The Spirit

Established in 1980 and still running on the same principle: a big room, cheap entertainment, and no interest in looking expensive. The Spirit sits on Westerstraat in the Jordaan, the quieter, more residential half of the centre, and while tourists find it — some specifically for the games — most of the room is local.

The interior is traditional and wood-heavy with no frills: no granite, no leather, no full menu. What it does have is a pool table and six pinball machines — plus chessboards — and comic-book artwork on the walls. Regulars cite the space, the drinks and the pinball as the reasons they keep coming back, and mention the toilets are consistently clean, which tells you something about how the place is run. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices and basic snacks are served. Wi-Fi is free, it's wheelchair accessible, and it takes contactless.