Description
Lost in Amsterdam Lounge Cafe & Cocktail Bar sits on Nieuwendijk, a few minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Centraal, and it is easy to miss from the street. Inside, the room is set up like a living room: low sofas, mismatched artwork, and two resident white cats that genuinely live on site.
It is also Amsterdam’s first smoking lounge and has been open for more than 15 years, so the crowd is a mix of regulars and visitors. If smoking is not your thing, the cafe side still works on its own for coffee, milkshakes, and cocktails.
The bar is the main draw. The team published its own recipe collection, “The Little Lost Book of Cocktails,” and the boozy milkshakes have a following of their own. Live house DJs play on a regular schedule, which makes the room a reasonable first stop before a night out rather than a late-night club substitute.
Key features
- Living-room atmosphere with eclectic decor, low sofas, and no rush to leave.
- A long cocktail list, plus spiked milkshakes for anyone who wants dessert and a drink at once.
- Regular live house DJ sets, mostly later in the evening and on weekends.
- Staff who know the menu well and will give straight recommendations if you ask.
- Two resident white cats that wander the lounge.
- Central location at Nieuwendijk 19a, roughly five minutes on foot from Amsterdam Centraal.
- Late hours: open until 1 am Sunday through Thursday and until 3 am on Friday and Saturday.
- Amsterdam’s first smoking lounge, with dedicated seating for it.
- Phone charging stations at the tables.
- “The Little Lost Book of Cocktails” is sold in-house and works as a souvenir.
Best time to visit
Afternoons and early evenings are the quietest stretch, which is when you can actually get a sofa and talk to the staff. This is also the better window for the milkshakes, before the bar shifts to cocktail service.
Evenings, especially Friday and Saturday, are louder and busier, with DJ sets and a full bar. Peak tourist season in summer and around major holidays fills the room quickly after about 9 pm, so spring and autumn visits are easier if you want a seat without waiting.
Opening hours are 10 am to 1 am Sunday through Thursday, and 10 am to 3 am on Friday and Saturday. Hours can change around holidays, so confirm before a late arrival.
How to get there
The address is Nieuwendijk 19a, 1012 LZ Amsterdam, in the city centre. From Amsterdam Centraal it is about a five-minute walk.
- Leave Amsterdam Centraal by the city-centre (south) exit.
- Walk straight down Damrak for about three minutes.
- Turn right onto Nieuwendijk.
- Continue about two minutes; number 19a is on your left. The entrance is understated, so watch the numbers.
Coming from elsewhere in the city:
- By tram: lines 1, 2, 5, 13, and 17 terminate at Centraal Station; follow the walking steps above.
- By metro: any line to Centraal Station, then the same walk.
- By bike: Nieuwendijk is a pedestrian street, but there are bike racks on Damrak and around Centraal.
- On foot from Dam Square: about five minutes north on Damrak, then left onto Nieuwendijk.
- By taxi or ride-hail: possible, but slower and more expensive than walking inside the centre.
Damrak and Nieuwendijk get crowded in high season, so allow a few extra minutes. Most people working nearby speak English and can point you toward Nieuwendijk if you lose the thread.
