The Long Gone Coffeeshop Thread

[HitTheNorth]

On my first visits, way before the (readily available) internet and way way before ACD, we used a BCD map which you'd pick up free in coffeeshops.

In addition to the map, there were loads of adverts for coffeeshops. It was an absolute godsend.

@Willjay scanned a copy and posted it a few years back but the link to the original photos has 404'd itself

Some ropey screenshots:

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Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.40.08.png

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.40.32.png

Many of the shops advertised still exist. I believe Cum Laude and Front Page both ended up as Kandinskys. I remember Free City, with it's big, weird head above the door. I think that's de Overkant below the ad for Greenhouse.

The map itself was very similar to this High Times effort:

ht map.jpg

Does anyone have a copy of this BCD map? And even better, fancy scanning it in?

[avfc-herbalist]

He's good. He's very good!

I remember Softland very well indeed. Spui was my area of choice back in the day. Kadinsky, 2e Kamer, Dampkring etc
Softland was the Internet coffeeshop back before smartphones. You could smoke your own in there, which was handy as the weed wasn't as good as other nearby shops. Jeez we'd spend all day walking up and down Spuistraat

I can see why you'd spend the whole day walking up and down Spuistraat HitTheNorth with 7th Heaven, Chocolata, Softland, Monaco, M&M & Mediterrane!

I feel another load of long gone coffeeshops coming up as all of that list is either a different coffeeshop or is no longer there at all

By the way I laughed hard at Lemmings new description of Mediterrane. "Now with added YouTuber"

Also, talking about internet points in coffeeehops the 2004 Amsterdam video you posted yesterday had a great computer section. I think it's Betty Boop?

Screenshot_20250814_145649_YouTube.jpg

I never went in either of the Betty Boops, but that looks like her on the wall

This was Softland

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.22.37.png

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.23.11.png

Wow!! That's actually brilliant. Loving the desks and stools. What a set up that is. Thanks for sharing those HTN

[avfc-herbalist]

On my first visits, way before the (readily available) internet and way way before ACD, we used a BCD map which you'd pick up free in coffeeshops.

In addition to the map, there were loads of adverts for coffeeshops. It was an absolute godsend.

@Willjay scanned a copy and posted it a few years back but the link to the original photos has 404'd itself

Some ropey screenshots:

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.39.11.png

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.39.39.png

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.40.08.png

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.40.32.png

Many of the shops advertised still exist. I believe Cum Laude and Front Page both ended up as Kandinskys. I remember Free City, with it's big, weird head above the door. I think that's de Overkant below the ad for Greenhouse.

The map itself was very similar to this High Times effort:

ht map.jpg

Does anyone have a copy of this BCD map? And even better, fancy scanning it in?

I've always wanted to find that map/guide as I've never seen any for resale on ebay or amazon.

I even emailed the BCD to see if they had any copies or whether they had archived them etc.

Here's what they said:

Thanks for your message and for sharing your interest in Dutch coffeeshop culture — always nice to hear!

Unfortunately, no one on our current team is familiar with that particular BCD map or guide from 2000, and as far as we know, we don’t have any copies in our archives.

Thanks again for reaching out, and all the best!

Kind regards,

Simone van Breda

Chair – Bond van Cannabis Detaillisten (BCD)

The 2000 guides cover is on an older version of ACD and that's what I screenshot and sent to the BCD. So maybe and hopefully Lemming still has his copy?

Screenshot_20250708_141506_Chrome.jpg

[avfc-herbalist]

7th Heaven
Spuistraat 7

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/bulldoglounge.html

(Turned into The Bulldog Lounge before its full closure)

7th Heaven.jpg

7ThHeaven1.gif

[avfc-herbalist]

Bar Coffeeshop M&M
Spuistraat 260

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/newtimes.html
(Now Coffeeshop New Times)

mmshop.jpg

MMshop2_300.jpg

MM.gif

[HitTheNorth]

Inside a Rokerij

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[HitTheNorth]

A small portion of Sheeba's interior

sh.jpg

[HitTheNorth]

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 20.16.46.png

Inside Andalucia

[HitTheNorth]

Here's one for the detectives. Any ideas? Photo taken 2009 in theory. Turnstile too, not many of them around

Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 20.31.01.png

[HitTheNorth]

Couple more interior shots of Sheeba

Screenshot 2025-08-15 at 10.29.58.png

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[HitTheNorth]

Screenshot 2025-08-15 at 10.51.16.png

Old Pooldog sign

Apparently taken May 2005.

Screenshot 2025-08-15 at 10.53.23.png

This photo of Resin is dated December 2006

So it changed some time between then I guess

[HitTheNorth]

Old Coffeeshops you say?

Have loads...

Actual film footage from the early 90s of tons of old shops - This is what Dam was like on my first couple of visits. They were everywhere!

[youtube]https://youtu.be/JeLLHfnDZIM?si=DEQdeOS-xJbssLOQ[/youtube]

[free_phil_spector]

Superb stuff HTN. I blazed through two joints watching that, had to keep skipping back/pausing to take it all in. A few things stood out. So many neons in the windows, the number of coffeeshops that were sited right next to each other. Also how so many had pool tables. It was almost as though it was a dual USP. Cannabis AND pool! Mad times.

Also the conservatories that so many establishments had back then. I remember the Damrwak was lined with restaurants and bars that had a covered conservatory on the street. We would often get breakfast there if we were staying nearby.

[avfc-herbalist]

Old Coffeeshops you say?

Have loads...

Actual film footage from the early 90s of tons of old shops - This is what Dam was like on my first couple of visits. They were everywhere!

[youtube]https://youtu.be/JeLLHfnDZIM?si=DEQdeOS-xJbssLOQ[/youtube]

HitTheNorth, that is honestly the best coffeeshop video I've ever seen. Thank very much for finding and sharing that!

A sign on The Bulldog 90 says "The Bulldog 15 years" so this must've been filmed in 1990 which is amazing.

Also, La Rocka Coffeeshop on Nieuwendijk before it became La Canna! Fancy Free on Haarlemmerstraat before it became Blue Velvet.

Looks like Hard Rock Cafe had lost their bottle with Hard Rock Coffeeshop as on that video it was the Hard Rock Giftshop with the Cafe still next door.

Absolutely amazing video HitTheNorth which I know I'll watch dozen more times. I've already downloaded it off youtube just in case

Thanks again mate!

the number of coffeeshops that were sited right next to each other.

Was genuinely shocked to see so many coffeeshops next door to each other. I never knew there was a coffeeshop either side of Betty Boop. Coffeeshop De Kolk and Coffeeshop No Problem.

Man I really missed out on the peak era of Amsterdam

[HitTheNorth]

Thought you might like that.

It's from Norman Scherer's YT. He was the videographer for High Times in the 1990s

There are quite a lot of Cannabis Cup videos, but he also has a load of film from going round the shops sampling the entries.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/kC9p73J9JLM?si=zU95RvGK3EQQENIh[/youtube]

This one, from 1993, starts in Fancy Free (I think), then Siberie, King Cobra, Picasso, The Doors (as I remember it with all the decorated beer mats on the wall), Homegrown Fantasy (!!!), Hard Rock Cafe, T-Boot and right near the end some rather garbled footage of Lucky Mothers. Theres also a segment in a basement room where they play Buckaroo with a sleeping gentleman - it looks like the basement of Lucky Mothers, although I don't remember all the posters. Can anyone confirm or correct?

Part 2
[youtube]https://youtu.be/sFzSN894B_k?si=QMgy7CXyaK0KqITD[/youtube]

Starts in Grasshopper 1 on Neiuwesidjz Voorborgwal, then Picasso.

This one from 94 features footage inside Greenhouse and Free City

[youtube]https://youtu.be/DWYg5fq6RlY?si=1rEXBq3N6yLt1_WZ[/youtube]