Not to be confused with the coffee shops of Amsterdam, there are great many cafés to sample. Here are just three that satiated my appetite and my soul…
De Laatste Kruimel
Tucked away just off the main road ‘Rokin’ is a pocket-sized bakery, with crates for chairs, trays for tables and a hodge-podge of vintage cushions and hand-drawn murals adding to the air of bohemia. If this all sounds a bit too recherché, the home-made cakes, breads and pastries will win you over. I had a polenta tart and a slice of what could have been carrot, or rhubarb cake. Specificities aside, to say it was delicious doesn’t do it justice. Squeeze in where you can (there’s a couple of crates in their outdoor section overlooking the canal) or take it away, just whatever you do don’t walk past it.
Louie Louie
Near Oosterpark and opposite the Tropenmuseum is a chic, upscale café offering brunch from 11am-3.30pm. With its plush surroundings, the prices are pretty decent and you can indulge in an array of sandwiches and continental breakfast fare (N.B. banana bread is a massive thing in Amsterdam apparently, I’ve seen it on practically every menu). Rather strangely, their brunch menu has a Mexican flavour to it, including Huevos Rancheros, jalapeños and other such delights, whilst their dinner menu includes tacos, frijoles, quesadilla and ceviche. I tucked into a grilled vegetable sandwich, on bread so soft it could substitute for a pillow, accompanied by an invigoratingly spicy Blood Mary. Both of the Louie’s, whoever they are, certainly know how to make a hungry girl happy.
Coffee & Coconuts
It’s fair to say I am enraptured by this cafe and may have boldly claimed it to be the best in the world. I’m in no position to make such an assertion, but I’ll stand by it anyway.
Giving off a tropical warehouse vibe, reminiscent of California, Brooklyn and Scandinavia rolled into one, this renovated cinema in De Pijp has quickly become one of Amsterdam’s most revered establishments. At least among those in the know.
Blending urbane design with beach shack cool, C&C emanates a laid-back ambience that extends from the slouchy, taupe bean bags to the ripped-jeans clad staff. Exposed brick interiors, metal piping, hanging houseplants and lightbulbs traverse the several levels over which seating spans. You can choose to sit at comfy sofas, bar stools or tables tethered to rope. Wherever you decide, the deliciously health-conscious menu is the same. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; the overriding theme is very new-wave, clean-eating centric. Think mackerel, avocado, buckwheat flour, and of course, lashings of coconut. I opted for the coconut pancakes, but was just as tempted by their avocado-based offerings and the acai bowl. The only fault was that the portion was pretty small (scotch, rather than American pancake sized), but if anything that only further compliments the taste. Like Carluccio’s and Bills, you can also buy items on the menu from their downstairs parlour, including homemade granola, or grab a healthy lunch from their salad bar. After finishing up my food, the staff were in no hurry to clear away the ta
ble or suggest my departure. Instead I stayed curled up on the sofa, nose-deep in my book and only ambled away reluctantly of my own accord. Beyond the beautiful design and infinitely Instagrammable interior (not to mention the food and the drink), entering Coffee & Coconuts genuinely feels like an escape from the cacophonous conflation of bicycle bells, pedestrian crossing tickers, and nearby construction works.
Nicole Davis 