Click on the map:
Reguliersdwarsstraat is the trendiest and most famous gay street in Amsterdam. Here you can go out in a variety of bars and clubs, each with their very own style.
The biggest, most famous and trendiest bars and clubs are situated in the western part of the street. Two smaller and lesser known gay bars are in the eastern part.
There are also three gay-minded coffeeshops and a number of gay lifestyle related shops in Reguliersdwarsstraat.
See also How to get there and Where to stay
websites with information in English
are indicated by a flag
Bar Havana
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 17-19
1017 BJ Amsterdam
(since 2011)
| |
|
- Havana is a big bar with two floors. The venue has an accessible atmosphere and the interior has a somewhat industrial look.
- Entertainment is provided through video screens, but there's also a shower cabine for performances by sexy dancers!
- Upstairs there's a second bar and a spacious dance floor with a great wall painting. Havana will organize regular party nights for a mixed crowd.
- Opening hours:
| |
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
22.00 - 05.00
22.00 - 04.00
|
- Homepage: www.barhavana.nl
- Network: Facebook
- Accessibility: level access, toilet on 1st floor, no smoking area
> The history of Havana (1989-2002)
Sultana Bar
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 21
1017 BJ Amsterdam
(since 2011)
| |
|
- Sultana is an oriëntal gay bar where you can get some food, drinks and where you can smoke water pipe (shisha).
- Sultana Bar wants to be a safe, trusted, but first of all a cozy place for gay and lesbian people from around the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
- The bar has two floors, decorated in egyptian/moroccan style. Upstairs there's a dance floor and DJ's will spin various music, from Arabic to Western. There's also a separate smoking area and a small terrace.
- Opening hours:
| |
Mon.
Tue.- Thu.
Fri.- Sat.
Sun.
|
|
19.00 - 03.00
16.00 - 03.00
16.00 - 04.00
16.00 - 03.00
|
- Homepage: www.sultanabar.nl
- Accessibility: no level access, toilet on ground floor, smoking area
Downtown
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 31
1017 BJ Amsterdam
(since 1970)
| |
|
- Downtown is a small lunchroom and coffee bar (so not a coffeeshop where soft drugs are sold). This place has always been very popular by a whole range of gay people: "the young, the old, the leather queens and the disco bunnies".
- The interior is small, but light and cosy, and on the walls you can see an exhibition of modern art. During summertime there is a great terrace in front of the building, as well as in the street aside.
- Above the lunchroom is Edwin's Guesthouse with two rooms, where you can stay during a visit to Amsterdam.
- Opening hours:
| |
Mon.
Tue.
Wed.- Sat.
Sun.
|
|
11.00 - 18.00
closed
11.00 - 18.00
11.00 - 17.00
|
- Homepage: www.coffeeshopdowntown.nl 
- Networks: Facebook - Twitter
- Accessibility: level access, toilet on mezzanine floor, no smoking area
- History: Downtown is located in the oldest existing building of Reguliersdwarsstraat, dating back to 1642. As such, this is a good example of how 17th century Dutch houses with a shop at the front looked like.
In 1970 two gay friends, Fokke IJsinga and Frits Blaauw, opened here an espresso bar, which became the first public gay cafe of the city. This makes Downtown also the oldest existing gay establishment in this street.
By the end of 1979 Downtown was taken over by Frans Monsma and Guus Silverentand. They began organizing the first really big and fancy parties in Reguliersdwarsstraat. A year later they also started Café-Bar April, and both venues became the avant-garde of the Golden Eighties of Amsterdam Gay Capital. In 2010 Downtown celebrated its 40th anniversary.
> Pictures of People @ Coffeeshop Downtown in May 1980
> The illustrated history of Coffeeshop Downtown in Dutch
Ludwig II
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 37
1017 BK Amsterdam
(since 2011)
| |
|
- Ludwig II is the new name of April, which
was the most famous gay bar of Amsterdam.
- This venue was taken over by Casper Reinders, who earlier created trendy places like Jimmy Woo, Bo Cinq, Chicago Social Club and Lion Noir.
- The front part of Ludwig is decorated in a somewhat raw, but also warm style and is open every day. Starting in the afternoon, this serves you as a coffeebar with also a nice terrace.
- The back part of this big venue is like an exclusive 19th century French night club and opens later in the evening on Thursday through Sunday.
- With this brand new concept Ludwig II aims at a mixed, trendy and international gay audience.
- Opening hours:
| |
Mon.+ Tue.
Wed.+ Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
closed
17.00 - 01.00
17.00 - 03.00
17.00 - 01.00
|
- Homepage: www.ludwigzwei.nl
- Networks: Facebook - Twitter
- Accessibility: level access, toilet on ground floor, smoking area only Thu.- Sun.
> The history of Café April (1981-2010)
Café-Pub Soho
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 36
1017 BM Amsterdam
(since 1999)
| |
|
- Soho is one of the biggest gay bars of Amsterdam and has a great classic style interior with fine wooden panelling, mirrors and a fire place. Through a stately staircase you go to the first floor, where there's a second bar and a 'library'.
- Since the re-opening in March 2011 this venue also has a dance floor and a separate smoking area upstairs.
- Allthough Soho has a very classic decoration, visitors are not only older gay guys, but also youngsters and straight people too. Also a lot of gay tourists from all over the world.
- Opening hours:Happy hour:
| |
Mon.+ Tue.
Wed.+ Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
17.00 - 01.00
17.00 - 03.00
17.00 - 04.00
17.00 - 03.00
|
|
23.00 - 24.00
23.00 - 24.00
24.00 - 01.00
18.00 - 19.00
|
- Homepage: www.cafe-soho.nl
- Network: Facebook
- Accessibility: no level access, toilet on 2nd floor, smoking area on 1st floor
- History: Soho is located in a big former coach-house dating back to the 18th century. From 1981-1996 this building housed "36 op de schaal van Richter", which was made the most trendy and popular disco of that time by Gert-Jan Dröge.
In 1996 it was bought by bar-tycoon Sjoerd Kooistra, who turned it into gay pub Soho, which was decorated in his own favorite style.
After the collapse of the bar company of Sjoerd Kooistra, Soho was closed on September 28th, 2010. The bar got a new owner and was re-opend on March 3rd, 2011.
Taboo Bar
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 45
1017 BK Amsterdam
(since 2010)
| |
|
- Taboo is a cozy modern gay bar, which attracts a very mixed crowd of people.
- The bar has two floors, with large video screens showing the best classic and newest video clips.
- Upstairs there are some more seatings and also a big and comfortable smoking area with a great street view.
- Opening hours:Happy hour:
| |
Mon.- Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
17.00 - 03.00
16.00 - 04.00
16.00 - 03.00
|
|
18.00-19.00 + 01.00-02.00
18.00-19.00 + 01.00-02.00
18.00-20.00
|
- Homepage: www.taboobar.nl
- Network: Facebook
- Accessibility: level access, toilet and smoking area on 1st floor
Club Exit
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 42
1017 BM Amsterdam
(since 1988)
| |
|
Re-opening: March/April 2012
- Exit was a big gay disco with two bars and a large dancefloor with an overlooking balcony. Each of these areas had its own music: popular music at the first floor bar; R&B, hip hop, rap & latin at the second floor bar and club, electro and vocal music spinned by a DJ on the dance floor.
- On the top floor of Exit there was a new chillout lounge and finally a darkroom, which made the atmosphere of the club rather cruisy. But that's also where a wide variety of gay boys, guys and men came for.
- Temporarily closed
- Former homepage: www.clubexit.eu
- Pictures:
08-2011: Old interior of Club Exit
- History: Exit is located in a former coach-house dating from 1766, which in the mid-eighties housed the exclusive bar and restaurant L'Entree. This was a favorite place of many Dutch celebrities.
In 1988 this venue was bought by bar-tycoon Sjoerd Kooistra, turned into a disco for nearby gay bar April, and therefore named April's Exit. It was completely refurbished in 2001 and finally renamed Club Exit.
Due to a conflict between the owner, bar-tycoon Sjoerd Kooistra, and the Heineken company, Club Exit was closed for the time being on April 6th, 2010.
Exit Après Chique Café
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 42
1017 BM Amsterdam
(since 1988/2001)
| |
|
- Exit Café is a gay bar in après ski style. Accordingly this bar is often crowded and loud, also because its the only gay bar in the street which is open late into the night during the weekends.
- In Exit Café you can hear a mixture of the most popular dutch and international pop songs. If its not too crowded you can dance a little bit, as there are almost no seatings.
- Opening hours:
| |
Wed.+ Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
23.00 - 04.00
23.00 - 05.00
23.00 - 04.00
|
- Network: Facebook
- Accessibility: level access, toilet on ground floor, no smoking area
- History: Exit Café is situated in the right corner of the Club Exit-building, which is a former coach-house dating back to 1766. When the Exit disco came in this building in 1988, there was a first Exit Cafe in the left corner.
Later on this was moved to the right corner and renamed The Duke. This was however no succes, so within a year it got back its old name and the present day interior was build.
Due to a conflict between the owner, bar-tycoon Sjoerd Kooistra, and the Heineken company, Exit Cafe was closed for the time being on April 6th, 2010. The bar was re-opened on Gay Pride 2011.
Bar EVE
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 44
1017 BM Amsterdam
(since 2011)
| |
|
- EVE is a big lounge bar, with a warm and styish interior in dark colours with golden details. These are lit by a nice modern fire place.
- There are two bars, where you can get a wide variety of premium whisky's, vodka's, champagnes and cocktails.
- At the back there are tables with comfortable seatings, were high quality fusion finger food is being served.
- Finally, EVE also has a luxurious smoking lounge and a large terrace with a nice street view.
- Opening hours:
| |
Mon.- Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
16.00 - 01.00
16.00 - 03.00
16.00 - 01.00
|
- Homepage: www.eve-amsterdam.com
- Networks: Facebook - Twitter
- Accessibility: level access, toilet in basement, smoking area on ground floor
> The history of Bar ARC (2002-2010)
Café 't Dwarsliggertje
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 105
1017 BL Amsterdam
(since 2011)
| |
|
- Café 't Dwarsliggertje is a gay bar with a typical Dutch interior and both dutch and international popular music. The bar is visited by a variety of gay people of all ages, allthough straight people and gay tourists come here too.
- This bar was formerly known as Café 't Leeuwtje.
- Opening hours:
| |
Mon.- Wed.
Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
17.00 - 01.00
14.00 - 01.00
14.00 - 03.00
14.00 - 01.00
|
- Homepage: www.hetdwarsliggertje.nl
- Networks: Facebook -
Twitter
- Accessibility: level access, toilet on ground floor, no smoking area
- History: Number 105 Reguliersdwarsstraat has been a bar for decades. In the seventies it was a straight bar with teaser girls. In 1984 it became a gay bar named Papillon, but in the nineties it was an ordinary straight bar again. By the end of 2006 a new owner turned it into a gay bar for the second time.
Reality Bar
Reguliersdwarsstraat nr. 129
1017 BL Amsterdam
(since 1996)
| |
|
- Small gay bar with a tropical style interior and latin music. It calls itself "The Hottest Black & White Gay Bar in Town".
- Reality is popular by black gays, wherever they come from, and by everyone else who like the latin and multicultural atmosphere.
- Opening hours:Happy hour:
| |
Mon.- Thu.
Fri.+ Sat.
Sun.
|
|
20.00 - 03.00
20.00 - 04.00
20.00 - 03.00
|
|
-
20.30 - 22.00
20.30 - 22.00
|
- Regular program of Reality Bar
- Accessibility: no level access, toilet on ground floor, no smoking area
- History: Number 129 Regulierdwarsstraat has been a bar for decades: in the seventies it was for example a somewhat more distinguished cafe called La Reserve. Reality Bar was opened here in 1997 by a man from Surinam, which was a breakthrough in the Surinam and Latin-American community.
|
