History Copy

an abstract photo of a curved building with a blue sky in the background

The Story of

Café Oporto

1881 - De Verminking, H. Snoek

“It was a dark, black closet, with three kerosene lamps in the evening. The walls were grey like those of a church, the floor was brown and sprinkled with sand…In all that dim darkness, the little stage with the three artists on three chairs shone brightly at the back.”

On February 5 1881, Henri Snoek (known as Snoekje) opened his café-chantant on the Zoutsteeg, promising customers a new and unbelievable musical soirée.

The nightclub was called De Verminking (the Mutilation), and featured Snoekje himself as comedic singer and MC, performing nightly in his dimly-lit, densely-packed establishment.

His 16-year old son accompanied on the piano, and two glamorous women clad in pale satin played the saxophone and crooned to a rapt audience of young couples, many of them experiencing such scenes of depravity for the first time.

1896 - Société Anonyme Oporto, J. H. van Merkom

"There now stockbroker and shopkeeper and student and artist and journalist tastes the colourful liquid from crystal carafes or the cool dark beer from the oak barrel, enjoying the beautiful and artistic surroundings, the friendly service, and the good quality of the drinks."

J. H. van Merkom was born in Rotterdam, but by 1896 he had moved to Amsterdam and opened his new bar - Société Anonyme Oporto, serving wine, port, genever, and a fine selection of bitters and elixirs.

The bar had been fully renovated prior to reopening. The facade and interior were designed by Gerrit van Arkel, an architect responsible for dozens of distinctive buildings throughout 19th century Amsterdam. The back bar was painted with a zodiac motif by Dutch painter Johann Georg Van Caspel in his first commissioned work as an artist. An inscription over the luxurious fireplace read: “He who drinks sweet nectar in moderation, will never regret it.”

In the early 1900s Oporto was a lively and modern establishment. The patrons enjoyed contemporary art and word games; participated in riddle contests and guerilla marketing events; and once displayed the contents of a young gentleman’s pockets in the bar’s front window.

Oporto was also home to modern amenities and curiosities, such as a telephone (connected in 1901), a counterfeit ƒ40 bank note, and one of the city’s first food automaats.

1922 - Café De Roemer, J. van Schaardenburg

Little is known of Oporto between 1910 and the end of the first World War, but in 1922 it was reopened by J. van Schaardenburg under the name Café De Roemer. Cafe De Roemer was a piano bar, kept pheasants, and instituted the location’s first licensing agreement with Heineken.

Schaardenburg would later change the name back to Oporto Bar before falling under the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in World War II. Oporto operated continuously throughout the war, less than 5 minutes away from Nazi operations on Dam Square.

The zodiac paintings on the back bar were not so fortunate - the artwork was labeled “occult” and painted over by the Nazis. Due to their historical value as early Van Caspel artworks however, the paintings were meticulously restored by a Rijks historian after the war.

1960s-70s - Oporto, H. Hessels

"Oporto was the darkest café in Amsterdam, where trends were set in the music scene. Black sweaters and black jeans were the fashion, following the example of Paris. Not much of the interior was visible at the time, but it was classic; everyone knew that."

In the 1960s and 70s Oporto was in its golden age. Known as one of Amsterdam’s top establishments, it played host to musicians and intellectuals, gangsters and celebrities during the city's wildest decades. Hans Hessels was the owner, and he kept the bar so shrouded in darkness that the rear wall wasn’t visible from the entrance. Drugs flowed as freely as beer, and high-rollers hosted lavish parties for Amsterdam’s most beautiful citizens.

Already international in its clientele, Oporto attracted the young creatives that were flocking to Amsterdam during its Provo years. Its barstaff were multi-lingual and catered to disco crowds into the early hours of the morning.

Alas, Oporto succumbed to its own darkness in the 1980s, and after Hessels' death it was forced to shutter its windows. A Bose sound system, hanging copper pots, and bar furniture were offered in a foreclosure sale in 1984. We know, however, that they never sold - as they still hang in the bar today.

1986 - Cafe Oporto, Andre

"The new clientele has outgrown the disco and prefers to settle in a familiar classic interior where the large conical Heineken glasses are still held in high esteem. Among the regulars are many English speakers permanently residing in Amsterdam who took the café to their hearts soon after its glorious reopening. It is not uncommon for ladies to have the upper hand."

In 1986, Café Oporto was reopened by Andre, a former regular of Oporto during the glory days of the 60s and 70s. The bar was polished bright and clean, showing off the surviving artistic and architectural features from Société Anonyme Oporto, 80 years earlier. Under Andre’s care, the characteristic neon lights were illuminated behind the bar, and a bench was added outside the front window, allowing patrons to sit and contemplate the ever-changing Zoutsteeg.

Since then, Café Oporto has remained largely unchanged over the past 40 years. Now owned by Janice, from Liverpool, and Brian, from Belfast, Oporto hosts the official Everton Supporters Club of the Netherlands and invites regulars and visitors alike inside with its warm Irish-pub vibes.

Open daily from 11am - 1am, Cafe Oporto stands ready to welcome a new generation of Amsterdammers into its storied history.