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Always a pleasure to be back in Amsterdam and doing some coffee hopping in the city. I never get bored of the Dutch capital and of their coffee, especially because there is always a new spot in town.
I arrived on Monday afternoon in my country and I actually left Barcelona without any caffeine in my body. So, as you can imagine coffee was necessary. I still have such a long to visit list when it’s about coffee places in Amsterdam. During my two hour flight I could only think where should I go for my daily grind. My friend where I was staying actually lives super close to Toki and because I have a special connection with this place (which I will explain later) I knew this had to be the first visit in the city. While I was at TOKI, I got advised to go to newbie 4850 and because it was already on my list it was an easy decision.
TOKI
This authentic coffee place is open for over two years now and it totally created it’s own identity. Toki, located in Westerpark area is a creation by Jeff Flink who was always a big coffee lover and wanted to extent this with his own shop. Without any hospitality nor coffee experience, Jeff had to start from scratch. Some people might call this is a bad thing or a big challenge. I think it’s a good thing. Going in this crazy coffee world blanco, without any prejudices, indoctrination, tunnel vision but without a lot of love, passion and ambition you would be able to create something different. And I think that’s what he did here. I’ve met Jeff and his wife only once, in the roastery of Nømad, and I was happy he was adding some Nømad coffee to his café as a guest roaster. Not to just bring something different to the coffee market in Amsterdam, but also to bring something that means a lot to me to his place. Kind of the best of two worlds. Amsterdam & Barcelona, which are my favorite cities. And that’s why I have a special connection with Toki.
Bringing something new to the market is kind of the concept of Toki. The shop has a collaboration with Bonanza from Berlin. That’s also where Jeff learned the job. The place is trying to push boundaries by using different and new products. They recently started with expanding the lunch menu with Chef Nana. The food is mostly vegan (yes!) and I am looking forward to come back and try it out.
Special shout out to Shop Manager and Barista Micheal for serving a perfect espresso with a perfect service. I’ve sipped a double espresso from Rwanda – Tumba PB (peaberry) from Bonanza with notes like; rhubarb, oolong tea, jazzy. It had this tasty balanced acidity, especially how I like my espresso to be. Good times guaranteed!
4850
Newbie in town! I love newbies. The freshness that comes with a new place. But don’t think the team over here is fresh, because owners Daniel and Rika are full of experience just like Barista Keng. And let’s not forget little dog Java that really knows how to be a true café dog. 4850 is the place where coffee and wine comes together. I think it’s a great concept, because actually coffee and wine have a lot in common that lot of people might not know. Harvesting, processing and the final preparation. Baristas and sommeliers, both have an incredible job to do that should not be underestimated. The food is a big thing aswell here and the guys are looking for true perfection. Hope to find the possible to try the food here when I am back in Amsterdam.
Entering this newbie is like the Scandinavian feeling to the max. Not so strange if you know that the owners are both Swedish. You might know that I have a thing for Scandinavian design, so you can imagine I felt pretty comfortable here. Not only the interior and the coffee (a colombian filter from Koppi) gave me a Swedish fika flashback, the cinnamon buns did their job too. Don’t even remember how many of those little sweet I’ve ate when I was on my Scandinavia tour. But you can’t eat enough of them! 4850 definitely brings something new to the city and I am curious in what way this place will grow. I had such a great experience here with the coffee, the cinnamon bun, the atmosphere and the team brought that to a next level with an incredible friendly funny service which made me leave with a smile, good vibes and the feeling that I wanna come back as soon as possible! Thanks for that.
