Exit Café

Exit Café is one of the liveliest spots on Reguliersdwarsstraat, the heart of Amsterdam's gay nightlife: a cozy, kitschy "après-ski" bar done up like a Swiss chalet, with a colorful terrace out front and all. Playing mostly house and international pop rather than actual après-ski tunes, it keeps a jolly, sing-along energy going with karaoke and different daily drink themes: Gin's Day, Vodka Wednesday, Tequila Thursday, and it's often the last bar standing open late, since there's barely anywhere to sit and dancing takes over once it fills up. It shares its building and owner with Club NYX, the bigger sibling next door with its own Saturday gay night, and the café itself carries the name and spirit of the legendary Exit disco that partied here from 1988 to 2010. Fun, unpretentious, and rarely quiet, it's a great anchor for a night out on the strip.