Int Aepjen

The contribution of the maritime industry to the development of bars through history cannot be underestimated. In the days before every goddamned kid in the world came to Amsterdam to smoke a joint in a cafe, large gatherings of people from different countries were either wars or sailors' bars, and I know which one I'd prefer to be in. In one of Amsterdam's two surviving wooden buildings from the 16th century, Int Aepjen was named for the pet monkeys the sailors were wont to take with them when they wanted to paint the town red - a custom which is lamentably rare these days. Rather than actual monkeys, there are now images and figurines of monkeys strewn throughout the bar - although you might not spot them if you're not looking for them.