All the most Sensational Coffee shops in Amsterdam, as rated by the team at Lilly Likes!
What is it that you look for first when you come to Amsterdam? IS it the hostel/hotel? Is it the museums or the food? Or is it the nearest coffeeshop to Centraal station, for when you get off the train? We know what our answer is… and you guessed right. It’s time for another glimpse into the world of the Amsterdam coffeeshops. Today, we are peeking through the doors to the Coffeeshop Solo in order to rate it accordingly… Spoiler alert – they have cake!
But as usual, before we delve into the smoky world of the Amsterdam coffeeshop, let’s take a thirty second browse through some of our past projects. Lilly Likes have reviewed various things to see and do in and around the fair city of Amsterdam, with the aim of becoming your one-stop-tourist-shop for all holiday itinerary planning. We have covered places to eat, sights to see, and we have even gone outside the city walls to bring you the best in Dutch entertainment. Today, we are turning our attention to coffeeshop Solo, one in a long line of coffeeshops we have already reviewed.
Coffeeshop Solo, in Amsterdam… What can you do there, how is the coffee and, most important of all, is the smoke good?
Atmosphere and Vibe
From the outside, Solo looks like a nice, respectable place to get your caffeine and THC fix.IT has suave lettering with a neat black background that can’t help but be cool on all its branding. It’s on Korte Koningsstraat 2, which is just far enough out of the centre to avoid most of the tourist masses, and it’s open until midnight every day.
On the inside it has all the usual TV and music accoutrements, as well as a large window on the front, which lets it retain the light and airy atmosphere that you struggle to find in the dank world of smoky stores. It’s worth mentioning that they came in third in the 2018 Canna Cup with the Platinum Valley Ice Strain – so in terms of vibe, these guys are winners.
We love the old world square windowpanes, the front onto a canal, and the brightness. Overall, we score them a 5 out of 5 for atmosphere and vibe. It’s refreshing to find somewhere in the city that’s as light as Coffeeshop Solo.
Munchies and Drinks
Next. let’s survey the scene in terms of munchies and drinks. In Coffeeshop Solo you will find all manner of hot and cold drinks. Although their Espresso based coffee range is the most popular, you can expect big cups and plenty of choice in the cold drinks section, too.
What’s most impressive about Solo is their range of sweet goods. They carry cakes a plenty, refreshing ice creams, and a wealth of sticky flavours to be had. We love the plating, too. Many of the sweets they put in front of you in Solo are artistically presented with swirls of your favourite sweet sauce on the side. Some of the food is to die for… and so is the smoke…
Overall, we award a 4.5 out of 5 for their exemplary range of sticky goodies. Why did we dock a half mark? We would love as ample a range of savoury goodies as they have sweet. Otherwise, you can eat your final course at a lot worse places than Solo.
Products/Edibles (420)
Now for the part you have all been waiting for… what is on the “other” menu at Coffeeshop Solo? We have it on good authority that they regularly have around 17 different strains here.
They have done the sensible thing and split the menu up into categories. Some of the strains you can find there include:
- Glueberry OG, Silver Kush, and Lemon Zest hashish.
- Jack Herer, Hiya, and the illustrious Fruity Pebbles hash.
- Agent Orange, Orange Bud, Or Purple Haze.
- Amnesia Haze, Super Silver and Super Lemon Hazes.
- From the Indica menu they have Rolex OG, Solo Kush (their own brand) and Royal Solo.
- They do a Solo Mix, as well, all their own genetics.
- NLX, Gorilla Zkittles and red dragon.
- Pre-rolled weed with tobacco, hash with tobacco, or pure joints.
With so much to choose from it is no wonder that they are out there winning Canna Cups. When winners do emerge, they tend to be the strains that coffeeshops create themselves, and Coffeeshop Solo is no exception. We have no choice but to award them the full 5/5 and be done with it.
Café Merchandise
Last but not least, we went on a mission to spy out all of the Coffeeshop Solo merchandise we could find. Alas, this wasn’t much… they don’t even have a website. If we want to talk about missed opportunities, that’s the biggest one we have seen in a while. As much as we love Solo, we can’t bolster the adulation with a few well spent quid placed in online orders. Ah well.
What we can get is the usual range of lighters, grinders, and roach boards from the coffeeshop itself. So we suppose that will have to do. Nevertheless this is a big waste, so we will let them feel that dent in terms of points over custom. We awarded the Coffeeshop Solo a 3 out of 5 for Café Merchandise, which is just about the lowest score we have ever given anything… because we are easy to please.
Sorry Solo. Better luck next time.
Lilly Likes Verdict
Does Lilly Likes approve of the Smoke Palace? You’re Dam straight we do. Has there ever been a coffeeshop in Amsterdam that we didn’t approve of? No! But that doesn’t mean that the Coffeeshop Solo isn’t exceptional in its own right… We ended up awarding them a grand total of 17.5 out of 20 points. That’s not bad for a coffeeshop that doesn’t even really seem to advertise itself. Those strains though… Hopefully there will be some left for our next visit…
