Café Remember is a late-night party bar at Oudezijds Achterburgwal 81, on one of the main canals of De Wallen, Amsterdam’s Red Light District. It isn’t a quiet coffee spot in the Jordaan. Expect cocktails and beer, live sports on big screens, a small dance floor and a crowd that’s mostly travellers, groups and bachelor or hen parties.
The bar describes itself as a place to meet other travellers in the middle of the district, with an extensive drinks menu served until after midnight and a constant party atmosphere. Come here for a loud night out with friends. If you want a canal-side coffee and apple pie, the Jordaan’s brown cafés are a better fit.
Café Remember at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Oudezijds Achterburgwal 81, 1012 DC Amsterdam |
| Neighbourhood | De Wallen (Red Light District), Amsterdam-Centrum |
| Type of venue | Bar and pub with cocktails, a dance floor and live sports screens |
| Usual hours | Roughly midday to 1 AM Sunday to Thursday; weekend nights close at 2 AM under city rules, with no new guests after 1 AM |
| Nearest metro | Nieuwmarkt (lines 51, 53 and 54), about a 4-minute walk |
| From Amsterdam Centraal | About 10 minutes on foot |
| Reservations | Table requests through the reservation form on the official website |
| Best for | Group nights out, bachelor and hen parties, watching live sport |
Hours change often in De Wallen. Check the venue’s website or Facebook page before you go.
What to expect inside
Café Remember is a party bar first. Its own website puts three things up front: the bar, the dance floor and live sport. Several big screens show matches, which makes it a practical stop if you’re in town during a football tournament or a big weekend of European league games and want to watch with a crowd.
The drinks list leans towards cocktails, which the bar promotes as its speciality, alongside beer and spirits. The music is aimed at dancing, and later in the evening the room fills up and gets loud. Guest testimonials on the bar’s site mention friendly staff and groups coming back two nights in a row for a hen party. Reviews on Tripadvisor describe the same busy weekend energy, and one reviewer noted that staff removed men who behaved inappropriately. That matters in a district where some bars feel less controlled.
Don’t come expecting a sit-down meal or a calm afternoon with a laptop. The daytime hours are quieter, but the bar’s reason for existing is the evening.
Opening hours and local rules
Published hours differ between the bar’s own site, map apps and review sites. Most sources show opening around midday and closing at 1 AM from Sunday to Thursday. Some listings still show 3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, but those times are out of date for this part of the city.
Since April 2023, the City of Amsterdam has required bars in the core Wallen area to close at 2 AM on weekend nights, and they can’t let in new guests after 1 AM. Outdoor terraces on these streets close at 1 AM on weekend nights. The details are in the city’s council information letter on Wallen closing times. In practice, if you’re planning a late Friday or Saturday, get inside Café Remember before 1 AM or you won’t get in.
Two other rules affect a night out here:
- Smoking tobacco indoors is banned in all Dutch bars, and separate smoking rooms in hospitality venues haven’t been allowed since 2020. Any mention of a smoking area on older listings shouldn’t be relied on. See the Dutch government’s smoking rules.
- Smoking cannabis on the street has been banned throughout De Wallen, Dam Square, the Damrak and the Nieuwmarkt since 25 May 2023. Offenders can be fined €100, and drinking alcohol on the street is also banned in the area.
How to get to Café Remember
The bar is on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in the old centre, so walking is usually the simplest option. Driving into this part of the city isn’t worth it.
- By metro: take line 51, 53 or 54 to Nieuwmarkt. The bar is about a 4-minute walk west of the station.
- By metro line 52 or tram: get off at Rokin or Dam, then walk east along Damstraat for a few minutes to the canal.
- From Amsterdam Centraal: walk down the Damrak and turn left into Warmoesstraat or Zeedijk. You’ll reach the district in 5 to 10 minutes and the bar soon after.
You don’t need a ticket for Amsterdam’s trams and metro. Tap a contactless bank card or phone when you board and again when you get off. Our OVpay guide explains how it works, and the Amsterdam transportation guide covers night routes and fares.
When you search in a map app, check the house number. Some listings call the bar Grand Café Remember or give the neighbouring number, 83. The right place is on Oudezijds Achterburgwal in 1012 DC, not in the Jordaan or De Pijp.
Tips for visiting
- Arrive early on weekends. The 1 AM entry cut-off means the queue and the crowd build up from late evening.
- Book ahead for a group. The bar takes table requests through its website, which helps for bachelor parties, hen parties and match nights.
- Check the fixture before a big game. Screens fill up fast for major football matches, so arrive well before kick-off.
- Don’t photograph the windows. Taking photos of sex workers in De Wallen is disrespectful and can get you confronted, so keep your camera for the canal and the inside of the bar.
- Watch your belongings. The canals around the bar get very crowded at night, and busy crowds attract pickpockets.
- Keep it moving outside. With the street drinking and cannabis bans, do your drinking inside and move on quietly when you leave. People live above these bars.
English is the working language at most bars in the district, so ordering isn’t a problem. If you want to try some Dutch, “Een biertje, alstublieft” means “A beer, please.”
More bars and places nearby
Café Remember sits among dozens of bars on the same canals. For a cocktail bar a few doors along the canal, see Red Light Bar at Oudezijds Achterburgwal 61. For a pub with rock music, try Cafe Bar The Pint. If genever is more your thing, Dutch Courage on the Zeedijk has a long list of Dutch spirits.
First time in the district? Read our Red Light District guide for etiquette, history and the best times to visit, or browse the De Wallen neighbourhood listing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Café Remember a coffee shop?
No. Café Remember is a bar that serves cocktails, beer and spirits, with a dance floor and live sports screens. In Dutch, café usually means a bar. It isn’t listed as a licensed cannabis coffeeshop.
What time does Café Remember close on weekends?
Bars in the core Wallen area must close at 2 AM on weekend nights and can’t admit new guests after 1 AM. Some older listings still show 3 AM, but that no longer applies.
Can you smoke inside Café Remember?
Smoking tobacco indoors is banned in Dutch bars, and separate smoking rooms in hospitality venues haven’t been allowed since 2020. Smoking cannabis on the street in De Wallen is also banned, with a €100 fine.
Can you reserve a table at Café Remember?
Yes. The bar accepts table requests through the reservation form on its official website, which is useful for groups and match nights.
