Feature photo by designCL. Photo above by darkpatator.
Amsterdam is renowned for its “coffee shops.” Here are seven of the best.
I’ve zoned out and my fellow “researchers” are waving away the final joint. They can’t handle anymore either. There are only so many joints you can smoke in a day.
I take out my notepad and we try to convey how we feel about this place. After a few long pauses, we give up, order a drink, and begin to roll another joint. I guess you can never smoke too many.
Matador sent me on assignment in Amsterdam (no expenses paid) to find the best coffee shops in the city. This marked my fourth trip to the city and I was only happy to oblige.
If you are looking for the best of the best, follow your nose to these places for the highest times in Amsterdam.
Author’s Note: Amsterdam recently banned smoking tobacco indoors. This has hurt many of the coffee shops since people in Europe smoke marijuana with tobacco.
A few coffee shops have set up separate areas where people are allowed to smoke inside. A few turn a blind eye to the ban. Most tell you to go outside and offer a herbal tobacco substitute. Ask before you light up.
Trinity
This coffee shop is out of the city center, making it a “locals only” spot. (I found it with the help of a local.) There’s a big bar with a great selection, much, much cheaper than the center. There’s also a few pool tables, a big screen TV, and a separate smoking room.
The staff is really friendly and the locals are intrigued as to how you found this place. The smoking ban hit this place hard so it’s not as packed as it used to be but it’s more relaxed than other places.
Photo by Cédric Puisney.
De Rokerij
This café is located on the way to Leidsplein and has a mystical ambiance, one long room with dark lights and darker walls with tribal designs for you to stare at all day.
The weed here is good but the place is better known for its atmosphere. You aren’t allowed to smoke tobacco and they offer an herbal substitute. The drinks here are also reasonably priced considering its location.
The Greenhouse
This coffee shop has three locations, the flagship located in the Red Light district. It’s one of the most famous in Amsterdam and the walls are adorned with photos of celebrities to prove it. Their weed constantly wins the Cannabis Cup (try the haze).
Cheap drinks help cushion the blow to your wallet. You can’t smoke inside but there are outdoor tables or you can use the free tobacco substitute they provide. The music is eclectic (I heard Pink Floyd and Snoop Dog in the same sitting) and the décor dark and relaxing. They even have a few coves in the wall to relax in.
Photo by Marilisa.
The Grasshopper
Located in between Damrak and the Red Light district, this coffeeshop wears multiple hats- it’s a bar, restaurant, and coffee shop. Head downstairs for the coffee shop.
They’ve created a separate smoking area down here so you can light up anything smokable. Tables are lined together in close quarters, making it easy to meet people. TVs run in the background and music plays over the speakers. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the weed is reasonably priced.
Hunter’s Café
Hunter’s has been one of my favorites since I started coming to Amsterdam.
Located right at the beginning of the Red Light district, this place is a little touristy, however, the black decor gives a nice lounge feel and there are ample chairs and couches to relax on.
Staff is really friendly and the prices are somewhat cheaper than other shops in the area. They make great shakes, too. There’s no tobacco allowed here, but you can use the substitute they offer. Just head up Warmastraat and look for the giant peeing dog.
Dolphins
Located right off Leidstraat near Liesplein, this coffee shop follows the ocean theme all the way. The walls are painted blue with various sea life images and “coral” is replicated to give this place a true underwater feeling.
Upstairs has the bar and a few tables. You can’t smoke tobacco up there, but head downstairs where the big comfy couches and TV welcome you with open arms. They also offer free wi-fi.
DampKring
This coffee shop was made famous by the movie “Ocean’s 12″ and has since seen a steady stream of people trying to pretend they’re Brad Pitt or George Clooney.
The shop has a wide open interior with orange painted walls. The various shades of orange are in different shapes to provide for the ultimate psychedelic experience.
Good drinks and good weed are served here at standard prices. The tables have patterns carved into them. They turn a blind eye to smoking inside-if they don’t see it, it’s not there. A lazy cat sits in the window all day to greet you as you come in.
Photo by adjustafresh.
No matter where you go, remember that these coffee shops all share similar characteristics. They have atmosphere, a friendly staff, couches, good drinks, and friendly stoners. Look for that and you’ll find the best coffee shop in Amsterdam.
community connection
Some of our community members who’ve lived in Amsterdam for extended periods have gotten over the coffee shops. Here’s one excellent article for those out there who’d like to check out other things while in Amsterdam: 10 Things to do in Amsterdam Besides Smoking Pot.
We’ve got all kind of travelers checking throughout Europe and the rest of the world, come, check in with us.
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115 Comments... join the discussion!
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Just looks like a rip off of lonely planet. Most of the ones you mention are just tourist traps now. If you want a decent place try abraxas – http://www.abraxasparadise.nl/index.phpyou will always get a seat and has an interesting crowd.
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I have to agree with Dan on this one… I stumbled across Abraxas randomly and ended up going back there a few times for their laughing buddah strain… it was delicious, I couldn't find it anywhere but there. Its also a real quiet place outside of the touristy areas.
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I've been to Doplhins – good times
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I too agree with Dan. I have fond memories of Abraxas in my travels to the Dam.
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It's 'Leidsestraat', 'Leidseplein' and 'Warmoesstraat'.
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Great list, Amsterdam is on the to-visit list, and whenever I finally get there, I'll be pulling up this bookmark
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"This one's too reggae, this one's too new wave."
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amsterdam is not renown for anything, it's renowned for blah blah journalists can't spell these days?
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The Gray Area is my favorite. Damned hard to find, run by a couple of Americans, and tiny inside. More of a pick up and go kind of place. But they have great hash (Golden Soles), kif, and some great AK-47.
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forgetting about barney's? Don't really care about the ambiance – just want the goods
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The first thing I thought when I saw this list, was wait a minute, no Abraxas ?? But after reading he comments, it doesn't surprise me that they've already had several shout outs from others. The last time I was in Amsterdam was 200, but my brother and I practically lived in Abraxas while there. We'd buy a couple of their white widow pre-rolled joints and head for the upstairs where we usually has the intire floor to ourselves… Good times…
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What?! Where's the "Bull Dog"? I was enjoying the hash…while wondering about the name of the Coffee House. Sure enough, a Bulldog walked over, and climbed into the chair next to me! I sat there looking at me, and I sat there waiting for him to speak. Wow, was I high! My friend came back from the bar, and was laughing so hard at the two of us that he spilled his drink, The dog hopped off the seat and licked the drink up off the floor. I love "the Bulldog Coffee house" http://www.bulldog.nl/
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Wow, good to see you stony yanks still don't know how to get out of the center of town. This list is about as helpful as the inflight mag, But then, i'm not complaining used to work in a coffeshop and got sick of you guys telling me how much greener the grass is at home, just before you pass out.
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Add Ali Baba's to the list. Nothing better than doing Bong hits across the street from a Police station.
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I wholeheartedly agree with the people recommended Abraxas, they had the best hash brownies that I have encountered in the city, very potent and reasonably priced. Gray Area is awesome, just because the owner is very open and extremely knowledgeable. He'll take his time explaining to you how he grew a particular strain and give you solid recommendations.
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Yeah i went to the blue bird, it 's a really nice place
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Any list which lists the Grasshopper is pretty much rendered useless I'm afraid. Horrible expensive tourist trap with zero atmosphere – avoid that one at all costs.
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As an expatriate living in Amsterdam, I can honestly say that hardly any locals frequent these places. With of course the exception of Trinity. To anyone visiting Amsterdam I would recommend Dutch Flowers in the 9 block area and there are several extremely relaxed places in Amsterdam-Zuid. The southern part of the city away from the center but not far by any standards is where the more affluent people live. There you will find the best coffee shops with locals and more consistent music. Abraxas is indeed a very nice place and I've been there many times. If you're in the center, I would also recommend a coffee shop (sorry I can't remember the name!) next to the Amsterdam Grand Sofitel on Oudezijds Voorburgwal. In the summer the entire front of the shop opens up and the view to the canal where you can watch people walk by is fantastic.
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Abraxas has been good. Back in 1992-1994 ..
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Lol, I was waiting for a local to tell me how they really feel about Americans. I'll keep that in mind if I have to move there to avoid living in this wire-tapped fear factory.
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The Grasshopper reminded me of Benigans for some reason. None of us liked it that much. One of my favorites was Barneys. Awesome breakfast, good smoke (get the Laughing Buddha), and fun/nice people working there.
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Agreed on Grey Area. We went to Europe/Amsterdam to follow String Cheese Incident on their European tour. We were told alot of bands going through town goto the grey area. We ended up going to check it out. Very very small… But really cool people, good prices, and some of the best weed I smoked while there.
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I live here. Grey Area, Barneys, and Resin are frequented by the locals for their superior products. Your list sucks; you copied it out of some guidebook full of tourist traps. Resin has the best hash in Holland and Barneys and Grey Area have the best weed in Amsterdam. If you're in town and have time, I suggest the train to Rotterdam, a 35 minute ride, the exact same weed can be bought significantly cheaper at the coffee shops there and the city was bombed out during WWII and rebuilt in the 50's and 60's. It looks like they were high when they rebuilt it.
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If you come here and buy a pre-rolled joint, you will immediately stand out as a tourist a$$hole. We hate you and want you to go home. If you come and roll up a "blunt" and act like an obnoxious tourist and smoke it walking around town, we hate you, go home. If you come and are polite and follow our laws instead of acting like anything goes, enjoy your stay.
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You, sir, are a douche bag. Only foreign a$$holes buy prerolled joints and any local will tell you that the weed in the prerolled joints is not what they advertise it as, but tourists can't tell because it's already been spun up. Welcome to marketing, son.
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The Laughing Buddha at Abraxas is grown from the seeds you can buy at Barney's. The guy who owns Abraxas is a douche bag who is known around Holland for taking strains from Barney's, Sensi Seeds, and other banks and having them grown as if he developed the line. Learn something before you try to give advice to tourists, and quit supporting the a$$holes who can't/won't do their own work.
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You have an entire floor to yourself because the place sucks
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Stay away from the Bulldogs. It's a chain and their weed is grown in a massive scale and thus it's not very good.
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Exactly
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Hate to break it to you, buddy, but this list sucks and will have you going to some of the shittier shops around town.
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Thanks Yank. If you want to smoke next to the Police Station, fine, but buy your weed elsewhere and maybe it won't suck.
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Sorry, buddy, but you're wrong. All of the hash brownies and space cake you may have eaten in town is garbage. A few years back, we outlawed hash oil in the baked goods that coffee shops carry, so they're all incredibly weak and tourists are no longer passing out cold in the streets. If you got real stoned, you must be new to cannabis. Further, the owners of shops NEVER grow their own weed as growing is illegal in Holland, so whatever they told you was pure rubbish, but I'm sure they enjoyed your business.
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Finally, some good advice on here that I don't have to correct. Thanks.
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@AMSTERDAMMER: There's hundreds of cofeeshops in amsterdam and I picked seven. i've been to the ones you named and grey area is also very touristy and it's also very very small and that's why it didn't include it. there's so many everyone has there favorite but i picked some people go too and a one that didn't. in a list of seven, footing my own bill, i'm not going to visit every coffeeshop in amsterdam. I liked bluebird but some had to get cut. If you pay my expenses, i'll come back and try them all. but unlike all the dutch i know, you're not very nice. maybe next time leave a helpful comment instead of calling people douchebags.
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As I have to travel to Amsterdam quite often on work, and sometimes only for 1 night, I don't fancy wasting a load of weed. I'd much rather buy a few pre-rolled for my couple of hours in town. Funnily enough, while I might seem very much like a tourist, I'm not sure I'm an asshole. You, however, are.
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You are a rude, arrogant and judgemental person! Stop calling us assholes! Not all Amsterdam tourists are idiots and we dont all go there for the cannibis! You gave the impression that you hate tourists…well, you know what…If Holland didnt have any, you'd be kind of doomed…economy wise etc! So, be grateful for something atleast you " think you know everything" ASS!!!
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My brother and I couldnt get a room in A-dam and stayed in Jaarle. A great little town, everything Amsterdam has but smaller and easier to get to the cafes, which were great. We were not disappointed. Great country.
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Haarlem, not Jaarle.
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You're a tough guy on the internet.
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Die in a fire, loser.
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Betty Boop Coffee shop was a good one – they had an amazing blueberry mix that was really really really nice – highly reccommended. I think they won an award or something for their stuff.
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Katsu coffee shop in the Albert Cuyp Market area. Black Widow cannabis cup 07 winner on sale here, and prices are very reasonable
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I agree for the Katsu, one of the best I know … but the problem is, too many good coffee shops in the city. It think that it just depends the feeling of the moment. If you like good stuff and good ambiance : Katsu, Barney's, De Dampkring, Grey Area, Greenhouse Namaste, Global Chillage, Happiness, Siberia, De Rockerij, Abraxas, Resin (for hasch), The Pool Dog (a little pool between friends …Wow) … and many others. BEWARE of very very touristic coffee shops like The Bulldog, The Grasshoper, Baba, ……. and many others too. EVERYBODY HAS HIS OWN TEN TOP LIST
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Too amsterdamer: I think its very unfair to speak for the entire city when you say "we hate you go home", People hate a$$holes like you not foreigners you silly twit. Try and be a nicer person and perhaps you won't hate everyone. ps i am Canadian, and i think your more of an asshole than any American i have met.
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You must go to ONLY the coffeeshops that I like. Do not partake in any pre-rolls. Failure to comply with the shops I list requires that I must call you names.
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stay out the ones selling beer and alchole and your golden, and i liked the Bluebird too, till it got all crowded. fav was barneys breakfest bar, the food was grrrreat!
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The BlueBird is DEFINITIVELY one of the best coffee shop, extremely good hash quality. i recommend also the shiva coffee shop (juste near sensi seed coffee shop in red district). Anyway, there are lots of bad bad bad coffee shop, with ugly expensive weed. Avoid touristic coffee shop.
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Best Hash i've ever found in holland was at the bluebird. A little bit expensive, but nepalese, indian and afghan Hash were really, really awesome.
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I love Dutch Flowers. Beautiful location and nice atmosphere.
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