Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Utrecht for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Utrecht for grown-ups.
The longest beer list in Utrecht: 200 Belgian bottles and 20 draught lines in a canal-side werfkelder. Open until 04:00 on weekends. A city institution.
Signature drink: Delirium Tremens on draught, 200-bottle cellar list
Food: Belgian snacks, bitterballen, mussels
Tip: The Trappist shelf behind the bar has 40 bottles; ask the barman to pull one with a glass-rinse ritual.
Utrecht favourite waterside terrace, packed April to October. Tables line the Tolsteegplein quay. Dutch bar food and draught beer; no reservations.
Signature drink: Heineken on draught with a Dutch bitterbal
Food: Dutch snacks and bitterballen
Tip: Arrive before 17:00 on warm days or you will be standing. The quay terrace has the best canal view in the city.
vandeStreek Brewery taproom on two floors with a werfkelder and canal terrace. Twenty taps of Utrecht-brewed ales, IPAs and session beers on tap.
Signature drink: Playground IPA on draught from the Utrecht brewery
Food: Bar snacks, cheese boards and shared plates
Tip: The Playground IPA and the seasonal sour rotate most often; ask what just came in from the Nieuwegein brewery.
Former hidden Catholic church from 1860 with original vaulted ceilings and pipe organ. Belgian beer list and food in the most warm-lit bar room in Utrecht.
Signature drink: Chimay Bleue served at cellar temperature
Food: Belgian mussels, stoemp and Belgian cheese
Tip: Sit in the original nave under the vaulted ceiling; it is one of the most striking bar spaces in the Netherlands.
Open-fire bar in a former forensic centre on Gansstraat. Wild and craft beers on tap, natural wines by the glass and food from the in-house Lavett bakery.
Signature drink: Wild-fermented sour ales from Dutch and Belgian craft breweries
Food: Open-fire small plates, Lavett sourdough
Tip: The wild-fermented tap list changes weekly; the barman will let you taste before you commit to a pint.
Arthouse cinema and brown cafe on Springweg, open since 1885. Two film halls with world cinema, a loyal local crowd at the bar and a street-side terrace.
Signature drink: House pilsner with a bowl of traditional Dutch borrelnoten
Food: Soups, sandwiches, arthouse cinema snacks
Tip: Buy a cinema ticket and return to the bar for a drink between screenings; the bar stays open after films end.
Maximus Brewery taproom in Leidsche Rijn on 20 taps. Brutus IPA and seasonal wheat beers are the flagship pours. Brewery tours on Saturday afternoons.
Signature drink: Maximus Brutus IPA on draught, fresh from the tank
Food: Bar snacks, pizza on weekends
Tip: Saturday afternoon is the best time to visit; brewery tours run at 14:00 before the taproom fills for the evening.
Oproer plant-based taproom in Overvecht, inside a converted industrial building. All beers brewed on-site; food menu entirely vegan from the open kitchen.
Signature drink: Oproer Session IPA and seasonal sour ales
Food: Fully plant-based taproom kitchen
Tip: The seasonal sour ales and their experimental series are only available at the taproom; worth the trip north.
Mediterranean sharing-plate bar-restaurant on the Oudegracht with a cocktail bar, a canal terrace and a centuries-old warehouse cellar dining room.
Signature drink: World wines by the glass with a view of the Oudegracht
Food: Antipasti, tapas and mezze with homemade bread
Tip: The werfkelder cellar is the evocative choice in cooler months; the terrace fills fast on the first warm evenings.
Utrecht institution since 1996 in four distinctive red buildings on the Neude square. Lunch, dinner and drinks with a busy pavement terrace facing the square.
Signature drink: House pilsner with Dutch bitterballen
Food: Dutch cafe classics, lunch and dinner
Tip: The terrace on the Neude is one of the liveliest in the city centre; arrive early on a warm afternoon for a square-facing table.
Bar at the top of the Heuveloord water tower with a panoramic rooftop view over the whole city. Cocktails, wine and craft beer; no reservation needed.
Signature drink: Seasonal cocktail from the tower's rooftop terrace
Food: Small bites and bar snacks from the kitchen below
Tip: Sunset on a clear evening from the upper deck is one of the best views in Utrecht.
Gault-Millau recognised bar-restaurant on the Wed square under the Dom. A 250-bottle list, 30 wines by the glass and a seasonal kitchen. Open terrace.
Signature drink: Sommelier's weekly pick by the glass from the 250-bottle list
Food: Gault-Millau recognised seasonal small plates
Tip: The bar opens at 16:00; arrive then to claim a canal terrace seat before the kitchen opens at 17:00.
The bar inside Utrecht's main music venue, Tivoli Vredenburg. Five concert halls from Dutch pop to jazz. The ground-floor bar is open without a ticket.
Signature drink: Local craft beer and Dutch jenever from the pre-gig bar
Food: Bar snacks and light bites pre-show
Tip: The bar is open for non-gig-goers from 16:00 during weekday drink hours. Check the evening programme first.