Café Bolle Jan in Grachtengordel-Zuid

I've never been there. So I can't say it's nice. But then again, I can't say it's NOT nice either, right? We simply don't know. Now, you could say: Go there then, OR just don't write a review. But yeah, I don't feel like it. So, I'll just sit in the middle. I can't sugarcoat it, people.

Cozy pub! Fast service at the bar!

I used to go to Bolle Jan regularly, and it was always a great pub. After three years, I went back yesterday, but unfortunately, the welcome was very disappointing. I can well imagine that security at the door has a demanding job and deals with unpleasant situations every day. But I can imagine you adapt to the situation. The man at the door yesterday was incredibly rude. I was sober and tried to calmly explain that his tone was unpleasant, but that only made it worse. So we left. It's a shame to see a pub I always had fond memories of now become such an unpleasant place.

Nice cafe, but it's really awful that they take your coat from the cafe and don't tell you that you then have to pay for the wardrobe. That really ruins the atmosphere of the evening.

Sadly, it's not like it used to be. We went on a pub crawl on Friday night, but this pub was so disappointing that I'm even going to bother writing a review. Reasons: -If a bartender tries to get past you, he'll just kick your feet. -If you stand at the bar near the sink, three people will just get sprayed with water without mercy. -We were inside for three minutes and had put our coats down next to us. They were suddenly gone. If they want you to use a coat check, at least tell them at the entrance, or just talk to me if we're standing next to our coats. I'll happily hang them up. I understand that running a pub in the city center is undoubtedly not the easiest in terms of customers, but a bit more customer service is definitely a plus. Friendly doorman and good music, as always.

Sing along loudly to live Amsterdam music.

RACIST SECURITY. I am a solo black female. The old guy would not let me in and told me it was due to them closing. However, the place was full with music going. This was on Wednesday at 1:00 AM and it says that they don’t close until 3:00 AM. He lied. Stay away!!

My friend and I were there on a Friday night, the atmosphere was lively and fun, which made it even more enjoyable since it was our first time in Amsterdam. It felt like a very authentic Dutch experience.

Great pub! Always friendly and always make time for a chat. The moment you step inside, you'll feel right at home. If you love pubs and good company... definitely go to Bolle Jan.

Would not recommend this place at all..Obvious Racist treatment...

Racist pub! Sad to see that a local pub in Amsterdam is un-welcoming to the non-dutch crowd.

In this age and after so many years here in NL, to find a racist place is surprising. Avoid it if you can..

After living 15 years in Netherlands never experienced such a racist place

We were unable to enter unfortunately it was a private party

What a nice atmosphere here! We arrived here on Saturday around 21:00 and it was already very busy. Lovely Dutch music, nice Amsterdam atmosphere. We had a fantastic evening! It's a good thing I don't live in Amsterdam otherwise I would be here far too often.

Nice pub, but it's ridiculous that you have to pay to go to the toilet in a cafe while spending a fortune on drinks. The owner also came later in the evening, but she doesn't exactly radiate pleasure.

Sledgehammer pressure. Too busy!

I've never experienced such an atmosphere in a pub, it's crazy and a huge compliment to the waitresses for always being so quick with so many people and not forgetting anything. I'm always happy to be your guest again

You will experience real Amsterdam conviviality here! We love coming here and will definitely keep coming back 🥳🍻

So, so… what can I say… other than SHAMEFUL! My friend and I wanted to go out to Amsterdam during our vacation. People recommended Rembrandt Square to us. So we went there. When we got there, we heard music in a street (Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat), so we went there. We find ourselves in front of the Bolle Jan café and ask if we can enter. The security guard asks us: “Where are you from?” ". We quickly respond: “France”. And when he hears that we are coming from there, he tells us that the evening is private. So I think I can say that this building is slightly racist. Like the bar next door, Café Pikketanussie, which refused us for no reason. So I want to say “Bravo”, you are discrediting yourself. I therefore do not recommend this place.

As a foreigner, this place does obviously not have me as their target demographic. And that is totally fine. As many people seem to comment that the bouncer would say "Dutch only" it is clear he is talking about the music. This place does not cater their activities to tourists, and that is fine. We had a great time listening and trying to enjoy the vibe of the bar. It seemed as the those who could understand the lyrics had a great evening, and as a consequence so did me and my friend. One thing which seems to confuse me is that there was a 50 cent charge (Cash only) for using the restroom. This is for me pretty alienating when we are already paying in the bar for beer. Still this would not have been a problem if the lady "running the second floor" had simply informed me that I could pay for 50 cent down in the bar. I had not brought any cash for the evening, as every other place I had visited this trip seemed to discourage cash in Amsterdam. If anything, holding back this information instead of simply informing me felt much more hostile than any of the comments regarding the bouncer (which was strict about the Dutch song policy, but not in any way hostile).

The doorman did not let us in, VERY unfriendly, and had no sense of humor, not recommended

Beautiful eatery, wonderful atmosphere and starry skies

Nice atmosphere during the week on quiet days. From Friday to Sunday full of snacks from outside Amsterdam.

It's been about an hour and everyone is singing along. Quite pricey for a small glass of beer (€3.50)

They only let local people through. Unpresentable!

Always cosy. It is now known to us as "Bolle Janus" (don't know why).

Beautiful old and cozy cafe. Good staff, delicious beers and a great sound system. Definitely worth a visit.

Great tent, it was in the past and still is. Everyone comes here for the same fun and partying. Staff also super friendly and always nice singers 👌 Highly recommended.

My wife and I had booked a hotel in Amsterdam and to conclude we visited Bolle Jan. I used to come here and there is still a pleasant atmosphere here. A real Amsterdam pub with accompanying music. We were lucky that there was a large, friendly group of boys from Kaatsheuvel with whom we had a lot of laughs! It was Saturday evening and we had a live Dutch singer. The staff at the bar did a very good job and we received great help!

They only let local people through. When they come to Spain to see if they receive the same treatment

Great place for a real Dutch experience.

Gewoon ouderwetse amsterdamse gezelligheid

Even binnen geweest met een vrijgezellen feest. Sfeer is prima. Wel wat krap als je laat binnen komt.

Een gezellig avondje uit? Tot het gaatje gaan? Het kan bij Bolle Jan. Super gezellig, vriendelijk personeel en een hele goede sfeer.

Nog altijd top!!!! Kom hier al 30 jaar! Patrick, Antwerpen En wat lief dat jullie écht de tijd nemen om telkens te reageren op reviews! Prachtig is dat!!! Duizend dikke vette pluimen, word er lyrisch, emotioneel en gelukkig van! Bedankt voor al die jaren gezelligheid en plezier.

Serveren geen eten, maar het is daar altijd gezellig. Kan er ook in mijn jeugd en geen daar Rene Froger leren kennen

Geweldig! Fijn personeel! Altijd gezellig!

Géweldige avond gehad!!! Top sfeer zelfs voor een maandagavond!!! Leuke gezellige zanger. Het was fantastisch!!!

Sjiek dat we eindelijk na 10 jaren Amsterdam bezoek dit café bezocht hebben.. gezellig en vriendelijke barman en toiletdame...

Super fun place to get a drink and have some fun

kom hier vaak nog met me pappenheimertjes super toko

Super unfreundliche Türsteher. Hier möchte man nicht feiern

Wat een super gezellig kroeg en super personeel

Super gezellig cafe in Amsterdam.

Heerlijke avond gehad! Leuk personeel!

Geweldig cafe, altijd leuk en gezellig met de live zangers die ze altijd hebben!

Was echt super gezellig echt een aanrader als je in Amsterdam bent 👍👌🎉🥂

E een jordaanees cafe met alleen maar Hollandse klappers goed voor een avondje gezelligheid op zn amsterdams

altijd gezellig daar met leuke zangers

Iets waar je geweest moet zijn!

One of the oddest places I ever visited in my life. Great if you like a traditional Amsterdam setup, but it was ever so surreal. The music was dreadful and it was odd to have to tip the toilet lady - after a lot of beers you see her a lot. Wouldn't go again but if you are with a good crowd, are already buzzing and are open to a bizarre experience, you should consider it. Re. comments about racism... I've not experienced it as a problem despite being with a group that included people from Japan and Turkey. But perhaps things have changed since then?

Een knus café, maar toch fijne sfeer geproefd.

Erg gezellig maar ook erg druk. Een dansje maken gaat niet lukken in een vol cafe

Wat een feestje, erg jammer dan andere ruzie maakte Maar dat werdt meteen.opgelost Herhaling van

Gezellig klein cafe, loeigoede zanger, complimenten daarvoor! Nederlandstalige meezingers, gezellige sfeer!

Gezellig blijft een aanrader ..maar afgelopen x weinig vernieuwend aan muziek gehoord ..later ander café en hoppa die hebben dus gelijk een nieuw nr ..miss dat we tekort er zijn geweest dat kan dat pas later daar de wat nieuwe Hollandse muziek ..maar blijft voor mij op nr 1 staan

Niet geweest? Schande ..de 1e plaats in Mokum waar je heen moet! Jordaan,sfeer, gezelligheid, muziek... Aanrader. Daarna de stad zien...vaak geweest,tot binnenkort!!