HPS

This place was amazing. I believe they change their cocktail menu every so often and will «retheme» it to whatever they want– and as of right now, it’s apocalypse/​nuclear fallout themed, complete with various references to the video game (yes! My boyfriend nerded out so hard here.) The cocktails are also very unique, and there are a TON of choices, honestly. I had Explosions in the Sky, which was bright blue (from the in house made blue curacao with gin!) and came with a side of pop rocks, which delightfully unleashed my inner five year old (although I do not condone giving your five year olds cocktails…) The cocktails here are a bit on the pricier end (ranging from 12 euro and up,) but all have been delicious. I tried to get cocktails that had liquors that I was not accustomed to, but my boyfriend had some that he enjoyed– like the «Manhattan Project,» which was their twist on a Manhattan. They also have Valencia, which was an intriguing savory paella-​inspired cocktail that I wish I would have imbibed, but regretfully, did not have the stomach to do so.
This place is unbelievably gezellig, and feels like you’re drinking in a speakeasy. There occasionally have live music playing, as they did on the night that we were there. I would definitely recommend making a reservation, as they only have limited space in the lounge area upstairs, and a couple tables near the bar area, which only seems to hold around 10 people. (It’s a very small place!) If your wallet can manage, and you want to impress your date with great cocktails and impeccable atmosphere– come here!

Cosy and charming, this is the perfect place to chill-​out, drinking amazing cocktails!!!

This place is the fire flame. It reminds me of some of my favorite cocktail bars in the USA. Seating is limited, and I was happy to get there right when they opened so we got a sweet spot in the armchairs on the second floor overlooking the bar.
They have an impressive menu with at least 20 different inventive cocktails. Some of our favorites were the Spanish Inquisition (perfectly spicy tequila cocktail), the Beetlejuice (very interesting cocktail featuring beet shrub), and the Cohiba Lancero (I think this had both rum and whiskey… and I literally watched them light some rosemary on fire to add an incredible smoky flavor). I tried about 8 different cocktails and none of them were bad.
15 Euro per cocktail is obviously pretty steep, but I do think the cocktails and the experience were worth it. The bartenders are very knowledgable and able to make great recommendations. This is a must visit if you are looking for good cocktails in Amsterdam.

Great bar with amazing drinks. People are super friendly. However, this place is out of the way do be ready to walk. Also, don’t turn back when you see everything’s close around it. Prices are a little steep but good classy dive.

Our favourite cocktail bar in Amsterdam! That’s all that needs to be said. See more of our Amsterdam guide:

Ambiance tamisée et empreinte de mystère, HPS («hiding in plain sight») est un de ces bars à cocktails aux airs de speakeasy où l’on resterait bien des heures, enfoncé dans un gros canapé en cuir, à la lueur des bougies.
Des heures. Il faudrait au moins ça pour découvrir la moitié de cette carte ultra pointue!
Présentée dans un vieux livre relié, la carte est ornée de gravures, un peu à l’image des romans de Jules Verne. À chaque cocktail sa description, sa petite histoire plus ou moins énigmatique.
Je décide de suivre le lapin blanc d’Alice avec le «Mad Tea Party» (single malt, rose-​wine syrup et thé rooibos), servie dans une petite tasse tout droit sortie du placard de Mamie. Le mélange est corsé mais subtil, et les arômes se dévoilent peu à peu.
Les serveuses veillent à ce que tout se passé bien et à ce que votre verre d’eau né soit jamais vide. Et les olives servies avec les cocktails sont délicieuses!
A 15 € le cocktail en moyenne, nous avons dû nous contenter d’un mais je compte bien revenir explorer la carte du HPS un de ces 4!
Nous avons eu la chance, un vendredi soir en début de soirée, de trouver une place pour 2, mais je vous conseille de réserver!

I would be thrilled to find this cocktail bar in any city — really happy to find it in Amsterdam (where I haven’t found a ton of great cocktails). Really friendly and passionate staff who found me a seat and moved me as soon as a spot at the bar opened up. I hesitated posting about this place because I want to keep it a secret!

I was challenged to try their sazerac, to which my response was that nobody makes a better sazerac than Antoines in New Orleans. I was wrong. HPS rivals any mixologist in any city.

I’ve become a fan of this place as of yesterday. Smily service, amazing cocktails, awesome music. What you need more???

Loved it! I had less than two full days in Amsterdam, so I was lucky to venture in on their FIRST Sunday opening. The theme of the night was American whiskeys/​bourbon. Even though I’m American and I tend to not like whiskey, the bartender was super friendly and incredibly excited about the drinks so I had to give it a shot, right?
Between two people, we split the cranberry spritz & a whiskey creation that I don’t know the name of. Our bartender described it as a mint julep meets whiskey sour, sweetened with apricot jam instead of sugar. Both drinks were delicious, and I especially loved the second one!
On top of the great drinks (& olive/​popcorn snacks), the service and décor were top notch. I loved the vibe, and I’m glad I was able to experience it before the crowds arrived. If you’re a fan of back to the future, be sure to check out the chalkboards up above the bar!

They do make some awesome cocktails at HPS. Part of the menu is stable, and the other part changes every few months. The menu isn’t small and it’s pretty cool that they come up with new ideas all the time. I do like that. After our first cocktails, we sat the bartender the task of creating us two very different cocktails with ginger in both. The result was one very sweet with amongst other things cinnamon and apple, and the other with grapefruit. Clearly different, and both very successful. It was also very clear that our bartender put a lot of enthusiasm and thought into those two cocktails.
The bar is rather small, though they have a very nice lounge area, that’s perfect after a long day trekking around the city or working. On a weekday the number of customers in the bar is limited just after they open, so don’t worry about finding a spot to sit or a bit of extra attention. I could very well imagine that it’s different on the weekends or later in the evening.

Timely tip: make a reservation.
This is not the bar’s fault but I trekked across town to go there, saw two empty seats at the bar, only to be told that I needed a reservation. Couldn’t drink at the bar until the party came, but the bartender did offer outdoor seating (I said no – it’s cold out).
The spot looks nice and the drinks look legit, but this review is just to let you know before you go (and waste your time)!

Tasteful. Classy. The kind of place James Bond would find himself. Extravagant cocktails, beautifully and innovatively presented. Great service. A wonderfully exotic menu.
Of course, all of this comes at a price, and the price is hiiiiiigh. But if you consider that you’re paying for the experience and not just the drinks, it’s totally worth it. Plus, there are free snacks to nibble on. And who doesn’t love free snacks?

Posh cocktails in Amsterdam surpasses any cocktail experience I’ve had in Los Angeles. The Velvet Hour in Chicago may be of similar caliber.
I use Unilocal so much that I never stumble upon anything. My cocktail at Hidden in Plain Sight (HPS) may have seemed especially magical to me as I was not expecting it to exist and materialized right when I needed it most, when I was weary and chilled after walking across the old center of Amsterdam.
The cocktail lounge is small and intimate. Call ahead for reservations. We were early and able to grab an open seat for our cocktail hour.
I enjoyed the temporary Cohiba cocktail which mixes Ron Zacapa with whiskey and the smoke of some burnt herbs that are trapped in the snifter before the mixed liquor is poured. Fabulous!

This is a gezellig bruin bar that occasionally has events that offer food. This particular event I attended was an event specifically for Thanksgiving featuring an array of burgers by the Young Pretenders and held at the Hiding in Plain Sight bar. It’s small with a nicely stocked bar for cocktails and very small though cozy area to lounge about savoring the cocktail of the moment with the company of your choice. On nights when there a no events happening they’re a drinks only bar. Drinks are their specialty. The service is friendly. The place is warm. Stay awhile and get comfortable. There’s even a piano so I’m guessing they have live music occasionally.

What can you say about this place? It’s amazing. It’s awesome. It’s friendly. It’s cozy. It’s tasty. It’s pricey.
We walked in about 10 minutes after they opened, which was good because the word has gotten out and you really should have a reservation especially on the weekend. The cocktails changed every couples months or so and was told the winter menu would be popping up in a couple weeks… so we’ll have to go back!
Don’t see something on the menu that you’re craving? Just ask for what you want and they can make it. I was told that if you want to tell them that you want to take a journey to (insert place here), they can probably make a cocktail for that. Or just say «I like vodka, sweet, and fruity» and see what they come up with. Give over the power to them and you will be glad you did.
Be prepared to drop some cash. They do take cards (thank goodness). This is a specialty place and isn’t a place you could go every day after work. Well, of course that is an assumption… maybe you can! We’ll be back, but it’ll be a couple months! And we hope to take visitors too!

Love, love, love this speakeasy!
Music amazing, 30’s-40’s tunes of big band, jazz, and some soft tunes.
The ambiance is perfection. Vintage. Not trendy. It’s own rustic style.
I walked on a rainy afternoon to this spot. The long walk I needed since I planned on getting extremely inebriated that evening.
I ended up conversing with the bartender, who turned out to be the owner. We had a nice chat going for quite a bit.
I like hearing people’s stories as to how they started their business. I’m inquisitive & curious, that’s just me.
Then we started talking about good speakeasies and cocktail bars in Amsterdam, NYC, etc.
That’s when a guy from France jumped in, and the conversation continued to be great.
Then the speakeasy/​bar conversations started to span the globe. Amazing.
Of course, cocktails ensued during all of this conversation. The scents and preparations of my drinks were phenomenal.
I opted for the Cohiba Lancero.
It tasted like a manhattan with an amazing scent of cigar.
Loved it.
Then the bartender made me a special. My drink had mezcal, rum, something spicy, and a few fruity notes. I don’t remember the rest because I was quite tipsy by then.
Thoroughly enjoyed.
One of the few speakeasies that’s actually open on Monday. The tues-​sat only ridiculousness this place doesn’t participate in.
Solid.

If you like cocktails, this is the place to be! I did miss something on the menu to nibble on. Just nuts and olives are simply not enough for me. I need something with substance. But the cocktails were great, and so was the barman!

Nice bar a bit on a secret spot, but well who invests in finding the better places gets here anyway. On the outside you don’t expect it, but insight it looks really like an exclusive cocktail bar. Large fauteuils, eye for detail and never underestimate the importance of the toilet experience. Nice cocktails, not the obvious kind. I had one with pepper and sage. The smell of black pepper before you take a sip was wonderful.
Offcourse well accompanied with nicely presented water, nuts and some olives.

«Magical place for time travel»
Gypsy Jazz, genever, gracious gentlemen, gorgeous gals, knowledgeable friendly staff, original cocktails, fresh fruit, fragrant herbs, locally sourced, attention to detail, inspired interior, house made syrups, dedication to quality, toasted rosemary, flaming skulls, megalomaniacs, creative energy in abundance.
I just can’t say enough about this place.
Truly a hidden and magical gem of Amsterdam, and easily my favorite bar in all the world.

Have you seen the movie ‘midnight in paris’? (go and see it) It’s just like that! You walk in through the timeportal ;-) and suddenly you’re in the roaring twenties! The atmosphere, interior, music and the staff everything is completely in style.
The great thing is, if you’re not seated you cannot order drinks. This guarantees that it’s not overcrowded and gives you enough space and time to really enjoy that amazing cocktails.
When seated you get water, nuts and olives which are complementary. The menu looks great (design) and features a wide variety of cocktails that I haven’t heard about before. Variations on traditional drinks and own creations. The ingredients used are all perfectly balanced, you can really see and taste the passion and love that is being put in your drink.
There’s on thing though; you are warned! If you like cocktails and the twenties vibe you could be confronted with a rather large bill ’cause «once you’re in, there’s a big chance you stay there all night». ;-)
This place is special and now that I know it, I can’t wait to go again for a shot and a cocktail next week! See you there!