Cafe Hoppe

Café Hoppe has been part of Amsterdam life since 1670 and remains one of the city’s most famous brown cafés. Located on the Spui, it attracts an unusually broad mixture of regulars, students, writers, businesspeople and international visitors.

The café consists of two connected but noticeably different sections. The oldest part at number 18 is known as Standing Hoppe. Both its interior and exterior are protected as a national monument and have changed remarkably little over the centuries. There are no conventional tables here: guests drink while standing beside the dark wooden bar, surrounded by antique jenever barrels and the deep-brown interior associated with Amsterdam’s historic pubs.

Next door, number 20 offers the more spacious Sitting Hoppe, with tables for guests wanting breakfast, lunch or a longer afternoon drink. The building was incorporated into the café during the early 20th century after previously functioning as a hotel and restaurant. A doorway now connects the two contrasting sides.

Despite its age and history, Hoppe is not a quiet museum. Friday afternoon is particularly famous, when an enormous after-work crowd gathers inside and spills out across the Spui. The combination of historic surroundings, professional bartenders and a constantly changing crowd keeps the café energetic and relevant.

Drinks include freshly poured beer, bottled specialities, wine and a broad selection of traditional Dutch jenevers and liqueurs. During the day, Hoppe also serves breakfast, sandwiches and classic Amsterdam bar snacks.

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