-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Café Gollem
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts
4.57/5 rDev -0.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
4.57/5 rDev -0.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
What a pleasant surprise. In a narrow alley between very touristy streets, this is a great escape from the madness. A proper Dutch dive bar yet pouring some quality draft beer. Rustic, cozy, friendly. A great spot for a beer or to spend a night out.
Oct 20, 2023Reviewed by aceofsuds from Portugal
4.77/5 rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
4.77/5 rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Bartender was knowledgable about the beers and meticulous with the presentation. Proper glassware, clean. I was not too familiar with the beers on the menu and there were many. I asked him for a malty strong beer and he suggested a Gouden Carolus Classic on tap. Perfectly hit the spot. Then I asked him to surprise me with something and he opened a bottle of St Bernadus Prior 8. That was a great suggestion since it was similar to the Gouden Carolus but for one flavor - I call it a spicy flavor. No food except for mixed nuts.
An unexpected surprise.
Aug 08, 2023An unexpected surprise.
Reviewed by Keene from Washington
4.37/5 rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
4.37/5 rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
Small but inviting, Cafe Gollem will easily charm most beer travelers drifting from bar to bar in Amsterdam. The tap selection is diverse but somewhat limited, while the bottle list is particularly strong on Belgians. No TVs, a friendly, knowledgeable staff; a pate, bread, and cheese board; and a cozy, Old World atmosphere all translate into a pub worth visiting. House beers include a Belgian Blonde and an IPA.
Feb 19, 2017Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
4/5 rDev -12.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
4/5 rDev -12.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
All of the Gollem bars were fun to check out. Decent prices and some fun beers to try on tap and in bottle. Nothing crazy hard to find, but fun stuff. Great atmosphere.
Feb 13, 2017Reviewed by Redrover from Wisconsin
4.5/5 rDev -2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev -2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
We stopped by here for a beer prior to our dinner. We liked it so much we ended up staying for two hours and made other plans for dinner.
It is not a large place. There are a couple of outside tables and when you enter you see the U shaped bar that dominates the room. They have massive blackboards to list their available draft and bottle selections. They have 30 draft selections and a huge (200+) bottle choices.
I thought the prices were very fair and the beer selection was balanced between styles and places of origin.
Service was very good and was able to keep up with the crowds. We had a lot of fun with our two tenders.
Bathrooms down some rather steep stairs (or maybe I was getting overserved……
I didn’t try the food but wouldn’t hesitate next time I’m visiting.
Just a great beer bar in a really fun city!
Nov 30, 2016It is not a large place. There are a couple of outside tables and when you enter you see the U shaped bar that dominates the room. They have massive blackboards to list their available draft and bottle selections. They have 30 draft selections and a huge (200+) bottle choices.
I thought the prices were very fair and the beer selection was balanced between styles and places of origin.
Service was very good and was able to keep up with the crowds. We had a lot of fun with our two tenders.
Bathrooms down some rather steep stairs (or maybe I was getting overserved……
I didn’t try the food but wouldn’t hesitate next time I’m visiting.
Just a great beer bar in a really fun city!
Reviewed by DahWag from Colorado
4.97/5 rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
4.97/5 rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Went to newer location on Amstelveen, Peter (?) was amazing and extra-knowledgeable.
Selection is top-knotch, for Americans & Euro's alike. This location seems small, though I never left the front bar.
Bedankt!
May 22, 2015Selection is top-knotch, for Americans & Euro's alike. This location seems small, though I never left the front bar.
Bedankt!
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.74/5 rDev +3.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
4.74/5 rDev +3.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
I have been here about 10 times over the past 20 years. Their original location was in an alley off the Spui and this is a couple of blocks towards the train station on a bigger street. I never knew they had food. Its small, dimly lit, friendly and they a dozen or so beers on tap and a couple of hundred in bottles. They generally have beer you have heard about but not been able to find on tap and at least a couple you have never heard about. The people are friendly and mostly local.
Jan 12, 2015Reviewed by AdamNowek from Netherlands
5/5 rDev +8.9%
5/5 rDev +8.9%
There are three Gollems in Amsterdam (with a fourth supposedly on the way), but this is by far the best of the bunch. Where the Overtoom location is large and better for meeting up with friends and the location in de Pijp has more of a pub feel, this Gollem on Raamsteeg is pure bruin café. It's tiny, it's a bit dark, and everything is made of wood. There's not a tonne of seats or tables here, but you want to be sitting at the bar. The staff working at this location are all extremely knowledgable and will help you find exactly what you want to drink with ease. If you need a snack, there's a limited but nice selection of cheese, sausage, and olives.
Quite simply the best beer café in all of Amsterdam.
Aug 07, 2014Quite simply the best beer café in all of Amsterdam.
Reviewed by deg from New Hampshire
4.03/5 rDev -12.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
4.03/5 rDev -12.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
A tiny little bar. Nice dark wood, not a lot of seats. There's a raised area in the back with more seating. They pack a good bit of beer in there. They had Westvleteren. Getting the bartender's attention was a little easier said than done at times.
May 31, 2014Reviewed by Yetiman from Wyoming
4.69/5 rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
4.69/5 rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Small little bar in Amsterdam with a dive bar atmosphere, which I liked a lot. Great selection of bottles (I sprung for a Westvleteren 12). There weren't a lot of taps, but they were high quality. The only real drawback is that it's cramped. Good bartender, a cat, a dog, felt like a local place. With the quality of the selection and the laid-back atmosphere, this is one of the best beer bars I've ever been to.
May 16, 2014Reviewed by victorb27 from California
5/5 rDev +8.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
5/5 rDev +8.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
when we stayed in Amsterdam this place was located just around the corner from us and since it was during the work week we had the entire bar to ourselves. the beer selection was huge! there was about 3-4 HUGE chalkboard on the wall with the beers they offered, most were bottles but they did have a lot on tap, my favorite being La Chouffe. the dude working behind the bar was very knowledgeable and helpful when it came to choosing beers. he would ask me what i like and would recommend about 7 different beers.
Apr 02, 2014Reviewed by Fluffheady from Illinois
4.22/5 rDev -8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
4.22/5 rDev -8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
A really cool, tiny Belgian beer bar. There are only about 10 seats around the bar, but their special draft list makes up for the lack of seats. They have a lot of Dutch beer as well. The bottle list is interesting, but they were out of a lot of things. They had Chimay Rogue on draft when I was there.
Nov 25, 2013
Café Gollem in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Place rating:
4.59 out of
5 with
28 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the place's attributes plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!