Best coffee places in Amsterdam
Drip-brew coffee, organic micro-roasters and glorious flat whites: wherever you are in this city, you’re never far away from a quality blend. Read on for a list of some of our favourite coffee haunts in town.
Friedhats FUKU Café
Amsterdam's buzzing Bos en Lommer district is home to Friedhats FUKU Cafe. Here, you'll find superbly roasted, great coffee from award-winning baristas. For this team, it's all about the best sustainable coffee sourced directly from farmers or European distributors. In their cheerful cafe, you'll find yummy kimchi sandwiches, lemon cakes, and other refreshments, including speciality beers. But for our money, it's the coffee you'll want to sample.
Friedhats FUKU Café | Bos en Lommerweg 136, Bos en Lommer
Back to Black
With two locations in Amsterdam, Back to Black is the place to grab freshly roasted coffee and baked goods. Knock back a ristretto and treat yourself to one of their freshly baked cakes while you sit back in this comfortable café with a distinctly American retro feel. They’re passionate about the environment, so you’ll find they’re busy with sustainable practices for all they do. They also see their roasted beans, so why not pick up a bag when you leave?
Back to Black | Weteringstraat 48, Centrum / Van Hallstraat 268, Westerpark
Barmhartig
You’ll need to climb a stairway to coffee heaven at Barmhartig, but every step will be worth it. This café looks out over IJhaven in the city’s east, offering a spectacular view with your caffeine shot. Choose from espresso, Aeropress or a slow drip, and for those wanting something a little less stimulating but no less delicious, be tempted by a chai or choose from a selection of teas or freshly squeezed juices.
Barmhartig | Veemkade 1288, Oostelijke Eilanden
EspressoFabriek
Established back in 2005, EspressoFabriek is known as one of the pioneers of speciality coffee in Amsterdam and was one of the first companies to roast their own beans in-house. Their coffee is fantastic, and the space is stunning, with high ceilings and stylish design finishes. Grab a coffee to-go for a walk around Westerpark, or, if you have kids, give yourself a little boost before spending the rest of the day in the nearby sandpit.
EspressoFabriek | Pazzanistraat 39, Westerpark / IJburglaan 1489, IJburg / Roepie Kruizestraat 2, Zeeburgereiland
30ml Coffee Roasters
In terms of coffee, 30ml is the measure of a shot of espresso, the very basis of your latte, flat white or cappuccino. One of Utrecht’s most popular coffee shops, 30ml Coffee Roasters, is ready to conquer Amsterdam at their Europaplein location. Green coffee beans are roasted to perfection, creating the perfect blend for delicious filter coffee, latte macchiato and cortado. As an added bonus, they serve breakfast throughout the day!
30ml Coffee Roasters | Van Noordtstraat 26, Westerpark / Bijlmerplein 156, Zuidoost
Lot Sixty-One
Run by two Australians, who came to Amsterdam via some of New York’s most renowned coffee bars, Lot Sixty-One is a small, light café, shop and roastery on Kinkerstraat. Snag one of the seats outside, sip your delicious cup of coffee in the sun and don’t forget to grab yourself some fresh beans to take home.
Lot Sixty-One | Kinkerstraat 112, Oud-West
Coffee Bru
Single-origin coffee and the perfect flat white: taking its inspiration from South African coffee bars, Coffee Bru aims to be an extension of its patrons’ living rooms with its accessible and laid-back atmosphere. A sunny terrace and a play area for the kids is the icing on the cake.
Coffee Bru | Beukenplein 14, Oost
Rum Baba
The eponymous rum-drenched French cakes are on the menu alongside red velvet cake, cinnamon buns and other sweet delicacies in this cute, vintage-y spot with its bright-blue floor. And yes, the coffee is pretty splendid, too.
Rum Baba | Pretoriusstraat 33, Oost / Elandsgracht 134, Centrum
The Coffee Virus
One for the creatives and the coffee nerds, this coffee place in Amsterdam Noord sees freelancers and entrepreneurs hatching grand schemes while enjoying coffee prepared with a V60-1, an Aeropress, a Chemex or a Syphon. The walls of The Coffee Virus are full of art and graphic design.
The Coffee Virus | Overhoeksplein, Noord
Caffènation
Caffènation, in Amsterdam’s Schinkel neighbourhood, is a cosy place filled with 1950s furniture, cacti and the smell of fresh Belgian coffee. The beans are roasted in Antwerp, and, as is par for the course for a proper Belgian, the chocolate is homemade, too.
Caffènation | Warmondstraat 120, Nieuw West
Vascobelo V-Bar
Sometimes it seems that coffee- and bookshops were made to be together, and the Flemish café Vascobelo, located on the first floor above the Scheltema bookshop, is an excellent example of this great alliance. Pour over your newly purchased print products while sipping on a ristretto prepared at a perfect 92 degrees Celsius, a naked doppio or, if you’re feeling special, a latte with syrup. Photography on the walls and jazz from the speakers complete the old-school vibe.
Vascobelo Scheltema | Rokin 9 – 15, Centrum
De Koffieschenkerij
Situated in Amsterdam oldest and infamous Red Light district, De Koffieschenkerij offers the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of this lively neighbourhood. You’ll find good coffee, traditional cakes and healthy lunch options in the former sacristy of their old church location. They’re all about organic products, coffee quality and sustainable farming methods in the plantations.
De Koffieschenkerij, Oudekerksplein 27, Centrum
White Label Coffee / Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti
This specialty roastery has two locations: one on the bustling Jan Evertsenstraat in De Baarsjes and one in Noord. Its caffeine-loving punters are extremely pleased with its flat whites and stylish bags of fresh beans to take away and brew at home. They also supply Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti (we appreciate that's a bit of a mouthful to say), a sleek new coffee hotspot on the Overtoom in Oud-West.
White Label Coffee | Jan Evertsenstraat 13, De Baarsjes / Zonneplein 4, Noord
Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti | Overtoom 558, Oud-West
Koffie ende Koeck
Koffie ende Koeck’s menu is entirely plant-based, meaning vegans and lactose-intolerant people have a reason to rejoice. Their menu features an impressive array of offerings, including vegan pecan pie, petit fours, scuffins – a scone and muffin hybrid, really – and cakes, cookies and candy. Grab a latte from your choice of soy, almond, spelt or hazelnut milk and your choice of sweet treat. What’s more, the café’s interior makes use of upcycled furniture and fittings.
Koffie ende Koeck, Haarlemmerweg 175, Westerpark
Koffie Academie
Koffie Academie’s cosy atmosphere and central location just around the corner from Vondelpark make it an ideal place for meeting up with friends or getting some work done on a rainy day. Choose from freshly-made sandwiches, croissants, brownies or carrot cake, and of course, freshly-roasted coffee. Sparsely furnished with heavy wooden tables and dark walls, the window counter is perfect for watching the world go by, or when enjoying a solo cup of coffee.
Koffie Academie | Overtoom 95, Oud-West / Radarweg 230, Sloterdijk
Nook
Nook is a welcome addition to De Pijp’s flourishing café and coffee scene, as much for its gorgeous and minimal interior as its (very) good coffee. Part coffee shop, part wine shop, Nook is split across three levels – it takes its name from the word ‘nook’ – with the communal seating and workspace on the top floor, the barista and coffee machines on the ground floor and the wine shop down the stairs selling Argentinian wine.
Nook | Sarphatipark 24H, De Pijp