Café 't Mandje

Café ‘t Mandje, a 1927‑era brown‑café on Zeedijk, still serves the same laid‑back crowd that first gathered there under Bet van Beeren, the lesbian landlady who opened its doors to gay men and women when few places would. The walls are plastered with old photographs and the tattered ties that regulars have clipped off over the decades, a visual ledger of the bar’s history. Bet’s family kept the joint running until 1982 after she died in 1967, and it was her niece who revived it in 2008. The clientele is a mix of locals and tourists drawn by its heritage. Prices stay modest, and the atmosphere is easygoing. The bar shuts on Mondays; it opens at 3 p.m. on other days and stays open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Because space is tight, arriving early in the evening is a good idea if you want a seat. Just a block away on Warmoesstraat, the leather bars are a short walk from the corner.