Tales & Spirits

Fantastic cocktails that are extremely well crafted. Excellent atmosphere with an attentive staff.

Unique, very well-​made cocktails and a very fun, witty (sometimes crass) staff! Stand-​out place for fun atmosphere and above-​average drinks. It was good enough that on my second trip to Amsterdam I went again… and I’ll go again on my next trip.

We stepped in here at 6pm on a chilly, wet evening. Worried that they weren’t open yet, we cautiously made our way inside. Welcoming us with warm banter were two very charming and handsome young men. They sat us down, gave us menus and continued with more cheery banter.
After we explored the menu, we found some wonderful cocktails to start off the evening. Then we placed our food order and we wanted to share a few items. The prices are high for Amsterdam, but the ambiance, attention and fine fare is worth it.
Our most stunning dish, by far, was the mushroom risotto. It was a very tiny portion that we were sharing (fighting over). The other dishes we ordered were good, though forgettable, because I’m having trouble remembering what they were. I just remember wishing that we had more of the amazing risotto.
The bathrooms were colorfully decorated with wonderful quotes about love. It made using the restroom feel as though you were reading a book of sonets.
On our next visit to Amsterdam, I will absolutely be coming back to this restaurant and ordering my own risotto (not for sharing). Along with some delicious drinks!

Contrary to most other reviewers, I was not impressed with this restaurant. Immediately upon greeting us, the server was very condescending, (the party I was with consisted of individuals between the ages of 19 – 21) despite the fact that we were nothing but polite when inquiring about dinner. We chose not to order drinks, which did not improve his mannerism & he spoke to us like we were children when he was explaining the menu. The food was actually very good, but overshadowed by the tense environment. If you’re well dressed, middle aged and not exhausted after a full day of wandering the streets of Amsterdam, I’d suggest this restaurant. Anything less than though & I have a feeling you’ll have an equally disappointing experience.
Side note; the bus boy was the best thing about this place. He was kind, smiled and actually interacted with us.

When I first read the House Rules, I expected a stuffy bar with no room to relax. I’m happy to say I was wrong. The rules are there for a reason: to create an environment where people can really unwind over good drinks, good food, and good company. Keep in mind the focus of Tales & Spirits is on drinks, and with good reason. Their expansive menu features various cocktails from fruity sweetness to potently bitter.
I started with The Lucky Luchador. The captivating description caught my eye: «Legends say he eats nails like cornflakes but without milk, that he can swim through land and cut through a hot knife with butter. Lucky or not he is calm, smooth, spicy, high flying & utterly delicious.» I mean, someone give the copywriter a raise! Besides the awesome description, the drink was fantastic! Nicely balanced between tangy and sweet — with a spicy kick at the end.
I ended the evening with Quiz Fizz. This made me want to give the bartender a hug and a high five. Sweet, sour, and bitter flavors melded together for a refreshing mix. If I didn’t have such a low tolerance, I probably would have ordered another.
In addition to swanky cocktails, I had dinner. Unfortunately, the food takes a backseat to the drinks. My friend and I ordered the oven baked portobello, pan-​fried frog legs, soft-​shell crab tempura, and chocolate «eggstravaganza» with strawberry. The portobello was the winner, its velvety texture contrasting nicely with crispy carrots. Frog legs were rather forgettable, especially since the herbed cream sauce didn’t add much flavor to the dish. Crab tempura was overpowered by bacon. Dessert was a nice surprise and it was fun to break through the egg to get to the chocolate mousse.
Tales & Spirits is a great place to grab cocktails with friends, kick back, and relax. I’ll definitely be visiting again. While I’m in no hurry to try dinner, I’ll be ordering drinks with a few snacks from the bar menu.

Love this place
Recommended by a friend and I’m glad I took his word.
Been looking for a great cocktail place here and I finally found it :)
The menu is interesting with the tales which makes the cocktails extra interesting.
A lot of variety that you don’t normally come across. Also our host is amazing! Super friendly and knowledgeable :)
I gave 4 stars coz I haven’t tried the food.
Been twice in a week :) can’t wait to come back!

and i live to tell the tale…
wow, who doesn’t love a good story?
in amsterdam you are but a bike or canal away from the next captivating chapter.
and a visit here will definitely lift your spirits!
i must say that this wasn’t the first choice that was recommended to me.
unfortunately, flip’s initial recommendation was not to be.
and here i came, a little disappointed at not being able to try the other.
but once i stepped through those heavy curtains, seemingly keeping out the distinctive smell of hash, i immediately felt relaxed, the endorphins kicked in and soon the prior disappointment vanished.
this place makes me feel happy, not the happiest place on earth but if you are into a good tipple with dinner then this is the place for you!
the spiffy servers and bartenders are outrageously friendly and humorous.
any frowns immediately turn into smiles in this fairy tale like land.
make sure you read up about and abide by their house rules to ensure you have a frolicking time!
small menu, small plates but each packing a punch just like their potent drinks.
my photos tell a better tale than i can, so do click through them.
seeing is believing and what you see is what you get!
in conclusion, as they have so many interesting cocktails waiting to be sipped, this place definitely deserves more than just one visit!

Nice little cocktail bar with great service (albeit more conservative) — beware, if you order the General Lee they bring it to your table with a remote control car version of the General Lee and the siren wailing … it is not subtle

Love this place. Gorgeous bar right smack bang in the middle of the historic city.
Delicious cocktails, great menu, super friendly service. Everything you could ask for in a cocktail bar. Highly recommend.

Ah the Tales of the spirits. To be honest I had been dodging this place for a while now. every time one of my friends suggested to visit T&S I would find an excuse. Why you ask? Well, it just seemed like this place was all hyped. And I am one of those who doesn’t necessarily likes to follow a trend. Or someone who doesn’t like to be told what is fun, or awesome, or amazing.
But this night I was outnumbered and I had my party/​dancing heels on so there was no way I would separate from my friends for a couple more drinks before the actual dancing would start. Even though I had of course tried my usual, «ah guys I might just go home» on them.
So here we get to small alley way I never ever thought to set foot in. To then enter this inviting cosy bar which has a hint of the 20’s but is clearly updated. And as we entered we saw a group of people we knew and really would like to hang out with. however this wasn’t allowed by our very strict host, «here we do not stand around, here you sit and enjoy your cocktail and conversation» I was stunned and appalled, what kind of hospitality is this? «well do you then have a table for us?» «yes you can sit outside» (just a note, it was raining outside) So ready to leave this place and never come back I was still secretly hoping to be seated because even though the host was bordering very rude!, the place had a nice calm feel to it, and hey I wanted another drink and have some fun. Then as if I had conjured the seats myself a group left and we could sit all together.
And here begins the adventure: In comes our own Portuguese Clark Kent to take our order. Since I am not a big fan of very sweet cocktails and I was a T&S virgin I asked for a recommendation. Without saying anything he walked away and got me a cocktail with Whiskey in it and a car with the confederate flag which played the confederate national anthem-​dixie land… so wrong but so funny. A man to my heart this Clark Kent for understanding what a lady loves :) whiskey and humor!
Through out the night the service was great, I have to say Clark Kent has a real flair for serving with a smile and making chitchat. Of course there were also the famous bartending types which would «try to steal a poor girls heart by getting them drunk on their cocktail» Which in all fairness this poor maiden has no issues with ;)
After a lot of laughing, chatting, solidarity standing outside with a friend who smokes I started to get peckish and we ordered the pork-​buns as a snack on the menu. Clark Kent had assured us that these were good, and my god our superman in disguise did not disappoint us. it was just the snack we needed to keep this lady a lady.
All and all a very delightful place if it wasn’t for the not so pleasant host at our arrival I might have just given it 5-​stars. Guess I will just have to go back and try again one day.

Awesome cocktails and friendly services! Our waiter was outgoing and pleasant to talk to. It’s a bit pricy but good mix drinks are hard to find in the area. We def would visit again!
We ordered the What if.?, Girl Next Door, Smoke & Mirrors, but our favorite was the Zombie.

My favorite cocktail bar in the Netherlands, hands down! Cocktails are delicious and strong, the complimentary chips are unique and tasty, and the waiters are friendly and hot. The menu can be overwhelming, but you can ask the waiters for recommendations if you don’t feel like reading everything. They also give you water with your drink, which I’ve found to be surprisingly rare since moving to the Netherlands. It’s nice not to feel dehydrated all the time. The atmosphere is really cozy, which makes this a great date spot or somewhere to catch up with old friends.

I loved T&S!!!
Atmosphere is swanky but fun. Staff are awesome and super friendly! They were always very welcoming and never snobby. They were even unbelievably kind enough to recommend other cocktail bars to try in the area, regardless of competition.
The cocktails are delicious and accompanied with your own bottled water. My favorite so far is the Men in Arms. We tested them with a simple Sazerac which was a bit different from tradition but still very good.
Overall, great experience! It’s the best place for entertaining conversation and exquisite cocktails in Amsterdam! Highly recommend!

We were really lucky to get a table in this awesome place, because most of them were already reserved.
The staff is really attentive and friendly; they gave us great recommendations for cocktails and were always smiling and in a good mood. It feels that they are not just doing «a job» but really love what they do.
You see and feel the love dedicated to this bar in so many details:
— the wonderful decorated interior
— the creative decoration of cocktails; special glasses for each one
— funny and interesting bathroom with small library and nice quotes painted on the wall
— the lovely book, in which you get your receipt
— the free water they serve with every cocktail to avoid customers getting dehydrated
We really loved it and will definitely come back!

Ranked as one of the best bars in Europe, I had to try this place. I didn’t order food just one of their unique cocktails … And what a cocktail !
Once you step in the bar, the atmosphere and waiters make you feel confortable.
Among all their special drinks, I didn’t know what to pick. Our friendly and funny waiter helped us to choose. He gave us very good advices. The cocktails were delicious !
This is a bit pricy but their cocktail contained far more alcohol than softs !

Just what a cocktail bar should be ! Innovative mixes presented in off-​the-​wall fashion, in a most interesting setting ! Mostly invaded by tourists, but should be explored by locals as well — well worth it!
And the food is excellent — not the usual bar fare — one (small) comment: dinner portions are on the smallish side, getting too close to tasting portions …
But a great venue all in all

Un lugar pequeño y hermoso donde beber cócteles muy elaborados y comida deliciosa. Me senté en la barra me atendió la bartender Lidia.
Se lo recomiendo altamente a los que buscan tragos bien elaborados, déjese guiar por lo que los bartenders le ofrezcan.

This place is AMAZING! If you want a cozy-​chic night sipping incredible artisan cocktails; dining on delicious food, come here!!! I think this place is a must! I am American but it appeared to be all local dutch people dining. The menus are in English, owner and staff are very friendly and accommodating.
I had the «Moju» and «the girl next door» cocktails and they were fabulous! Also the Duck liver is maybe the best I’ve ever had.

Excellent small plates, great cocktails, trendy bar Amsterdam
We went for drinks but as soon as we saw the menu we canceled our res at the other restaurant and ate there at Tales. I’m as quick as anyone to turn hostile on a hipsterish place but Tales sucked me in. Don’t be put off by those who say it’s overly expensive. They have some inexpensive options available. Plates are indeed smallish but very well prepared food. Tip: Have a few of those divine plates and then have an order of bitterballen to sort of fill yourself up the rest of the way.
Drinks wise they have house specials at € 8.50 and then an exotic assortment of more expensive and fancy concoctions. Not sure why everyone thinks these are so expensive. Hell you can get drinks that expensive in Darmstadt. Also, they have a basic wine by the glass menu with some glasses as cheap as € 3.50. I think that’s more than reasonable.
Otherwise, the ambiance was clever and we’ll be back soon.
Liked: Truffled risotto, Duck liver, King crab bitterball.

Tales and Spirits in the perfect mix of swanky, accomodating, and laidback, We came here upon landing from London into Amsterdam, and following a recommendation. At 1AM the bar wasn’t totally packed, but still had a good-​sized crowd. We quickly made friends with the three bartenders and stayed til closing, enjoying expert-​made drinks and learning a little more about the Amsterdam night scene.
Central, but removed from the craze of the late-​night red light district, this would be a perfect date night or high-​end cocktail speakeasy to go with friends. We will definitely be back!

De la place un jeudi soir 23h, des serveurs hyper sympas et comiques, des cocktails délicieux, des petits snacks pour dépanner, un menu comme un vieux grimoire: voilà Tales & Spirits!
Je vous conseille ce bar dans les ruelles du centre d’Amsterdam pour passer un bon moment.
Attention par contre, les prix sont d’environ 12 € le cocktail, donc pas trop donnés mais très bons !

5 étoiles! Je les leur donne avec grand plaisir! :D Pas parce que ça né peut pas mieux, mais pour l’équipe et l’expérience qu’ils vous apportent.
Chouette petit bar dans les petites ruelles d’Amsterdam, où dans la ruelle d’enface les petites loupiottes rouges donnent une lueur mystique au cartier, le grand rideau de velour qui vous accueil à l’entrée le donne à Tales & Spirits. A l’intérieur, une ambiance intime avec des tables hautes avec chaises qui remplicent l’espace entre le bar et le coin de tables basses avec banquettes et coussins un peu plus cosy. Côté déco, rien d’exeptionnel, mais des détails qui rendent l’endroit intéressant et lui donne ce côté personnel et agréable, comme des grands chandeliers qui pendent au plafond pour la lumière intime, une armoire rempli d’objet pour créer les meilleures cocktails les uns plus intrigants que les autres, les invitations originales de l’ouverture qui pendent enface du bar ou encore des peintures au mure avec des petites phrases qui assurent le côté féérique du bar.
Côté cocktail, la carte elle-​même est une histoire à lire! Peut-​être même un peu trop et donc difficile de s’y retrouver entre tous les cocktails et d’en choisir un… :/​Mais pas de soucis si vous n’aimez pas lire et avez du mal à choisir! Les barmans sont là pour ça et vous conseillerons avec plaisirs sur quoi prendre en tenant compte de vos gouts avec un cocktail de la carte ou un fait spécialement pour vous :) ce qui me fait revenir à mon point de départ et pourquoi les 5 étoiles, pas pour les cocktail même, car même si ils étaient bons, aucun né m’a époustouflé… et quand je bois des cocktails un peu plus spécial que le mojito qu’on peut recevoir partout, j’aime bien que ça fasse WOAAAW… mais donc 5 étoiles pour l’ambiance et l’équipe qui est tout simplement superbe depuis l’acceuil à l’entrée, au conseil de cocktail, au blabla sympa pendant qu’on boit notre cocktail au bar, au ‘je m’installe 2 min avec vous à la table pour papotter’ vers la fin de la soirée et ‘je vous laisse gouter au momofuku pork bun qu’on fait ici, recette spécial ramener de New York, parce que c’est juste trop bon et qu’il faut que vous goutiez ça!’. Bref, ils sont super sympa et vous feront sentir la bonne humeur et la bonne entente qu’ils ont entre eux!
T&S guys, if you read this, thank you! We had a great start and end of night in Amsterdam thanks to you! Keep it up! :)

Based on all the reviews and the fact it’s very close to me I went into T&S wanting to love it, but was unfortunately pretty disappointed. In my mind this place was going to be just as good as Door 74 or Oldenhof but a lot closer. I was excited to find a new local drink spot that I could stumble to and fro.
The atmosphere is nice and having food as an option is great. The problem we found was that they don’t necessarily bring you what you order. My friend ordered the Abe Lincoln which is an old fashion with knob creek rye as the liquor. When it came he immediately said it was wrong. When we asked the bartender he explained that the rye is hard to find so he just used something else instead. He then left to find the list of actually available bourbons and ryes (not to be confused with what they advertise in their menu or what you think you are buying). He never returned. We tracked down another bartender who was more accommodating, but gave us the same line about rye being hard to find.
If it’s so hard to find then don’t put it in your menu and charge people extra for that specific brand!
They replaced the drink, but never apologized or acted like they should be ashamed for switching to a cheaper booze, and never would have even mentioned it had they not been called out. We got the feeling that this was a pretty common practice at T&S by their nonchalant explanation and that we should just accept that they don’t honor their menu. I’m guessing very few people ever call them out on this so they probably get away with it most of the time.
Not impressed and certainly not worth the price if they aren’t going to be honest with what they are serving. If you are paying a premium price for something you should at least get what you ordered (maybe even a premium product or service too, but that can wait for another review).
Compared to Door 74 or Oldenhof, T&S has an uphill battle ahead of them. I trust those places because they deliver quality consistently and put an emphasis on their craft as well as the experience. They don’t need to fake their menu and would never dream of doing it even if they thought they could.
I’ll probably go back out of sheer convenience and also to give them another shot, but I will be very skeptical and will be sitting where I can watch what’s actually going into my drink…