Amsterdam for adults: a weekend from Dublin
An erotic café open since 1997, a canal-side drag dinner show, a gay sauna near Centraal and a strip bar in the old centre: four Amsterdam addresses for an adult weekend from Dublin.
Amsterdam is one of the easiest adult city breaks from Dublin: frequent flights, a train from Schiphol straight to Centraal, and a compact centre you can cross on foot. Here are four addresses on our map for a weekend that goes beyond the canals.
Friday: a show and dinner
't Sluisje, a drag dinner show near the Royal Palace
Behind the Royal Palace, near the Singel canal, 't Sluisje has been staging dinner shows built around a three-course menu for over 27 years. Evenings alternate drag acts and live music, with queens mixing comedy and singing. A good way to start the weekend, for couples and groups of friends alike.
Saturday: relax, then go out
Sauna Nieuwezijds, near Centraal Station
In the city centre, near Centraal Station, Sauna Nieuwezijds is a gay sauna with a Turkish bath, steam room, Finnish sauna, jacuzzi and bar, along with a cruising area with a darkroom and private cabins. Easy to reach on arrival day.
Sameplace, an erotic café since 1997
Open since 1997 on Nassaukade, west of the centre, Sameplace is an erotic café welcoming couples, women and single men, with a door policy that keeps the crowd balanced. It has a bar and a dance floor, for a first evening out as a couple.
Sunday: one last show
La Vie en Proost, a strip bar in the old centre
On Warmoesstraat, close to the Oude Kerk, La Vie en Proost is a strip bar where dance shows follow one another on the stage throughout the evening, built around pole dance routines.
Getting around between addresses
The four addresses are close to each other. 't Sluisje, Sauna Nieuwezijds and La Vie en Proost are all in the old centre, within a short walk of Dam Square and Centraal Station. Sameplace is on Nassaukade, on the western edge of the canal ring, about twenty minutes on foot or a short tram ride from the centre. Trams run late, and taxis are easy to find near Centraal. If you only have one night, combine the dinner show and Sameplace; with two nights, keep the sauna for the afternoon and the strip bar for the last evening.
Plan your weekend
- Getting there: flights from Dublin take about an hour and a half, and the train from Schiphol reaches Centraal in under 20 minutes.
- Where to stay: near Centraal or the canal ring, so everything is walkable.
- Book ahead: 't Sluisje takes reservations, and weekends fill up.
- Check the rules: Sameplace has a door policy and set nights for each crowd; read the official website before you go.
- Consent first, everywhere: ask, listen, and accept a no.
For more ideas, see our Amsterdam map and the drag and cabaret section.
