In 't Aepjen

In 't Aepjen is one of the most remarkable bars in Amsterdam and occupies one of only two surviving wooden houses in the city. The building dates from around 1475 and stands at the beginning of the Zeedijk, close to Amsterdam Central Station. Although the ground floor only became a café in 1990, the building itself has centuries of history and is considered one of Amsterdam's most important historical landmarks. The name In 't Aepjen, meaning In the Monkeys, comes from a famous legend. Sailors returning from voyages to Asia sometimes lacked money and allegedly paid their bills with exotic monkeys. Over time, so many monkeys were said to have lived in the inn that the Dutch expression in de aap gelogeerd, meaning to end up in trouble, entered the language. Today, monkey statues, paintings and vintage decorations fill the interior, creating one of Amsterdam's most unique brown cafés. Together with its selection of Dutch beers and jenever, In 't Aepjen offers visitors the chance to experience a piece of Amsterdam's maritime past in one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city.