Molly’s Arena is a Japanese-style anime arcade and ramen bar at Osdorpplein 771 in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, and it bills itself as the only anime arcade in the Netherlands. Entry is free. You pay per game with a rechargeable smart card, eat ramen from €20.90 or Fuwa Fuwa pancakes at €16, and play licensed Japanese rhythm cabinets from Konami and Bandai Namco that you will not find anywhere else in the city. It opens Wednesday to Sunday and is closed Monday and Tuesday. Note that it sits about 25 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by tram 17, not in the city centre.
| Where | Osdorpplein 771, Amsterdam Nieuw-West (Osdorp) |
| Known for | Japanese rhythm arcade cabinets, ramen bar, Fuwa Fuwa souffle pancakes, anime merch |
| Entry | Free. You only pay for game credits and food |
| Opening hours | Wed–Thu 12:00–22:00; Fri–Sun 11:00–22:00; closed Mon and Tue |
| Ramen served | Wed–Sun 12:00–21:00 |
| Pancakes served | Fri–Sun 11:00–16:00 only |
| Payment | Card only. The venue does not take cash |
| Age rule | Family friendly, but under-21s must be with a guardian aged 25 or over |
| Reservations | Not required |
| Getting there | Tram 17 from Centraal Station to Osdorpplein Oost or Osdorpplein West |
What exactly is Molly’s Arena?
It is a game centre built to Japanese rules rather than Western ones. Instead of a ticket-redemption arcade where you win plush toys, Molly’s Arena runs on high scores: the venue states plainly that it does not work with tickets or prizes, only leaderboards and tournaments. The floor mixes licensed Konami and Bandai Namco rhythm cabinets with fighting and racing games, a ramen counter in the middle of the room, a merch shop for figures and trading cards, and a board-game corner.
The reference point the owners use is Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronics and anime district. That is a fair description of the format, though the scale is one floor in a shopping square in Nieuw-West, not a seven-storey Tokyo game centre. Tripadvisor reviewers rate it 3.9 out of 5, with the ramen and the pancakes drawing the strongest praise and the game-credit pricing drawing the most criticism.
How much does Molly’s Arena cost?
Walking in costs nothing. You buy game credits, which load onto a smart card that you swipe at each machine and top up at the counter. A standalone smart card is €2.50; the card is included free inside any of the three credit bundles, which the venue sells online at a discount to the counter price.
| Bundle | Game credits | Online price | Listed full price |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Piece Deal | 35 | €24.99 | €37.50 |
| Naruto Deal | 70 | €49.99 | €72.50 |
| Dragon Ball Deal | 100 | €74.99 | €102.50 |
Three details make the bundles better value than they look. One card can be shared by a whole group, so four friends do not need four cards. There is no time limit, so you are not buying an hour of play. And unused credit stays valid for a return visit. The venue also sells a pre-order VIP card carrying a permanent 10 percent discount.
Two other routes to a cheaper visit are worth checking before you go. Buying a bundle online rather than at the counter is the standing discount, and Dutch deal sites have periodically listed a half-price play-credit-plus-card voucher for Molly’s Arena. Deal listings come and go, so treat them as something to search for on the day rather than something to count on.
One practical warning that catches people out: Molly’s Arena is card-payment only. Bring a debit or credit card, because cash will not work at the counter.
Which games does Molly’s Arena actually have?
The draw is the rhythm line-up, which is licensed and imported rather than emulated. Named cabinets on the floor include:
- Taiko no Tatsujin, the Bandai Namco drum game
- Sound Voltex 5, Konami’s button-and-dial rhythm cabinet
- Nostalgia, Konami’s piano-keyboard rhythm game
- Pump It Up Prime and Dance³, both dance-pad games
- Tekken for head-to-head fighting, and Cruis’n Blast for arcade racing
Trading card games run alongside the cabinets on most opening days. Molly’s Arena is a registered store organiser for One Piece TCG and Gundam through Bandai, for Magic: The Gathering through Wizards of the Coast, and for Riftbound. If you want to play in a tournament rather than just turn up, check the event calendar on the venue’s own site first, because the schedules rotate by game.
What is on the ramen bar menu, and what does it cost?
Ramen is served Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00 to 21:00, in three versions: chicken char siu at €21.90, vegetable at €20.90 and vegan at €20.90. All three come with a whole seasoned egg, black fungus, thinly sliced leek, ito togarashi, lettuce and a lemon slice, with Molly’s non-spicy chilli oil. A pot of the house spicy chilli paste is €2 extra. No reservation is needed for the ramen bar.
The Fuwa Fuwa souffle pancakes are the item most likely to trip up your planning. They are €16 each and only available Friday to Sunday, 11:00 to 16:00, so a Wednesday evening visit will not get you any. The six versions are named after Pokemon and differ by topping: Professor Oak with fresh fruit and maple syrup, Eevee with caramel and pecans, Pokeball with strawberries and crumble, Bulbasaur with matcha and yuzu, Jigglypuff with raspberry, and Mewtwo with coffee cream and mocha.
Reviewers consistently rate the food highly and just as consistently call it expensive for the portion. One family reported paying €88 for four bowls of ramen and three drinks, which is a useful benchmark if you are budgeting a group visit.
If you want the ramen without the tram ride, the kitchen also trades on Uber Eats under the name Ichiraku Ramen by Molly’s Arena, so delivery covers part of Amsterdam even though the arcade itself does not.
What is Molly’s Kart, and can anyone book it?
Molly’s Kart is a separate, escorted go-kart tour of central Amsterdam run by the same team, often described online as a real-life Mario Kart ride, and currently advertised at €75 per kart against a listed price of €125. A booking covers roughly 30 minutes of instruction plus about an hour of driving, with an ECE-certified helmet, radio communication, a dash cam and insurance included. Sessions run up to four karts at a time, each with one driver, led by a motorcycle escort.
The eligibility rules are strict and worth reading before you pay. Drivers must be 21 or over, must have held a category B licence for at least three years, and must carry the physical licence on the day, because a digital licence is not accepted. Anyone who has had a licence suspension or an EMG order is excluded, as is anyone pregnant. There are also weight and height limits, but the venue’s own page lists them inconsistently, giving 100 kg and 2.00 m in the FAQ and 115 kg and 2.10 m in the requirements list, so confirm the current figures when you book.
How does Molly’s Arena compare with Amsterdam’s other arcades?
The three main arcade options in Amsterdam differ on two things that decide the visit: how you pay, and what era of games you get. All three were confirmed trading in 2026.
| Venue | Where | How you pay | Games | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molly’s Arena | Osdorpplein, Nieuw-West | Free entry, then credits on a smart card | Licensed Japanese rhythm, fighting and racing cabinets | Anime and rhythm-game fans, and a proper sit-down meal |
| TonTon Club Centrum | Sint Annendwarsstraat, city centre | About €6 for 5 credits | Retro cabinets and pinball | A short arcade stop between centre sights, with drinks |
| Blast Galaxy | Sloterdijk business area, Amsterdam West | Day ticket, roughly €15 adult | 120-plus retro cabinets on free play | Unlimited play on eighties and nineties classics |
If you want to play as long as you like for one fixed price, Blast Galaxy wins on maths. If you are passing through the centre anyway, TonTon Club is the low-commitment option. Molly’s Arena is the only one of the three where the specific machines are the point, and the only one that pairs them with a full ramen kitchen.
What is the atmosphere like, and is it worth photographing?
The room is loud, low-lit and dense: cabinets along the walls, screens running anime, life-size character statues, and a merch wall of figures and card sleeves. Reviewers most often single out those statues and the ramen counter as the two spots worth a photo, and the counter is the easier shot because the bar seating faces an open kitchen rather than a machine.
Cosplay is welcome rather than merely tolerated, and it shows up most on tournament days. If you are planning a visit around a specific event, the venue’s Instagram and TikTok accounts are updated more often than the website calendar, so check those for last-minute changes to tournament slots and pancake service.
When is the best time to visit?
A Wednesday or Thursday afternoon is the quietest window, because the venue opens at 12:00 on those days and the local school and weekend crowd has not arrived. You will wait less for the popular rhythm cabinets, which are single-player and can bottleneck.
If the pancakes are the reason you are going, you have one window and it is narrow: Friday, Saturday or Sunday between 11:00 and 16:00. Arriving at 11:00 on a Friday gets you both the pancake service and a near-empty arcade floor, which is the single best combination on the timetable.
Avoid turning up on a Monday or Tuesday. The venue is closed both days, and Osdorpplein is a 25-minute tram ride from the centre, so the wasted trip is a real one.
How do you get to Molly’s Arena?
Take tram 17 from Amsterdam Centraal in the direction of Osdorp Dijkgraafplein and get off at Osdorpplein Oost or Osdorpplein West. The line runs the width of the city, passing Dam Square, Leidseplein, the Kinkerstraat and Station Lelylaan, and it runs every 10 minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes off peak. Tram 1 towards Osdorp De Aker also serves Osdorpplein, as do buses 61, 63 and 369.
If you are coming by metro, ride lines 50 or 51 to Station Lelylaan and change there onto tram 17 for the last few stops. Coming from Schiphol, take the train to Station Lelylaan rather than going all the way into Centraal, then pick up the same tram.
You no longer need a plastic transport card for any of this. Dutch public transport now runs on OVpay, so you tap in and out with the same contactless bank card or phone you already carry. Our OVpay guide explains the fares, the daily cap and the tap-out rule.
What else is worth doing nearby?
Osdorpplein is a shopping square, so the arcade is not a scenic destination in itself. The pairing that works is the Sloterplas, the large artificial lake a short ride or 20-minute walk east, which gives you an open-air counterweight to a few hours under arcade lighting.
On the way back into town, tram 17 puts you within a few minutes’ walk of Ten Kate Market and the Foodhallen in Oud-West, which is the easiest way to turn a trip out to Osdorp into a full afternoon rather than an out-and-back.
Molly’s Arena FAQ
Is there an entry fee at Molly’s Arena?
No. Entry is free, and you only pay for game credits, food and merchandise.
Can children go to Molly’s Arena?
Yes, it is family friendly, but anyone under 21 has to be accompanied by a guardian aged 25 or over.
Can you pay cash at Molly’s Arena?
No. The venue is card only, so bring a debit or credit card.
Do you need a reservation?
No. Neither the arcade nor the ramen bar requires a booking, though you can contact the venue if you are bringing a large group.
Can you win prizes?
Not in the ticket-redemption sense. Molly’s Arena runs on high scores rather than prize tickets, with prizes attached to organised tournaments instead.
Do unused game credits expire?
No. Credits stay on the smart card between visits, there is no time limit on play, and one card can be shared by a group.
Is Molly’s Arena in the city centre?
No. It is on Osdorpplein in Nieuw-West, roughly 25 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal on tram 17.
Last updated: July 2026 (what we verified)
Checked in July 2026 against the venue’s own site (mollys-arena.nl home, Ramen Bar, Anime Arcade, Molly’s Kart and FAQ pages), Tripadvisor, and GVB and Amsterdam transport route data. Confirmed this visit: the Osdorpplein 771 address, the Wednesday-to-Sunday opening hours, free entry, the card-only payment rule, the under-21 guardian rule, the €2.50 smart card and the three credit bundles, the ramen and pancake prices and their separate service windows, the named rhythm cabinets, and the Molly’s Kart requirements.
Corrections made in this update: an earlier version of this page placed Molly’s Arena in the city centre and gave directions via tram 2 or 12 to Leidseplein, metro 52 to De Pijp, and a 20-minute walk from Dam Square. All of those were wrong, and the correct location and routes are now given above. That version also described karaoke rooms, named cocktails, specific themed event nights and a mural on the building; none could be verified against the venue and all have been removed. The old advice to buy an OV-chipkaart has been replaced with OVpay, which superseded it. Prices and hours change, so confirm on the day.
