Bruine cafés (Brown Cafés) in de Jordaan

Description of the place
The Jordaan is known as the district of authentic Amsterdam brown cafés. These cafés owe their warm appearance to the dark wooden interiors, which acquired their characteristic brown colour over the years through candlelight, cigar smoke and conviviality. In a brown café it is not about trendy fashions, but about a well-poured beer, a bitterbal on the table and a chat with the regulars. Well-known examples in the Jordaan are Café Chris, Café Papeneiland, Café ‘t Smalle and Café Lowietje. Here you can still taste the atmosphere of old Amsterdam, where local residents, students and visitors effortlessly end up side by side at the bar. A round of the brown cafés is perhaps the most authentic way to experience the Jordaan.
Where does the name come from?
The term ‘brown café’ refers to the dark, brown colour of the interior. This came about in the past through a combination of wooden panelling, tobacco smoke, oil lamps and years of use. Although smoking indoors is no longer allowed nowadays, the name has remained and it symbolises the traditional Amsterdam pub.

Fun fact
Did you know that many brown cafés in the Jordaan have existed for more than a century? Some have been in the hands of the same family for generations. That is why a visit still feels as if you are stepping back into the Amsterdam of the past – where the stories at the bar are at least as important as the beer.