What are the best mulled wine and hot chocolate spots in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam’s best mulled wine and hot chocolate spots include the winter Christmas markets at Museumplein and Rembrandtplein, cozy brown cafes (bruine kroegen) throughout the Jordaan neighborhood, and specialty chocolate shops like Puccini Bomboni and Van Stapele. Whether you prefer a spiced Dutch glühwein at an outdoor stall or a rich, thick hot chocolate at a candlelit cafe, Amsterdam delivers exceptional warm drinks from November through February.

The city transforms beautifully in winter, with steaming cups of warming drinks becoming a central part of the experience. Below, we answer the most common questions about where to find the best warm drinks Amsterdam has to offer.

Where can you find the best mulled wine in Amsterdam?

The best mulled wine in Amsterdam is found at the city’s winter Christmas markets, particularly at Museumplein, Rembrandtplein, and the Amsterdam Light Festival stalls, as well as in traditional brown cafes throughout the Jordaan and De Pijp neighborhoods. These venues serve warm, spiced wine at outdoor stalls and in cozy indoor settings throughout the winter season.

For outdoor mulled wine with atmosphere, the Christmas market at Museumplein is a top choice. Set against the backdrop of the Rijksmuseum, this market typically runs from late November through early January and offers multiple stalls serving steaming cups of glühwein. Rembrandtplein also hosts a popular winter market with a festive ice rink and plenty of warm drinks to keep you comfortable.

If you prefer a sit-down experience, Amsterdam’s brown cafes are your best bet. These traditional Dutch pubs, with their dark wood interiors and candlelit tables, serve mulled wine during the colder months alongside local beers and jenever. Look for bruine kroegen in the Jordaan district, particularly along the Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht canals, where the combination of warm drinks and canal views makes for a memorable winter afternoon.

What are the best hot chocolate spots in Amsterdam?

The best hot chocolate in Amsterdam is served at specialty chocolate shops and artisan cafes. Top spots include Van Stapele Koekmakerij near the Flower Market, Puccini Bomboni in the Jordaan, Chocolatl on Staalstraat, and Geels & Co., one of the city’s oldest coffee and tea houses. These venues serve rich, thick hot chocolate made from real melted chocolate rather than powder.

Van Stapele is famous for its single-item menu approach and the quality of its chocolate products, making its hot chocolate a natural extension of that philosophy. Chocolatl on Staalstraat is a dedicated chocolate specialist where the hot chocolate is made from single-origin cacao, offering a depth of flavor that instant mixes simply cannot match.

For a more classic Amsterdam experience, Geels & Co. on Warmoesstraat has been serving quality hot drinks since 1864. The atmosphere alone, with its old-fashioned shop interior, makes the visit worthwhile. Many of the city’s bakeries and patisseries also serve excellent hot chocolate, particularly in the morning hours when locals stop in before work.

What is Dutch glühwein and how does it differ from German mulled wine?

Dutch glühwein and German Glühwein are essentially the same drink: red wine heated and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and citrus peel. The Dutch borrowed both the drink and the name directly from German tradition, so the core recipe is nearly identical. The main differences tend to be in sweetness levels and the specific spice blends used by individual vendors rather than any national standard.

In Germany, Glühwein is deeply embedded in Christmas market culture, with centuries of tradition behind specific regional recipes. Some German versions use white wine (Weißer Glühwein) or add a shot of rum or amaretto to create a stronger variation. In the Netherlands, the drink is more of a seasonal import, meaning vendors have more creative freedom and you will find a wider range of quality and flavor profiles across different stalls.

One notable Dutch variation is bisschopswijn (bishop’s wine), a traditional Dutch spiced wine that predates the modern glühwein trend. It uses similar spices but is often served at a slightly lower temperature and with a distinctive orange-forward flavor profile. You may encounter bisschopswijn at traditional Dutch markets and specialty shops, offering a genuinely local alternative to the German-inspired version.

When is the best time to enjoy warm drinks in Amsterdam?

The best time to enjoy warm drinks in Amsterdam is from mid-November through late February, when temperatures regularly drop below 5°C and the city’s Christmas markets, winter festivals, and cozy cafe culture are in full swing. December is peak season, with the most stalls, markets, and seasonal menus available across the city.

November marks the opening of most Christmas markets and the return of seasonal drinks menus in cafes and chocolate shops. The Amsterdam Light Festival, which typically runs from late November through mid-January, creates an excellent reason to walk the canals at night, making warm drinks at outdoor stalls a practical necessity as much as a pleasure.

January and February are quieter months after the holiday crowds have gone, but the cold weather persists and many cafes continue offering their winter drink menus. These months can actually be ideal for enjoying warm drinks in Amsterdam without the peak-season queues, particularly at popular chocolate shops and brown cafes in the Jordaan.

Which Amsterdam Christmas markets serve mulled wine?

The main Amsterdam Christmas markets that serve mulled wine include the Museumplein Winter Market, the Rembrandtplein Christmas Market, the Amsterdam Christmas Market at Amstelveenseweg, and the Ice Village at Museumplein. Most stalls at these markets sell glühwein as a standard offering, typically priced between €3 and €5 per cup, often served in a collectible market mug.

The Museumplein Winter Market is the largest and most visited, drawing crowds from late November through early January. It combines ice skating, food stalls, and multiple glühwein vendors in one central location. The setting next to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum adds a cultural dimension that makes it especially popular with visitors.

Rembrandtplein hosts a more compact market with a strong local following. The square itself has excellent restaurant and bar options surrounding it, so visitors often combine a cup of market glühwein with a sit-down meal at one of the nearby venues. Several smaller neighborhood markets also appear throughout the city in December, particularly in the Jordaan and De Pijp, offering a more local and less crowded alternative to the main tourist-facing markets.

How Incredible Amsterdam enhances your Amsterdam winter experience

Knowing where the best warm drinks are is one thing. Experiencing them with local knowledge and insider context is something else entirely. We at Incredible Amsterdam offer guided city tours led by passionate, German-speaking locals who know exactly where to find the best glühwein stalls, the coziest brown cafes, and the hidden chocolate shops that tourists often walk straight past.

Here is what we bring to your Amsterdam winter visit:

• Local expertise: Our guides are Germans and Swiss who live in Amsterdam and experience the city’s winter culture firsthand every year.
• Small groups: We keep our tours intimate so you get personal recommendations, not a generic script.
• Seasonal knowledge: We know which Christmas markets are worth your time, which hot chocolate shops have the shortest queues, and which canal-side spots offer the best views with a warm drink in hand.
• Interactive experience: Our guides share restaurant tips, neighborhood recommendations, and seasonal event advice throughout the tour.
• Flexible options: From walking tours through the historic center to private canal boat experiences, we tailor the experience to your group.

Whether you are visiting Amsterdam this winter as a couple, a family, or a corporate group, we would love to show you the city the way locals experience it. Book your tour with Incredible Amsterdam and discover the warm side of Amsterdam’s winter.