All the Best 420 Friendly Coffeeshops in Amsterdam, Rated by What Lilly Likes.
Perhaps best known for their weird triangular take on the Illuminati symbol as their logo, Paradox coffeeshop is exactly as weird as you imagine it to be. It has a definite plant vibe going on, with weed physically growing in the building sometimes. That logo though. They have branding that other coffeeshops can only aspire to in their dreams.
Before we tuck in too deep to ever return, let’s make sure everyone is here because they want to be before you have to wash your eyes out with soap. If you are here to learn about European attractions you want the other Lilly, a cousin who was named after us. If you are looking for attractions of Amsterdam then you want our main page, and if you are coffee shop specific then welcome. Sit back, light on if you can, and get ready to read.
Now that the hard part is out of the way, let’s look more closely at Paradox. You all know what a paradox is, right? When time travellers create a loop since they needed to break time to go back in time and therefore the timeline when they went back in time to change time to begin with no longer exists – but now there is a new time line on which they have a time machine that was never invented in this time so how do they have it? Erm. Simple.
Atmosphere and Vibe
Paradox is the trendy, hip, upbeat place that artists and creatives come to chill out and unwind. You will regularly find a variety of live music or gig nights held here and will find it nestled in the picturesque Jordaan area. It’s cute, it’s cultured, and we love the walls – they look like they have been tattooed by Mr. Doodle.
Paradox looks like a shop. If we had one complaint about finding the place it would be that it is tucked away between a series of little boutique stores. It doesn’t stand out as a coffeeshop at first. When you recognise the fantastically branded logo on the sign, however, the game all changes. Paradox has board games, a fine selection of weed, and a combo of exposed brickwork and tattooed walls. It’s got a seriously old world, chilled-but-vibrant vibe.
We gave Paradox a 4.5 out of 5 for atmosphere and vibe. According to residents it is the perfect place to hunker down and wait for your hangover to pass. Why dock a half mark? The avocado-on-toast vibe this place has to it isn’t for everyone. It’s a niche thing which we are perfectly willing to forgive.
Munchies and Drinks
Despite being a weed café, Paradox pays a surprising amount of attention to their other menus. They have a delightful array of fruit teas, for example, allowing for another type of sensory experience while you are there. Their hot chocolates are legendary and come with the option of whipped cream and lashings of chocolate powder. Their menu also covers the cold drink selection you would expect from a chilled out café in the streets of the Dam.
Not only do they pay attention to their drinks and hashish, they have a variety of home made baked goods for you to scoff while you’re high. This is the important bit – not all of the cakes are special cakes. The home made cookies are just what they say they are… no drugs involved.
We give the Paradox coffeeshop in Amsterdam a 4.5 out of 5 for munchies and drinks. Why dock the half mark this time? There aren’t many savoury options on that menu. Some of us would like the choice of a sandwich or two instead of having to go elsewhere. Basically we want to stay there all day. Is that too much to ask?
Products/Edibles (420)
This is the bit you’ve all been waiting for, isn’t it? Put your hand in the air if you skipped straight to this section and ignored the rest. That’s hardcore.
Paradox actually adds an extra layer to the menu that most Amsterdam coffeeshops don’t have, no matter how 420 friendly they may be. They have a whole category devoted to outdoor grown weeds. They are a little more expensive in the city than the indoor grown weeds. A strange trait since other countries in the EU (Spain) thrive on outdoor grown weed and produce less indoor. That’s legislation in action, right there.
You can choose between outdoor and indoor, pure reefer joints and tobacco joints, space cakes that contain a full gram per slice, and hashish. They also have a great system on their menu where they grade the effect the weed will have on you. Some of the effects include Super High and smooth high.
We give them a 5 out of 5 for their menu. They have put time and effort into their products, and they have all the types you would expect. Types include:
- Bio Green
- Special Haze Mixes
- Alaska Ice
- Super Pollen
- Purple Chemdawg
- Amnesia
- And so many others…
Café Merchandise
This is where things get a little interesting. Normally, we grade a coffeeshop in terms of what extra items they produce, but for Paradox, the extra items they produce aren’t tangible. They come in the form of art. They come in live music gigs that entertain both locals and tourists on a regular basis. They come in the form of offering home deliveries as an essential service during crises like Coronavirus pandemics.
The branding and logo are all fantastic, the website is functional and stands out… unlike most of the coffeeshop websites the English is particularly good. They also have bold, bright colours and a vibrant and artistic theme. Although it’s not what we regularly rate and there isn’t any physical merchandise, there’s no way we can score them lowly in this category in good conscience.
We gave them a 4 out of 5 for café merchandise because we think their contribution to the arts and culture scene in Amsterdam is entirely valid. We appreciate, however, that all art is subjective.
Lilly Likes Verdict
So where does this leave Paradox overall? In the weigh in, they are scoring an impressive 18.5 out of a possible 20. This puts them up there with some of the best coffeeshops of Amsterdam… or it doesn’t. The choice is yours really. It all depends on how much you value art. Live music, and a home delivery service that the British contingent of Lilly Likes are so, so, so jealous of.
