A coffee and cake crawl through Amsterdam

Six independent Amsterdam stops in a walkable order from the old centre down to De Pijp, each open about the roaster and the machine behind the bar.

This is a walkable coffee and cake crawl through Amsterdam. Six independent stops, set in a sensible order from the old centre down to De Pijp, with the roaster and the machine listed at each one so you know what is behind the bar.

1. De Koffieschenkerij

De Koffieschenkerij sits in the former sacristy of the Oude Kerk, the oldest building in Amsterdam, with tables out in the churchyard. It pours Bocca Coffee on a La Marzocco Linea, with cake to go alongside.

2. Screaming Beans

A few minutes west into the Negen Straatjes, Screaming Beans is a specialty roaster and cafe that roasts its own coffee. It is a small room that takes its filter as seriously as its espresso.

3. Bocca Coffee

Bocca, founded in 2001 by Menno Simons, is the oldest specialty coffee roaster in the city, and its bar runs a La Marzocco Strada. This is where a number of the other cafes on this list buy their beans.

4. Back to Black Coffee

Back to Black opened in 2014 as a roastery, bakery and concept store on the southern canals. The baking is done in house, so it is a strong stop for the cake half of the crawl.

5. Coffee & Coconuts

Down in De Pijp, Coffee & Coconuts fills a restored Art Nouveau cinema on Ceintuurbaan over three levels. It roasts its own coffee and pulls it on a Kees van der Westen Spirit.

6. Scandinavian Embassy

Finish at Scandinavian Embassy on Sarphatipark, a specialty bar that champions Nordic roasters and pairs them with Scandinavian baking. A light, filter-forward end to the walk.

All six are independent and within a steady walk or a short tram ride of each other. Each is open about its coffee, which is the whole point of the crawl.

Common questions

Which is the oldest specialty coffee roaster in Amsterdam?

Bocca Coffee, founded in 2001 by Menno Simons, is the oldest specialty roaster in the city, and many Amsterdam cafes pour its beans.

Where can I find a coffee shop that bakes its own cake in Amsterdam?

Back to Black in Grachtengordel-Zuid is a roastery and bakery that bakes in house, which makes it a good stop for both the coffee and the cake.

Which Amsterdam cafes roast their own coffee?

Several on this crawl roast in house rather than buying in, including Screaming Beans, Coffee & Coconuts, Bocca and Lot Sixty One.

Is this Amsterdam coffee crawl walkable?

Mostly. The stops run from the old centre down to De Pijp, walkable in a relaxed afternoon, with a short tram ride if you want to save your legs.