Amsterdam · Nieuwmarkt & Plantage

Café de Sluyswacht

Crooked 17th-century lock-keeper's house turned brown café serving bitterballen, cheese, and simple sandwiches.

About Café de Sluyswacht

Crooked 17th-century lock-keeper's house turned brown café serving bitterballen, cheese, and simple sandwiches. The building leans dramatically due to subsiding foundations and has a sunny waterside terrace.

Book ahead

Book Tickets

Live availability and skip-the-line options from our booking partners.

Search on Viator →Search on GetYourGuide →

Booking powered by our partners. DAIZ may earn a commission.

The place

Getting there

Address

Jodenbreestraat 1, 1011 NG Amsterdam, Netherlands

Neighborhood

Nieuwmarkt & Plantage →

Nearest Metro

Metro 51/53/54 to NieuwmarktTram 14 to Artis/Plantage

View on Google Maps →

Good to know

Tips, answered

Grab the terrace table closest to the water for unobstructed canal views and the best people-watching.

Plan for about 1 hour.

Café de Sluyswacht is in the Nieuwmarkt & Plantage neighborhood of Amsterdam. The address is Jodenbreestraat 1, 1011 NG Amsterdam, Netherlands. The area is well-served by metro.

This works well at any time of day, though mornings tend to be quieter. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Around the corner

Nearby in Nieuwmarkt & Plantage

Explore all →

Museum

NEMO Science Museum

The green copper building shaped like a ship's hull on the eastern docklands is Amsterdam's hands-on science museum. Five floors of interactive exhibits cover energy, technology, the human body, and for some reason, a very popular "teenager exhibition" about puberty. Kids can touch everything. The rooftop terrace (free access, no ticket needed) has the best open view in Amsterdam: 360 degrees of canal ring, IJ waterway, and Central Station. EUR17.50 entry, free for under-4s.

2-3 hoursExplore

Park & Garden

Artis Royal Zoo

One of the oldest zoos in Europe, founded in 1838, set in landscaped grounds in the Plantage district. Artis is more than a zoo: the aquarium building dates from 1882, the planetarium runs daily shows, and the Micropia museum next door (separate ticket) is the world's only museum dedicated to microbes. The animal collection includes African elephants, giraffes, jaguars, and a walk-through butterfly house. Genuinely well-run, with visible conservation efforts.

2-4 hoursExplore

Museum

Het Scheepvaartmuseum

Netherlands' maritime history museum in a former naval storehouse displaying ship models, navigational instruments, and maritime paintings. The full-scale replica of the 18th-century VOC ship Amsterdam is moored outside and open to explore. Interactive exhibits show how the Dutch became a global seafaring power.

2.5 hoursExplore

Cultural Site

Hortus Botanicus

One of the world's oldest botanical gardens, founded in 1638 with rare medicinal plants for doctors and apothecaries. The greenhouse complex houses a 2,000-year-old agave, tropical palms, and cacti from around the world. The butterfly house swarms with exotic species in the summer months.

1.5 hoursExplore

Museum

Hermitage Amsterdam

Branch of St. Petersburg's famous museum in a monumental 17th-century building that once housed elderly women. Two major exhibitions per year bring Russian masterpieces to Amsterdam, from imperial Fabergé eggs to avant-garde art. The permanent wing explores 300 years of Dutch-Russian cultural exchange.

2 hoursExplore

Museum

Verzetsmuseum

Dutch Resistance Museum chronicling civilian life during Nazi occupation from 1940-1945. Personal stories, photographs, and artifacts reveal how ordinary people resisted, collaborated, or simply survived the war years. The children's section uses a family's story to explain the occupation to younger visitors.

2 hoursExplore

From the blog

View all →

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

Amsterdam Neighborhoods Map: The Local Guide to Each District in 2026

Master Amsterdam's neighborhoods with this comprehensive guide. From the historic Jordaan to trendy Noord, discover what makes each district unique and where to go.

6 min readRead

FOOD

What Food Is Amsterdam Actually Known For? Local Specialties Beyond Tourist Traps

Amsterdam food is more than just tourist stroopwafel stands. Discover authentic Dutch specialties like bitterballen, stamppot, and Indonesian rijsttafel that locals actually eat.

9 min readRead

Ready for Amsterdam?

Let DAIZ plan your Amsterdam days

Tell us how long you've got and what you're into. We'll build a day-by-day plan, with the bookable bits ready to lock in.

Plan my Amsterdam tripFree · no signup to start