Cocktail barCanal terrace bar€€€centrumMon 16:00-01:00, Tue 16:00-01:00, Wed 16:00-01:00, Thu 15:00-01:00, Fri 15:00-01:00, Sat 12:00-01:00, Sun 12:00-01:00
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.
Cocktail barCraft beer taproom€€€oudegrachtMon 17:00-23:00, Tue 15:00-23:00, Wed 15:00-23:00, Thu 15:00-23:00, Fri 12:00-01:00, Sat 12:00-01:00, Sun 12:00-22:00
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.
Cocktail barHistoric Belgian beer cafe€€€mariaplaatsMon 11:30-23:00, Tue 11:00-23:00, Wed 11:00-23:00, Thu 11:00-24:00, Fri 11:00-01:00, Sat 11:00-01:00, Sun 11:30-23:00
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.
Cocktail barWild craft beer and natural wine bar€€€overvechtWed 17:00-23:00, Thu 17:00-23:00, Fri 16:00-23:00, Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-23:00
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.
Cocktail barArthouse cinema bar€€€mariaplaats
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.
Cocktail barCraft brewery taproom€€€leidsche-rijnWed 16:00-23:00, Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri 14:00-24:00, Sat 12:00-24:00, Sun 12:00-20:00
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.