De Jolly Joker

The Jolly Joker sits directly on the Nieuwmarkt, and the location is the whole proposition. The square is an open public space with the Waag at its center, a daily market, and a constant flow of cyclists, tram passengers and people cutting through between the Centrum and the Wallen. The shop has large south-facing windows onto it. Longtime regulars call it the best coffeeshop view in the city, and it's hard to argue: this is a place for sitting with a coffee and watching Amsterdam happen.

Inside it's small and compact, split over two floors with seating on different levels and a high ceiling. The upstairs is the spot for the window seats. Walls carry notes and banknotes left by visitors. The menu is short rather than adventurous — the popular strains, done reliably, at prices normal for the center — with pre-rolls, hot chocolate and space cakes. Staff have a decades-long reputation for being chatty and easy with first-timers.