Food and drinks
Our bars are open during the walk-in and intermission.
The bar at the Main Stage offers speciality coffees and teas, organic juices and various snacks. During the renovation of Studio Boekman, the catering facilities at the performances in this hall have been temporarily altered.
PIN-only
We have a PIN-only policy in the theatre, allowing us to serve you more quickly and safely. At the bar, the shop and the cash register, you can pay contactless or by PIN.

Event venue
Situated in the heart of Amsterdam, the iconic theatre of Dutch National Opera & Ballet offers a magnificent view of the Amstel River and the famous 'Magere Brug'. The various spaces form an inspiring backdrop for a whole range of special events.

Group arrangements
The theatre offers various options for a unique evening out. You can take your guests to one of our many performances and enjoy a reception, interval, drinks or dinner arrangement.
Ordering food and drinks in advance
No queue! Your drinks and food are already prepared
You can order your food and drinks for the performance in advance, at home, at work or on the road. We will then ensure that the products you ordered are ready and waiting for you during the interval at the bar you specified. You will no longer have to wait in line. You can order in advance up to 5 hours before the start of the performance for evening performances; for matinee performances up to 10 p.m. on the evening before the performance. You can order online via the link below:
Please note! To order food and drinks in advance you need to create a separate account. This is not possible with your operaballet.nl account. It is not possible to order food and drinks in advance for the performances at Studio Boekman.
Packages
During the interval of the performances, we offer a sparkling wine package (cubes of aged cheese, dried sausage, olives, crunchy beans, cheese sticks and a glass of Corpinnat Brut Reserva) and a drinks package (cubes of aged cheese, dried sausage, olives, crunchy beans, cheese sticks and a drink of your choice). You can order this in advance. It is not possible to order packages with the performances at Studio Boekman.
Bars
There are 5 bars in the foyer: 3 bars at auditorium level, one bar on the 1st balcony and one bar on the 2nd balcony. Due to the renovation of Studio Boekman, temporary bars have been placed in this area.
Product range
All bars have the same standard range of drinks and food. There are also some exceptions:
- Special wines by the glass and special champagnes by the bottle are only available from the bar in the middle at theatre level.
- Food items are limited in stock per performance. Therefore, it may happen that some items are sold out.
- Due to the renovation of Studio Boekman, temporary bars with a limited selection of products have been placed in this area.
For our products, we work together with suppliers such as patisserie Kuyt, nuts from Gotje, coffee biscuits from Farm Brothers, Gulpener Beer, coffee and tea from Hesselink and soft drinks from Coca Cola.
Payment methods
In the foyer you can pay with PIN, Credit card (Mastercard and Visa).
Tips for shortening your waiting time during the interval
In a full auditorium with 1600 visitors, most of the guests go to the bar all at once, causing crowds and queues at the bars. Some tips to reduce your waiting time:
- Pay contactless with your PIN card. This is the fastest form of payment, keeping queues as short as possible during intervals.
- At the bar, some queues are faster than others. So look around you and switch to the shorter queue.
- You can also choose not to join the queue at the bar during the interval. Our intervals are approximately 25 minutes. There is plenty of time to do something else first and not go to the bar until after 10 minutes.
- Ordering in advance prevents you from waiting in the queue during the break. See ‘Ordering food and drinks in advance’
Aftermath
The foyer is open after each performance so that you can enjoy the aftermath and have a chat. The bar at the main entrance is open until 30 minutes after the performance.
From 5 December 2023, the Foyer Main Stage will close after the performance. You can then visit the Theatre Café near the main entrance for drinks and chat. The Theatre Café will be open until 60 minutes after the performance on the Main Stage.
Sustainability
Most of the products we offer are made from sustainable ingredients and have an EKO quality mark and/or a comparable international quality mark, such as Douwe Egberts coffee, Schulp organic juices, Gulpener Limburgs Land beer.
Eating out nearby
Within walking distance or easy to reach by public transport.
There are several excellent restaurants in the area around the Opera & Ballet where you can enjoy an excellent à la carte meal before the performance. Our guests have given us positive feedback about the following restaurants:
Very good:
Good:
Quick - average: