Kevin Bacon Bar

Kevin Bacon Bar is the Thai kitchen and cocktail bar of Hotel Not Hotel, at Witte de Withstraat 38 in Amsterdam-West’s De Baarsjes district. It is not in the Jordaan and not on the tourist trail, which is precisely why it works: you get a full Thai dinner service and a genuinely serious drinks list in a neighbourhood where most of the room is local.

The short version

• Address: Witte de Withstraat 38, 1057 XZ Amsterdam (De Baarsjes, Amsterdam-West)
• What it is: Cocktail bar and Thai restaurant inside Hotel Not Hotel
• Kitchen: Full Thai dinner service, roughly 17:00–22:00
• Drinks focus: Cocktails, house infusions, artisan and shrub syrups
• Signature pours: Tom Kha Kevin, and the alcohol-forward joke that is Beer Not Beer
• Contact: 020 820 4538, [email protected], reservations via kevinbacon.nl
• Good for: Dinner with cocktails, a date, or a low-key evening after a day of sightseeing

Why the name, and why a hotel bar is worth the trip

The name is a wink at the American actor and the “six degrees” parlour game — the bar’s stated ambition is to be the Kevin Bacon of bars, connected to everything and reliable at any hour, from morning coffee to a late cocktail on the terrace. That framing matters more than it sounds, because it explains the operating model: this is not a restaurant with an afterthought bar, nor a bar with a token kitchen. Both halves are staffed to be the reason you came.

It also sits inside one of Amsterdam’s more unusual hotels. Hotel Not Hotel was built out by graduates of the Design Academy Eindhoven, with rooms staged as installations rather than standard boxes, and the bar inherits that design sensibility without tipping into gimmick. The practical upshot for a visitor is that the room reads as a neighbourhood bar that happens to have a hotel attached, not a lobby lounge.

The Thai kitchen

The kitchen runs a full Thai dinner service in the evening, built around aromatic curries, stir-fries, and street-food-style plates. Reviewers consistently single out the balance of the cooking rather than its heat — this is Thai food that keeps its sour, salty, and sweet registers distinct instead of flattening everything into chilli. The pad thai draws specific praise often enough to treat it as a safe first order.

How to order

• First time: One curry, one stir-fry, and one shared starter covers the range of the kitchen
• Spice: Ask where a dish sits before ordering; heat levels are calibrated to the dish, not to a house default
• Pairing: The Thai-leaning cocktails are designed against this food, so they hold up better mid-meal than a heavy wine would
• Budget option: Discount platforms have periodically run main-course and three-course deals here, worth checking before you book

The bar programme

The drinks list is where the venue earns its inclusion on city cocktail-bar roundups. The bar specialises in cocktails, infusions, and house-made artisan and shrub syrups — shrubs being vinegar-based fruit syrups, which is what gives several of the drinks their sharp, palate-clearing edge against rich curry. Ingredients you will see recur include kaffir lime, ginger-infused spirits, and chilli flakes, all of which mirror the kitchen rather than competing with it.

Two drinks are worth naming. The Tom Kha Kevin translates the coconut-galangal-lime logic of tom kha soup into a glass, and is the clearest expression of the house style. Beer Not Beer is the bar’s in-joke: a cocktail that arrives looking like a beer and contains none, a nod to the Not Hotel naming convention upstairs.

Opening hours and when to go

Published hours through the city’s official channel run Wednesday and Thursday 18:00–01:00, Friday 17:00–02:00, Saturday 16:00–02:00, and Sunday 17:00–00:00, with the kitchen serving dinner roughly 17:00–22:00. Third-party listings show a different pattern, including daytime hours, so hours here are worth confirming directly before you travel across the city.

• Friday and Saturday evenings: Busiest, latest close, and the best atmosphere — book a table if you want to eat
• Early evening: Arrive close to kitchen opening for a quieter room and unhurried service
• Warm weather: The terrace is the draw and is not reservable in practice, so go early
• Sunday: Earlier close than the rest of the weekend; plan dinner rather than a late session

Getting there

Witte de Withstraat sits in De Baarsjes, west of the canal ring, and the honest framing is that this is a deliberate trip rather than a stumble-upon. From the city centre it is roughly a quarter-hour by bike, which is how most locals arrive and the option that leaves you free at closing time. For public transport, check live routing in the 9292 app or Google Maps on the day, since Amsterdam’s west-side tram and bus routes are periodically rerouted for works.

What else is nearby

• Jan Evertsenstraat — the “Jan Eef,” a strip of independently run shops and cafés that defines the district
• Het Sieraad — nightlife and events venue in a converted school building
• MidWest — community-focused cultural centre with a local programme
• Hotel Not Hotel — worth a look at the design-school room installations even if you are only there to eat

Frequently asked questions