New in Town (November 2024 - Autumn Café Edition)
Sourdough heaven at Olaf Brood
Oost has its fair share of bakeries but it was desperately in need of one where bread and pastries both played a starring role. Luckily for the neighbourhood, Lex Olaf’s pandemic-era passion for baking bread at home has turned into a fully realised business: Olaf Brood. “I used to be in charge of baking in my former job,” says Lex, who worked as a chef prior to this. “But during the pandemic, I bought a little oven and started baking and selling bread to my friends and former colleagues. One friend of mine had a catering company, and another had a restaurant; they started ordering my bread and things just got out of hand from there.”
Inconspicuously located off the Dappermarkt, Olaf Brood has much of the small-scale charm of its origin story. A minimal set-up with a bakery in the back, complete with a team of bakers, and a front-of-house that includes a small bar and, most importantly, a large display of just-baked pastries and sourdough bread. “There was nothing like this in the area,” says Lex. “We try to be a neighbourhood bakery and be there for everyone. That’s kind of represented in our Dappertje bread (€3.50) – a sourdough loaf that’s softer both on the outside and inside, which makes it easy to eat for kids and the elderly too.”
The bread, which also includes rye, spelt & oat, focaccia and classic sourdough loaves (prices vary), is just the beginning, though. There’s proper (good!) coffee here, served in gorgeous blue ceramic cups, and there’s even a market sandwich on weekdays (Tues-Thurs) where Lex and the team source ingredients from the Dappermarkt and make a sandwich up from these. But the highlight is probably the pastries: brown butter-glazed krentebollen (raisin buns), buttery madeleines, swirling cinnamon buns and treacle-laced bolus (a type of brown sugar-covered pastry from Zeeland province), all priced at around €2-€5. Head here for one of those, and you’ll likely be greeted by Lex himself or one of his teammates’s mum. “Sam, my colleague’s mum just retired, so she works here on the weekends. I think people can sometimes look at places like this and think they’re too Instagrammable. Having them here makes people feel welcome. Working with her and the team it never feels like work – and the social aspect is what I’ve enjoyed the most.”
Olaf Brood | Tues-Fri 08:30-17:00, Saturday 09:00 - 16:00 | Dapperstraat 42
Basque specialities at Cheesecake Project
Few desserts ever feel as indulgent as cheesecake. After all, you’re combining two of the world’s most delicious foods into one. And while each cheesecake has its virtues – the crusted, biscuity New York version perhaps the most notorious – the Basque cheesecake has long entranced the eaters of northern Spain and looks to win over the hearts of everyone else now, starting in Amsterdam. This delectable eat is the star of Cheesecake Project, a tribute to this Spanish dessert by business partners Juan Fernandez and Javier Ortega. A speciality bakery serving only Basque-style cheesecake, which differs from other variations in that it's burnt on the outside and (usually) without a crust, the concept grew from a love for cooking for friends.
“I love to host dinner parties”, says Javier, who is originally from Mexico and worked in sales for much of his career. “Juan has always been a big fan of Basque-style cheesecake and the story started there. We began to try this and that and asked ourselves if we could do something more than simply cooking in our homes.” The result is better than he’d hoped for: a sleek wood-fronted artisan store complete with an open kitchen in the Jordaan that takes the best of Basque cheesecake (Javier is keen to stress it’s not an entirely traditional recipe) while pulling from the good bits of other variants. But it’s the differences that make the Cheesecake Project memorable.
“We do all different flavours – classic cheesecake, chocolate, speculoos (for the Dutch), pumpkin as a seasonal flavour, pistachio and soon lemon,” explains Javier. “We go for a more creamy, less burnt style, which is our touch.” You can buy cake by the slice (€6) or up to a whole cake (€45). And customers seem to be enjoying it. “Some people say it’s the best cheesecake they’ve ever had,” he says. “And while 10% might just be being nice, I think most of them mean it.” It’s a promising start for the only Basque-cheesecake-focused venture in the capital. For Javier, it’s a culmination of the things he loves most and why he got into food in the first place. “I love the idea of making people happy with a product. There’s a kind of joy it brings me” he explains. “In my other work, it takes three months to please a customer. With this, you see it when they take a bite.”
Cheesecake Project | Tue–Thur: 12:00-19:00, Fri–Sat: 11:00–20:00, Sun: 11:00–18:30 | Laurierstraat 160
Communal coffee at Kaffee
Rolf Elsten never planned to open a coffee shop. But one day, while he was on his way to visit his girlfriend in the Dapperbuurt, he passed by a space that was for rent. He already had a bar in Zuid but this spot, just off the Dappermarkt – Oost’s chief street market – was too appealing to resist. Fast forward a few weeks and Oost’s newest coffee spot, Kaffee was born.
“I hate gentrification,” says Rolf. “But I thought if someone was going to buy this place, then I at least should. Mainly because I want to help bring in the community: the old Amsterdammers, the young hipsters, students and the market folk.” It’s an ambitious idea for the area, home to a diverse population and a full spectrum of tastes. But for Rolf and Kaffee, the idea is to put the community at the heart of things. “I want there to be that connection to the market, the neighbourhood and the area. It’s why we offer coffee at affordable prices, like espressos for €1. People from the market stalls come in here, especially for those and to talk.” Rolf is full of clever ruses to help make this feel like a café for everyone, a departure from the speciality coffee shops that can often feel intimidating for those who just want a no-frills cup of coffee. “We even do discounts on plant-based milks,” he says, compared to other venues where these come at an extra cost.”
Schemes like this are part of what makes the space a welcoming one, alongside the decor, a combination of teak woods and dark green colours, most of which are sourced second-hand. Climbing frames from old-school gyms serve as novel shelving units on the wall, while chalkboards help bring the 80s and 90s nostalgia home. The studious vibe might be why the place attracts workers in the day, plus the fact there are nooks and corners for everyone to have space to work in. “It’s a place for a good coffee and a place to work,” says Rolf, who notes that the people make it worthwhile. “Hospitality is really about connecting. It might sound cliche but it’s true. For me, that’s what it’s about. I was born poor and I’ll probably die poor. But knowing I’ve started something like [Kaffee], I’m fine with that.”
Kaffee | Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-18:00 | Dapperplein 45
Boba brews at Tea Stories
Almost everyone’s heard of bubble tea. The Taiwanese export has taken much of Europe by storm, and Amsterdam hasn’t been immune to its pearly charms. While coffee remains the city’s favoured brew, Tea Stories on the Harlemmerstraat looks to remind people that tea is just as worthy. “Over in China, the tea landscape is so creative,” says owner and creator of Tea Stories, Lucia Parlanti, who was inspired after visiting China with her husband who is originally from there. “I’m from Italy where there’s a big coffee culture, but I saw an opportunity here in the Netherlands for tea.”
Tea Stories has a branch in Eindhoven, but its newly opened outpost in Amsterdam brings the best of tea culture to the capital, all in sleek, minimal surroundings. They serve milk tea, matcha, fruit tea and of course, boba tea, all made with high-quality vegan ingredients imported from Japan, Taiwan and Japan. “The ingredients set us apart,” says Lucia. “We make everything from scratch and all our teas have a unique taste.”
As for what to order, there’s no shortage of options. Favourites include any variation of a bright-green matcha latte – including a ceremonial matcha (€5.95( which you can drink out of a ceremonial matcha bowl – a black sesame latte, and Lucia’s favourite, a roasted oolong tea (€5.25). “I love the lime oolong too, made with Da Hong Pao tea from China,” she explains. “It has a flavour you just can’t find here.” Worth stopping by if you want a decaffeinated afternoon drink or a sweeter option, grab a cup and a homemade mochi and take a seat in the café quiet, serene surroundings.
Tea Stories | open Monday-Fri, 11:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00 | Leidingstraat 203