Gollem's Proeflokaal

Address: 160-162 Overtoon, Amsterdam, 1054 HP, Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)6 129 444
Style: Tasting room/house
Food: Bar Snacks

Review

When the original 'Café Gollem' opened in 1974 it was the first bar in Amsterdam to offer a large range of specialist Belgian and other foreign beers - then owner Gerard Nooter imported many in the boot of his car. Two changes of owner later and there are now two Gollem bars in Amsterdam, this one several times the size of the original.

Squeeze in past the firehouse inexplicably fixed in the doorway and you'll find yourself in a dimly lit simply decorated interior with bare wooden floor, utilitarian furnishings and red shaded nightlights flickering on every table. Smokers are housed in their own smoke filled room, partitioned off from the rest of the bar.

Chalk boards on the walls list a bewildering range of mainly Belgium beers - 22 on draught and another 60 by the bottle. A painting of three monks enjoying a beer is a reminder of the Trappist origins of many of the brews offered. The 'tapas' menu includes traditional Dutch dishes such as Flemish stew and Trappist cheese fondue, and we recommend the cheese platter.