Roses are red, violets are blue, and our hearts are with every brave soldier navigating the war zone that is Amsterdam’s dating scene. Between running into your ex at the bar, spotting your best friend two tables over, or god forbid, both at once, we know the struggle.
Enter our Date Guide. A curated list of places that save you from awkward run-ins and deliver the right amount of charm, mood, and maybe even magic. Think of it as your toolkit for dodging chaos and upping your romance game. Whether you are planning a first date, a situationship dinner, or something that might actually last.
Scroll down for the guide.
COFFEE
So you’re playing it safe. Daytime. Public. Low stakes. “Let’s just grab a coffee.”
Coffee dates are the Switzerland of dating. Neutral territory. Bright lighting. Light on the wallet. Easy exit strategy. No party has to commit to dinner, drinks, or destiny. Don’t be fooled: caffeine is a stimulant. You might not be drunk, but your nervous system will be active. And honestly? Someone’s coffee order is very telling.
Black coffee? Either deeply grounded or very unwell.
White chocolate mocha? No comment.
Matcha? Chronically online but self-aware.
If it goes well, extend to a walk, museum visit, etc. Otherwise, you “have a thing” in 40 minutes. Perfect.
4850
The spot serving the best cardamom and cinnamon buns. Get yourself one each, grab a coffee, and go for a slow stroll through Oosterpark.
Fonda
Perfect for a museum date at the Stedelijk, followed by a great cup of coffee, lunch, and a little sweet treat. End it with a debrief on what you just looked at and a cute daytime conversation.
Louf de Molen
The recently opened location is nothing short of charming, with the old windmill towering above it. Head over there and get to know one another over a cup of filter coffee and a cheese bun.
Café ‘t Sluisje
A cute spot by the water in Amsterdam Noord that has been there forever. Hopefully, your love will last just as long. It is the perfect location for a cozy date, so get a tea, glühwein, some apple pie, and whip out the board game. Someone’s reaction to you beating them at UNO is a great indicator of future relationship success.
DRINKS
Drinks on a first date mean we are open to escalation. It means staring contests over a beverage. Chances are, you might accidentally dish out your attachment style by round two. The night may end at 22:30…or not at all.
We’d love to be the cool, mysterious person who orders a dirty martini without blinking. Unfortunately, we genuinely cannot. We will try once a year, remember we hate it (sorry its salty bathwater that will send you knockout), and retreat to something more forgiving. Alas.
A drinks date is about atmosphere. Good lighting. Solid pours. Music loud enough to save you from awkward pauses and give you a reason to scooch closer. Sexy spots for sexy grown-ups who are either about to fall in love or make a mildly questionable decision. Both works.
Contra
Contra has been our new favorite spot for no-fuss food, fun wines and great (strong) cocktails. Perfect for drinks or a dinner date. What makes it the perfect first-date spot? In the very likely situation that the date doesn’t entertain itself, at least you’ll have
the great live music to fall back on.
CUE
A sultry listening bar with equally seductive cocktails, CUE is the place to ease into a date over a drink (or three) and see where the night goes. Conversation stalling? Lean on the records: after all, it’s a listening bar for a reason. Worst case, you won’t find your soulmate, but you just might find your new favorite track.
Bottleshop
Bottleshop has long been one of our not-so-secret favourites in Amsterdam East (one of the best spots for a first date if we do say so ourselves). Think: a wine list long enough to double as reading material when the conversation dries up faster than your glass. But jokes aside: it’s everything you want from a date spot: great music, the loveliest staff, and a rotating menu that never misses.
De Engelbewaarder (or any other brown cafe)
This is a very low-commitment type of first date and could be a pass with everyone and anyone. De Engelbewaarder is an authentic, no hype spot. Going to a brown bar also feels like a real relationship test – with little extravagance and no crazy cocktail menus to take your attention away, the centerpiece here will most definitely be your conversation.
DINNER
Dinner on a first date is not for the faint-hearted. This is a minimum two-hour commitment. We’re talking “I will watch you chew” (hopefully you don’t have misophonia). It entails “we are both ordering real food and not just performing hunger.” High risk, high reward if all goes well.
A dinner date means we’re beyond filter coffee small talk and two-drink diplomacy. We’re in shared plates territory. In “Should We Get a bottle?” territory. In accidentally touching hands while reaching for the bread.
Also, let’s be honest: how someone treats the staff, what they order, whether they taste your dish without asking: all of this is data. We are observing. Always.
Café Caron
Located in De Pijp, Café Caron is the go-to for a proper dinner date: classy without being stiff, romantic without being corny. The staff is charming, the menu changes with the season, and the energy is just right for letting the butterflies do their thing. Pro tip: this is the spot for when you’ve retired from your ‘chainsmoker DJ phase’ and are finally ready to date a grown-up.
Kyo
After a long debate on whether to gatekeep this one or not, we concluded that with the theme of this guide being love (well, kind of) and you, Aa readers being our biggest love, we couldn’t possibly keep the joys of Kyo hidden from you. Tucked away on one of the Nieuwmarkt sidestreets, Kyo feels like a haven from the hustle and bustle of centrum. This Japanese Izakaya serves some seriously fresh sashimi (the scallop and salmon are our favorites), flavorful skewers and delicious bites. If the date is feeling a bit boozy, you could start with a highball, which is priced at just 5€ (??!!), and finish off with a nice sake.
Petit Péché
If you want to impress your heart-throb with a ‘grown and sexy’ dinner date take them to Petit Péché. With only 28 seats, it leans into its name (translated as ‘little sin’) in the best way: small, warm, and effortlessly romantic. And when you’re done? Wander around the corner to Café Beurre for a nightcap and a few whispered sweet-nothings.
Taste of Culture
A forever favourite when you want flavour, comfort, and excellent value for money all in one go. The portions are big enough to share: which means you might just find yourself in a Susi und Strolch moment over a bowl of noodles. Bonus: it’s also the perfect place to gauge someone’s chopstick skills (a high-stakes compatibility test, depending on your culinary preferences).
As well-seasoned residents of this village, we couldn’t send you off without some warnings and words of advice.
A(a) Post-Date Decision Tree
So you went on a date. Maybe it left you glowing, maybe it left you pacing around your kitchen replaying every sentence, or maybe it left you texting your group chat in pure disbelief. Whatever the vibe, the post date haze is its own psychological thriller and we are here to bring a little clarity. Consider this your decision-tree for sorting the green flags from the walking red alerts.
LOCKED-IN SPOTS
Only once they have proven they deserve it. Nothing worse than letting someone ruin one of your favourite places.
PLACES TO AVOID
Unless hard-launching on the first encounter is your thing
- Kriterion
- Anything within a 300m radius of Café Twee Prinsen or Kikkie
- Cafe40
- Fonteyn
- Bar San Francisco
