Abraxas

Abraxas is a coffeeshop I find myself recommending a lot. Located on a small side street just off the Dam Square, it is smack in the middle of the centre of Amsterdam, and it’s got the best and the most easily accessible edibles in town – no question. However, Abraxas still belongs to the group of coffeeshop specifically aimed at tourism, which unfortunately almost always taints the otherwise welcoming and cosy atmosphere. Over the years Abraxas has turned into quite a business, and you can feel it – the corporate hand is squeezing this joint just a little bit too hard in my opinion.  

Computers and internet is readily available 

Don’t get me wrong, there good reasons why you should pay Abraxas a visit. As mentioned, it does have the best space cakes in town. More specifically, the hash bon-bons is what you should aim for. Most space cakes in Amsterdam are made with marijuana in green butter, which does not give the same punch as hash does in edibles. Abraxas has found the perfect balance. Just go easy on these guys; half of one bon-bon is usually way more than sufficient for one large experienced stoner. In addition to the excellent edibles, Abraxas has free internet connection for its customers. It is a great place to write e-mails home, but you don’t rely on spending hours on it – there might be more people waiting in line.  

The menu at Abraxas is pretty solid. There are favourites such as Big Buddha Cheese, Chocolope and a couple of good Haze’s on the green side, and fine choices such as Ketama and Manali on the brown side. But they are not cheap. In fact, the prices are way steeper than necessary, and the quality is good – but not superb. All of the types of weed taste and smell quite generic – the effect is nice, but not extraordinary. With extraordinary prices we want extraordinary quality. On this aspect, Abraxas does not deliver. We are curious about the seemingly fantastic deal of 5 grams of Manali for only 25 €. Real Manali is one of the best hashes in the world, but in these parts of the world it is not cheap. In an otherwise expensive shop, it seems strange to offer such superior hashish at such a low rate. We find this a bit dubious, but there is no doubt we could be wrong. So we will be sure to try out the Manali next time we pass the Abraxas, to establish once and for all whether it is the real deal or not.

Funky, yet corporate interior

The interior is also pretty nice at Abraxas. It has got three floors with psychedelic tile formations and funky furniture. However, the Abraxas has changed quite drastically in recent years. Where there used to be Indian inspired benches and quilts and cushions, giving a mellow, chilled out atmosphere, these are now exchanged for a cleaner cut; glossy wood and modern décor. The radical colours have been toned down, there are now several widescreen tv’s on the walls, and they now even have electric sliding doors! All this has transformed Abraxas into a spot feeling more like a modern hotel than a coffeeshop – the hippie vibe is lost to the corporate feeling … to a certain extent. This is a real shame. Whereas the pretty girls serving drinks and snacks are friendly enough, the dudes behind the weed counter seem cold and oblivious, and seem to try harder to come across as intimidating than informative and helpful. In their defence, there are a lot of people through these tourist places every week – and a lot of them are idiots. On the other hand, unfriendly and inattentive staff does reduce the experience of visiting a coffeeshop. So, to sum up: definitely visit Abraxas for their excellent hash bon-bons, or to write a quick e-mail. But if you’re looking for a laid back place to chill, think, read a newspaper, or just space out, then you are better off a few doors down – at the Homegrown Fantasy. Or even just wondering around town. If you stay, make sure you have the tolerance level for loud groups of tourists and oblivious staff. Abraxas also has a branch shop, Abraxas Too, located on the Spuistraat. This is a much smaller shop, with a better feel and a nicer guy behind the counter. And the fabulous space cake is sold here too. Just a tip :)

Cheers,
Nadia 

Abraxas Coffeeshop

Jonge Roelensteeg 12

Tel: +31 (0) 20 6255763

Opening hours: daily 10:00-01:00 

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