Birthday party venue near Amsterdam
Another year older. Might as well have cake & a dance floor.
A birthday in the village hall
A long table, full glasses & someone starting a song.
A birthday deserves more than a circle of chairs in the living room, a bowl of cheese cubes and the weather forecast as conversation. Here everyone sits at one long table, the platters go round and the evening lasts longer than the coffee.
Het Broeker Huis is the village hall of Broek in Waterland, a fifteen-minute drive from Amsterdam. Whoever's birthday it is tells us how the day should go, and we turn it into a proposal. Cake first, speech for dessert or the other way round: anything goes, nothing's compulsory.
See what's possible first, or find out right away what the party costs?
The food was fantastic: every dish was simply delicious. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming & attentive. That let me celebrate my birthday completely carefree.
Floor, celebrated her 50th birthday at Het Broeker Huis
A birthday with family & friends
Lunch, drinks, dinner or a party. Or string them together.
Lunch
For anyone who'd rather be on the sofa by evening.
Long tables in the Tuinzaal or out on the courtyard, home-baked bread on the table and plenty of time for the father-in-law's speech. At the lunch table or in courses, whatever suits the group.
Drinks
Standing, sitting or somewhere in between.
Bubbles or a beer on arrival, bitterballen doing the rounds and a courtyard where everyone finds each other. Just the family or half the street: there's always a corner left for whoever turns up late.
Dinner
Whoever's birthday it is at the head of the table. Or right in the middle.
At long tables in the Grote Zaal or out on the courtyard, with platters going round or three courses on a plate. Much of what reaches the table went over the wood fire first, and there's always a vegetarian option.
Party
Cake first, then the tables go to the side.
After that, the middle of the Grote Zaal is one big dance floor. A DJ or band plugs into our sound system, which can go properly loud there. And somewhere after the third record, the birthday guest is up on a chair.
Thirty, forty, fifty or sixty?
Some birthdays count double.
Thirty still feels like a mistake. By forty it's clear who your real friends are. Fifty is officially over the hill, and the view from up there is better than anyone let on. At sixty, nobody has anything left to prove. A milestone like that deserves more than coffee and a slice of cake.
A big one, with every uncle, aunt and old friend? Then the Grote Zaal fits, with the courtyard as well. A smaller group pulls up a chair in the Tuinzaal.
Forty years married rather than forty years old? Then it's an anniversary.
A boat trip, a village walk & a bed
For anyone making a weekend of it.
Part of the group hops on De Neeltje before dinner: our boat, named after Neeltje Pater, who had this House built. She takes 7 people, with a drink and a bite on board. Meanwhile, the rest walk through the village with a guide, in English if you like.
Anyone not ready to go home after the party sleeps in the B&B on the courtyard: 6 people in 2 bedrooms, from 2 nights. We include it in the quote. For the rest of the family, the places to stay nearby are all on one page.
Family coming from further away?
Before the group chat explodes
About cost, guests, dancing & the cake.
What does a birthday party cost?
That depends on the number of guests and what goes on the table. We don't do fixed packages, so you decide where the money goes. Our Parties page shows three examples under What does a party cost? for a first idea. In the request form you pick, for each part, what comes closest to what you want, and the form shows straight away what it costs.
Can I book a room for 20 people?
Yes. For a lunch or dinner with 20 at long tables, the Regentessenkamer fits: it seats 25. The Tuinzaal has a little more room, with 35 at long tables. If it's a party with dancing, it's the Grote Zaal: 80 at long tables, 170 standing.
Can I celebrate my birthday in the restaurant?
Yes. With a smaller group, simply book a table in the restaurant and settle the bill there, or order from the lunch menu. A room of your own with its own menu goes through an estimate request.
Do I have to hire the whole House?
No. A room that suits the group is enough, and the courtyard always comes with it. Whether one room or the whole House works better, we work that out party by party.
Can we dance, and until when?
Yes. The middle of the Grote Zaal is the dance floor, and the music can go properly loud there within the noise limit. From midnight we turn the volume down step by step, last orders are at one, and by two the House is quiet. That's what the council asks, and what the neighbours ask too: so no hooting horns or farewell speeches in the street on the way out.
How do drinks work?
You choose. Either the bill afterwards covers what was actually drunk, or you agree a fixed amount in advance and the budget is settled from the start. For a group that drinks little or mostly soft drinks, paying afterwards usually works out cheaper. Alcohol-free beer, alcohol-free wine and mocktails are simply part of it.
Can I bring my own cake?
Yes. Just let us know beforehand, no strings attached. Even if grandma has been practising the recipe since last year. Rather not carry it? Then the kitchen serves home-baked apple pie or brownie, or our regular baker makes a cream cake with lettering.
Can the children come?
Of course, they usually sing the loudest. They simply eat with everyone else, in a smaller portion. If that doesn't work, the kitchen makes something simple with an ice cream to finish, and the jugs of lemonade are already waiting.
Didn't find what you were looking for?
If your question isn't here, have a look at the other frequently asked questions first.
Still no answer? Call us on 020 403 13 14, or drop us an email.
Come and have a look round first
With or without the birthday guest.
Whether the Grote Zaal is big enough for every uncle and aunt only becomes clear once someone's standing in it. Drop by with whoever's birthday it is, or without them if it's a surprise. Thomas makes coffee, walks you through the rooms and across the courtyard, and hears first what there is to celebrate. Can't make it in person? A video call works too.
A surprise? Our lips are sealed.