Amsterdam Coffeeshops and Brown Cafes
You Could Be In For A Surprise!

This is one destination where you could be in for more of a surprise than you planned for if you just wander in for a cup of coffee. In Amsterdam coffeeshops are totally different from cafes, restaurants, and even bars. Walk into one, and you're apt to get a buzz just from the smoke... and we're not talking cigarettes here.

In Amsterdam coffeeshops are where the Dutch and tourists go to buy and smoke marijuana.... pot. What???

Yep, very little coffee here. Since the 1970s, the Dutch have been tolerant of "soft drugs", and it is legal for coffeeshops to sell up to five grams of cannabis per person to their customers. You can smoke there or take it with you. There are laws that govern these shops. They can't sell alcohol and cannabis on the same premises for instance. It's ironic that it's become harder to smoke cigarettes in public places than to smoke dope. Tobacco laws around Europe make smoking cigarettes more of a problem!

But if you've never smoked a joint, and you've always wanted to give it a try legally, pop into one of Amsterdam's coffeeshops. The bartender... yes, bartender... will give you a menu... yes a menu!

The menus tell you what kind of pot is available and where it came from. The bartender (or sometimes the patrons) can advise you what you might want to try.... Something mild, so you can still walk out. You'll find a selection of marijuana and hashish... and how you can smoke them.

Wow, did you know there were choices?

So are Amsterdam coffeeshops and brown cafes the same thing?

No... Brown cafes (Bruin cafes) are more like traditional pubs or corner cafe bars with dark wood from years of being smoke filled rooms. They are places where you can get a simple meal and a beer... or that coffee you might have been looking for when you stumbled into that coffeeshop! A brown cafe might be a place you want to find AFTER you've visited a coffeeshop.

Brown cafes tend to be local hangouts. Some of them have been around for years, so they'll look well worn. They may seem old and crowded, but think of them as cozy. Settle in and expect a warm welcome.

The Dutch say they have "gezelligheid" -- a comfortable "hang-out-here" feeling. They aren't really tourists hangouts... they're local hangouts, but the the people are friendly, and you can get an inexpensive light meal while you meet real Amsterdamers.

There are plenty of traditional restaurants and cafes and bars all over the city if you're not feeling quite so adventurous.

So when you're in the Netherlands, should you try Amsterdam coffeeshops and brown cafes? That's up to you, but at least now you know what you'll be getting into!

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it!   Judy and Mark

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