These are the six coolest new cocktail bars in the Netherlands
Every year, a professional jury of hospitality experts assesses the sixty most distinctive new restaurant-bars, hotels, cocktail bars and hospitality concepts in the Netherlands for the Entree Awards. These are the six nominees in the new cocktail bars category.
The best new cocktail bar distinguishes itself through the perfect balance between unique, professional service, hospitality, bartenders and cocktails in exactly the right atmosphere and with fitting décor, according to the jury.
Dutch Courage in Amsterdam
Internationally award-winning bartenders Tess Posthumus and Timo Janse opened cocktail bar Dutch Courage on Amsterdam’s historic Zeedijk last year. At Dutch Courage, jenever and old Dutch liqueurs get a well-deserved platform. The cocktail menu therefore consists largely of jenever and old Dutch liqueurs, but international spirits with stories that lead back to the Netherlands are also available. First in the world: this Amsterdam cocktail bar is also home to the first kopstootjes vending machine.
Botanero in Rotterdam
A Botanero is a Latin American mix of a bar, restaurant, cantina and tasting room all in one. This lively combination has been brought to Rotterdam. Easy as that. Right in the heart of Rotterdam, to be precise at the corner of Vogelenzang and Mariniersweg. You can go there for cool beers, a dangerously delicious Paloma and a string of dishes to share, including tacos and seriously good chicken, because everything at Botanero is fresh and homemade. Alongside the Paloma, the cocktail menu features popular classics with original, homemade twists involving lemon sorbet, rhubarb ice cream or porcini-infused bourbon, among other ingredients.
The Rumah in Rotterdam
Rumah means ‘house’ in Indonesian. A house where plenty of rum is drunk, because every cocktail on the menu is rum-based. The Rumah can be found on Oude Binnenweg, at number 110C to be precise, where the eponymous café De Oude Binnenweg was located for nearly a hundred years. The brown café has now been transformed into a ‘cocktail pub’, with rum taking center stage. According to Daryl Lieuw-On (who was once named Best Bartender), The Rumah is nothing elitist: ‘Oude Binnenweg is a pub street, so our concept has to fit in.’
Bar Mokum in Amsterdam
At Bar Mokum, the interior evokes an old Amsterdam streetscape – a shopping street from bygone times in De Pijp. There is a barber, a liquor store and windows with red lights like those along the Ruysdaelkade. The bar itself is based on a pagoda that once stood in Vondelpark. The bar’s selection consists of Dutch – preferably Amsterdam-made – spirits and products. As many as 90 percent of the bottles on the back bar are Dutch, with jenever in a starring role. The beers, wines and snacks are local too. And – how could it be otherwise – the cocktails have quintessentially Amsterdam names, such as the Ginnegapper (joker) and the Gleuvenglijder (tram driver). The latter is a Dutch twist on the Espresso Martini, with stroopwafel-infused Bols Corenwyn, espresso, coffee liqueur and salted caramel syrup.
Law & Order in Amsterdam
Cocktail virtuosos Vitaly Alekseyev and Sergei Platonov opened cocktail bar Law & Order last year in the heart of Amsterdam, on Voetboogstraat. The name Law & Order refers to the history of Voetboogstraat; Amsterdam and the Netherlands’ first prison was once located here. Law & Order is a BZB: a bullshit-free bar, according to Vitaly. ‘We offer the best service and cocktails in a classic setting with a laid-back vibe. Relaxed ’90s hip-hop plays from the speakers. Our cocktails are never trend-driven, but above all simple, elegant and timeless, with classic DNA.’ The stylish dark interior, given a cozy finishing touch, feels like a classic bar. The furniture, décor and even the statue of Lady Justice came from the IJhallen (Amsterdam’s largest flea market, ed.). The cocktail workstations were designed and made by professionals in Latvia.
George’s Cocktails & Food in Rotterdam
George Cocktails & Food is inspired by speakeasy bars, but in a new guise. That means the mystery, hospitality and craftsmanship of the past, combined with the accessibility and entertainment of today, both behind the bar and musically. Cocktails flow freely and the jazzy atmosphere exudes the nostalgia of the classic 1920s. The menu features delicious chicken dishes, including the Kipsalon (because, come on: it doesn’t get more Rotterdam than this!) and Rotisserie Chicken, as well as pasta with prawns and garlic and small bites to share.
The winner will be announced on 29 November 2021 during the Entree Awards.
Also read:
