Grand cafés in Amsterdam

Café Americain

Café Americain, located in the famous Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American, is the oldest grand café in the Netherlands, dating back to 1902. The building features a beautiful art nouveau interior with leaded-glass windows, enormous antique chandeliers, a collection of precious art and impressive murals. There’s also an antique reading table with a good selection of magazines and newspapers, and the large terrace is a great place to enjoy the summer sun on Leidseplein.

Café De Jaren

Just a stone's throw away from an inner city university campus, Amsterdam’s grand café De Jaren tends to attract a younger crowd. Situated in a former bank building, the roomy, light-filled interior has a tiled mosaic floor, modern art on the walls and an impressive bar with a great selection of liqueurs and eaux de vie. But perhaps its best feature is the spectacular outdoor terrace overlooking the river Amstel.

Café Luxembourg

Once hailed by the New York Times as “one of the world’s great cafés,” Café Luxembourg is a spacious café with a timelessly elegant interior. The parquet floors, marble bar and attentive, professional staff will transport you back to grander times. The menu offers plenty of delicious options for lunch and dinner and their reading table is stocked with international titles.

ITA Brasserie

This brasserie and café is located inside Amsterdam’s main theatre, the ITA, on ever-bustling Leidseplein. The building dates back to the late 19th century, and the café’s interior is suitably glorious. It attracts visitors of all ages – theatre-goers and those who just pop in for a coffee, a snack or a drink. It’s the perfect place to immerse yourself in the city's cultural scene, right after you've been to one of the theater’s critically acclaimed shows, of course.

Café Schiller

It might be less cavernous than the other cafés on this list, but what it lacks in size, Café Schiller makes up for with plenty of history and a splendid interior. More than a hundred years old, the café has been hosting the arty and sophisticated of Amsterdam for decades and the period interior boasts original art deco lamps and furnishings. Right in the heart of Rembrandtplein, Cafe Schiller allows you to take in Amsterdam's cultural heritage alongside a great cup of coffee.

Amstel Lounge

The lounge of the Amstel Hotel is famous for its afternoon tea, and the splendour and rich history of the riverside five-star hotel, which opened in 1867, make it the perfect location for enjoying some seriously calorific luxury. With its opulent decor and sweeping views over the Amstel River, this cafe in Amsterdam's most iconic hotel is truly a place to indulge.

Grand Café Frankendael

Behind an unassuming exterior, this grand café boasts all the features one would expect: glossy wood panelling, dark green leather chairs, splendid art-deco stained-glass windows and an elegant bar. With a cosy ambience and a versatile and varying menu, Grand Cafe Frankendael is more than worth the visit.

Grand Cafe Krasnapolsky

Right in the heart of Amsterdam on its bustling Dam Square, Grand Café Krasnapolsky is an unmissable part of the city's tradition of grand cafes culture. Located inside the historic Krasnapolsky Hotel, this elegant café offers an indulgent afternoon tea with fresh pastries from The Cake Room, and a curated selection of ten Champagnes by the glass—perfect for a cafe trip with a touch of luxury.

Cafe Nieuw Amsterdam

Café Nieuw Amsterdam, housed in the historic West Indisch Huis—once the headquarters of the Dutch West India Company, responsible for the colonisation project on the island of Manhattan, amongst other troubled enterprises—has reinvented the space while maintaining its classical interior. Complete with brass chandeliers and cozy paneling, the café offers brunch, lunch, dinner, and drinks, including a weekly Sunday roast. In the summer months, guests can also enjoy the romantic courtyard garden or relax at the cafe's street-side tables, enjoying the last moments of the fading evening sun.

Grand Cafe Restaurant 1e Klas

Grand Cafe Restaurant 1e Klas is no ordinary cafe - it's a part of Amsterdam's central station, not to mention the role it has played in a century and a half of history. The venue, an elegant space designed by renowned architect Pierre Cuypers, was built in 1885, and served as a spot for first-class travelers to enjoy a refreshment while waiting for their train to depart. Plenty of politicians, dignitaries and celebrities have passed through its doors. These days it is visited by travelers and locals alike, welcoming guests for everything from a quick coffee to an evening meal.