A Dam Lovely Coffee Crawl in Amsterdam
Last Friday, I took myself off to Amsterdam to visit a tattoo convention. When I was a child, there was no way you could have convinced me that I’d ever be the kind of person who enjoyed solo travelling: I was a scaredy cat, and just so chronically shy it just didn’t seem like it’d ever be on the cards for me. When I say ‘shy’ I’m talking, hiding under my mum’s skirt in public for fear of having to make eye contact with someone, let alone speak to them, and even though I’ve (thankfully) long grown out of the habit of hiding under things (though still occasionally wishing I could), I still sometimes feel that shy child in me, particularly when facing something new or different, such as travelling somewhere alone.
Something that has helped me enormously in overcoming my shyness and enjoying travelling alone is, genuinely, my love of all things specialty coffee. Being shy is a lot like feeling lost and having nowhere to anchor yourself: but loving specialty gives me that anchor. Don’t know where to start, where to go, who to talk to? Start with coffee! It’s the guidepost that I can always rely on to shape any trip, big or small, and thanks to this, and the oodles of recommendations I’d been given from my beloved online community of coffee pals, I was heading to Amsterdam in the wee hours of the morning, ready to take that shy little Grace on A Dam lovely coffee crawl.
You can find below awhistle stop run-through of the coffee shops I visited (no, not those ones) when I went to Amsterdam for this year’s Amsterdam Tattoo Convention. (To support the amazing artists from Skull and Dagger, Frome- be sure to check them out, too!)
#1 - Sango
Walking inside Sango, with all the bonus September sunshine streaming through the window, shy little Grace was nowhere to be found. Despite never having been here before, the familiarity of this specialty space welcomed me and I instantly felt relaxed. ‘I know this place’ I thought to myself, and I couldn’t wait to just sit and soak it all in. For Sango, I could choose to tell you about the super clean and floral Panama pour over I had, or wax lyrical about the overnight oats I inhaled (for real though, they were delish), but the thing about Sango that I really want to celebrate was its tranquillity.
Turns out, Sango means corals in Japanese (this gave their logo some context!) and the entire business is inspired by sustainable practices that are embodied in traditional Japanese culture. This environmentally conscious space was so clearly one where every element had been carefully thought about, and that reflected in the experience I had as a customer. Easy, sustainable choices were to hand from sugar cubes to metal straws to biodegradable plastic, and these details were so effortlessly incorporated into the consumer experience, it felt accessible and simple. Sango was a beautiful space, and a great first stop- I luxuriated in there for a good while, finishing my book (Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi) and definitely not having a little cry (read the book, please, you’ll get it). The calmness of the space was exactly what I needed after the flight and long wait in passport control, and all I can say is, if you want to go to a place where there is clearly a love for specialty, for latte art, for community and, above all, a passion for action against climate change, you absolutely have to go to Sango, I already can’t wait to return.
#2 - Toki
Fritz-Spritz and Americano from Toki
Next stop was suggested to me by the fabulous Em Herriott from We Are Here (check them out!) and it was Toki: Em had promised me a ‘cool coffee time’ here so I had some preeeetty high expectations, particularly after I had felt so bloody peaceful in Sango. When I got there, the vibe was definitely different to Sango: Toki was buzzing with a queue out the door and loud groups of people enjoying the sunshine spilling out onto the streets. Looking around, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they used Bonanza Coffee Roasters: Bonanza was one of my absolute favourite coffee spots I’d found in Berlin (10000/10 recommend visiting if you’re off to Berlin anytime!) and seeing its presence in Amsterdam, in a spot I was visiting upon a friend's recommendation, I felt it again: that network of specialty showing itself in a space I’d never been in before, making me feel welcome, connected to something.
Given how busy it was, I was lucky to get a seat to enjoy my americano (and rhubarb Fritz-Spritz because rhubarb drinks are one of my favourite things ever and I was never going to not buy it once we locked eyes). But, I got myself a little perch in the window and got to sit there in this incredibly cool space, and just revel in the whole thing; eavesdropping on nearby conversations and I have to say, Em was right: I had a chuffing cool coffee time. Where Sango had lulled me in with tranquillity, Toki had an energy that made me more buzzed than the coffee; if you’re looking for a cool, lively and super fun space, get your butt over to Toki! Thanks for the recommendation, Em, you’re the best.
Chloe and Andy
Stop number three was an exciting one for me in more ways than one: I was going there with one of my best friends in the world, and former fellow-barista, Chloe and her boyfriend, Andy. So, now I had company and suddenly felt the pressure of having Drupa to live up to what I’d been promising Chloe and Andy: delicious coffee, nice folk, beautiful spaces… just a good ole time!
Because the weather was so incredible, we did actually choose to sit outside Drupa, but I do want to shout out the really fun interior, with coffee plant illustrations, scaffolding brew bars and those letter-tile menus I just love. The staff were also lovely, the magpie part of my brain locked in on the vegan treats as I was ordering, and they were so patient with me as my indecisiveness flip-flopped on to cake or not to cake (not this time around, but that decision does kinda haunt me now because those cakes looked GOOD.).
Drupa was a super friendly, unpretentious space that was the perfect spot to sit and catch up with my pals. Bonus points to the many dogs we got to see by sitting outside, too, Drupa is 100% a great spot to visit to enjoy some delicious coffee (shout out to the mega Costa Rica pour over I had) and chatter away, get yourself here if you’re travelling with pals, it’s the perfect catch-up coffee shop.
#4 - Saint-Jean
Saint-Jean
So Saint-Jean was stop number four, and I’d had a couple of folk suggest this place to me, so I was coming in with some pretty big expectations, for this one, too. I knew as soon as I saw the boujee shimmery mirror a-board outside that I was in the right place: I am a shameless fan of that specialty minimalist vibe (when it doesn’t feel like a dentists waiting room, that is), and the space delivered it perfectly. Everything was white and marble and plants and wood and neutral colours and my baby barista heart was just so happy with the whole thing. Add to that the fact that they were using Dak, one of my all-time favourite roasters (I mean, their logo?! C’mooon) and they had a plant based Kouign-Amann, I was damn-near giddy with happiness. ‘What is a Kouign-Amann?’ I hear you asking, well, Google tells me it means ‘butter cake’ and the best way I can describe it is like a caramelised croissant… I mean, do I need to say anything else?! This, paired with their batch brew, on the move in the sun…? Welp, that, my friends, is what. Dreams. Are. Made. Of.
Saint-Jean is 100% a spot you have to visit if you like baked goods, beautiful interiors and delicious coffee- so, if you’re alive, yano?!
#5 - Dikk (Kaap Koffie)
Ice Oat Latte from Dikk
Okay, so I’ve put this as spot number five, but for those of you who may be worrying about my caffeine intake, this was actually stop number one of day 2/stop number five in total, even this gal knows her limits.
Since I was going to be spending pretty much all day at the tattoo convention, I headed out early to investigate my coffee options and stumbled across Dikk, which turned out to be a brand-new space!
Dikk was hella cutesy with lacy doilies and rainbow bunting and super pretty glass-wear, and the pink vibes were immaculate.I’m talking, pink fruit and spilled pink paint and a pink ceiling and a pink baby Moccamaster. Like pretty much everyone else you know, I am obsessed with the new Barbie film, and Dikk delivered this barbie girl an iced oat latte (featuring Kaap Koffie) that I definitely took a shameless Insta picture of, because it was just too cute not to! Dikk had some of the friendliest staff, who were all just super artsy and cool looking and lovely and I really really liked it there and looked forward to returning back later in the day (you know I did). In summary, if you want to go to a friendly, artsy space, get Dikk on your list because it will not disappoint.
#6 White Label
Ethiopian Pour Over and Vegan Cookie by White Label
Okay, so, this is my last one, because it was my favourite space and once I found it I just came back here until I had to drag my sad old butt back to England. White Label was about a 20 minute walk from the convention, so it was absolutely perfect for me to get away from some of the wild overwhelm and decompress in another beautifully minimal space and enjoy some unbelievably banging coffees.
It was absolutely my favourite place to visit: not only was the super clean, sweet and apricotty Ethiopian pour over a dream, but the Colombian espresso chaser was also unbelievably balanced and yummy, too. But, where White Label totally stole my heart, was with their service! The first time I walked in I was greeted by the loveliest barista ever- they were so welcoming and fun, and immediately won me over when they described the vegan loaf cake as ‘elf bread’ which turned out to be a somehow amazingly accurate description?! It is definitely the one cake to rule them all. (Don’t judge my jokes, folks)
White Label delivered an amazing space, delicious coffee, banging vegan snacks, the best customer service and there were also so many good dogs to enjoy if you sat outside. (Although, obviously none were as cute as my dog- Syd, he’s the best.) White Label is an absolute muuuust visit for any coffee lover heading to Amsterdam; and if you find yourself there, try the elf bread and vegan cookies and be sure to tell me all about it, I am already experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
So, that’s my mini-trip to Amsterdam told in six coffee stops and with a little bit (okay, a lot) of romanticism about the specialty scene. Don’t get me wrong, I know that specialty spaces aren’t always the most welcoming places to be, particularly if you’re an outsider to the industry, and I don’t ever want to devalue others experiences or suggest that we don’t all need to continually work on ensuring we carve out safe and accessible spaces for all. What I wanted to do with this blog was really share my immense gratitude for this industry and my on-going love affair with all things coffee: it has been such a saving grace for this shy Grace.
Without this love for coffee, I wouldn’t have a job, I wouldn’t have half the friends I do, wouldn’t have had some of the wonderful experiences I have enjoyed and I wouldn’t have my trusty guidepost to navigate foreign places. To all of you who work in specialty, particularly those of you who are front-facing, thank you for what you do, for how hard you work and for being part of creating these spaces: I am bloody glad you exist.
So, whatever your thing is, grab it, love it, explore it: use it to ground you when you feel lost and unsure, and celebrate the heck out of it when you come across it being done right. And, above all, be kind to other folk who love it, too: without community, we really have nothing, no matter what industry we’re in.
