Amsterdam Guide to cafes
Soon you will have an understanding that cafe is rather a rather vague term when it comes to what is available in Amsterdam. If you are in a “café” it may mean of up markets restaurants with delicious foods offered to customers. In others it takes a very laid back view as if you have walked into a Dutch man’s home theatre room of his isolated home. Some of these sell alcohol products, some are involved in selling coffee and tea products while others are involved in selling food products but some do not. Not to mention the notorious “coffee shops” where one can, of course, buy and consume some of the best … marijuana in Amsterdam.
Grand Cafés
The grand café is perhaps the most stylish place of all those that the Dutch have created for themselves to relax in Amsterdam. The only thing that all the large grand cafés that I have been able to observe have in common is vast spacious floors, grand columns, and elevated roofs. They offer wines, beers, spirits as well as cocktails and the eating options provided are normally either hot or cold.
For relaxing and, as far as it is possible, assimilating some of what one sees in one of the many local museums, there is nothing like the grand cafés. Otherwise, if you do not intend to take part in rowing yourself, it is rather advisable to pick one of the open, beautiful cafés in Amsterdam.
During two of my visits to Dam, I have been able to visit about ten of the grand cafés. Despite one or two which I would not return to next time for the price, the quality of the food or possibly both, the majority are excellent and reviewed here as being truly the grand cafés they are probably the best places for you to consider eating out in Amsterdam.
Café de Jaren is undoubtedly the place with the most hospitable feel in the daytime or probably in the evening. The food is very good and you have an option of sitting at the terrace facing the canal and the koffie verkeerd which isthe local latte. Probably, the most famous café that can be associated with the Grand Café scene is a Café Luxembourg.
Brown Cafés
These are the boozing places of Amsterdam to the extent that every foreigner who visits the city is sure to walk past them. Hence the fact that such are referred to as having wooden decorum and might have been stained by years (sometimes centuries) of tobacco smoke the smell of which could never fade off in such traditional houses.
These are the most inviting of all the cafés that you may come across, unfortunately I mean warm as in climate as well. They are also recommended for those, who like to avoid the rather unremarkable tourist trails and move like locals.
Most of these small coffee shops have the look and feel of a living room to the extent that one can trace the roots of the term pub to public. You immediately get into contact with the people who are really hospitable especially to tourists who appreciate the brown cafés of contention.
Café In De Wildeman, Café De Druif, and slightly larger and busier Café Hoppe are my three suggestions for a local lager, some jenever or some tasty bar snacks.
Coffee Shops
The last, but not the least, one has to mention a very famous coffee shop culture of Amsterdam which, truth be told, constituted a significant portion of the things that I got to experience during my time there. The moment one moves into such a relaxed environment and sees table after table engaged in using such a variety of cannabis it is but ridiculous to think that much of the world continues to outlaw the substance.
Mellow yellow
Mellow Yellow is an outstanding example among the oldest coffee shops; it has been opened in 1967 and currently, it is still working. The staff is veryprofessional, nevertheless they do not become as excited and as welcoming to tourists as the others do. For me, this was rather pleasant because exploring cities alone has always been quite a fun thing; still, there are many tourists that, to the point, mentioned that they sensed a certain hostility in the locals.
You could say it is a question of preference, rather vulgar if you wish, but I will always relate mellow yellow to genuine.
Grey area
Mmm, mmm, so… many… flavours! Regarding offered blends Grey area is worth mentioning, that is the point with really great list of products you unlikely to come across with other stores. All in all, the shop is rather cute although it has that strange defunct vibe and its area is really quite compact. But if your interest is to experiment with an exquisite premium product, grey area is a great option for sure.
It is also possible to buy some sweets, or souvenirs in this area ; I pick up a beautiful glass bong for myself.
The Bulldog
I have heard of Bulldog and are aware that it hosts several celebrities in the world every year. On the upper level, cocktails are served, whereas in the ground floor it is a coffee shop along with the smoking zone.
In this and many other ways, it is horribly, horribly difficult to complain about the quality as one can get such volumes at a throw. They have been in business since 1975 because Bulldog is awesome in every sense of the word.
Coffee Shop Highway
The coffee shop highway is one of the most entertaining of all although it remains relatively new within the community. Fitted with television sets, games and pool tables the surrounding is always very lively. Most of the coffee shops I visited provided instrumental music to create an atmosphere, but in highway, great music choice among other factors makes it unique. Accvenient to many places of interest and having a rather relaxed atmosphere, you can really get caught into the spirit of Amsterdam here after visiting Coffee Shop Highway.
Green House Centrum
Another celebrity hot spot, and 38 time winner of the High Times Cannabis Cups. It is quite a hospitable atmosphere in Green House Centrum and it is indeed perfect for those who are on the move. Another factor concerning the quality and the range (as well as potencies) is more than impressive, and all of it is rather affordable indeed. Still, I liked wooden interior in Green House Centrum, it gives rather homely appearance to a café which is associated with a brown color. All of this, which opens as widely as the luxury grand cafés, with the plus of a smoke menu matched with the food and/or beer or cocktail or coffee.
If there is any conventional type of café which you can go-to in your place, once in Amsterdam, don’t fail to sample on all those categories as each section has its own tale to tell. Whether a beer swigger, a zoot toker, or a ten cup a day coffee drinker, one will find his or herself coming back to Dam’s local favourite hangouts every year once he or she is hooked.
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