Het Ballonnetje

The name means "The Balloon," and the shop has been open since 1978 — one of the oldest in the city. It sits on Roetersstraat just behind the University of Amsterdam, on the east side in the Plantage: green, unhurried, heavy on students, and a short walk from the Hortus Botanicus and Artis zoo.

There are no frills to speak of, which is rather the point. Two floors of seating, a proper steep Amsterdam staircase up to the top room, and a menu that runs from mild outdoor weed to West Coast strains, with a hash list that gets more attention than most. Staff are patient with people who don't know what they're looking at.