A Coffee Guide to Amsterdam
Coffee shops, but no, not that kind.
Peanut butter cold brew and other shenanigans
Amsterdam isn’t particularly well-renowned as a great coffee city. It’s known for lots of things (namely the green plants found in the “coffeeshops” that dot the city), but not coffee. And yet, every time I visit, I’m surprised by the quality of the cafés that call the city home.
Compared with other major European cities, Amsterdam has a more relaxed feel that makes taking a slower pace and relaxing over a beverage more rewarding. Something about the idyllic canals and the wander-ability of the city makes a good cup of coffee even better.
Besides the fact that it's a lovely place to spend time in, the coffee scene in Amsterdam is just really great. Baristas and roasters there are doing some creative things in a way I think rivals coffee hotspots like New York or London.
On my latest visit this week, I had both the best espresso I’ve ever tasted (yes really) and on the other end of the spectrum, an amazing peanut butter nitro cold brew. Considering how fun the coffee scene is in Amsterdam, I thought it deserved its own guide.
Here are my favorite places to get coffee in Amsterdam:
1. Wakuli (multiple locations)
Walking down the street, I passed a window display that immediately grabbed my attention. It read “Cold Brew Mothership” in bright, yellow lettering. A cartoon UFO drove the point home. As an American living abroad, there is nothing I yearn for more than good cold brew. I practically levitated in.
I was met with a fun, almost retro aesthetic. Bright, bold colors and tiles were offset by a sleek design. The menu was also bright and bold, with some pretty crazy looking concoctions, like a “bubble cold brew.”
I decided on a peanut butter nitro cold brew and was pleased to see it come out of a real nitro tap, a rarity in Europe in my experience. It also came in a large cup with plenty of ice—also a rarity.
I love this drink. The peanut flavor perfectly matched with the cold brew’s chocolate notes. The nitro combined with the peanut butter paste they added to create a delicious froth. They also added some kind of maple sea-salt syrup. Big fan. Cold brew mothership indeed.
Besides funky cold brew flavors, Wakuli also offers all the espresso and drip coffee classics. Overall, I loved the space and the creativity of the menu. I have never seen the kinds of drinks and flavors they were working with, especially on a continent known for coffee purity.
2) Good Beans
I cannot think of a better name to encapsulate this café. A small, almost closet-like space located in the west of the city, Good Beans provides what it says it does, good beans.
Every coffee I have ever had from this cafe has been amazing. They have small benches both inside and outside for you to sit and enjoy your coffee, and depending on when you’re there, it can feel a bit like you’re sitting in someone’s awkwardly shaped living room. The baristas are very friendly, as are the regulars.
There always seems to be sense of community in this café, and is an example of why I love the coffee scene in Amsterdam: people are friendly. In my experience, baristas are much more likely to take time to talk and interact with customers than in most other major cities I’ve visited or lived. The city’s relaxed atmosphere blends into its cafés.
The friendly service and amazing coffee at Good Beans make it a must visit. Plus they have mugs that say “f***ing strong coffee,” in case you’re interested.
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3) Bocca
Bocca ticks all the boxes of things you’d want out of a centrally located café. First, great coffee, of course. Second, ample seating if you need to take a break from exploring. Third, nice aesthetics.
Bocca serves the beans from their roastery, and they’re delicious. I also saw lots of people having very decent looking matcha, although I can’t vouch for it since I didn’t have it myself. I ordered a cortado and it was very well made—the espresso was well-balanced.
After having a nice coffee (or matcha), maybe a take a walk to look at some art in the Rijksmuseum.
4) Haku
Haku is an incredibly pretty coffee shop in the Jordaan serving nice espresso and matcha drinks. The café is light-filled, and the drinks come in the most beautiful ceramics.
Mid-way through drinking my cortado here, I realized most of my pleasant experience came from the nice atmosphere, more so than the coffee. While good, I don’t think I would have been as excited about it in a more-average looking setting.
The aesthetic is minimalist and Japanese inspired, with light grey stone and black accents. The back of the shop backs up to a green garden that contrasts nicely with the stark interior. This is definitely a cafe where you get your drink to stay, if anything just to experience their cups. Have a matcha latte, sit, and people watch Amsterdam’s cool kids.
5) Dak
I first came across Dak at Prufrock Coffee in London last December. Browsing Prufrock’s retail section, Dak’s coffees stood out on the shelf with crazy tasting notes and interesting processing methods. I bought some of their beans and brewed them as filter coffee at home. I was stunned by their depth of flavor. I immediately added Dak as a must-visit to my next Amsterdam trip.
The Dak Showroom is located just outside the city center in the west of the city. It has beautiful, minimalistic interiors with a good amount of seating. Their branded white coffee boxes adorn the walls on chrome shelves, inviting you to browse. The baristas are very friendly, and were happy to walk me through what is a somewhat intimidating menu. Since the cafe is a space to try their coffee, they have a lengthy list of coffees and brew methods you can order.
After some deliberation, I ordered the “Blueberry Boom,”an anaerobic natural Ethiopian coffee, as an espresso with a bit of milk. Blueberry Boom indeed. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that this was the best coffee I’ve had. Ever. Years of working as a barista, years of trying new coffees and cafes, and I don’t think I’ve had anything like this. It was like drinking a blueberry pie. A miracle considering my mug only had espresso and a bit of steamed milk. The espresso was perfect: smooth, sweet, and incredibly fruity. The milk complimented it harmoniously, adding some smooth, sweet texture. I’ll be thinking about that coffee for years to come.
Dak, to me, is an amazing example of the quality the Amsterdam coffee scene offers, often in a much more accessible way than other major cities. While Dak is pumping out some of the most interesting coffees on the market today (in my humble opinion), the experience I had in their cafe was down to earth, and friendly. Free of some of the snobbery that often comes in the specialty coffee scene, much like Amsterdam in general.
Flagged all of these on google maps for my next trip to the Dam - that espresso sounds nuts