Whether you just came for a short visit and don’t want to miss your flat white or you are looking for a place to work or becoming your second living room. We found some of the best coffee bars and cafes in Amsterdam where you can taste locally roasted and ethically sourced speciality coffees or treat yourself with latte art and fresh pastry. Keep reading for our picks for the best coffee in Amsterdam.
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Good Beans Coffee
Good Beans is probably the nearest coffee place to the Amsterdam Centre. Still, it’s hidden on a side street and you might be lucky to find it while getting lost along the canals or with help from a friendly local. You will immediately want to make this your new living room.
The two owners are Amsterdam expats themselves and aimed to create a place where everyone feels like home. They’ll give you a warm welcome and a chat while preparing your coffee. Just be warned that: the place is so small that your explanation of your tough journey or your last weekend will be overheard by everyone. It’s an easy way to jump in a conversation with a helpful stranger. You’ll realize the regulars get to know each other that way and it will begin to feel like your new home even if you’re a new arrival to the city. Although they provide plugs and free wifi, this is rather a cosy place that you come to chat. Even if you come alone, you’ll probably leave with a smile on your face.
If you wonder what to expect from the roast, fucking strong coffee says it all. The two in-house coffees, sourced from Rwanda & Nicaragua, are based on direct-trade and long-term relationships that guarantees small holder farmers a stable income beyond the fair trade standard. Their guest roasts are well selected by ethical and quality standards. The cold brew is a must-try during the summer. Don’t worry: They have compostable plastic-free straws.
SOVA Coffee Roasters
With its big windowed facade and clean, minimalistic, bright wooden interior, SOVA is calm and welcoming. The sumptuous counter display and smell of fresh-baked goodies make you wanna forget all your low-carb resolutions. Although no coffee place in Amsterdam is complete with its own banana bread, you should opt for the everchanging offers or you’ll miss out on some delicious cinnamon rolls.
The little tables are suitable for a coffee date for two or to work by yourself. Otherwise, come to watch the barista prepare every cup with the precision of a master. Their passion for coffee results in nothing less than the best coffee experience. The baristas ensure a high-quality standard to every cup even selecting the best cup to bring out the best of coffee flavour. Come here for a slow coffee experience and talk to the stuff about speciality coffee makes you wanna never drink average machine coffee again.
Coffee SOVA used to curate a changing selection of speciality coffees with a mild roast. Recently, they’ve established their own signature roast from selected coffees.
FUKU
Fuku is the most hipster coffee place in Amsterdam at the moment. When you search for it via google maps, the crowd outside will mark that you reached your destination.
FUKU is home to the Amsterdam based micro-roastery Fried Hats whose coffee beans come in oversized punky pill jars. Their beans are complex in flavour and roasted to accentuate their natural characteristics. The range offers something for everyone. If you have limited time in Amsterdam, go for the super specials.
Whether you come to work, read, or hang with friends, it’s a cosy place to relax. In summer, be sure to enjoy their backyard. If you’re looking for something stronger, nobody will judge you if you order a gin and tonic at lunchtime neither.
Public Space
Located in Amsterdam Noord, Public Space might still be a well-kept secret. Its wide loft area is a perfect co-working space. The coffee counter in the middle blends in seamlessly into the space without a queue of people.
It’s a slow coffee place with only a handful of specialty coffees that they focus on. The same applies to the kitchen, which focuses on light, seasonal, and fresh ingredients. Although Public Space serves food, you don’t constantly have waiters loitering around the cafe, which makes spending a few hours here enjoyable. If the mix of grey industrial design, brown leather seats and open space doesn’t invite you to stay, the owner’s dog who hangs around there will tempt you to catch the ferry to Noord.
White Label Coffee
White Label Coffee is a well-known coffee institution in Amsterdam that supplies a range of specialty coffee to cafes, restaurants and office spaces in Amsterdam. The roast is generally darker, perfect for double shots.
When you walk past the passage of Jan Evertsesstraat, you would not expect this jewel in this off the beaten path neighborhood. You enter and feel immediately the buzz. After you pass a long table where people sit Arabic-style, you walk some stairs to the counter. The staff is friendly and knows their beans. If you opt for a latte, they will create you the perfect latte art. If you’re hungry, White Label has a small selection of cakes, and of course, banana bread.
Its trendy and urban interior attracts all sorts of expats and creatives. Between the loud music and the lack of plugs, it can get very busy and noisy. Needless to say, it is not the ideal place to work, but a nice place to stop for a high-quality coffee in Amsterdam.
Editor’s note: Toki
Editor’s note: Toki is a hipster-esque cafe with a beautiful modern interior in the upcoming neighborhood surrounding Harlemmerstraat. You’ll want to pause for a cup of coffee thoughtfully prepared to your specifications by their knowledgable staff. I first came here on a rainy day after it started pouring on my way home and I ended up ordering one of their delicious cakes on display.
For those looking for an offline experience to connect with someone else, this is a great place as they don’t allow laptops. I highly recommend their soft chocolate-chip cookies if they’re available although their Japanese-inspired brunch/lunch menu is also tasty.
Any other coffee bars in Amsterdam that you’d recommend that we add to this list?
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Check out Drupa in Jordaan! They have great coffee, are super friendly, and also happen to be expats.