Coffee Diaries: The Netherlands

One of my favourite activities when travelling (and even when I’m not travelling) is trying out new coffee shops and specialty roasters. If you know me, then it will come as no surprise that I put a lot of time and effort into planning which coffee shops and roasteries I’m going to visit.

Here’s a little coffee diary from my 8-day trip. I say “diary” as opposed to review for a few reasons: taste is subjective, not all coffee shops have for a purpose to be “coffee educators”, and not all coffee shops roast their own beans. Sometimes, I just want a cup of coffee, be it filter or a cortado, and I don’t want to think about tasting notes, extraction, or process. Some of these coffee shops I visited for their specialty roasts, others simply because I wanted a hot first cup in the morning. That said, they weren’t all rated equally.

I was really impressed with the coffee scene in The Netherlands, and enjoyed every cup - and pastry - that I sipped, whether in a big city, like Amsterdam, or a smaller one, like Delft.

First stop: Amsterdam.

**Wakuli specialty coffee bar**

With a growing amount of locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Nijmegen, you’re bound to stumble upon a Wakuli if spending time in one of The Netherlands’ major cities. I visited the Vijzelgracht location in Amsterdam (and Nobelstraat in Utrecht) as my first stop.

The first time I visited, I ordered a cortado, and the second, an americano. Both of which were made with their Original House Blend. Though they sell a variety of other roasts in-store, this is the only roast they use to make espresso-based drinks. It was chocolatey and slightly fruity, and tasted great with both milk and without.

I also really enjoyed how for every coffee there are informational cards about the production, farmers, drying, and roasting methods.

**SAINT-JEAN Bakery**

I found SAINT-JEAN Bakery through a YouTube vlog and was so surprised at how good the coffee was. Actually, this might have been my favourite coffee/pastry experience in The Netherlands.
I ordered an americano and chocolate-hazelnut babka which, other than being *huge* was also so delicious.

The americano was made from espresso from Dak Coffee Roasters, a specialty roastery based in Amsterdam. The perfect balance of chocolate and red fruit tasting notes paired really well with the creamy chocolate-hazelnut and slightly bitter-side of the cocoa from the babka. If I had the opportunity, I definitely would’ve returned or tried out their Deli located just across the street.

**Screaming Beans**

I hadn’t initially planned on going to Screaming Beans - by that I mean it wasn’t listed on my coffee ‘bucket list.’ I visited the Runstraat location, in part to charge my phone and in part because I was cold and, naturally, that meant it was time for coffee. The coffee shop was small and quaint, and absolutely packed, both inside and out; usually a telltale sign that something good is happening inside.

I ordered an americano, which I enjoyed

Next up, Haarlem.

**Coffee Habits**

This Smedestraat location wasn’t on my list - though their larger location on Kleine Houtstraat was. I passed by this small and cozy shop while walking from the train station to my hostel and after dropping my bags, immediately returned to sit and enjoy a filter coffee. Though I never made it to the bigger shop, I’m so happy I ended up going to this smaller location. The location seats about 3 or 4, and the barista was super kind and knowledgeable.

I also felt like I got a more personalized service than if I had gone to the busier location since I got the chance to chat about different coffees with the barista.

**Mica Coffee Bar**

I was looking for a place to sit and read. My initial plan was to head over to the larger Coffee Habits location but it was absolutely *packed*. I walked past Mica Coffee Bar and was drawn to the decor, so I opted to go here instead. A vegan cafe, all milk-based drinks are served with alternative milks. I had a cortado, which was really nice and enjoyed the calm environment to relax and unwind during a quiet afternoon in Haarlem.

The Hague

**Bartine Bakery & Market**

Situated on a quaint street away from the city centre and lined with local shops, this coffee shop and bakery was one of my favorite stops on this trip. While not in my initial plans, I missed out on the opportunity to visit Friedhats Fuku Cafe in Amsterdam and decided to stop here to try the Amsterdam-roasted beans. The coffee was great but the pastry… the pastry was amazing.

I spent days dreaming about the cardamom bun and wished I had an extra day to go back and savor more of their pastries. If you’re looking for some delicious and fresh-baked pastries with interesting flavor profiles, Bartine is not to be missed.

Rotterdam

**Man Met Bril Koffie**

One of my favorite - if not my favorite - coffee experience in the Netherlands. The filter options at Man Met Bril Koffie were super interesting, and I enjoyed it so much the first time that I went back again the next day. I ordered the breakfast special (both times) which comes with a really generous assortment of eggs, toast, pastries, and jams, as well as the filter coffee of the day.

Every cup of coffee comes with a card describing the roast, process, and origin, which I really appreciated and shows so much thought when it comes to the tasting experience. I ended up buying a bag of a natural single-origin Ethiopian uniroast. If you had to choose one coffee shop to visit during your time in Rotterdam, I would say, without a doubt, Man Met Bril Koffie.

**ROAST**

After a morning spent walking to Delfshaven (only to discover that it must’ve been way too early because *everything* was closed) I decided to make the most of my time in a different neighborhood in Rotterdam. I stopped by ROAST to enjoy a cortado and read a book along the seat-lined street. Not an *extraordinary* cup of coffee, per se, but definitely not unenjoyable. Baristas were very friendly, the ambiance was great, and the location as well!

Last stop, Utrecht

**Blackbird**

Blackbird caught my eye as it is a small hole-in-the-wall coffee “shop”. Quite literally, as you order through a window, behind which there is just enough room for the barista. A few small stools and benches are placed outside, overlooking the canal for customers to sit and enjoy. The coffee here was amazing and the service as well. I thoroughly enjoyed Blackbird and would recommend it to anyone visiting Utrecht.

**The Village Coffee & Music**

I abandoned my plans to walk to a few coffee shops about 20 minutes out of the city centre because it was pouring rain. Instead, I opted to head into The Village, a coffee shop I had passed numerous times on my way to and from my hostel in Utrecht. The coffee was great and their selection of pastries as well. I had the banana bread (which can usually be either really good or really bad, in my opinion).

It was delicious in texture and taste. The baristas were very friendly and the music was great. An unexpected but excellent experience in Utrecht.

My last coffee shop visit in Utrecht was Wakuli. Coincidentally, Wakuli is the first coffee shop I visited in Amsterdam. I had an americano, black, overlooking the bike-lined cobblestone street and soaking it all in. The Netherlands is, in my opinion, a gem for coffee lovers. Instead of going down in size, my list of coffee shops to visited only increased as my trip went on and as I passed hidden roasteries and coffee shops on every street. Hopefully, I will get to check them off the list soon.