My list of saved places in Amsterdam had no cafés at all — only the MOAK pancake house, and that one is in the food article. So all six places here are ones I added on the advice of specialty-coffee guides and travel guides, and checked each on Google: still open, rated 4.3 or higher. I haven't written my own notes yet, so the descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.12.
In short
- Coffee for its own sake: LOT61 in Oud-West roasts its own beans, and Scandinavian Embassy by the Sarphatipark brews beans from Nordic roasters.
- Apple pie with your coffee: a huge slice at Back to Black, across from the Rijksmuseum — handy after the museum.
- A proper brunch: Bakers & Roasters in De Pijp; no bookings, but you can join the walk-in list online beforehand.
- A bakery over a canal: De Laatste Kruimel off the Rokin — cakes, quiches and a tiny terrace above the water.
- Early closing: almost everything shuts at 17:00–18:00, and Bakers & Roasters at 15:00 on weekdays.
Centre and Haarlemmerbuurt
Toki
Haarlemmerbuurt · coffee shop · under 10 € (≈$11) · Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–17:00
Google Maps · website · Binnen Dommersstraat 15
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 1,200+): a bright coffee shop in a side street off the Haarlemmerdijk, a few minutes from Centraal — concrete floor, white brick, wood, and people working on laptops. Reviewers praise the cappuccino, the matcha cappuccino and several kinds of banana bread. Downsides: some find the room more tidy than cosy and the service businesslike, and a few thought the coffee was only average.
De Laatste Kruimel
Centrum · bakery café · 10–20 € (≈$11–22) · Mon–Thu 8:00–17:00, Fri–Sun 8:00–18:00
Google Maps · website · Langebrugsteeg 4
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 3,000+): a bakery in a lane between the Rokin and the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, with a window display that's hard to walk past and a tiny back patio right over the canal. Reviewers love the lemon-courgette cake, almond-coconut bread, goat's cheese and leek quiche, vegan chocolate cake and Dutch apple pie; there are sandwiches too. Downsides: it's cramped, the staff sometimes get lost in the rush, and regulars notice smaller slices and higher prices.
Back to Black
Weteringbuurt · coffee shop · Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–18:00
Google Maps · website · Weteringstraat 48
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 2,000+): a cosy canal-side coffee shop a short walk from the Rijksmuseum and the Leidseplein — calm, despite being so central. Coffee comes from local roasters and the baristas help you choose; everyone singles out the apple pie, an almost double slice with a crunchy crust, served with cream. Good for working on a laptop or for catching your breath after a museum.
De Pijp and Oud-West
Scandinavian Embassy
De Pijp · coffee shop · under 10 € (≈$11) · Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–17:00
Google Maps · website · Sarphatipark 34
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 1,800+): a Nordic coffee bar with a minimal interior right on the Sarphatipark. They brew beans from Scandinavian roasters and the baristas are happy to steer your order; with the coffee come fresh Scandinavian pastries such as cinnamon buns, plus breakfast and lunch. Downside: it's popular, gets packed, and then the staff look visibly stretched.
Bakers & Roasters
De Pijp · brunch · 20–30 € (≈$22–34) · Mon–Fri 8:30–15:00, Sat–Sun 8:30–16:00
Google Maps · website · Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 54
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 5,000+): a bright brunch café with an open kitchen and its own baking. Reviewers praise the B&R Special — sweet and savoury on one plate, with mini blueberry pancakes and poached eggs — along with the Kiwi Brekkie, Navajo Eggs, chicken and waffles and the banana milkshake. No bookings, but you can join the walk-in list online in advance; on weekend mornings there's a queue by nine. Downside: one guest found the breakfast potatoes dry.
LOT61 Coffee Roasters
Oud-West · roastery café · under 10 € (≈$11) · Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–18:00
Google Maps · website · Kinkerstraat 112
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 2,000+): a roaster on the Kinkerstraat whose beans turn up in plenty of cafés around town; strictly speaking it's a small chain, but this branch feels independent. Reviewers praise the coffee, the iced Mont Blanc with vanilla cold foam, the vegan blueberry loaf and the cookies. Downsides: seating is very limited, and one guest found their latte tasteless.
One last thing
Amsterdam's cafés keep morning hours: by five or six in the evening nearly all of them are shut, and Bakers & Roasters closes at three on weekdays. So have your coffee and pie before or straight after a museum, and save the evening for a brown café.
More on Amsterdam: where to eat and drink, what to see and buy