Best coffee places in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (2024)

Friedhats f*ckU Café

Image from Koen Smilde

Amsterdam's buzzing Bos en Lommer district is home to Friedhats f*ckU Cafe It's here that you'll find superbly roasted, great coffee made by 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 and lemon cakes along with other refreshments including specialty beers. But for our money it's the coffee you'll want to be sampling.

Back to Black

Image from Stance Photography

With two locations in Amsterdam, Back to Black is the place to grab freshly roasted coffee and baked goods. Knockback a ristretto and treat yourself to one of their freshly baked cakes while you sit back 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?

Barmhartig

Image from Koen Smilde

You’ll need to climb a stairway to coffee heaven at Barmhartig, but it will be worth every step. 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.

EspressoFabriek

Established back in 2005, the 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. Not only is their coffee fantastic, the space is truly beautiful, 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.

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!

Lot Sixty-One

Image from Koen Smilde

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.

Coffee Bru

Image from Marie Charlotte Pezé

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.

Rum Baba

Image from 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.

The Coffee Virus

One for the creatives and the coffee nerds, this coffee place in Amsterdam Noord sees freelancers and entrepreneurs hatch great 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.

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.

Vascobelo V-Bar

Image from Vascobelo

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.

De Koffieschenkerij

Image from 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.

White Label Coffee / Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti

This specialty roastery has two locations: one on the bustling Jan Evertsenstraat in De Baarsjes and one in Noord, making caffeine-loving punters extremely pleased with their steller flat whites and stylish bags of fresh beans to take away and brew at home. They also supply for Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, (we appreciate that's a bit of a mouthful to say) a sleek new coffee hotspot on the Overtoom in Oud-West.

Koffie ende Koeck

Image from Koffie ende Koeck

Koffie ende Koeck’s menu is entirely plant-based, meaning vegans and the lactose-intolerant have cause 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 milks and your choice of sweet treat. What’s more, the café’s interior makes uses of upcycled furniture and fittings.

Koffie Academie

Koffie Academie’s cosy atmosphere and central location just around the corner fromVondelparkmake 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.

Nook

Image from Tom Flanagan

You might be wondering whether Amsterdam needs another coffee spot, but when has good ever really been about a need? Whatever the answer, 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. While the coffee is the big pull, there’s something almost meditative about the space – maybe it’s the floor-to-ceiling windows or the serene, unblemished decor. Or it could just be the canastitas on offer, bite-sized Argentinian pastries fresh out of the oven, and chewy cookies that the resident barista says are some of the best in the city. We’ll leave that up to you, but make this a stop on your weekend walk.