Café Kalkhoven

Café Kalkhoven is a traditional Amsterdam brown café (bruin café) at Prinsengracht 283, on the corner of the Westermarkt and directly opposite the Westerkerk. It officially dates from 1670, which puts it among the oldest cafés in the city, and it sits a couple of minutes’ walk from the Anne Frank House.

Inside, it has stayed brown in every sense: dark wood, low light and the old barrels behind the bar that drinks were once tapped from. Outside, a large terrace on the Prinsengracht fills up whenever the sun is out. Come for a coffee before your museum slot, a sandwich at lunch or a beer under the Westertoren in the evening.

Café Kalkhoven at a glance

Detail	Information
Address	Prinsengracht 283, 1016 GW Amsterdam (corner of Prinsengracht and Westermarkt)
Neighborhood	Centrum, canal belt, on the edge of the Jordaan
Type	Brown café with terrace; breakfast, lunch, drinks and bar snacks
Established	1670 (official date)
Opening hours	Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–00:00; Sunday 10:00–00:00 (official Dutch homepage)
Lunch	11:00–16:00
Phone	+31 20 624 8649
Nearest tram	Dam (Westermarkt stop closed until February 2028)
Official website	cafekalkhoven.nl

A brown café since 1670

Café Kalkhoven’s official founding year is 1670. There are rumors that drinks were already being poured in the building opposite the Westerkerk some 40 years earlier, but operator Dave de Jong has said that many of the stories told about the café are not true. What is certain is the history you can see: the original barrels still stand behind the bar.

The café carries the name of a former landlord, Daniël “Bruine Daan” Kalkhoven. Literary historian Herman Pleij remembers being seated by the window as a young student, so that passers-by could see only respectable people inside. Writers and translators were regulars, and Dutch entertainer André van Duin is known to enjoy a drink here.

Kalkhoven belongs to the same generation as Café Hoppe on the Spui, also dated 1670. If you want to compare it with other old bars nearby, Café Chris on Bloemstraat opened in 1624, and Café Papeneiland sits at the northern end of the same canal, at Prinsengracht 2.

What to order

Kalkhoven is a café rather than a restaurant, and the menu is short and simple.

• Beer: the café’s English page lists several draught beers, including Heineken, Palm, Affligem Blond, Affligem Dubbel and Wieckse Witte, often with a seasonal beer alongside.
• Lunch: served daily from 11:00 to 16:00. The house picks are a sandwich with a homemade meatball (broodje bal) and a croque monsieur made Kalkhoven-style.
• Apple pie: the homemade appeltaart goes well with a coffee on the terrace.
• Breakfast: a small breakfast is served in the morning, before lunch starts.
• Evening snacks: once lunch service ends, it’s drinks and small bar snacks, such as homemade meatballs.

Opening hours and best time to visit

The café’s Dutch homepage lists opening hours of Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 00:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 00:00. Monday isn’t listed there, and the English page still shows older hours with later closing times, so call ahead if you plan to visit on a Monday or late at night.

• Morning: the quietest time for a coffee and breakfast, and it pairs well with an early Anne Frank House ticket. The museum is open daily from 09:00 to 22:00.
• Tuesday at noon: the Westertoren carillonneur gives a live recital between 12:00 and 13:00, and the terrace is right below the tower.
• Sunny afternoons: the terrace is the main draw, so expect competition for outside tables when the weather is good.
• Evening: the room turns into a proper neighborhood bar. Weekend evenings are the liveliest, and you may end up standing at the bar.

How to get to Café Kalkhoven

Café Kalkhoven is at Prinsengracht 283, 1016 GW Amsterdam, where the Westermarkt meets the Prinsengracht, across from the Westerkerk. If you can see the Westertoren, you’re almost there.

• Walking from Amsterdam Centraal: about 20 minutes. Follow Damrak to Dam Square, pass behind the Royal Palace and walk west along Raadhuisstraat, which becomes the Westermarkt after the Keizersgracht. The café is on the corner where the Westermarkt reaches the Prinsengracht.
• Tram: the Westermarkt stop right outside is closed for construction from 15 February 2025 until February 2028. Take tram 13 or 17 to Dam and walk about 10 minutes west along Raadhuisstraat. Tap in and out with a contactless card or phone using OVpay.
• From the Anne Frank House: the museum entrance is at Westermarkt 20. Walk past the Westerkerk to the corner of the Prinsengracht; it takes a couple of minutes.
• Taxi: there is a taxi stand on the Westermarkt.
• Bike: the canal belt is easy to reach by bike. Lock up in a rack rather than against the canal railings.

For tram fares, daily caps and route planning, see our Amsterdam transportation guide.

Tips for visiting

• Plan around the Anne Frank House: Kalkhoven is the natural stop before or after your timed entry, and a quiet seat helps after the visit.
• Ask about the seasonal beer: the draught list usually has something beyond the standard Heineken.
• Order in Dutch if you like: een biertje (a beer), een koffie (a coffee) and appeltaart met slagroom (apple pie with whipped cream) go a long way.
• Take your time: a brown café is for sitting, talking and staying for another round.
• Celebrating something? A separate part of the café can be booked for private parties, even on Saturday evenings. Call +31 20 624 8649.
• Check the hours before a Monday visit: the official sources don’t agree on Monday opening.

Nearby places to visit next

• Westertoren: the tower across the street, with carillon tunes every quarter-hour and a live recital on Tuesdays.
• Westerkerk: the Golden Age church opposite the café, where Rembrandt is commemorated.
• The Jordaan: the neighborhood just west of the Prinsengracht, full of courtyards, markets and more brown cafés.
• Café de Tuin: another Jordaan brown café, on Tweede Tuindwarsstraat.
• All Amsterdam cafés: our full list, from 17th-century brown cafés to specialty coffee roasters.

Frequently asked questions