A packed Reguliersdwarsstraat with rainbow bunting overhead during Pride in Amsterdam

Street guide

Reguliersdwarsstraat nightlife

One street between Koningsplein and Rembrandtplein, bars and clubs door to door, and for decades the best-known LGBTQ+ address in Amsterdam. Written by the neighbours: we are at 41, 44 and 48.

On Reguliersdwarsstraat you do not need a plan. You walk from one terrace to the next bar, and somewhere after midnight you end up on a dance floor. That is why people love it: locals and visitors, queer and straight.

This guide is about going out here today: where the street is, which venues are on it and how a night usually unfolds. If you want to know how it got this way, read the history of Reguliersdwarsstraat.

An Amsterdam canal at night after rain, with lit canal houses and bicycles on a bridgeMood image

Chapter 01 · The street

Where is Reguliersdwarsstraat?

Reguliersdwarsstraat runs from Koningsplein to Rembrandtplein and is cut in two by Vijzelstraat. Most bars and clubs are in the western part, between Koningsplein and Vijzelstraat. The Carlton Hotel spans the street like a gateway, and the Flower Market on the Singel is around the corner.

The tram gets you there quickly: line 4, 14 or 24 to Muntplein, and Koningsplein is a few minutes’ walk too. By metro, get off at Rokin (line 52).

Map of Amsterdam’s canal ring with Reguliersdwarsstraat between Koningsplein and Rembrandtplein
Reguliersdwarsstraat in the canal ring, between Koningsplein and Rembrandtplein.
A packed night at Bar Blend, Reguliersdwarsstraat 41

Chapter 02 · Door to door

The bars and clubs on the street

In house-number order, as you meet them walking in from Koningsplein. Three of them are ours, and they are marked as such.

  • Number 36Gay bar · several floors

    Soho

    Pick it for a big, busy gay bar with a dance floor and a summer terrace.

    One of the biggest bars on the street, spread over several floors, with a dance floor and a terrace in summer. Closed on Mondays.

  • Inside Bar Blend with the rainbow staircase and the bar in neon lightBy Bar Blend

    Number 41Small bar · drag and DJs

    Bar Blend

    Pick it for the start of the night, or a whole night with drag.

    Our first bar, at number 41 since 2019: colourful, cosy and loud, with drag and DJs at weekends. It opens in the afternoon, so it is ideal for the first drink. Mondays are drag bingo.

    Open
    Mon – Thu 15:00 – 03:00 · Fri – Sat 14:00 – 04:00 · Sun 14:00 – 03:00
    Visit Bar Blend

  • Number 42Queer club and bar

    Club NYX and Exit Café

    Pick it for dancing late into the night, with different music on every floor.

    The building of the legendary Exit now houses Club NYX, a queer club over several floors, and Exit Café, a bar that is open late every night. The crowd is young and open-minded.

  • The long bar and dance floor of Blend XL under purple and green lightBy Bar Blend

    Number 44Bar with a dance floor · DJs and shows

    Blend XL

    Pick it for cocktails, shows and a real dance floor under one roof.

    Our big venue: high ceilings, two rooms, two bars and a dance floor with DJs and weekly shows. More about a night here on our page about the nightclub on Reguliersdwarsstraat.

    Open
    Thu 20:00 – 01:00 · Fri – Sat 20:00 – 03:00
    Visit Blend XL

  • Number 45Gay bar · cocktails and terrace

    Taboo

    Pick it for happy hour, cocktails and a midweek drag night.

    At number 45 since 2010, with two happy hours a day, a terrace and a Wednesday cocktail night with drag and a DJ.

  • Inside Montmartre XL with chandeliers and a warmly lit barBy Bar Blend

    Number 48Sing-along bar · Dutch, 80s, 90s

    Montmartre XL

    Pick it for singing along to Eurovision and the hits of then and now.

    The successor to the famous Café Montmartre, at number 48 since 2026. Dutch classics, 80s and 90s hits and Eurovision, sung out loud until closing time.

    Open
    Wed – Thu 18:00 – 01:00 · Fri – Sun 18:00 – 03:00
    Visit Montmartre XL
A pink cocktail poured from a shaker into a coupe glass on a wooden barMood image

Chapter 03 · How it goes

How a night on the street unfolds

  • Afternoon and early evening. The terraces fill up and the first bars are open. Bar Blend opens in the afternoon, Taboo has its happy hours.
  • Evening. Cocktails and the first shows. Blend XL and Montmartre XL open, and the street gets busier.
  • After midnight. The dance floors take over: Blend XL until closing time, Club NYX until late. Montmartre XL is where the singing gets loudest.
  • Weeknights. Quieter, and not every venue is open every day. Check opening hours before you go.
Guests dancing close together on the Blend XL dance floor
Late night at Blend XL.
Rainbow bunting between Amsterdam canal houses above a celebrating crowdMood image

Chapter 04 · Pride and King’s Day

Street parties

During Pride, in late July and early August, Reguliersdwarsstraat has been one of the street-party locations since 1996. Since 2016 it has officially been a rainbow street, with a rainbow path under the Carlton Hotel. King’s Day is a party here too.

More on Pride in Amsterdam Pride 2026, and on the city’s whole queer scene in our LGBTQ+ nightlife guide.

Chapter 05 · In short

A short history

From the 1980s the street grew into the centre of gay Amsterdam, with names like April, Exit and Havana. Around 2010 many of those venues closed in a short time, after which the street came back with new names, including Club NYX in the old Exit building. The full story is in our long read on the history of Reguliersdwarsstraat.

A quiet canal at dawn with mist on the waterMood image

Chapter 06 · Practical

Good to know

Getting in
At our bars you can just walk in. Groups of 8 or more can book.
Dress code
No strict dress code at our bars: come as you are.
ID
Bring valid photo ID.
Community
RITA Community Center at number 54 is an LGBTQ+ community space run by the city, where you can also report discrimination.
Safer nights
See Safer Nights.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where is Reguliersdwarsstraat?

In the centre of Amsterdam, between Koningsplein and Rembrandtplein, close to the Flower Market and Muntplein.

Is Reguliersdwarsstraat a gay street?

Yes. For decades it has been Amsterdam’s best-known LGBTQ+ nightlife address, with a row of gay and queer bars and clubs side by side. Everyone is welcome.

Which bars are on Reguliersdwarsstraat?

Among others: Soho (36), Bar Blend (41), Club NYX and Exit Café (42), Blend XL (44), Taboo (45) and Montmartre XL (48).

How do I get to Reguliersdwarsstraat?

Take tram 4, 14 or 24 to Muntplein, or metro 52 to Rokin. It is also an easy walk from Central Station.

Sources7

Opening hours and line-ups of other venues change. Always check the official website before you go.

  1. Reguliersdwarsstraat · Wikipedia
  2. Soho · Gay Amsterdam
  3. Club NYX · Gay Amsterdam
  4. Exit Café · Gay Amsterdam
  5. Taboo · Gay Amsterdam
  6. Pride Amsterdam party tips · I amsterdam
  7. RITA Community Center · Gemeente Amsterdam
Full terraces on Reguliersdwarsstraat on a summer evening, with string lights under the awnings
A summer evening on the terraces of Reguliersdwarsstraat.

Read next