Café ‘t Monumentje is a small, traditional brown café at Westerstraat 120 in the Jordaan. It has been a café since 1973. Regulars come in for coffee and the newspaper in the morning and stay on for beer, sing-alongs and backgammon later in the day.
Quick facts
- Type: traditional Dutch brown café (bruin café)
- Address: Westerstraat 120, 1015 MP Amsterdam (Jordaan)
- Phone: +31 20 624 35 41
- Listed hours: opens 8:30 Monday–Friday, 9:00 Saturday and 11:00 Sunday; open past midnight every night
- Café since: 1973 (previously a launderette, and before that a tobacco shop)
- Getting there: about 20 minutes on foot from Amsterdam Centraal. Trams 13 and 17 are not stopping at Westermarkt until 28 February 2027
- Best for: a slow morning coffee, a beer on the terrace, or a lively evening with the regulars
Practical details checked on 24 September 2026. Hours come from public listings, so confirm them on the café’s Facebook or Instagram page before you go.
What Café ‘t Monumentje is like
‘t Monumentje is a corner café on Westerstraat, diagonally opposite Café Nol. It’s small: roughly 20 people fill it. Every bit of wall is covered in pictures, posters and keepsakes, and there’s a wood-burning stove and a couple of chess tables. Look for the “wall of fame” by the door.
I stumbled across the place on my first trip to Amsterdam, and it was love at first sight. The cosy room and the friendly staff made it hard to leave after just one drink.
Don’t come expecting a hip café with avocado toast and matcha lattes. ‘t Monumentje is an old-school neighbourhood café, run by Ingrid Verstraeten and Pieter van Wijnsbergen. Its regulars range from long-time Jordaan residents to a growing number of younger locals who like it the way it is. The name translates as “the little monument.”
What to order
This is a café for drinks and simple snacks, not a full kitchen. Good choices:
- Coffee: good and fairly priced, and the usual morning order for regulars reading the paper
- Draught beer: a small glass of pils is the standard brown-café order
- Oude jenever: the traditional Dutch spirit, and a good choice if you want something local
- Toasties: grilled cheese tosti, the go-to snack
If bitterballen are on, order them with your beer: crisp outside, soft inside, and best dipped in mustard. In a café this small the snack menu can change, so ask at the bar what’s available.
Music, games and the terrace
The café has more going on than its size suggests. There are Meezingbende sing-along nights, with tongue-in-cheek Dutch songs, as well as regular record nights and occasional small gigs by local bands. Every autumn, usually in October, regulars play a backgammon tournament.
The staff help make the place what it is. If you get chatting, you may well come away with a story, a joke or a tip about the neighbourhood.
There’s a small terrace outside, and it gets plenty of sun into September. When Amsterdam gives you a fine day, grab a seat outside and watch the Jordaan go by. It’s a good spot for people-watching, especially at the weekend.
Opening hours and best time to visit
These are the hours shown on Untappd in September 2026. Another listing gives a 2:00 closing time on Friday and Saturday. The café’s own website is being rebuilt and points visitors to its Facebook and Instagram pages, so check there for changes and holiday hours.
| Day | Listed hours |
|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | 8:30–1:00 |
| Friday | 8:30–3:00 |
| Saturday | 9:00–3:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00–1:00 |
Listed opening hours for Café ‘t Monumentje, checked 24 September 2026
- Mornings: the quietest, most local time, with coffee and newspapers at the bar
- Weekday afternoons: easy to get a seat. The café usually fills up from about 5 PM, when locals drop in for an after-work borrel (drinks and snacks)
- Friday and Saturday nights: busy and loud, with locals and visitors packed in. Don’t count on much personal space
- Sunday afternoons: my favourite. A cold beer here is a fine way to ease out of the weekend
- Market days: combine a visit with the Monday market on Westerstraat or the Saturday organic market at Noordermarkt
- King’s Day (27 April): the Jordaan becomes one big street party. Go only if you don’t mind crowds, and wear something orange
How to get there
The café is at Westerstraat 120, a residential street away from the main tourist routes. Westerstraat starts at Noordermarkt, by the Prinsengracht, and runs west to Marnixstraat.
- Walking: about 20 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal. Head west through the canal belt to Noordermarkt, then continue along Westerstraat. A map app will give you the most direct route through the side streets.
- Tram: because of the Oranje Loper roadworks, trams 13 and 17 are not running through Raadhuisstraat and Rozengracht, and will not stop at Westermarkt until 28 February 2027. Tram 5 stops at Marnixplein, at the Marnixstraat end of Westerstraat, but it no longer starts from Centraal. Routes around Marnixstraat keep changing, so plan with the GVB travel information or 9292 on the day you travel.
- Bus: buses 18, 21 and 22 also stop at Marnixplein.
- Bike: about 10 minutes from Centraal. Lock your bike securely to a rack, not to the café’s front.
In a navigation app, search for “Café ‘t Monumentje” or “Westerstraat 120” rather than just “Monumentje,” so you get the right place. And if you do get a little lost, don’t worry. Most Amsterdammers speak excellent English and are happy to point you the right way.
Tips for visiting
- Bring a card and a few euros: we haven’t confirmed the café’s current payment policy, so carry both.
- Try a little Dutch: the staff speak English, but they’ll appreciate the effort. Start with “Mag ik een biertje, alstublieft?” (Can I have a beer, please?).
- Expect to share: with room for only about 20 people, you may end up sharing a table on busy nights. That’s part of the gezellig (cosy, convivial) atmosphere.
- Talk to the regulars: many are happy to chat with visitors and share tips on other places nearby.
- Bring a jacket for the terrace: Amsterdam evenings can turn chilly even in summer.
- Keep it down outside late at night: Westerstraat is a residential street, and neighbours live right above the terraces.
- Tip lightly: tipping isn’t expected in the Netherlands the way it is in some countries. Rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good service is plenty.
- Put the phone away: take a few photos, then enjoy the room. Places like this are a big part of what makes Amsterdam special.
Nearby in the Jordaan
Café Nol, the neon-lit sing-along bar, is diagonally across the street if you want to make a night of it. For a longer afternoon in the neighbourhood, start with our Jordaan neighbourhood guide. You can also visit the Jordaanmuseum, look for the hidden hofjes of the Jordaan, or stop at De drie Hendricken on the Bloemgracht. For more brown cafés across the city, browse our Amsterdam café list.
