Cool popular jazz bar. We wanted a table so got there when it opened at 8pm along with a few other groups, which was the right thing to do as by 9pm when the music started it was pretty much full. Despite being very busy, table service was still very good and I was never without a drink for long. It's €3.50 for a small beer and €5 for a glass of wine so reasonable prices for this sort of place/location. We also paid €5 per person entry fee on a Thursday night. Band was great and did three sets until 1am. Louder or larger groups can stand at the back by the bar - when we went all the seats towards the front were watching the band and only talking quietly.

This is not a jazz club, is a bar. The crowd is *so loud,* you can’t hear the music at all unless you’re sitting in a front table. In American jazz and blues clubs, it’s considered rude to speak much louder than a whisper — if at all — while a band is playing, and there are often signs posted asking you to respect the band and keep your voice low. I don’t think any of the people in the bar really had much interest in jazz music, other than to pretend that they were interested bcse it fits the moment or it feels trendy. I’m not usually one to write a review, but this was really that bad. I think the caveat here is that it was a Saturday night when I went. Perhaps it’s better on other nights. I gave it two stars bcse the venue really looks and feels like it should be the perfect place, if only the crowd actually loved and appreciated jazz music.

Jazz Café Alto is really a gem, totally worth visiting! It's been open since 1953, so the feeling you get when you are there is like you are time traveling to the 50's. Service was excellent and the music was simply amazing. We went there at 4pm and they had a jazz trio. I'll be coming back next time I'm in town for sure!

Amazing Jazz venue in Amsterdam, we arrived early when they were still doing the jam sessions so we didn’t get the place crowded and was a fun place to be. Definitely recommend going early.

This was our first visit to this establishment and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. We went to hear our friend Christine Wiltshire sing and couldn't believe the warm welcome by staff and the other customers. Walking into the bar was how we imagined walking into a 1950s jazz club would be like - very subdued lighting, sultry and full of atmosphere. The resident musicians were exceptional and very talented. The bar had outside seating as well as internal seating and it was great to have table service too. We'll certainly be visiting again and can recommend to others (if you are jazz lovers or not!). 🙂👍

A cosy bar with a stage for live jazz performances. It opened at 8:00pm and there was already a group of people in front awaiting. Quickly the small space was filled with audience. The concert started at 9pm - super pro-musicians, a Dutch quartet of performers, who were great and kept the experience on a high note. The atmosphere is quaint with old posters stuck on the ceiling. If you know a good cocktail, stuck to beer an wine. This is not their forte. Would definitely love to go back one day.

A lot of fun to see jazz improvisation with friends. If you manage to get the seat (come ahead, starts at 9 so arrive around 8.30), the sound quality in the seated part is amazing. The crowd is enjoying the music and the joy from the audience, waiters and musicians spreads to you even if you don't know much about jazz. The wine was great too! We paid 5€ per entrance but I think thats not every night.

Jazz sessions every day, usually a free one from 5 to 8 and 5€ for the one at 9pm. Amstel beer is 3.50€, the other beers 6€. Cool enviroment.

It was very crowded with an enthusiastic audience the night we came to hear some live jazz. It's a small venue, and so I found it a bit hard to move around, otherwise we might have stayed and listened longer. Also, the stairs up to the toilet are a bit trecherous, especially if you've had a few drinks! Still, the drinks were nice and the bar staff was lovely. You are free to come and go with the purchase of entry, but we knew our spots would be gone if we went out to get some air. A crowded bar is the sign of a good bar, however!

Probably the best experience i had in amsterdam. Music starts at 9, but show up at least 30 minutes in advance if you wanna sit at the close tables as it gets pretty packed when the music starts. We were there on tuesday and a band called the fours was playing and it was incredible, i even bought a cd. And the beer isnt too expensive. Some of the reviews mention food but theres no food there so eat before you go

Great jazz bar with great musicians. Staff is very friendly, just make sure you get in early so you can sit down and enjoy the music in nice seats. I think this is 100% of the vibe you’d expect from a small jazz bar that unpretentiously delivers you good music.

Great bar. Cool vibe. Awesome musicians. Wasn't to crowded either. Could've easily packed it out with the queue of people down the street, but there was still room to get to the bar and toilet without squeezing through people. Get there before 8 or you'll be outside for a while on a Saturday

⚠️ There's no food menu. For some reason I thought they served food (I think some old Google review photos) so went there early, but it turned out they only have nuts. Quick service and nice staff. Great jazz bar, great vibe. We went there at around 1930 and got nice seat.

Jazz Café Alto in Amsterdam is a fantastic little venue which we visited twice during our long weekend in the city. A small fronted and quite unassuming place from the outside (despite the massive saxophone mounted on the wall that is..!!) but once inside its packed with charm and atmosphere with a superb team and likeminded customer base. During our two visits we enjoyed performances from the resident musicians and singers as well as an open mike night where several artists got on stage and entertained the crowds. Some fantastic talent adorns the stage at this venue. This place is very popular and rightly so… we loved everything about it so if you find yourself in Amsterdam and you enjoy live music and anything else performing arts based…. This is a gem not to be missed. Relaxed, charming and great value…. What more could you want for a night out.

Great little Jazz bar right off the busy square. Always a lively and fun night here, drinks reasonably priced considering you get free entry if you arrive before 8. I love spending the evening here, wish I could swing by more often

Great vibes, visited on a Wednesday night and it was packed. We were able to find seats between the sets and the musicians were incredible. If you like live music, and especially jazz/blues, this is a must visit in amsterdam. Only about 30 minute walk from central station and there are trams that can you get you to the area much faster. Small area but the service and music are great. Heard there are different bands every night so I’ll definitely be back.

We went to the cafe to enjoy one of their jazz nights. It was beautiful and atmospheric! I loved it, would definitely recommend and go again when I'm back in Amsterdam.

Stopped in for some jazz. The bar was completely packed. It’s €5 per person to get in. The drinks are good relatively cheap, seats are in front of the stage. There’s also a server who has a card machine for convenience. It’s a great Wednesday night spot

Great atmosphere. Great Jaz. Entry fee is just 5 euros per head. It's worth it. Amazing. Will always come back here for an evening post dinner. Don't expect food. Just drinks and jazz and Great vibe and crowd.

Jazz all night long until 2pm! Good price for a beer and wine. Other drinks a bit more pricey. Kind of authentic atmosphere in the middle of tourist sisteict which of other places I would rather avoid.

Amazing attention, amazing music. I heard at the “Cool Sound Trip” and really enjoy it. People talk too loud near the musician, that was the only thing that bother me. Prices are low, arrive early because there is not much space.

Great live jazz music and friendly staff in a cozy bar.

Nice location with good music by a live jazz band. However it might be rather crowded, so not recommended if you prefer seating possibilities with enough space for yourself. Gin Tonic = 10,50 EUR.

A good experience With epic atmosphere, good music with a great band playing jazz. It was on of our best nights at club, you should try it. The prices of bar not expensive, and with a good service.

I've always wanted to visit a Jazz Club. Visiting Cafe Alto was a real treat. Good music. And good vibe. In that 65 year old venue.. there was such a wonderful ambience and joy. loved it! such good musicians too!

Very cool place to spend a night in Amsterdam. The sets are energetic, drinks are fine and the jazz is awesome. No food, so come fed.

Reasonably priced drinks and great live jazz music. What more can you ask for? We were there for a jam session and random musicians were coming up on stage to play together and did an amazing job! Great experience! No food offerings that I know of, but it's a bar. 😆

We wanted to swing by this place as we were in Amsterdam. Live band on stage when we arrived, great vibe and great crowd. The whole place was involved with the band's 'call and response'. A really enjoyable evening. Highly Recommended!

Great hole in the wall jazz bar. Packed on weekend nights. Music starts at 9 till 2 with a small cover charge. No food inside venue but good drink service and fantastic music.

Something to do while in Amsterdam to enjoy good jazz music. Beautiful atmosphere ! It’s also featured in Ted Lasso.

Entry €5 (on a Sunday) with drinks about €5-8, very nice staff, great atmosphere, and a nice evening out in Amsterdam.

The €5 entry seemed unnecessary, given how many people were there, and we weren't able to get a seat for about half an hour and it was a Wednesday night in November. However, I did enjoy the atmosphere and the band was wonderful!! The service qt the bar was painful. We waited about 5 minutes to be served, as the people behind the bar were talking to eachother and friends, as opposed to serving. If we hadn't paid €5 each to enter, I probably would have left. But once we were seated a while later, we did notice a bar attendant walking through the tables and taking orders, which is why I raised the rating. This was quick and the young lady did well to remember who ordered what and where they were sitting etc. It's a small space but the band and other guests make for an enjoyable atmosphere.

We had a great evening with a top notch jazz band. It's a small club, so get there early to get a table. Otherwise, you'll have to stand in the back where It gets uncomfortably crowded.

I had two nights in amsterdam by myself and spent them both here. The atmosphere is electric, the beer is cheap (€3.50 for a heineken), the people are lovely to talk or dance with, and the people behind the bar were bubbly and dancing with each other and it feels warm and inviting. Can't recommend enough

The band playing wasn't very good, but the bar has a good atmosphere and I imagine they often have better artists.

Perfect atmosphere, ideal place where to spend a weekend evening. Live music every evening now! 🥰🥰

Lovely place for Jazz lovers with super friendly staff. The drinks are not good enough so I cannot give it 5 stars. BUT I WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK FOR JAZZ. Highly recommend this café to everyone.

Great atmosphere with inexpensive drinks. Get there early if you want a seat!

Very beautiful jazz bar with live music and the best atmosphere to enjoy it. Little bit too crowded, so take into account to get there early before the show.

This bar has a great vibe and you can hear the jazz all the way from the back. I advise that you arrive when it begins because when we went, the music ended at 10, despite the bar being open until later.

A very cozy bar and jazz club with great live music (a cover charge of €5 seems to apply). Why only 3 stars? This place is very crowded - to the point where moving is difficult, getting a drink is very slow and the air is stifling. In case of an emergency, I would hate to think what would happen when 200 people try to rush out the single door too. Anyway, the music was great but this wasn't for me!

Best place if you like jazz live music and cozy places! It was very nice to drink a beer while listening to the jazz session

Need more places like this. Lovely live music. Nice employees. Cozy and intimate atmosphere

One of the best jazz bars I’ve been to. Lots of interesting people and great music. The cocktails are pretty expensive and there is very limited seating so get there early before the musicians start playing. Must try the espresso martinis!!

Nice jazz bar. Live music in the evening, and good ambiance. Entry is around 7€ per person.

Loved it! Super nice staffs. Great live music.

If you want a genuine experience and listen amazing jazz, then this is the best place in Amsterdam. It can be crowded throughout the weekends but you can easily find free table on weeknights

Incredible ambience. One of the best venues for jazz I've ever been to. Every visit makes me smile wide and fee grateful just to be enjoying such great music. There's another place called pianobar about 50 m away from here which is also fantastic. A good spot to enjoy live jazz.

What a great experience, both local and tourists were there, the bar had many options and the waitress was nice and quick. The music was just WOW, it was very crowded (most people standing in every possible corner) and kind of hot but man that was definitely worth it mostly because of the music. Nice night out experience that you must try.

Nice and cozy place. Right in the heart of Amsterdam. Admission price was 7,5€ on Saturday night. Music was good but it was rather a bit too busy, which, I guess, also is a part of its charm. Would definitely go back and recommend visiting

Top notch musicians. Every one of them were amazing. It was a great pleasure to listen the music next to the stage. Drinks were also really good and bartenders were extremely friendly. Definitely one of the places I'd visit if I'm around.

Happy New Year Everyone. It was a great place to start the year. Excellent live jazz. Fun atmosphere. Friendly staff. A bar. No food that I could see, but many restaurants nearby. There was a €15 charge to enter on new year's eve and we could go out and re-enter. Everyone went out to see the fireworks. I'm going back soon.