The brewing tanks sit where the altar once did. Jopenkerk is a working Jopen brewery built inside the Jacobskerk, a deconsecrated 1910 church on Gedempte Voldersgracht in central Haarlem, with a restaurant on a mezzanine that floats over the kettles below. Twenty beers pour from the taps and the kitchen cooks with them, the Hoppenbier and the medieval Koyt among them, the menu built to be drunk alongside what is brewing under your feet. The building was voted the best-looking bar in the Netherlands in 2013, and on a busy night under the stained glass it is easy to see why.
The Kitchen
Jopenkerk is a brewpub at heart, and the beer is the point. Jopen is a Haarlem brewery that revived old city recipes, and here it brews on site in tanks you can see from your table. Twenty taps run the range, from the hoppy Hoppenbier to the gruit-spiced medieval Koyt and seasonal specials, and the kitchen cooks to match rather than the other way round. Dishes are built around the beers: mussels steamed in Jopen, slow-braised meats deglazed with it, bread and cheese boards meant for pairing, and a rotating grand-café menu of Dutch and brasserie plates. The signature is the beer-pairing experience, three Jopen beers matched to three courses for €29.50, run on weekend afternoons.
The address is Gedempte Voldersgracht 2, in a 1910 former church, the Jacobskerk, restored rather than gutted; the brewing floor sits below and the dining mezzanine above. Reckon on roughly €35 to €55 a head for dinner with a couple of beers. The room was named the Netherlands' best-looking bar in 2013, and more than twenty years after Jopen first revived the city's brewing it is one of Haarlem's defining places to eat and drink. Walk in for the café; book ahead for the restaurant and for the weekend pairing.
The Room
The room is the draw and the warning. A 1910 church nave: soaring brick, stained glass, the brewing kettles gleaming where the chancel was, and a dining mezzanine looking down over all of it. Sound carries, since stone and height make it lively and sometimes loud, especially when the café below is full, so this is conviviality rather than intimacy. Tables run from two-tops to long group setups, and the terrace opens in good weather. There is no dress code; it is a brewery café, come as you are. Open daily from late morning to midnight. The mezzanine restaurant is calmer than the café floor, so ask to sit upstairs if you want to hear each other.
Best for Birthday
Book Jopenkerk for a birthday when the group is the event. Three reasons it works: the church nave gives a celebration a sense of occasion no ordinary restaurant can fake; twenty taps and the three-beer pairing turn dinner into a tasting everyone can join; and the long tables and all-day hours let a party spread out and stay late without being turned over. Picture a dozen friends on the mezzanine under the stained glass, flights of Jopen lined up, mussels and braised meat down the middle of the table, the brewery humming below. For more group rooms, see our birthday dining guide.
Not for a quiet date or a hushed business dinner. The church acoustics make the nave loud when it is full, and the energy is convivial, not intimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jopenkerk in Haarlem worth visiting?
Yes, for the setting as much as the beer. Jopenkerk is a working Jopen brewery inside a restored 1910 church, with twenty taps, a grand café, and a mezzanine restaurant that looks down on the kettles. It was voted the Netherlands' best-looking bar in 2013. The food is good brasserie cooking built around the beer rather than destination dining, but the brewery, the nave and the stained glass make it one of Haarlem's essential stops.
What food does Jopenkerk serve?
Jopenkerk serves a grand-café and restaurant menu built around its own beer: mussels steamed in Jopen, slow-braised meats, bread and cheese boards for pairing, and rotating Dutch and brasserie plates. The signature is a beer-pairing experience matching three Jopen beers to three courses for €29.50 on weekend afternoons. With twenty taps, from the hoppy Hoppenbier to the medieval gruit-spiced Koyt, the drinking list is as much the menu as the food.
How much does Jopenkerk cost?
Plan on roughly €35 to €55 per person for dinner with a couple of beers in the restaurant. The weekend three-course, three-beer pairing is €29.50. The café floor is cheaper for snacks and drinks, with twenty beers on tap plus an extensive bottled list. It is mid-range value: you are paying for solid brasserie food and one of the most striking rooms in Haarlem, a brewery inside a century-old church.
Do you need a reservation at Jopenkerk?
Walk in for the café floor and a beer, but book ahead for the restaurant on the mezzanine and for the weekend beer pairing, especially for groups and on busy evenings. You can reserve by phone on +31 23 533 4114. The restaurant is calmer and quieter than the lively café below, so if you are after a meal rather than just drinks, ask specifically for an upstairs table when you book.
Is Jopenkerk good for a group or birthday?
Yes, it is built for groups. The church nave lends a celebration real occasion, the twenty taps and three-beer pairing give everyone something to do, and the long tables and midnight closing let a party settle in. The flip side is noise: when full, the stone nave is loud, so it suits a lively birthday rather than a quiet dinner. See our birthday guide for more group-friendly rooms.