Other Nighttime Entertainment

Evening Canal-Boat Tours

Even if you took a daytime canal-boat tour, come back for cocktails. Special candlelit wine-and-cheese cruises operate nightly year-round, except for December 31. Libations and nibbles are served as you glide through the canal district, which is quiet and calm at night. It's a leisurely, convivial, and romantic way to spend an Amsterdam evening. Recommended operators include Holland International (tel. 020/622-7788; www.thatsholland.com) and Rederij Lovers (tel. 020/530-1090; www.lovers.nl). Boats depart from the tour-boat piers on Prins Hendrikkade, opposite Centraal Station. The 2-hour cruises cost about 20€ ($25). Reservations are required.

Then there's the Saturday evening Jazz Cruise, by Canal Bus (tel. 020/623-9886; www.canal.nl). As you cruise through the romantically lit canals, a live band entertains you with 1 1/2 hours of jazz. While you stomp, you can slurp and chomp on unlimited amounts of wine, beer, soft drinks, Dutch cheese, and nuts. The Jazz Cruise departs from the Canal Bus dock on Singelgracht, at Stadhouderskade (tram: 7 or 10), opposite the Rijksmuseum, April to November, Saturday at 8 and 10pm. Reservations are required, and tickets are 40€ ($50).

Movies

In most European cities, it's either difficult or impossible to find a movie theater showing undubbed American and British movies, but in Amsterdam, you'll find a dozen or more first-run features, most of them Hollywood's finest, in English with Dutch subtitles. You can find showtimes in the bimonthly magazine Preview and the monthly newspaper-style Filmkrant, both of which are available free from movie theaters -- in Dutch, a movie theater is called a bioscoop. The free weekly brochure Pathé Filmagenda, which you can pick up from movie theaters, hotels and cafes, has listings for the Pathé brand of theaters. Most of the information in these publications is in Dutch, but the movie titles and screening times are hard to get wrong. Admission prices are around 10€ ($13), depending on the day, time, and movie, and you can reserve advance tickets for a small charge. Don't worry if you're a few minutes late getting to your seat: A string of commercials and trailers always precedes the main feature (except at art-house cinemas).

Note: If all of a sudden there's a break in the film, which happens at some movie theaters, don't fret; this is a pauze and it lasts about 15 minutes. It can be incredibly annoying, especially as it seems always to come at an arresting on-screen moment, but at least it gives you time to visit the toilet, buy an ice cream, or grab a smoke.

The following are Amsterdam's major movie theaters. Many of them are multiplexes, and most screen first-run Hollywood films: Bellevue Cinerama Calypso, Marnixstraat 400 (tel. 0900/1458; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10); Cinecenter, Lijnbaansgracht 236 (tel. 020/623-6615; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10); Cinema De Balie, Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 (tel. 020/553-5100; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10); Cinema Amstelveen, Schouwburg, Stadsplein 100, Amstelveen (tel. 020/547-5175; tram: 5); City, Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 15-19 (tel. 0900/1458; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10); De Uitkijk, Prinsengracht 452 (tel. 020/623-7460; tram: 1, 2, or 5); the 14-screen Pathé ArenA, ArenA Boulevard 600 (tel. 0900/1458; Metro: Bijlmer); Pathé De Munt, Vijzelstraat 15 (tel. 0900/1458; tram: 4, 9, 14, 16, 24, or 25); and Theater Tuschinski, Reguliersbreestraat 26-34 (tel. 0900/1458; tram: 4, 9, or 14). The Tuschinski is well worth a visit for its extravagantly restored, Art Deco style from 1921, when it first opened as a variety theater; on upper balconies, you sit on plush chairs and sip champagne during the flick.

Art-house, international, and lesser-known films are at Desmet, Plantage Middenlaan 4A (tel. 020/627-3434; tram: 9, or 14), a small Art Deco cinema in what was once a Jewish theater; the Filmmuseum, Vondelpark 3 (tel. 020/589-1400; tram: 1, 3, or 12); Het Ketelhuis, Westergasfabriek, Harlemmerweg 8-10 (tel. 020/488-7788; www.ketelhuis.nl; bus: 18 or 22); the student-run Kriterion, Roetersstraat 170 (tel. 020/623-1708; tram: 7, 10); Melkweg Cinema, Lijnbaansgracht 234A (tel. 020/531-8181; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10); Rialto, Ceintuurbaan 338 (tel. 020/676-8700; tram: 3); Smart Cinema, Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat 20 (tel. 020/427-5951; tram: 3 or 12); and The Movies, Haarlemmerdijk 161 (tel. 020/638-6016; tram: 3).

Casinos

Holland Casino Amsterdam, in the Lido, Max Euweplein 62 (tel. 020/521-1111; www.hollandcasino.com; tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10), at Leidseplein, is said to be the only legal casino in town -- though there's no sign of any official action against those that presumably are illegal. This is European gambling, with emphasis on the quiet games of roulette, baccarat, punto banco, blackjack, and others, though there are abundant one-armed bandits, which the Dutch call "fruit machines." (Start saving your euro coins!) You need correct attire to get in (jacket and tie or turtleneck for men), and you also have to bring your passport to register at the door. The minimum age is 18. The casino is open daily (except May 4 and Dec 31) from 1:30pm to 3am. Admission is 4€ ($5). On Wednesdays and daily from 11am to 1pm, the slot machines section offers free admission.

Bowling

If you find you just have to knock down a few pins, head to Knijn Bowling, Scheldeplein 3 (tel. 020/664-2211; tram: 12 or 25).

Pool

About the most active sports locals go in for? Guzzling beer and getting snookered at carambole, a devilishly complicated game played on pool tables without pockets. Ask them to explain it to you; I can't. Billiards-type games are an obsession among the brown-cafe contingent; it's as easy to pick up a game as a flea. Scores of places have tables.

Serious players should check out the Bavaria Pool-Snookercentrum, Van Ostadestraat 97 (tel. 020/676-7903; tram: 3, 12, 16, 24, or 25), at Ferdinand Bolstraat not far from the old Heineken Brewery. This is the city's hottest spot to chalk a cue, with four floors of tables, including billiards, carambole, snooker, and pool. Sharps bring their own cues and call ahead to reserve a table. For pick-up games, you'd better be good. It's open daily from 11am to 1am (Fri and Sat until 2am).

The rival Snooker Club de Keizer, Keizersgracht 256 (tel. 020/623-1586; tram: 13, 14, or 17), near Westerkerk, is a classy pool hall for serious players not interested in socializing. In individual rooms, titans battle it out on the felt. It's open daily 1pm to 1am (Fri to Sat until 2am).