De Brabantse Aap in Burgwallen-Nieuwe Zijde

The service and location were really nice, but aside from the fact that the tram constantly passes in front, we tried their homemade drinks and didn't like them very much. The canal view and the historical buildings were beautiful though.

A little off the beaten tourist track. Quaint shop with delicious food.

Had a fantastic visit! Dutch-speaking staff, explanation of the menu and product knowledge, constantly full glasses on the terrace, a clean restroom, and a smile at the table.

Very disappointing service and absolute rudeness from staff. Calling people “pigs” is totally unacceptable behaviour

The worst bathroom I've ever seen in my entire life, it's hotter than the surface of the sun, impossible to use it properly without passing out.

I have been here a few times for drinks, and today we decided to have lunch as well. The staff is friendly and the location is central. We ordered two sandwiches; on the pricey side, but we did expect to get a rich, mature sandwich with good ingredients and rustic bread. I ordered a Parma ham sandwich (€14.50) and my boyfriend a ‘roasted chicken’ sandwich (€13.00). What we received was almost laughable. Two dry brown slices of bread, in my case a thin layer of dairy spread, some watery tomatoes, brown iceberg lettuce, and a few slices of cheap Parma ham. My boyfriend got two slices of bread with some slices of chicken breast, brown lettuce, and some other stuff. What a disappointment… I feel completely ripped off. As a resident of Amsterdam, I’m used to a lot these days, but this really goes too far. In hindsight, we shouldn’t have accepted this. €14 for brown bread from the day before and some fillings from the supermarket. Truly SHAMEFUL! Out of awkwardness, I didn't bring it up, but I deeply regret it. It is clear what they are trying to do with the food here: maximize their profit margin by charging unsuspecting tourists top dollar. We should have known better than to have lunch here; in any case, I will never be coming back.

I was very disappointed with this bar. When it started raining, we were refused entry simply because we are fans of a certain artist. The staff said they were having a "bad shift" and didn't want to let us in. On top of that, they even told us we would "behave like pigs," despite having absolutely no reason to say that. Instead of treating us with basic respect, they forced us to stay outside in the rain. The staff were rude, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. After this experience, I definitely cannot recommend this place.

They producen fantastic Blonde Beer!

Cozy little place, definitely worth a visit and absolutely on the terrace.

Super tasty drinks and a very nice view of all the cycling Amsterdammers. Noor is super sweet.

The service was a little delayed and the kitchen had already closed at 10 pm, but we had meat croquettes and cheese rolls, with a glass of white wine and a soda, and for dessert a delicious apple tart!

The fries and draft beers are second to none. The location is historic and the service is friendly and quick. Don’t sleep on their gin and tonics either. Been a dozen times before, will be back a baker’s dozen more times.

We stumbled upon De Brabantse Aap and I’m so glad we did! We ended up loving it so much we came back a second time during our trip…our first visit we sat inside overlooking the outdoor seating which was pretty full and on our second visit we were able to get a table in the covered area. The service was excellent and the staff was very friendly and made recommendations for us on which beers we should try. Their White Antonia was a quick favorite! On our first visit we had the bitterballen and cheese sticks and on our second visit we got the cheese board…everything was phenomenal! Highly recommend visiting this spot and we will definitely be returning on our future trips to Amsterdam!

Fantastic atmosphere, excellent beer, beautiful corner… and bitterballen too!

A Liefsmann cherry beer on ice, people-watching, and enjoying the atmosphere. Very friendly and efficient service. The toilets on the second floor are a high-risk area for those who are drunk; the lower level doesn't even have a railing, so a broken neck is practically guaranteed.

Great atmosphere, always busy. Lots of beer on tap and in bottles. A lovely traditional Dutch pub.

Delicious food and good atmosphere. Great beer 👍

I enjoyed the place, stopped for a soda

We only had a few drinks. The place is clean, with an open terrace and a roof. It's nice and clean. Good service. Clean restrooms on the 3rd floor.

I was the only white person in the group and my friends were accused by the wait staff for dining and not paying “a few hours before when we showed up”. After we asked what the people who dined and dashed looked like, the server said, “like these people,” gesturing at everyone except me. It was insane. Also, who would dine and dash and return to the same place later that day??

My friend Joe came here. He said it was nice but too much spice.

Nice cafe in the heart of Amsterdam

Very enjoyable meal, wonderful service!

Nice pub in the center of Amsterdam. Always packed. Nice athmosphere. Like the self-brewed beer.

I've just been to this bar. A truly shockingly bad experience. I was served by some floppy-haired, bearded jumped-up small man, who served me 3/4 of a pint, all frothy gas on top, and when I complained when he did it a second time, he had the barefaced cheek to react like I was in the wrong. And all for 8 Euros a pint (well you will be lucky). I even overheard the staff calling me an expletive, and the explanation was, 'this is how we serve pints here'. So, that's illegally then. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Lovely staff. Nice tab beers. Great snacks.

Perfect ambience and good food. We had the veggie burger, fries and vegetarian bitterballen.

I don’t know exactly where or what place it was. But I was sitting across from it, under a tree. Around that spot, life was happening all the time. You could just sit there and watch it, right in front of you, just like I did.

Terrible, terrible, and above all unfriendly service - dirty menus - dirty glasses - sticky tables - broken toilets - stale beer

Great terrace in good weather. Friendly service.

Good for watching sports and social gatherings

We had a delicious meal and drinks during a weekend in Amsterdam. The staff is really super friendly, and they have amazing beers on the menu (including non-alcoholic ones, by the way). Highly recommended!

Great staff, good location and nice atmosphere loved the monkey tale

Best nachos I’ve ever had and great customer service. Please go

Great spot for lunch and people watching.

Various specialty beers, good food, and the staff speaks Dutch and is friendly.

Relaxed atmosphere in a pub type setting. Menu OK but quite limited for vegetarians and even for others not a huge amount of choice. On the plus side, apart from the steak, the burgers, side dishes etc tasty and good size portions. Decent prices too. The really plus point is that it has a good range of draught beers. Would recommend for a quick meal and refreshing beers.

It's a shame I can't give a 0 across the board. After 30 minutes, a waiter came to us. I told him I thought we were invisible, and he said, "I'll make sure you're really visible now." Our order arrived. It's a real disgrace to serve this to customers. This is unacceptable! When I explained the problem, we received a very rude response: "You don't have to repeat it again, I'll take it off the bill." I replied, "Thank you." He tried to argue with me, and I said, "Sorry, I own a restaurant." We left out of politeness and certainly didn't want any further discussion. "Who would eat this and still pay €19 per person?" We didn't, sorry. I hope you really learn from this. Sincerely,

A bar with a warm and friendly atmosphere

As an Amsterdammer, you often think, "I'm not going there." But actually... Surprise! What fantastic staff. Everything went smoothly.

Very good and fast, pleasant service

Social atmosphere! We had a great time!

Absolutely fantastic! I had such a wonderful time here. Every moment was a delight, and I left feeling incredibly pleased with my experience. Highly recommend checking it out! 🎉

Characterful pub in a beautiful location. Delicious beer, round bitterballen. Enjoyable.

Great place until this afternoon... after a fun Friday at university, I wanted to go to De Brabantse with some friends. Unfortunately, three people in the group had to go to the restroom (there were five of us), and the rest stood outside smoking for a bit before looking for a table. The manager, "Roan," couldn't stand this, and we were sent away. We weren't even allowed to find a spot near the bar! It was getting bizarre!

Three friends and I wanted to have a beer, but before that, we wanted to use the restroom. Roan, a guy who works there, came over and said we weren't allowed to use the restroom. We asked if we could sit somewhere else, but that wasn't allowed, and we were sent away. I find it outrageous that you can't even have a beer at this place because this guy doesn't agree. I don't think this guy should work here if you don't have hospitality.

The entire experience was completely ruined by the appalling service provided by the waitress, who from the very first second treated us with arrogance thinly disguised as scripted politeness. Her words sounded courteous, but her actions told a very different story—rude, condescending, and shockingly ill-mannered. At one point, she threw the coasters at us with a level of childish disrespect that left us speechless. Our silence was not consent, but shock—and frustration. The language barrier prevented us from fully expressing our indignation in the moment, which only deepened the sense of helplessness. Until the very end, she maintained this disturbing contradiction between polite words and hostile behavior, displaying a complete lack of professionalism. It is unacceptable that a restaurant with such potential would employ staff capable of destroying a guest’s experience and damaging its reputation so carelessly. We are left with a bitter question: Is this behavior representative of Dutch hospitality, or were we simply unfortunate enough to encounter an isolated case? What should have been a bright memory of Amsterdam turned into a deeply disappointing experience , one we will, regrettably, not forget.

Fast service, atmospheric place and tasty dishes

Loved their bitterballen! Such a cosy place to stop, relax, and try their beers alongside these delicious bites.

A cozy café perfect for drinks, lunch, or dinner. Easily accessible by tram right outside. Lovely terrace. Incredibly friendly staff and a variety of beers on tap.

Relaxed place in a busy location. The kitchen was stressed, but the staff handled it well.

Great pub. Friendly service. Good beer.

Excellent place in the central area, affordable despite the excellent quality, absolutely recommended!

Three of their own Belgian beers on tap. Each beer had a signature glass and mat. Beers were perfectly to style and served by a courteous, energetic bartender. He even arranged for take-out of the triple as gifts for friends.

Super cozy, delicious toasts and wonderful coffee

Last Friday night, we had wine and dinner at De Brabantse Aap. The wine was excellent, and the nachos were delicious. There was a lot of cheese and chili sauce to make it creamy. We were comfortable, but it was very crowded inside with some noisy/shouting groups. We had trouble hearing each other at times, and the restrooms weren't very clean either, possibly due to the busy evening. A great place to sit!

Great atmosphere and good service with a Smilde. Delicious beers and snacks.

It had great reviews so I decided to go. I ordered a beer and something that looked like a croquette. The croquette had a slight curry flavor. The thin outer coating was crispy and delicious. The restrooms are on the second floor, and a few more steps up, on the right. The kitchen appears to be on the second floor, but there are lots of adorable stuffed monkeys on display in a display case on the left. There were also pictures of monkeys dressed as men and women in the men's and women's restrooms, which were very heartwarming. The restroom cubicles were also spacious. Even though it was cold in winter, there were people drinking on the terrace outside. I think this is a really nice restaurant.

Good location, good service and pretty good food.

After a walking tour, we were looking for a place to enjoy a local beer and an authentic bite to eat, and De Brabantse Aap was the perfect find in the heart of Amsterdam. We sat at the bar, and had a great experience. Our bartender was very attentive and helpful-she guided us in choosing an appetizer sampler and a light beer for me. My husband opted for the Delirium beer, which is perfectly named because it’s very potent! The atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming. We didn’t even realize at first that the pub was monkey-themed, but after looking around a bit we noticed monkeys everywhere, which added a fun touch. It’s a great place, and we’ll definitely be back again.

Great place to have a pint and watch the world go by,

Great service and delicious food!

I went there to have a beer and some fries, but the couple at the next table ordered steaming bread, so I searched the menu and ordered the beer bread! The warm bread, spread with butter, was delicious. It paired well with beer. They even served different glasses for each beer, so it was delicious and enjoyable.

Such a great place to go. Friendly staff great location.

The way the staff (particularly a middle-aged man) communicates the house rules is extremely inappropriate and unprofessional. Even when a customer is unaware of a rule, it's unacceptable to address them in a derogatory and rude manner. The lack of understanding, customer friendliness, and empathy was immediately apparent. This gave me the strong impression that De Brabantse Aap is insufficiently open to diversity and struggles to treat customers with different backgrounds or perspectives respectfully.

terrible attitude towards the client

De Brabantse Aap, strategically located near the bustling Rokin and Spui areas, is a quintessential Amsterdam grand café and a perfect central meeting point. It boasts one of the city's largest and most sought-after terraces, making it an excellent spot for soaking up the vibrant city life and indulging in serious people-watching. The atmosphere inside is typically lively and warm, blending classic Amsterdam brown café charm with modern convenience. They offer a solid selection of local and international beers, alongside classic Dutch bar snacks and substantial lunch options. It’s a reliable, spacious, and centrally located refuge for a drink after a long day of sightseeing or shopping.

Delicious food in a great location. Friendly staff...hats off! 🙌🏼

Great place with not so knowledgeable staff. The beers on offer are unique most of them, the food is good value for the money.

We arrived there to have a beer, but they didn’t send us outside. Instead, they directed us to sit at the bar, even though there were still available seats.

Amsterdam classic, always good.

Top stay, great food, good service and relaxed atmosphere

The food is amazing, make sure to try the fries! The cappucino I had was also one of the best ever, just a little small. Servers are super nice. It can get quite loud though.

Nice atmospheric place, food is good especially with a nice beer.

The soup was delicious, they have a sun room to sit in on cold days, and they have fresh mint and ginger teas!

A cafe in good place and good service

Nice place, friendly Dutch-speaking staff. Delicious food. One warning: the spicy chicken sandwich is really spicy too 😅

Cozy pub, friendly service. Large and good beer selection. Delicious bitterballen.

Good food, good service and it’s a cozy place. They have burgers (beef & chicken), some great beers from The Netherlands, United States and more, and there’s a lot of seating indoor & outdoor. The burger was good, the fries were okay.

Lovely seating and great service!!

Great stop for some drinks and watch the main street, always cozy and nice staff.

Friendly staff, and the waiter knows what he's doing. Delicious food and drinks!

We were looking for breakfast. At 11:30 we were the first guests. Food was very delicious, service was very cute. For someone who wants to eat fast and tasty - perfect spot.

A really great place to visit and watch the trams, cyclists and walkers. The food was excellent and the service brilliant.

Tried the bitterballen here and they were absolutely delicious – crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful inside 😋 The place has a nice atmosphere, perfect for enjoying Dutch classics. Definitely a spot worth stopping by if you want to try authentic local bites!

We had a lovely lunch on the terrace. The table was small for three people at lunch, but the food was good. The service was also pleasant and fast.

Welcoming, with excellent service and a good selection of beers at decent prices, it allows you to enjoy the downtown atmosphere and the warmth of a busy but not uncomfortably crowded place. Very fast and attentive service, with just the right balance of informality and politeness. Highly appreciated.

To my surprise, the "smoked chicken" sandwich was just slices of chicken breast with a bit of overcooked egg on top, tomato, and cucumber. I found it rather bland and actually thought it would have a bit more flavor and some chicken pieces. I've had lunch here before, but this was a real disappointment...

We stopped here for coffee; sitting outside, you can watch the hustle and bustle. The service is quick and friendly.

We just had beers and apps. The food was good, the service was great and the people watching was even better. We were able to get an outside table in the middle of the afternoon. A great pit stop on a lovey, sunny day.

Was walking past (London tourists) and saw someone dining there with a sandwich being arriving at their table which looked super enticing! It was a tuna mayo sandwich- doesn’t sound like much but we ordered it too (brown bread) and it was lovely. Had with some chips and some rose. We were sat outside watching the trams and world go back. Pleasant attentive staff Clean toilets Good location Would recommend

We couldn’t decide where to eat and the menu looked good. We ordered the chicken Katsu, pork bao bun, wagyu gyoza and Saikoro beef steak. Everything was delicious.

A very good Dutch restaurant with a terrace and a covered area with outdoor access. The service was fast and attentive. The food was excellent. We chose several typical Dutch dishes and a local beef, which was very tender and juicy. On weekends, it's best to book or go early because it's always packed!

Quite a disappointing experience. The sandwiches served were actually toast, not at all what we expected. The toilets were in a really unpleasant state, with a lingering odor. The prices were high for the quality offered. It definitely felt like a tourist trap. I do not recommend it; there are much better places in Amsterdam.

We visit Amsterdam 2-3 times every year. This was our favorite cafe/restaurant in Amsterdam. Due to an unpleasant blonde waitress it is no more our favorite place. However the food served there is good.

Dry bread rolls, no sauce or anything creamy. It was also pretty tasteless... the chicken sandwich was dry bread with chicken breast and a boiled egg... very mediocre. Service was quick, though.

Lovely place for lunch. Friendly service. Excellent! Another fantastic experience at De Brabantse Aap.

Great restaurant, we ate very well, the falafel burger was delicious

Tried bitteballen and ham and cheese. Both were good.

Neat, but I thought the tables were too close together.