I like listening to various types of music, but truth be told there is nothing better than listening to the Irish tunes when you are in a pub drinking beer. I have my own favorite Irish spots I tend to frequent but here is the slightly extended version of the list, with details you shall hopefully find interesting.
The most renowned Irish pub in Amsterdam is The Mulligan’s, famous mostly from their music events. Then come other spots like Wolfhound, where you can try the Irish food as well, or Hoopman with a long list of beers and ciders. Sports fans, should try St. James Gate with good food and games every evening.
Beneath, you will find the full list of 10 best Irish places worth popping by. And if you want to know a few more details about them – like, whether you can listen to some live music or if the food is digestible – read on, and you will find all your questions fully answered. At the end of the article, you’ll see the summary with some additional locations organized according to the three things you probably like in Irish pubs: food, beer or music.
The Best Irish Bars in Amsterdam
1. Mulligan’s Irish Music Bar
This place is a legend by itself, and for me, that’s what the Irish pub should be all about. There is lots of good live music going on there – every Sunday you can participate in an Irish music session, not only by listening to the others but also by playing music by yourself.
If you are rather into dancing – no problem at all, just go there on Monday. Every first Monday of the month there’s a session with live music, and on the other days, you can still practice with the Dancers. Add to that every Wednesday show by The Lasses – Amsterdam duo singing Irish folk music and you will see that this is a place where you go for Irish tunes.
You will find there a smoking room but also a terrace you can use if you would like. The drinks are reasonably priced, and the pint of Guinness taste great as always. It is not too big of a place, so try to be there a tad earlier than usual. It is an excellent spot for drinking and meeting friends, but the food is average.
Opening hours:
Weekdays: 4 pm – 1 am
Friday and Saturday: closing at 3 am
Location: Amstel 100, 1017 AC Amsterdam Link to The Mulligan’s Site
2. Molly Malone’s
If you are strolling around the Red Lights District and want to change the atmosphere for a moment – that’s where you should head! This is an Irish pub that is exactly as you would like it to be – pleasant staff, old whiskey barrels everywhere, brick and wood interior. Here, you have food and drinks, and all of that is above average. You can choose from a really wide range of dishes, and – what is somewhat important – breakfast is served until 6 pm.
The list of beers is impressive as well but not so much as the whiskey list, as there are over 70 brands to taste. There are TV screens so if you are a sports fan you won’t miss a single game.
Opening hours:
weekdays 11.30 am till 1 am
Friday & Saturday 11.30 till 3 am
Location: Oudezijds Kolk 9, 1012 Amsterdam
Check Molly Malone’s Website –> Link Here
3. Durty Nelly’s
What separates this particular pub from the others, is that Durty Nelly’s is an Irish pub as well as a reasonably priced hostel. So, the most important about this spot is a unique atmosphere, as lots of people who stay in the hostel frequent the pub and naturally feel very at home there. That means it is pretty easy to meet new people once you’re inside and have a beer or two.
During the week you can listen to the live music show or watch sports on big screens and on weekends there is a dj’s party. The food is OK but slightly overpriced so I would recommend grabbing Irish breakfast somewhere else.
Opening hours:
closing time is standard – weekdays 1 am, weekends 3 am,
but it opens as early as 9 am on each day.
Location: Warmoesstraat 115, 1012 JA Amsterdam
Check Durty Nelly’s Website – Link here
4. Blarney Stone
Situated in the very city center, Blarney Stone is the oldest Irish pub in Amsterdam. It is a place where you can feel like in a small village in Ireland as the owners try to recreate the Irish rural charm. A wide range of beer selection, good food and most of all – friendly staff and a really welcoming atmosphere. So if you are right in the middle of things, doing your tours or whatever and don’t want to waste time looking for a place to rest and have a pint – here is your best choice.
Opening hours:
closing time is standard – weekdays 1 am, weekends 3 am
Location: Nieuwendijk 29, 1012 LZ Amsterdam
5. St. James’ Gate
It is a place to choose if the food is your main concern at the moment, especially if it is Sunday and you really need comfort food. On other days you should try their Lamb Stew. The word is, their Guinness is one of the best – if not the top one – in town, and every evening there are sports events to watch.
Opening hours:
they start the day early, at 9 am,
and finish it
Location: Rembrandtplein 10, 1017 CV Amsterdam
Check St. James’ Gate Website — Link Here
6. Hoopman
It is a place as Irish as they come – from the interior to the menu list. You will find there lots of beers (even draught O’ Hara’s Irish Stout) and a wide range of ciders as well. As it is not so common in Amsterdam, you should really go there and try it.
There is also another reason – you can taste there 21-years old Bushmills single malt. 21! That was a first for me. Food is definitely not on the cheapest side though.
Opening hours:
You can stay there a while longer than usual on the weekdays as they close at 2 am.
On weekends it’s 3 am.
Location: Leidseplein 4, 1017 PT Amsterdam
Check Hoopman Website –> Link Here
7. O’Donnell’s
One of the Irish places where you can easily find seating even on Saturday evening, so if you are having a night out with a group of friends – here’s your Irish spot! There’s food, there is Guinness (not too bad they say) and lots of sports fans.
Opening hours:
10 am – 1 am on weekdays,
10 am – 3 am on Friday and Saturday.
Location: Ferdinand Bolstraat 5, 1072 LA Amsterdam
Check O’Donnell’s Website – Link Here
8. O’Reilly’s
It is a chain restaurant so I wasn’t expected much of it but the food there, in general, is decent enough and their Irish sausages are excellent. What makes this place special is the service – they are friendly and welcoming, but also very patient with someone who would like to try an unfamiliar beer and be sure to enjoy it at the same time. When there’s no crowd around you can ask for a beer tasting and not choose blindly from the list.
Opening hours:
11 am – 1 am on weekdays,
11 am – 3 am on Friday and Saturday.
Location: Paleisstraat 105 1012 ZL, Amsterdam
Click Here to Check O’Reilly’s website
9. Wolfhound
If you are afraid that every Irish pub on the list will be roughly the same – Guinness, folk music and nothing more, go there. First of all the interior is excellent – you can go to the cellar lounge from the XVII century, and it is going to feel like stepping down to some other world. You will find there live music shows every week, and not only folk (though I have nothing against it) but also good old rock music.
What is more, if you are up for that and nothing is happening on the stage that evening, you can grab the guitar and play something yourself. There is the catch, though – the owners seriously forbid playing Wonderwall and don’t you try and challenge that. But it is not all – you should try and eat something as well! They have fish and chips to die for, but I would go for the beef & Guinness casserole if I were you unless it is Sunday – then you should really try Sunday roast dinner with Guinness gravy. But it would be a waste if you’d only stick to beer in your food, mind you.
Opening hours:
Sunday – Wednesday 4 pm till 12 pm
Thursday – Saturday 12 an – 3 am
Location: Riviervismarkt 9 2011 HJ Haarlem
Check Wolfhound Internet Website –> Link Here
10. Gunnery’s Irish Pub
If you want a real deal when it comes to an Irish pub, you should find a spot where the expats hang out a lot. And Gunnery’s is that place exactly which is confirmed by every Irish tourist that visits the spot. The place is all about food and sports, so if you’re a fan of both – go there, and you will not be disappointed.
The food is relatively cheap (full Irish breakfast just for 9.5€) but nicely served and really good. The only thing is, you can’t go there on Mondays as it is closed and on Sundays, they close early, even before Midnight.
Opening hours:
closed on Mondays,
Tuesday – Thursday 4 pm – 2 am,
Friday – Saturday 12 am – 2 am,
Sunday 2 pm – 11.45 pm
Location: Verdronkenoord 123a, Alkmaar
Check Gunnery’s Irish Pub Website – Link here
11. Tierney’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Another place for those who would rather drink something stronger than beer. Tierney’s offers more than 100 whiskeys, so think carefully if you are really up for the challenge. The food is excellent, especially fish and chips but you will find there beef in Guinness and red wine as well.
It’s a perfect location for football fans – even those of you who prefer the Gaelic version, as well as rugby enthusiasts, will find something interesting to watch. And it is the best place for those who love to party till morning as on weekends closing time is at 4 am.
Opening hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 3 pm – 1 am,
Friday – Saturday: 12 am – 4 am.
Check Tierney’s Irish Pub Website – Link Here
Location: Spekstraat 8, 2011 HM Haarlem
Best Places With Irish Food
It is not an easy task to choose the top places for trying Irish cuisine as most pubs offer roughly the same dishes with Irish breakfast being number one. But there are exceptions. St. James Gate, Wolfhound and Tierney’s are excellent choices for the foodies.
But if you would rather try something new, you should head to The Porterhouse Bar (Land van Cocagneplein 1a 1093 NB). It is a brand new spot – they’ve opened only in March 2019 – so they are really trying to make an impression on everyone that comes their way. It is an Irish bar combined with a Dutch cafe – an interesting concept you have to admit. Anyway, if you are interested in trying some real deal Irish dishes, ask the staff about the Sunday menu. In Irish pubs, they tend to serve such delicacies as Sunday Roast or Irish Stew, so it’s worth asking!
Want a Guinness Pint or Maybe Something More Original?
If you are a beer drinker and your main reason to go out to a pub is to drink a pint, then you should probably try Biercafé Gollem (Raamsteeg 4, 1012 VZ). It is not an Irish pub per se that is why the place did not make a list, but the range of beers they offer is overwhelming. Your other option is O’Donnel’s or O’Reilly’s as they supposedly have exceptional Guinness. But to be honest. I would say that if you want to try something different, St. James Gate and Molly Malone’s, as well as Blarney Stone and Hoopman, should be your prior choice.
Best Irish – Live! – Music
There is only one place to put on top here – Mulligan’s being a “Music Bar” kind of speaks of itself. But when you feel like changing scene, you can always try Wolfhound or Durty Nelly’s as they also make room in between the football and all for some Irish tunes. And if you are in Amsterdam during St. Patrick Day, you can be sure to find lots of additional music events in various places, like for example Splendor bar.
As you can see, there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to an Irish pub in Amsterdam. Although it seems, there is no one place with great music, beer and food combined, but alas! you can’t have everything. Other than that you should have no trouble with a place you can feel Irish from head to toes!
