If you’re a regular reader of Kompas you’ll know that we’re new to spending time in hotel bars. We once found ourselves avoiding them in fear of a lousy atmosphere, but The Hoxton hotel bar is another pleasing example of why we were so so wrong to think that.

Less than a month old at the time of writing, The Hoxton is a new hotel which is subtly and tastefully nestled into the western part of Amsterdam Centrum idyll, Herengracht. The hotel has a successful recipe, with two branches already thriving in London, and if first signs are anything to go by, the formula is translating to its first mainland European setting very well indeed.

A different bike on every floor

We popped in for drinks a week after opening and revelled in the bar’s casual sophistication and attention to detail. It’s a good looking environment in which to spend time but it never feels especially like you need to keep up appearances. That said, you won’t be out of place if you decide to break out your best clobber for brunch or evening cocktails.

We sat at the bar for a couple of hours one Friday afternoon drinking some very reasonably-priced wine whilst enjoying the usual sort of local bar snacks you might associate with a trip to the Netherlands. 

The service was friendly and the staff – whilst still getting up to speed with the high-expectations of the bar manager – were attentive and knew what they were doing. It’s good that the basics are there because its the substance you need with an interior that definitely provides on style.

Entrance hall interior, The Hoxton

The small, discreet entrance is an exercise in modern elegance; a bare brick wall is propped up by a marble staircase rising to the upper lounge. Above the entrance hall hangs a contemporary chandelier which you might not even notice at first. The Hoxton is like that – it’s full of tasteful touches that slowly reveal themselves to you the longer you stay.

Look around the bar and you’ll see the luxury materials hitlist; marble, tile, brass, and wood – all combined with a light touch to create an atmosphere as much as a look. It’s done well and as you’d hope (we’re a little obsessed by this) the bathrooms are beautiful.

The restaurant will need another visit a couple of months after opening. We want to see what the kitchen has to offer when it’s in full swing. So while we can’t vouch for the menu we can definitely recommend The Hoxton as a destination if you’re seeking what it offers.