Basjoe


I always passed this place by on my way to other coffeeshops, and it took my good friend Lee Bridges, the Cannabis Poet to steer me in one day, as this is one of his favorite haunts.
James the proprietor and barman and dealer is the cool dude with a long ponytail made from dreads (one of the longest I’ve ever seen). Last time I was in he had me cracking up with his funny comments.
The shop has three outside tables that fill up fast on nice days. You can’t beat the view at the intersection of two canals, with the Zuiderkerk clock tower looming above (one of my favorite views).
Inside the walls are full of posters for upcoming events so it’s a good place to come to find out what’s going on in town.
Basjoe’s get’s high marks for service because they have a different attitude towards their customers than most coffeeshops. The staff is friendly, the smoothies are excellent and they even have table service. Now that’s cool!
If you want a good deal on hash, from a friendly & funny dealer, visit Basjoe’s on the Kloveniersburgwal.
Tip: The Himalayan black hash is some of the best in town. It’s soft, smooth and almost out-of-body. James always has excellent weed, which he says is now all organic! He has some really sweet stuff going down. Try the Special Haze or just ask James what’s good today.
This place has become much more popular lately (I wonder why?). Good goin’ James Leonardo! If you visit say hi from the HipTravelGuide, and they’ll treat you right!

Coffeeshop Rusland


Funky little shop with great vibes and a fine selection of hash and grass. The afghan bud was sweetly memorable, and I enjoy hanging out here and letting the world go by. Nicely decorated, with beautiful glass lamps. Downstairs is a display of amazingly beautiful handblown glass pipes. The Rusland is on one of Amsterdam’s quietest streets, but in a great location near the center of town.

Check out their excellent Nederhash and their wonderful selection of bulk teas. The Edelweiss is super!

Top Weazle Coffeeshop

One of the many “neighborhood” shops for the locals. This one better than the rest with great grass and inexpensive drinks. The friendly counter staff remembers almost everyone and their desires, making suggestions as well. Not far from the intersection of Woustraat and the Victorieplein. Nice cool place to hang, park your bike right in front to keep an eye on it and the groceries…

Bulldog Coffeeshops

The Bulldog has been around since 1976, and the location at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 90 is the considered to be the first cannabis coffeeshop in Amsterdam. The beautiful psychedelic paintings on the outside were painted over six years by an Australian artist, Harold Thorton. Now they have five coffeeshops in town, including one on the Leidseplein that was once a police station and still has some of the original jail cells where you can toke up, legally!

The Bulldog has become very commercialized as it’s grown with souvenier shops, bike rentals and a low budget hotel. No longer does it offer the homey feel of other coffeeshops, with one exception.

The newest one, now called “The Lounge”, on Spuistraat 7, is the class act of coffeeshops in Amsterdam, in a league of its own. Mahogany, brass, and leather dominate, lending an elegance and comfort never before seen in a coffeeshop. Add to this the mellow “lounge” music, a nice change from the pounding house music that most coffeeshops favor. The Lounge offers free internet access (with required drink purchase) on two machines and doesn’t start charging for it when it gets busy as other cafes do. A most inviting space to surf the net.