Rembrandtplein is Amsterdam's other main nightlife square — less polished than Leidseplein and, as a result, more of a genuine cross-section of who actually goes out in this city. The square is named for the large bronze statue of Rembrandt at its centre, which is surrounded by bronze reproductions of the figures from the Night Watch — an installation that reads as either charming or excessive depending on your disposition.
The square's bars range from big tourist-facing establishments along the perimeter to the smaller, older cafes tucked into the surrounding streets: Amstelstraat to the south and Reguliersdwarsstraat to the west. Reguliersdwarsstraat is the centre of Amsterdam's gay nightlife and has been for decades — the bars here are well-established, unpretentious, and mixed with straight visitors in a way that few comparable streets in Europe can manage. The Escape nightclub at the southern end of the square is the city's largest and loudest; it draws serious queues on Saturday nights.
De Jaren, on the Nieuwe Doelenstraat a short walk from the square, is the neighbourhood's best cafe — a grand, light-filled space on two floors overlooking the Amstel, with a terrace that is the most pleasant outdoor seat in the city centre on a warm day. Mulligan's, on Amstelstraat, serves Guinness seriously and draws Irish residents who mean it.
Between Rembrandtplein and the canal ring to the east lie several smaller squares and streets — Thorbeckeplein has jazz clubs; Utrechtsestraat runs south with independent restaurants and wine bars that reward walking the whole length.
A short walk southeast, Waterlooplein sits at the junction of the Amstel and the old Jewish Quarter — the Portuguese Synagogue, the daily flea market, the Stopera, and the Rembrandt House on Jodenbreestraat are all within a few minutes of each other and worth combining into one visit.