Nightlife in Amsterdam other than the RL district

Call me odd, but if my husband would have thought a visit to the RLD would be an appropriate or fun place to visit on our honeymoon, we would not have gotten married. You might want to re-think this plan. There is no real need to go see this is there? Amsterdam certainly has a whole lot more to offer than the sale of women for sex. I understand the need for the legality, as it is legal here in Germany too, but why support it as though it was a tourist attraction? I walk through the RLD in Frankfurt occasionally, on my way to some place else and it doesn't bother me in itself, but it sure isn't romantic.

Hi Reid. I'm not a drinker but since no one has replied to you, I'll see what I can do. I've discovered favorite restaurants and cafes just by accident - we get hungry, we start walking, and we find a great Italian (or Mexican, or whatever) restaurant and decide to try it, and really like it. Explore the city, check out places that look good, and go from there. Dam Square is pretty popular at night, if only with tourists - local musicians play music and it's a nice atmosphere. I would also recommend taking a canal cruise at night - another great atmosphere.

Leidseplein is also a really active fun area, and there are two side streets loaded with restaurants and pubs running from there.

We just got back from Amsterdam today. Tons of great cheap places to eat on Haarlamstraat. We loved "Toscana" which is a super cheap Italian cafe with great service, prices, and atmosphere. Delicious Marinara Pizza for €5.99! And glasses of house wine are €2.90 or so. The only beer they have on tap is Heineken, which I don't like nearly as much as Amstel. There are so many places to eat in Amsterdam, just walk around and look! Generally you will pay more in the center of the city, vs. on the West side or in the Jordaan. Oh and speaking of the Red Light district, there are businesses like it outside of where Rick says the Red Light district are. We were walking just west of Dam Square and went down a side street and all of a sudden there were women in the window and tough guys standing on the corners. And this was in the daytime. We got out of there quick as I was carrying my camera, yikes!!!

I'm living for the time bring here in The Netherlands (though not in Amsterdam). Skip the first canal belt altogether: it's depressing, full of stoned people and loud drunk people. I'd never go there in a honeymoon, it's a place I usually avoid - not because it's dangerous, but because I personally find the whole idea of women in windows and people smoking like there were no tomorrow utterly depressing, wasteful and sad -. There is better, much much better nightlife around the Leidseplein area. It's still a touristic place with many visitors, but the quality of pubs AND of the people patronizing the streets is significantly higher. There are also trendy bars in the Joordan, that neighborhood west of the main area. Amsterdam is really not a bad place to eat or have drinks at all, if you avoid the oblivious coffeeshops and the most touristic bars. But it's hard to recommend a specific pub without knowing your preferences Check the Time Out magazine for Amsterdam. It's in English and offers great insights.

For Nightlife checkout the Boom Chicago comedy club on Leidsplien. Also checkout Rembrantsplien, it's very similar to Leidsplien but closer to Dam Square...a lot of people confuse the two they're so similar. At Muntsplien there are two huge cinema complexes with over 30+ screens, including the historic Tuschinksi Cinema: http://www.pathe.nl Be sure to also check out events listings for concerts, and plays and other performances during your stay: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/whats-on