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Number 20 of 20 in Amsterdam

Café Karpershoek

Karpershoek stands on the corner of the Martelaarsgracht and the Prins Hendrikkade, where the harbour used to be. By its own account it has served drinks since 1606, first to the sailors of the Dutch East India Company and now to travellers with a train to catch.

What it is
Brown café
Opened
1606, by its own account
Area
Centraal Station
Nearest museum
Our Lord in the Attic, 400 m

Amsterdam this week

    What Café Karpershoek is known for

    1. By the old harbour

      The ships of the East India Company once tied up nearby. Now the trams and the bicycles go by the terrace.

    2. The Martelaarsgracht

      The martyrs' canal, filled in long ago, where justice was once done, as the café's own history tells.

    3. Opposite the station

      A few minutes' walk from the doors of Central Station, for a last drink before the train.

    What to know

    • The café gives 1606 as its founding, and calls itself the oldest pub in Amsterdam
    • It began, by its own account, as a lodging house for sailors of the East India Company
    • The terrace looks over the Prins Hendrikkade towards Central Station

    Where Café Karpershoek is

    Address

    Martelaarsgracht 2
    1012 TP Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Nearest station

    Centraal Station, on the tram, about two minutes away. Centraal metro is four minutes away

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.

    A sailors' lodging of 1606

    By the café's own account it has been on this corner since 1606, when it took in the sailors of the Dutch East India Company, whose ships lay in the harbour in front.

    The harbour has gone, and the station stands where the water was, but the café has stayed.

    Café Karpershoek: common questions

    Where is Café Karpershoek?
    At Martelaarsgracht 2, in the Centrum district of Amsterdam. The nearest station is Centraal Station, on the tram, about two minutes away. Centraal metro is four minutes away.
    Which museums and sights are near Café Karpershoek?
    Our Lord in the Attic is 400 m away, A'DAM Lookout is 750 m away, Rembrandt House Museum is 1.0 km away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
    What is Café Karpershoek known for?
    By the old harbour, The Martelaarsgracht, Opposite the station. A brown café opposite Central Station that dates itself to 1606, when it says it began as a lodging house for the sailors of the East India Company.
    When did Café Karpershoek open?
    In 1606, by its own account. The café gives 1606 as its founding, and calls itself the oldest pub in Amsterdam.

    What visitors say about Café Karpershoek

    Rating from Google

    4.0

    1,506 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 19 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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