional English pub with lots of woodwork and shiny copper, and is owned by the same people that own April, Havana, Exit and Downtown.
• Spijker
  Kerkstraat 4; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 13-2, Fri-Sat: 13-3
  TV screens display cartoons and porn simultaneously... all preferences catered to. Officially a leather bar, but the crowd is one of the most diverse in town. Old, young, leather, suit, anything goes. Check out Onno, the gorgeous barman (well, that's my opinion)
• Stablemaster Bar
  Warmoesstraat 23; phone: 6245573
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 12-1, Fri-Sat: 12-2
  admission (for Jack off Parties): F. 10,-
  Leather bar where British ex-patriats meet. Leather, rubber, jeans. Hosts the Jack-Off parties (Thu, Sun & Mon: 20-1; Fri-Sat: 20-2).
• de Steeg
  Halvemaansteeg 10; phone: 6250148
  opening hours: Mon-Thu: 16-1, Fri-Sat: 16-3, Sun: 16-1
  camp Dutch bar
• Vivelavie
  Amstelstraat 7; phone: 6240114
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 14-1, Fri-Sat: 14-2
  Amsterdam's most popular lesbian bar. Owner Mieke Martelhoff is the driving force behind the Amsterdam lesbian scene, organizing all kinds of parties. Her boat was chosen Best Boat at Canal Pride '97.
• Web
  St Jacobsstraat 6; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 14-1, Fri: 14-2, Sat: 14-3
  Very popular leather bar. Videos and darkroom upstairs, and snacks on Sunday

     BACK TO TOP                           Clubs

• COC Disco
  Rozenstraat 14; phone 6263087
  opening hours: Fri/Sat: 22-4
  admission: [?]
  Friday's are for gays and lesbians, Saturday nights are for women only. Once every few weeks/months, on Fridays, there's a huge leather/rubber/watersports/fetish party, which is very popular. More informations at the website of the Leather & S&M Group. Note: these leather parties have a strict dress code.
• Cockring
  Warmoesstraat 96
  opening hours: Sun-Thu: 23-4, Fri-Sat: 23-5
  admission: free, except for special parties
  men only!!
  In the middle of the gay leather scene, the CockRing is the place were the leather men from the bars in the Warmoesstraat mix with people coming from the more "trendy" bars and clubs in and around the Reguliersdwarsstraat. Very cruisy, and with a much-used darkroom. Small dancefloor and a bar downstairs, and a bar and the darkroom upstairs. Gets busy late (after 2am), and definitely worth a visit, whatever scene you're into. Try a balloon with laughing gas, on sale at the bar downstairs. The Cockring is Amsterdam's only gay club that's open 7 days a week.
• Exit
  Reguliersdwarsstraat 42
  opening hours: Thu & Sun: 23-4, Fri-Sat:23-5
  admission: Thu & Sun: fl. 5; Fri & Sat: fl. 10
  dresscode: no sport shoes
  Amsterdam's largest gay club. The staff, the crowd and the atmosphere are the same as in the April. Consists of 4 floors. The ground floor has a coat check, and a bar that's open 7 nights a week. The dance floor is on the first floor, and so is the main bar. The second floor has yet another bar, and a balcony that looks down on the dancefloor. And last but not least the top floor has a chill out room and a dark room. Not the most exciting club in the world, but on Friday and Saturday nights this place is always busy. If you're in April, don't bother to go to the Exit before about 1am: most locals won't make their move to the Exit before that time.

   

• Homolulu
  Kerkstraat; phone: 6246387
  opening hours: [?]
  admission: [?]
  Mixed crowd: lesbians, bisexuals, straights. Older clientele.
• iT
  Amstelstraat 24
  opening hours: Thu & Sun: 23-4, Fri-Sat: 23-5
  admission: Sat: fl. 15
  gay on Saturday, mixed on other nights
  My favorite club in the world. Drag queens, muscle marys, camp queens, fag hags, celebrities, everybody comes here. When the iT opened in 1990, this club was a phenomenon, and probably one of the best in the clubs in the world. In Holland the iT became so popular that most Dutch celebrities have visited this place at least once (among them Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek, who used to come quite regularly, and Holland's most famous football stars like Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten) and so have a lot of world famous people (Eddie Murphy, Grace Jones, Blondie, Gloria Estefan, the Chippendales who used to come almost every week, and Prince got refused at the door). All these stars and the extravagant parties that had never been seen before in Holland attracted a lot of media attention. This attracted a lot of straight people, who've taken over all nights except the Saturday night. This Saturday night at the iT is - in my humble opinion - still the best club night in the world: great music (pumping house which gets harder as the night progresses), a great atmosphere and lots of beautiful and extravagant people. Don't miss this! iT gets busy at about 1am.

  About the door policy: in principle the iT is a members-only club, but this is only to give the iT the right to refuse unwanted people. On Saturday nights a lot of straight people try to get in, and are refused, and so are a lot of tourists. Try to get in when there's no other people waiting to get in at the door. If they refuse you at first, make sure to tell them you're gay, and don't get mad, or you'll never get in.

  On Friday the 25th of June, 1999, the iT got raided by the police, who were looking for drugs. A few days after, the police closed the place down. The iT was closed for about three months, but re-opened at the beginning of October.

• Long Yang Club
  see Cockring
  opening hours: 19-23
  admission: 7,50
  third Sunday of the month(?)
  Not an actual club, but an organisation that helps to promote friendship and understanding among Asian Gays and people of other nationalities. Many events are organised, among them the monthly East/West Disco in the CockRing. Check out their site for exact detail about the events
• Roxy
  Singel 465
  opening hours: Wed, Thu & Sun: 23-4, Fri-Sat: 23-5
  admission: Wed fl. 12,50
  Wednesday is Hard Gay Night
  The Roxy, Holland's most extravagant and trendsetting club, has burnt down on June 21, 1999. F***! The people behind the Roxy are thinking of re-opening the place, maybe somewhere else in Amsterdam.

  old info:
  [Roxy stands for Radical Outlet for the Xenomaniac in You. This is probably the trendiest and most decadent club in Holland. The first club on the European mainland to play house music in the late 80's. Set in an old cinema theater, the decors, the lighting and the atmosphere change every day. And so do the people. Every night has a different theme, a different kind of music. The Roxy is in principle a members only club, and therefore it's often hard to get in - Saturdays almost impossible. Unless you wear a totally outrageous outfit, but beware, the people at Roxy are often to the most outrageous people. Most nights are pretty mixed, and definitely very gay friendly. Wednesday night is Roxy's Hard Gay night, the only night when it's easier to get in. This is the night when all the die-hard club people come together. If you're in Amsterdam on a Wednesday night, the Roxy's a must (unless you don't like dance clubs).

  For the women, the Roxy organises a party called the Pussy Lounge. Every third Sunday of the month, from 8pm to midnight.]

• Trash
  address: [?]
  opening hours: Sat: 22-early
  admission: fl. 25 (presale at Mr B) or fl. 30 at the door
  Every third Saturday of the month
  men only and strict dresscode
  Men-only fetish/sex party, every third Saturday of the month. Strict dresscode: leather, rubber, uniform, kinky, NO jeans. Dance floor, private cabins, sling room, watersports room, bondage room, 2 more darkrooms and a chill out area. Condoms and gloves free. I've been here only once and the atmosphere was quite tame. The Trash Club is sort of comparable to FIST in London, with more sex and less dancing than at FIST. Gets busy around midnight.
• Trut
  Bilderdijkstraat 165
  opening hours: Sun: 23-4
  admission: [?]
  doors close at midnight!!
  Alternative disco in an old squatted building. Attracts a different crowd than all the other bars and clubs. Drinks are cheap. Lesbians welcome

    BACK TO TOP                            Hotels

Amsterdam has more gay hotels than New York, London and Paris combined... The hotels listed here are all in the center, within walking distance from all the bars and clubs.

• Aero
  Kerkstraat 49; phone: 6227728
  
• Anco
  Oudezijds Voorburgwal 55; phone: 6241126; fax: 6205275
  
• Black Tulip
  Geldersekade 16 (near Warmoesstraat); phone: 6244281
  prices: Fl. 190,- (single), Fl. 250,- (double) and Fl. 290,- (black bondage fantasy room)
  Unique hote that doesn't just offer luxury (private bathroom in all rooms, whirlpool in some, TV-VCR with adult channel, minibar/fridge, tea/coffee machine) but also lust. All rooms are equipped with a sling, bondage hooks and different equipment per room: St. Andrew's crosses, bondage chairs, metal cages, etc. Special Black Bondage fantasy room: extra large guestroom with additional fun equipment.
• E & D City Apartments
  Singel 34; phone: 6247335; fax: 4284830
  2-person apartments for the leather boy and his friend.
• Golden Bear
  Kerkstraat 37; phone: 6244785
  Formerly known as Unique. Very popular.
• Greenwich Village
  Kerkstraat; phone: 6269746
  
• ITC
  Prinsengracht 1051; phone: 6231711
  
• Monopole
  Amstel; phone: 6246271
  
• New York
  Herengracht 13; phone: 6243066; fax: 6203266
  Centrally located; 3 minutes from Central Station. Rooms with shower or full bath & toilet. Single rooms with double bed. Personal key. Free dutch breakfast. Inside parking.
• Orfeo
  Leidsekruisstraat 14; phone: 6228180
  
• Rainbow Palace
  Raadhuisstraat 33; phone: 6254317
  A few blocks behind the Queen's Palace. Rooms with and without shower. All rooms with radio, TV, telephone and minibar.
• Stablemaster
  Warmoesstraat 23; phone: 6245573
  
• West End
  Kerkstraat 42; phone: 6248074; fax: 6229997
  

 Saunas

• Thermos Day Sauna
  Raamstraat 33; phone: 6239158
  opening hours: Mon-Fri: 12am-11pm; Sat-Sun & holidays: 12am-10pm
  admission: Fl. 30,- (under 24: Fl. 22,50 - ID necessary); 6 sauna-visits (good also in Thermos Night) Fl. 150,-
  Sauna, steam room, whirlpool, cinema, bar, and more. Most popular sauna in Holland.
• Thermos Night Sauna
  Kerkstraat 58-60; phone: 6234936
  opening hours: daily: 11pm-8am
  admission: fl. 30 (under 24: Fl. 22,50 - ID necessary); 6 sauna-visits (good also in Thermos Night) Fl. 150,-
  Sauna, steam room, whirlpool, cinema, bar, and more.

Bookshops

• American Book Center
  Kalverstraat 185; phone: 6255537; fax: 6248042
  Not a gay bookstore, but a huge store selling only English and American books. Has a large section of mostly gay - but also some lesbian - fiction and non-fiction in the basement. And a surprisingly large number of gay porn rags. 10% discount for students and teachers with ID. World wide shipping.
• Intermale
  Spuistraat 251; phone: 6250009
  Gay bookstore.
• Vrolijk
  Paleisstraat 125; phone: 6235142; email: vrolijk@xs4all.nl
  Right behind the Royal Palace this is the largest gay and lesbian bookstore on the continent. Fiction, magazines, cards, videos, non-fiction and second hand books. Very friendly personnel that can help you with all your questions.
• Vrouwen in Druk
  Westermarkt 5; phone: [??]
  Woman's bookstore opposite the Homomonument

Leather and Rubber

• Black Body
  Lijnbaansgracht 292; phone: 6262553
  opening hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-6:30pm; Sat: 11am-5pm
  Huge collection of rubber clothes.
• Expectations
  Warmoesstraat 32; phone: 6245537
  opening hours: [?]
  
• Mr B
  Warmoesstraat 89; phone: [?]
  opening hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm, Sat: 11am-6pm
  My favorite leather/rubber shop. Not cheap, but very well made stuff. Very friendly staff, that will help you with all your questions, and in or out off your rubber clothes :-)
• RoB
  Weteringschans 253; phone [?]
  opening hours: Mon-Fri: 11am-6pm, Sat: 11am-5pm
  Probably the most famous leather shop in the world. Has also shops in London and San Francisco. The shop's spread out over several floors, with in the basement - or better: the dungeon - the rubber stuff, leather on the ground floor, and a gallery upstairs.

Sexshops

• The Bronx
  Kerkstraat 55; phone 6231548
  opening hours: daily from 12 til 12
  Amsterdams largest gay porn shop. Large video collection, books, magazines, toys

 listings by Michael Nieuwenhuizen for gayuk.com ©
 

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