Rembrandtplein is one of Amsterdam’s most recognizable squares, named after the painter who lived around the corner on Jodenbreestraat four centuries ago. A bronze statue of Rembrandt stands in the center, surrounded by smaller bronze figures recreating his most famous painting, The Night Watch. During the day it’s a pleasant open square with cafe terraces. After dark it transforms into one of the city’s two main nightlife hubs.
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The square sits on what was once Amsterdam’s butter market (Botermarkt) — it only got the Rembrandt name in 1876 when the statue went up. It’s a five-minute walk from Muntplein and about ten minutes from Dam Square, right in the middle of everything.
The Square During the Day
Rembrandtplein is at its most relaxed on a sunny afternoon. The cafe terraces fill up quickly and people sit with coffee or a beer watching the passing crowd. It’s a good people-watching spot — tourists, locals on lunch breaks, street performers, the occasional living statue.
The Night Watch sculpture in the center is worth a few minutes. It’s a 3D recreation of Rembrandt’s painting — life-sized bronze figures arranged exactly as they appear in the canvas that hangs in the Rijksmuseum. Installed in 2006, it’s become one of those Amsterdam photo spots that everyone takes the same picture of. Go ahead, you’re allowed.
The Rembrandt House Museum (Museum het Rembrandthuis) is actually on Jodenbreestraat, about a ten-minute walk east. This is where Rembrandt lived and worked from 1639 to 1658, and the house has been restored to how it looked during his lifetime. The collection of his etchings is exceptional. Entry is around 17.50 euros — smaller and more personal than the Rijksmuseum, and rarely has a queue.
Nightlife on the Plein
Rembrandtplein’s nightlife is bigger and louder than Leidseplein’s. The clubs here lean toward mainstream dance music, commercial house, and top 40 — if you want underground techno, head to Amsterdam West instead.
Escape is the giant on the square. Over 2,000 capacity, multiple rooms, serious sound system. It books big-name DJs on weekends and runs themed nights during the week. The crowd is young, international, and here to party. Dress code is enforced — no sportswear, no trainers on some nights. Entry runs 15-25 euros depending on the event.
Club Air sits on Amstelstraat just off the square. Multiple floors with different music on each — you can bounce between hip-hop, house, and R&B in the same building. Popular with the Amsterdam expat crowd and Dutch students.
Claire on Rembrandtplein itself attracts a slightly older, slightly better-dressed crowd than Escape. If you’re past the age where you enjoy being crushed against strangers at 2am, Claire is the more comfortable option.
The bars along the square itself are a mixed bag. Coco’s Outback is always packed and always loud — Australian-themed, cheap shots, stag parties welcome. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Club Smokey has a coffeeshop attached, so the crowd tends toward mellow on one side and wired on the other. Prime does table service if you’re feeling fancy.
Reguliersdwarsstraat
Walk off the south side of Rembrandtplein and you hit Reguliersdwarsstraat, which is quietly one of Amsterdam’s most important streets. This is the center of the city’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene.
Club NYX is the anchor. It’s a multi-floor venue with an inclusive door policy and some of the best themed nights in the city. Their “3xNyx till 9am” events run until morning — you start on Friday night and leave on Saturday morning. The crowd is mixed in every sense and the energy is consistently good.
Café Exit has daily events and a loyal following. Less intense than NYX, more of a bar-with-a-dancefloor than a full club.
Reguliersdwarsstraat is welcoming regardless of who you are. The LGBTQ+ venues here aren’t exclusive — straight visitors are welcome and the general vibe is “everyone’s here to have a good time.” During Amsterdam Pride (late July/early August) this street becomes the absolute epicenter of the celebrations.
Eating Around Rembrandtplein
The restaurants directly on the square are tourist-priced and mostly mediocre. Walk one or two streets away and the options improve dramatically.
Utrechtsedwarsstraat, running south from the square, has a string of Indonesian restaurants. Tempo Doeloe is one of Amsterdam’s best — their rijsttafel is expensive (around 40-50 euros per person) but it’s the real thing, not the watered-down tourist version. Book ahead on weekends.
For quick food, FEBO on Reguliersbreestraat is a Dutch institution. It’s a wall of vending machine windows where you put in coins and pull out croquettes, frikandellen, and other deep-fried Dutch snacks. It’s not good food in any traditional sense. It is, however, exactly what you want at 3am after leaving Escape. Every Dutch person has a FEBO story.
For coffee during the day, CT Coffee & Coconuts on Ceintuurbaan (a 15-minute walk south) is worth the detour — it’s housed in a converted 1920s cinema with three levels and incredible ceilings.
Getting There
Trams 4, 7, and 14 stop at Rembrandtplein. The nearest metro station is Waterlooplein (about a 5-minute walk). From Centraal Station it’s about a 15-minute walk south through Dam Square and along Rokin.
The square connects easily to the rest of Amsterdam’s nightlife. Leidseplein is about a 15-minute walk west along the Herengracht canal. The Red Light District is 10 minutes north. After midnight, the walk between the three areas is part of the experience — the canal bridges are lit up and the streets are full of people moving between venues.
What to Know Before You Go
Rembrandtplein gets rowdy after midnight on weekends. If you’re staying at a hotel on the square, request a room at the back — the noise continues until 4 or 5am.
The terrace bars on the square charge significantly more than bars on the side streets. A beer on a Rembrandtplein terrace costs 6-8 euros. Walk 50 meters to Utrechtsedwarsstraat or Reguliersdwarsstraat and you’ll pay 4-5 euros for the same thing.
Pickpockets work the crowds around the square, especially near ATMs and in the narrow alleys leading to the Red Light District. Standard Amsterdam precautions apply: phone and wallet in front pockets, don’t leave bags on the backs of chairs.
On King’s Day (April 27th) and during Amsterdam Pride week, Rembrandtplein becomes one of the city’s focal points. Expect it to be completely packed — plan ahead if you want to be there, or avoid it entirely if crowds aren’t your thing.