There are certain people who ultimately need the atmosphere of a café to get their work juices flowing. Since I’m one of them, I’m always on the lookout for the best study cafés that Amsterdam can offer. Obviously, every search comes with its fair share of uncertainty—will there be wifi? Plugs? Decent coffee? (#priorities). Plus feeling like you’ve just wasted your time biking to and from somewhere is the last thing we need in the midst of finals.
With this handy guide of the best study cafés in Amsterdam, you no longer need to fear losing time or productivity. Besides good food and good coffee, these cafés have the optimal working environment guaranteed to keep you going.
1. Bagels and Beans
Best Location(s): Oostport, Roetersstraat, Keizersgracht (with a lovely canal view).
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, few plugs available.
Good for: self-study time and small group projects. It’s always a safe choice if you really can’t decide on where you want to study.
Recommended eats: warm tuna salad bagel, avocado cream cheese bagel, yogurt with walnuts, bananas, and maple syrup. Gluten-free bagels are also an option.
2. Bedford-Stuyvesant
Location: Javastraat 55.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi and plugs available.
Good for: self study-time, small or relatively larger group projects. The space has been made for working or meeting with friends. Otherwise, if you’re longing for some NY coffee, then you should definitely hit up Bedford.
Recommended eats: smoothie or juice of the season, club sandwich on dark bread. Vegan and vegetarian options available.
3. Haartje Oost
Location: Javastraat 23 (less than a minute away from Bedford-Stuyveysant).
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, plugs available.
Good for: if you like a serene, minimalistic working space, and if you like using your study breaks to browse through clothes and jewellery.
Recommended eats: red beet cake, pink lemonade.
4. Rum Baba
Location: Pretoriusstraat 33.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, a couple plugs available.
Good for: self-study or study dates between one and two friends. The cute and vibrant atmosphere, along with their amazing coffee is perfect for early morning study sessions.
Recommended eats: every one of their cakes and sweets are recommended.
5. Coffee Company
Best location(s): Javaplein 14, Plantage Muidergracht 69, Amstelstraat 5.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi and plugs available.
Good for: self-study time and group work. You will always spot tons of people working away on their laptops here, so if you’re lacking productivity then Coffee Company might just be the café for you.
Recommended eats: for the exchange or international students, you may be interested in their iced coffees, because not many cafés (other than Starbucks) have this available.
6. Coffee Bru
Location: Beukenplein 14.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, plugs available.
Good for: self-study, or with one other person. The best time to work here is during the week, since it can get busy on the weekends. Otherwise their hip and vibrant aesthetic is the perfect change from your library routine.
Recommended eats: any of their cakes and sweets.
7. BLEND
Location: Oranje-Vrijstaatplein 40.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, limited plugs available.
Good for: self-study or small group work, ideally one to two people. With an outdoor patio, this may be one of the nicest cafés to study at during spring midterms or end-of-year finals.
Recommended eats: chocolate cake, a glass of red wine.
8. All The Luck In The World
Location: Linnaeusstraat 20HS.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, available plugs.
Good for: self-study, small group meetings, or if you don’t know what to get for your friend’s birthday. This café doubles as a concept store with a stunning aesthetic that looks exactly like a Pinterest board.
Recommended eats: open-faced toastie with homemade beet hummus, giant chocolate chip cookie.
9. CREA Café
Location: Nieuwe Achtergracht 170.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi, a few plugs available.
Good for: all kinds of work, but can also be used as a study break if you’re working in the Roeterseiland library. CREA is the student cultural arts centre created by the university so this cafe was basically made for students.
Recommended eats: soup of the day, toasties.
10. Hutspot
Location: Van Woustraat 4.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi and good amount of plugs.
Good for: self-study time, creative projects, papers, group meetings. Hutspot’s spacious interior and working atmosphere will gear up your productivity, and once you’re done you can walk through the Albert Cuyp Market that’s nearby.
Recommended Eats: spinach tortilla, açaí bowl, homemade banana bread.
11. Two For Joy Coffee Roasters
Location: Haarlemmerdijk 182HS.
Wifi and plugs: both are available.
Good for: self-study, group meetings or projects with two to three people.
Recommended Eats: it’s best to ask one of the baristas what kind of cakes they’re serving on the day since it tends to vary. Otherwise, you can go for their cupcakes, banana bread, or chocolate cake.
12. White Label Coffee
Location: Jan Evertsenstraat 136.
Wifi and plugs: got you covered.
Good for: self-study, small group work. If you’re looking to enhance your coffee knowledge, the baristas at White Label are your experts. Talk them up and you may even snag yourself a free coffee tasting.
Recommended eats: fig and date cake, apple pie, cardamom cookie.
13. The Coffee Virus
Best Location: Overhoeksplein 2.
Wifi and plugs: both are available.
Good for: self-study, group work, and sparking your entrepreneurial creativity. The vibe of The Coffee Virus is meant for those who are action-oriented and carry big ideas. Instead of letting it intimidate you, use it to help jet-set your school work.
Recommended eats: red pesto panini, nuts paste deluxe sandwich, masala chai latte
14. Friday Next
Location: Overtoom 31.
Wifi and plugs: yes and yes.
Good for: self-study, small-group work, and if you’re looking to redecorate your room, because Friday Next is also a furniture store.
Recommended eats: Friday Next breakfast, hummus or mackerel sandwich, croissant special.
15. Volkshotel – Werkplaats
Location: Wibautstraat 150.
Wifi and plugs: free wifi and an abundance of plugs. You’ll find one on almost all of the tables.
Good for: all types of work whether it’s for self-study or group projects in all numbers. The Werkplaats is your next best option from a library, but with a much nicer layout and satisfying food and coffee.
Recommended eats: veggie burger, beetroot or salmon wrap, or one of their grilled cheese specialties.
16. Beter en Leuk
Location: Eerste Oosterparkstraat 91.
Wifi and plugs: tick the box for wifi and plugs.
Good for: self-study, or small group work for one to two people. Beter en Leuk provides a calm atmosphere and unreal vegan and vegetarian food. When it comes to fuelling the brain, this café has you covered.
Recommend eats: vegan scones, healthy hot chocolate, open-faced toast with pumpkin hummus, goat cheese, and salad, vegan bibimbap.
17. Cotton Cake
Location: 1e van der Helststraat 76-hs.
Wifi and plugs: both are available.
Good for: self-study or with one other person. The space is relatively small and is also in conjunction with a concept store. Despite this, the all-white design provides for a fresh working feel and guaranteed productivity.
Recommended eats: walnut banana bread breakfast, iced coconut matcha latte, fresh juices, COTTONCAKE smoothie
18. Polder
Location: Science Park 201
Wifi and plugs: both are available.
Good for: self-study, small group work, team meetings. Polder is the go-to café for AUC students when it comes to getting a break from their dorm room or study sessions in the library. If you’re lucky, you can snag one of their private cubbies making for an ultimate distraction-free work mode.
Recommended eats: specials of the day, burger, savoury tartlet, toastie with bean hummus.
#SpoonTip: Maslow is just as ideal for studying and luckily only a few steps away. So if one of the two cafés is full, you’ve always got a backup.
It’s pretty common to find free wifi and plugs in almost all cafés throughout Amsterdam, but it’s really the vibe that can make or break your study time. I’ve managed to get in some productive hours at these cafés, but it may not work the same for others. So really, you won’t know what it’s like until you try for yourself. Nevertheless, you can always guarantee yourself a nice cuppa and a satisfying sweet.