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.  

The Little

The Little is (shockingly!) not a big spot, but there is no reason why this little shop should be overlooked. It can be a bit hard to spot at first, with stairs down to a subterranean entrance and not too much attention grabbing flash out front, keep your eyes focused on the left hand side of Vijzelstraat after having past Mellow Yellow if you’re going South. The Little is a terrific little hangout. It’s more intimate and relaxed than the Mellow Yellow, an with its red leather couch booths, it feels a bit like a 1950’s America-Cadillacs-milkshake via Pulp Fiction feel, and you half expect a polka dotted girl on roller blades to be taking your order.