Odeon

Went here last night for an event thrown by an international group I participate in. The nightclub portion of the building itself has great design inside but is relatively small. Be sure to check out the detailed wood work on the ceiling and moldings. The main dance floor is deep but narrow. There are 2 bars located on the floor but lines can get long. I’m not sure how much shots cost, but a Heineken cost 4 euro.
Upstairs is a small balcony that has a large U-​shaped formation of low, plush couches — a very cool place to chill after shoving your way through the masses below. A third full service bar is located on the balcony.
The music was a good mix of American pop, hip hop, and electronic (house, trance, I can’t tell the difference) that suited the crowd. By the way, the crowd was HUGE. I definitely have a smaller tolerance for massive crowds – which make me anxious – so I got tired out pretty quickly. To be fair, there was an event that night so it’s possible that it isn’t always that packed. However, you should be warned that it’s possible that Odeon is that crowded every night.
There is a coat check here, which was nice, and the employees who staffed it were organized and quick. I stowed a bag and two coats for 3 euro… Maybe it costs 1 euro per item?
Be prepared to spend 50 cents to use to loo.

We found this place via a recommendation as I was getting rather tired of the generally bad food in Amsterdam, and this place is a revelation. We went to the brasserie, underneath the main Odeon which was a former cinema converted into a cool clubbing joint and restaurant. The ambience was good, the service generally good and we had a pretty fine evening.
We picked the set menu and starters was a tuna tartare which was juicy and tasty with a nice salsa. Next was some lovely rare beef which would have been perfect if it wasn’t just a touch too chewy. Dessert was a nice yoghurt ice cream on champagne zabaglioni and was a nice way to end a good meal.
The wine list was rather sparse but we found a tolerable temperanillo which went well with the beef. Dinner for two, with wine, worked out at 130 Euro so it’s not exactly the cheapest place in town and perhaps not the best value for money either but I was relieved to find a tolerable place at last!
Overall, Odeon was the best dinner I’ve had in Amsterdam this year (Feb 2009).