Amsterdam gets a taste of Spanish hospitality inside a new pinchos and beer bar located in the Dutch city’s lively East district. Designed by Netherlands-based Studio Modijefsky, La Cervecería layers a warm color palette with modern details and nostalgic references to create a vibrant and cozy environment that transports patrons to Spain.

“We wanted to reference a typical cervecería, but reinterpreted it to be part of the contemporary Amsterdam hospitality scene,” says Studio Modijefsky founder Esther Stam. “The idea was to keep the attention to detail typical of old southern canteens, but freshen it up with modern patterns and a playful and contemporary graphic layer.”

The nearly 1,500-square-foot space is divided into three areas, with the bar as its centerpiece. “The aged brass, Carrara marble, wooden base, and red metal accents work together to express our take on elegant bar counters found in traditional Spanish cafés,” says Stam. “While the lightboxes, dark green tiles, mirrors, and overall symmetry convey a sense of majesty and hospitality.”

The central dining area includes custom benches upholstered in a yellow leather, wooden tabletops, red leather barstools, and graphic tiled floors. To accentuate the space’s tall ceilings, the design firm fashioned columns with upholstered panels and vintage lighting.

The intimate upper level mezzanine, which is accessed via an open staircase with a bronze-coated railing, features oak-framed mirrors inscribed with the bar’s menu items.

“Our inspiration came from vintage Spanish canteens, black and white pictures of people enjoying cervezas, and the building’s existing details,” says Stam, “and the result is a place that reminds us of the good old times—almost a wink to the past and a look to the present.”

La Cervecería is brought to life with a warm and vibrant color palette.

The stairway leading to the bar’s upper level features a bronze-coated railing.

Yellow and red upholstery punctuate the central dining area.