Taboo

Taboo sits on Reguliersdwarsstraat, Amsterdam’s best-known gay street, a few steps from the flower market and Rembrandtplein. Open since 2010, it is a gay bar in Amsterdam where drag is part of the furniture: drag performances are a regular part of the programme, and the crowd mixes regulars who come in weekly with the many tourists walking the street.

Next door, the sister venue Taboo Kantine shares the same terrace and hosts seated events such as drag bingo, which needs a reservation. It has welcomed guest hosts such as Drag Race star Manila Luzon. Beyond the shows, Taboo is simply a lively place for a drink, with a bar menu and some food, and the terrace is the place to be on warm evenings.

The bar opens in the late afternoon or evening and stays open until the small hours, later at weekends. Opening times and the weekly drag line-up vary between guides, so check the venue’s own channels before you go. For more choice, several other gay bars are within a short walk along the same street.