I’ve already mentioned how proud I was of Sharps arranging a surprise for my birthday last year in Amsterdam (click here for my post on Amsterdam’s quirkiest restaurant) as usually I’m the one on the hunt for my hidden gems. He also surpassed himself by arranging a secret night out at Door 74, another of Amsterdam’s hidden gems.

Inside Door 74 Amsterdam

I don’t want to give too much (ie the address) as Door 74, a speakeasy Amsterdam bar, is in a hidden location. Suffice to say it was a bit of a mission to get in to Door 74. This was mainly because you have to call Door 74 the day before you want to go. Then you get a text from Door 74 to let you know if you’ve got entry (or something equally as pretentious) and for what time. On arrival at Door 74 we rang the doorbell. We waited with baited breath to see if our names were down to secure our entry. But it was worth the faff to get into Door 74. Behind the unassuming front door we gained access to some pretty weird and wonderful cocktails in this prohibition-style bar.

Well that ruined my plan to start screaming!

Door 74 is quite small, which perhaps may explain why they ask you to make reservations so they can keep a tab on the number of people inside. Although our booking was for 10pm we stayed till the early hours so it did seem a bit strange to have an allocated time slot for this quirky Amsterdam bar. We thought perhaps we would only be allowed to stay at Door 74 for a couple of hours. Fortunately this wasn’t the case. The interior is dimly lit (making it quite flattering) with lots of dark wood. And the bar at door 74 is stacked with row upon row of bottles of intriguing sounding drinks.

Best cocktails in Amsterdam

If it’s luxury you’re after you’ve come to the right place as Door 74 isn’t cheap (around €15 a cocktail) and we got through a fair few. Given the fuss created around getting in to Door 74 I was expecting it to be a bit up its own arse but there was a slightly older crowd and a relaxed vibe. We befriended a couple at the bar and a very kind man also bought us a bottle of champagne that cost a whopping €250! Bar staff at Door 74 were equally as  accommodating and knowledgeable about drinks. I decided to order off menu. The Door 74 barman created me a bespoke concoction involving vodka, home-made pineapple syrup, lime, passion fruit and ginger. During the making of the cocktail an inadvertent squirt of lime headed in my direction. We were given free shots as an apology (we hadn’t even complained). Don’t let the fact that you have to make a reservation put you off as Door 74 is an Amsterdam hidden gem. Door 74 is easily one of Amsterdam’s best cocktail bars even if it’s not behind a Green Door.