All the best Amsterdam coffeeshops put through their paces by the Lilly Likes team!
Amsterdam is filled to brimming point with coffeeshops. A big contributor to this, is the Kadinsky brand. They started with one main coffee shop and have grown so successful that there are three of them now. We will cover the main coffeeshop today and get to the others at a later date.
Here at Lilly Likes, we are obsessed with getting to know everything about every coffee shop possible. Next on our long, long, long list, we have the Kadinsky coffeeshop. This place is as chic and modern as it gets in terms of coffeeshops in the A-dam region. It’s a sparkling gem of a place amid a sector that conjures images of drab interiors and stoners too junked up to care… to the squares, anyway.
To us, each and every Amsterdam coffeeshop is a haven. We Brits can only dream of the freedoms that they have in the Netherlands… and we can book a holiday to go there, of course. We have reviewed plenty of coffee shops of Amsterdam for our lovely readers in the past, but this is our first Kadinsky. If coffeeshops aren’t the sort of thing you like to do on holiday then:
A) This might be the wrong page for you, and…
B) Check out some of our other awesome attractions, such as the King’s Cross Cafe and Bar, or take the kiddies to Micropia for a nice, drug-free day out.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s get down to the serious business of rating this coffeeshop brand, one place at a time
Atmosphere and Vibe
What’s the atmosphere like in the Kadinsky original coffeeshop? It’s one of good, clean fun. Many Amsterdam coffeeshops come with the dingy vibe of a dark and dreary building. This dates back to when the coffeeshops first opened and it was all still illegal. It’s still not very legal, but at least it’s regulated a little nowadays.
Anyway, that’s the opposite of what coffeeshop Kadinsky is. It’s bright, airy, and usually full of locals because they have awesome smoke. Another thing that lends to their atmosphere is their positioning. The main coffeeshop is right next to the Royal Palace – in the good end of town. This allows for a coffeeshop that is a little more upmarket than the others.
We give the Kadinsky a 5 out of 5 for atmosphere and vibe… it’s just classy.
Munchies and Drinks
This is where the Kadinsky main coffeeshop starts to stand out. Across the road from it, you will find the Kadinsky Zoutsteeg. This is essentially a cafe and bar that they keep across the street. So although coffee shops in Amsterdam can’t sell alcohol and weed in the same place: this is a clever way to make sure you get around it.
So there aren’t many savoury snacks in Kadinsky… but you can always jump across the street to get exactly what you want to eat and drink, then get back to your smoke. It’s handy, easy to use, and it’s technically legal.
We give them a 5 out of 5 for Munchies and Drinks because they couldn’t do much better.
Products/Edibles (420)
Now we get to the part we know you have all been waiting for… what’s the menu like? Interesting point – coffeeshops in Amsterdam aren’t allowed to display their weed menu on the site, but they can be displayed on other sites. Luckily, we have Coffeeshopmenus.org to back us up.
You can buy a variety of weeds in Kadinsky, but here are the ones we know about:
- The cheapest they have is Jack Herer, with Amnesia Haze next in line.
- Lemon Haze, Hawaii Haze, Super Silver Haze, Maui Haze, and Mango Haze.
- White Russian, AK47, Royal Gorilla for indica strains.
- Blue cheese, sour cheese, big Buddha cheese, and purple rain.
- Huckleberry, Blue cookie and Wedding Cake for American strains.
- They have pre-rolled, they have pure in different strains, and they have a whole bunch of Hashish, too.
With all the strain choice on offer and great prices to match, we don’t have anything to add really. That’s another 5 out of 5… surely they let themselves down in merch??
Cafe Merchandise
In terms of Cafe Merchandise, Kadinski manage to have a fairly big following. This leaves them plenty of room to use their brand as another selling point. Unfortunately, their website doesn’t seem to be gripping that bull by the horns.
We can tell from their Instagram page that they are creating some branded merchandise. They have skins, lighters, grinders, ad roach boards. Basically, they have all the usual stuff but didn’t go in for the t-shirts and baseball cap market. Why not? Probably because they are aiming to be the classiest set of coffeeshops in Amsterdam, rather than being the best money spinner.
We’re kind of cool with that, but we still wouldn’t mind a hoody. We gave them 3 out of 5 because we do think they are missing a trick. Also, when you can’t get to Amsterdam for a really long time because of travel restrictions, it would be nice to have yourself something delivered from their website.
Lilly Likes Verdict
So what does our Lilly think of all this? She loves a good coffeeshop so there really isn’t any point in asking her. On the other hand, we are easily able to tote up these scores. The coffeeshop Kadinsky were doing so well, right up until the last hurdle. Out of a possible 20, they managed to score 18. Tidy up their merchandising and they would be the one shop to beat.
We’re not convinced that this coffeeshop won’t come back stronger in future. They seem to have a solid sales angle and a good niche. They are appealing to the upper class toker, who might be visiting the palace and want to stop for a doobie. It’s a thin niche group but it does exist, and they seem to be doing quite well with it. It takes all sorts to make a world, after all.
Until next time Kadinsky, let’s get back to the merchandise drawing board.
