Café Kalkhoven

We first stopped here while waiting for our hotel check-​in after a red eye flight. We had tea and coffee and something small to eat. The wait person was helpful but annoyed that all we had from the ATM were 50 euro bills. Our friends wanted to go there for lunch so we did. The food was ok — decent but not special. Only two of the five people ordered a beverage. We all asked for water as we had just gotten off a long plane flight. We were given miniscule glasses and refused any refills. They would not even sell us bottled water. Insisted we had to order drinks (hey we did just order lunch and earlier tea and coffee — and yes we left a tip). You can do better than this place. Other restaurants in Amsterdam were happy to serve water.

A typical Dutch «brown café» that makes a great place to warm up and have a coffee or lunch while you’re out hitting the town or beers and bar snacks after. Centrally located at just a stones throw away from the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank house and always bustling, this place is filled with Amsterdammers and tourists alike. I found the service to be friendly and efficient but if you want to be fawned over this is not the place, you’ll have to reach into your pockets a little deeper and go to a more swanky place. This was not my first time there and certainly won’t be my last. It’s on my list of go to places in the area.

This is an interesting little bar in a few ways. For one it’s been there since 1670. Some of the casks behind the bar are from that period. It’s small with a main area near the bar where locals hang out, and an upper area with tables and chairs. There are also tables and chairs along the perimeter of the café as well as a whole table and chair section under an umbrella across the street on the corner of Prinsengracht and Rozengracht. It’s a great location and a cozy little brown café.
They have several beers on tap and an interesting selection of bottled beers. They also offer a selection of appetizer sized snacks like cheese, meatballs, bread and sliced cold cuts. I’ve sat outside with a friend drinking beer and watching the world go by. Being on the corner at a stoplight you see all the people riding by on their bikes, people on their bikes stopped at the stoplight, people coming from the Anne Frank house from across the street, more people disembarking from their tourist bus, all the cars whizzing past and general foot traffic walking by. It’s quite the show.
Service is not slow but neither is it fast. There are two people working the floor and the bar. There is the bartender and a waiter both delivering drinks, serving the locals and tourists alike. I walked up to the bar and asked the bartender if he could recommend a dark beer to me. His reply was curt. He said, «NO…I have no idea what you like!» and turned away. The two locals sitting at the bar got quite the chuckle out of the whole interaction and chimed in, «yep he can’t help you.» Not to be outdone, I stepped over to one of the tables, grabbed a menu and chose a beer. Whence I stepped back up to the bar to order, the two locals were ready for a good show and watched intently. I waited for the bartender to look my way and told him which beer I’d like. His response, «it’s already on it’s way!» somewhat annoyed and growing more impatient. So I said, fine, all the while wondering, «okay how did he know which one or did someone already order it for me?»
LOL it took me most of the night to figure out that he meant it would be delivered to me shortly. So, sit down already. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the two locals giggling hysterically. This was some fun now this tourist being put in his place. LOL I thought it was kind of funny myself. Regardless, I wasn’t offended by his curtness but slightly amused. The waiter was almost constantly delivering drinks and picking up empty glasses. He was also taking drink orders and acting as a cashier. And then??? we left… walked off into the night. Gone. Places to go things to see, you know.
Now I can’t say whether I’ll go back but I might. I mean it IS a great people watching spot.

When friends r waiting on the line of Anne Frank, u can have a beer here :)

Stopped for beers. Later realized we were cheated on our change by the waiter.