The writers' cafe of the Leidseplein, opened on 24 December 1940; poet Gerard den Brabander was its first customer, and after the war it became the base of the Vijftigers, where Remco Campert and Rudy Kousbroek founded the magazine Braak in 1950. A step away from the neon of the square, the stained glass and dark wood are largely original.
- Address
- Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 47, 1017 PW Amsterdam
- Hours
- Mon-Thu 16:30-01:00; Fri 12:00-02:00; Sat 13:30-02:00; Sun 12:00-24:00 (Google hours via Wanderlog, 2026-10)
- Best time to go
- Afternoon, Evening · About 1 h
- Price
- Price not verified
- Price level
- €€
Details can change. Check hours and prices before you go.
Good to know
- Every third Sunday of the month there is a poetry afternoon (cafe's own site).
- In 1943 the owner hung the compulsory 'Jews not allowed' sign with a suction cup; it soon 'fell' behind the stove (Dutch Wikipedia).
- Order old cheese or bitterballen with a beer and look at the paintings on the walls.