Are you looking for all the cool bars of Utrecht, The Netherlands? It is a very beautiful and lively town and when you are visiting a new city, the perfect way to explore it is by having a drink. A wine, beer, or a soda. Place yourself within one of these bars and cafes that I listed below and you’ll soon discover another part of Utrecht. Here you’ll find yourself connecting to locals, while drinking a great beer, wine or soda.
Last updated 2nd of June 2022
Café De Zaak
One of my most favourite cafes of Utrecht, The Netherlands is Cafe De Zaak. It is located in a little square and has this great atmosphere. You will see a lot of different kind of people, from young students to people in their mid-thirties. You cannot get any food or snacks at Café De Zaak, so they allow you to eat your own food on their terrace. The music here is also great. So, get yourself something at Bigoli or some of the other best lunch spots I recommended in Utrecht. Have a look at the article here.
Opening times
Monday-Wednesday 08:00-01:00
Thursday & Friday 08:00-02:00
Saturday 09:00-02:00
Sunday 09:00-01:00
Korte Minrebroederstraat 9,
3512 GG Utrecht
Café De Morgenster
This is a cosy and typical Dutch café. It’s what we call a bruin café, a traditional Dutch brown café on one of the most beautiful streets of Utrecht, The Netherlands. They have a lot of different type of beers, incredible wines and even good Scottish whisky’s.
Opening times
Monday 15:00-22:00
Tuesday & Wednesday 15:00-00:00
Thursday 15:00- 02:00
Friday & Saturday 13:00-02:00
Sunday 13:00-23:00
Oudegracht 323, 3511 PC Utrecht
Drie Dorstige Herten
If you’re looking for Dutch wines, a lot of choices when it comes to beer, typical Dutch liquors, single malt whisky, and jenever, then you have to bring a visit to the Drie Dorstige Herten. This authentic café has the local and seasonal beer that will give you a real taste of the many different Dutch beers. If you’re looking for a little snack, they have local cheeses and little pieces of local sausage to eat. So, if you’re searching for the best beer and wine of Utrecht, The Netherlands, then this is your spot.
Opening times
Monday & Tuesday CLOSED
Wednesday 15:00- 22:00
Thursday – Saturday 15:00- 23:00
Sunday 15:00- 20:00
Lange Nieuwstraat 47, Utrecht
Cafe Le Journal
This is a great place on one of my most favourite squares of Utrecht, Neude. The whole area is really lively, and Cafe Le Journal is a good cafe to sit down for a wine and a snack. Take bitterballen. As many as you can. During the day you can eat very simple things here, but I like Café Le Journal more for the evening.
Opening times
Monday-Wednesday 08:45-01:00
Thursday 08:45-02:00
Friday and Saturday 08:45-02:30
Sunday 09:45-01:00
Neude 32,
3512 AG Utrecht
Rubens Proeflokaal
Another recommendation, another wine bar in Utrecht The Netherlands. But don’t worry you can also get a beer, port and many other things here. Rubers Proeflokaal is another local favourite. The café is opened four days a week and has some of the best wines you will ever taste. Also, once you enter Rubens Proeflokaal, I’m certain you’re coming back another time. That’s just the magic of one of the best wine bars of Utrecht.
Opening times
Monday- Wednesday CLOSED
Thursday – Saturday 16:00- 00:00
Sunday 15:00- 20:00
Nieuwegracht 197,
3512 LN Utrecht
Wijncafe Lefebvre
I know, I know. Another wine bar? Yes. Wijncafe Lefebvre has to be one of the coolest bars of Utrecht, The Netherlands. This wine bar has a very modern feel, has wonderful staff and a great variation of wines and beers. It is a small, but a long bar in the middle of the centre of Utrecht.
Opening times
Monday 15:00- 00:00
Tuesday & Wednesday CLOSED
Thursday- Saturday 15:00- 01:00
Sunday 15:00- 00:00
Neude 2, Utrecht
Café Willem
For lunch, dinner, and drinks Café Willem is your new hotspot in Utrecht. The interior is just so beautiful, peaceful but edgy at the same time that this makes it a reason by itself to visit Café Willem in Utrecht. They have organic and seasonal products to create the best and most fresh dishes. And those are not disappointing. But the atmosphere at night really turns everything around. Cosy, but full of life.
Opening times
Sunday- Thursday 15:00- 23:00
Friday & Saturday 15:00- 00:00
Willem van Noortstraat 186,
3514 GJ Utrecht
Talud 9
Talud 9 is another cute little place. It serves great breakfasts and lunches during the day. And good bites and wine whenever you want. Talud9 is a wine bar as well. It is always time for wine and snacks. The food is simple, but with a touch. That touch in combination with the location, interior and people that work here is golden. But this is another great wine bar in Utrecht, The Netherlands that you should visit.
Opening times
Monday- Wednesday CLOSED
Thursday- Sunday 12:00- 23:00
Donkere Gaard 9,
3511 KV, Utrecht
Roost aan de Singel
For great lunches, an incredible atmosphere and fun people you should go to Roost aan de Singel. It’s located on the side of one of the canals of Utrecht. You should go here for lunch, a good dinner that’s made on a braai (South African bbq) and drinks. Be aware that this is a hotspot for locals during summer. The location makes this café one of the cool bars of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Opening times
From April until the beginning of October this place opens from Tuesday 15:00- 23:00 and Wednesday- Sunday 12:00- 23:00.
After that you should have a look at their Facebook page here, to see the opening times or events.
Paardenveld 1
3512 RD Utrecht
Cafe Het Gegeven Paard
Cafe het Gegeven Paard can be found within Tivoli Vredenburg which is a music complex. The venue consists of five halls designed acoustically for a specific music genre. So, you can have a great dinner here, go for some drinks and go partying later at night. This café can definitely be recommended for a few drinks.
Opening times
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 09:00 -00:00
Thursday: 09:00-00:30
Friday 09:00-01:30
Saturday 10:00- 01:30
Sunday 10:00-00:00
Vredenburgkade 11, 3511 WC Utrecht
Café Orloff
This is another café located on the Oudegracht, Utrecht. Café Orloff has a nice atmosphere and one of the cosiest terraces of the entire city of Utrecht. This café is perfectly located and gives you a view over the canals. And honestly, I can sit there for days. I must admit, it is very busy at the weekend but still worth a visit. Don’t forget to try all of their snacks.
Opening times
Monday-Wednesday 08:00-01:00
Thursday 08:00-02:00
Friday 08:00-03:00
Saturday 09:00-03:00
Sunday 10:00-01:00
Donkere Gaard 8,
3511 KW Utrecht
Café Flater
Another café on the Oudegracht, Utrecht. This is also close to the lovely area of Neude. At café Flater you can find very friendly staff, some comics on the wall (yes really) and plenty of locals. Definitely, a cool bar to get a drink at in Utrecht. It is oftentimes very busy, with a lot of young people. And as the evening gets later, people start dancing.
Opening times
Monday- Wednesday 16:00- 22:00
Thursday- Sunday 12:00- 22:00
Oudegracht 140,
3511 AZ Utrecht
Kafé België
You are tired from all the Dutch beers and prefer something else? Kafe België is the best Belgium bar from Utrecht, with obviously a lot of great beers. If you’re looking to get away from students, as Utrecht is a student town, you should skip Kafe Belgie. It sometimes looks like one of the student bars of Utrecht. However, I think the beer is worth a visit.
Opening times
Sunday- Thursday 13:00- 01:00
Friday 13:00- 03:00
Saturday 12:00- 03:00
Oudegracht 196,
3511 NR Utrecht
Café Ledig Erf
This cafe is also one of the coolest cafes of Utrecht, The Netherlands and one you have to visit. It is, like we Dutchies like to call it, gezellig. It kind of means cosy, but it’s way more than that. They have a lot of different kind of beers and other drinks, plus one of the most beautiful terraces of Utrecht. Besides that, you can play games here. Typical Dutch games and international ones. And a drink makes everything more fun.
Opening times
Monday- Thursday 15:00- 22:00
Friday- Sunday 12:00- 22:00
Tolsteegbrug 3,
3511 ZN Utrecht
I hope you found this article useful and that you found one of the cool bars of Utrecht, The Netherlands to have a drink tonight. Have you been to one of these places already and what did you think? Is there any café you’d like to add? If you’re looking for the best breakfast spots of Utrecht, click here. For amazing lunch places, you should have a look here. And if you want to see dinner options in Utrecht, you can click here.