The Long Gone Coffeeshop Thread

[Lemming]

Great finds! Thanks for them.

Bar-Studio 14 later became Happy House then Hill Street at the Market then The Greenhouse Effect and now Tyson 2.0 Nieuwmarkt.

At some stage Boedhas was known as Remember. Not sure if that was before or after. In fact, it looks like Remember may have included the Studio 14 premises as well. Boedhas is now Rock-It, of course.

[KeyMonCha]

At some stage Boedhas was known as Remember. Not sure if that was before or after.

How ironic!

[Roccy Tittzenbeer]

This was a nice friendly relaxed place, I think it was three floors high with a games room, located at Oude Hoogstraat 9, near Free Adam etc, it closed in the early 2000's.

Image from 1990 / 1991 era

choice exact.jpg

[Roccy Tittzenbeer]

Here's a couple more.

Dreadlock from the mid 1990's before it became DreadRock.

Dreadlock.jpg

Dutch Delight from about 1986 before it became Ben. They used to have a large hand made banner strung across the alleyway advertising it, you can just see the bottom of it. Also there are some mannequins wearing souvenir t-shirts standing on the first floor window sills, wish I had one of those tee's!

Dutch Delight.jpg

[HitTheNorth]

Here's a couple more.

Dreadlock from the mid 1990's before it became DreadRock.


Dreadlock.jpg


Dutch Delight from about 1986 before it became Ben. They used to have a large hand made banner strung across the alleyway advertising it, you can just see the bottom of it. Also there are some mannequins wearing souvenir t-shirts standing on the first floor window sills, wish I had one of those tee's!


Dutch Delight.jpg

Nice find Roccy. I remember Choice Exact and Ben - don't remember it being Dutch Delight, maybe a little before my time.

Just looking at the Ben photo, on the opposite side of the lane there is a sign for "Semsemah - Coffeeshop & Restaurant", anyone know if this was a coffeeshop or a cafe, I can't find any info.
Can you remember what Choice Exact was like inside? I recall going in one which I thought was Free Adam, it had a raised area at the back with seating, could just as easily have been any of those that were along this stretch

[Lemming]

More great finds there, Roccy.

I've seen another picture of Dreadlock and in both cases I see some slight differences between it and Dreadrock. The lamppost appears to be in the wrong place, for instance. There are lots of very similar frontages along there so I have wondered whether it was a different building. On the other hand, there may just have been some changes over the years.

I just about remember Dutch Delight and Dutch Dream opposite it. In the picture above there is another sign with the word "coffeeshop" on it where Aura is now. The sign saying "Semsemah" looks like it might be where Dutch Dream was later so maybe it was a predecessor of that.

[Roccy Tittzenbeer]

Hi HTN,
from memory I'm almost certain that the Semsemah was simply a small restaurant/cafe without a 'canna' connection.
Choice Exact was of the typical layout of many vintage narrow Amsterdam buildings which get re-modelled and re-invented many times over the years. The entrance was at ground level with seating etc. and purchasing area at the back, as you entered thorough the front door there was a steep staircase facing you on the right leading to a first floor 'mezzanine' level, like a wide balcony with more tables and seats, the front of this had a timber balustrade railing across and you could look out towards the street (and more importantly stopped you falling onto the ground floor below!) Maybe this was the raised area you remember? There was a top floor which I never ventured onto that I think had pub type games in it. One flight of 'deadly' steep Dutch stairs was more than enough of a difficulty to overcome under the influence (and could easily be problematic at the soberest of times!)
It had a nice vibe, others nearby like Pick Up The Pieces and Free Adam at that time were OK but their decor, with formica topped tables and bar stools felt more like a milk bar and I prefer something more comfortable and lounge like. Loved the Free Adam front window and Marley signage though, couldn't help get drawn in by it (like a moth to a light bulb!)
Great times for me in the late 80's and 1990's in the 'Dam
Regards RT'n'B

[KeyMonCha]

Still brings a tear to my eye seeing Dread Rock in its full glory... Was pretty much the go-to CS for my first few trips... Soon as we checked into the Bulldog, we dropped our bags and headed straight to the place... First time was probably 99, but I'm sure it was already called Dread Rock by then...

Anyone know when they changed the name?

[Roccy Tittzenbeer]

More great finds there, Roccy.

I've seen another picture of Dreadlock and in both cases I see some slight differences between it and Dreadrock. The lamppost appears to be in the wrong place, for instance. There are lots of very similar frontages along there so I have wondered whether it was a different building. On the other hand, there may just have been some changes over the years.

Hi Lemming (Sir),
both Dreadlock and Dreadrock were at the same location, number 67, the front entrance stone (slippery when wet) steps were thankfully extended at the base to make it easier 'for the unsteady on his wobbly legs' toker like me and to enable the right hand basement glass french window doors to be used better which was the access route I always preferred. Number 65 next door to the left has always been a place of worship such as a Chinese Church and later others. I think that the vintage street lights are where they always were, maybe photo angles might make them look different? The solid wooden double front entrance doors at the top of the steps still looked the same in recent years when it became a restaurant.

[Lemming]

That explains everything. Thanks Roccy.

[Roccy Tittzenbeer]

Still brings a tear to my eye seeing Dread Rock in its full glory... Was pretty much the go-to CS for my first few trips... Soon as we checked into the Bulldog, we dropped our bags and headed straight to the place... First time was probably 99, but I'm sure it was already called Dread Rock by then...

Anyone know when they changed the name?

Hi,
unfortunately I can't recall the name change date, it was still Dreadlock 1994/'95 but I personally never really noticed the subtle single letter change during my visits throughout the 90's despite visiting at least 4 times every year. Looked so similar with them maintaining the same theme although they did make artwork changes to the frontage designs from time to time. I do remember a conversation one year in the bar when we discussed popping into Dreadlock and upon arrival finding out it was actually called Dread Rock, we had assumed that we had been mistaken and had been calling it by the wrong name due to our 'worse for wear' condition. This must have been when it happened between visits.
We drank in Cafe Pleinzicht just a few doors away, they were both nice places and easy to stumble back and forth between.
I was sad to see it close, I was told that they had to choose between being a canna coffeeshop only serving soft drinks or become a cafe bar serving alcohol. They chose the latter and it didn't work out financially so they shut up shop altogether.
On a positive note, we've been there and had the great times and have the memories to match - and to celebrate I have re-instated Dread Rock as my avatar.

All the best RT'n'B

[KeyMonCha]

On a positive note, we've been there and had the great times and have the memories to match - and to celebrate I have re-instated Dread Rock as my avatar.

All the best RT'n'B

Absolutely... Can't quite recapture the essence of those first few trips, but I guess that's what made it all so special... Even a very memorable whitey due to a pure, AK pre-roll holds a sweet spot in my soul... Never knew 4 steps could be such a challenge!

Nice tribute, too... I miss that avatar!

[Lemming]

Dutch Dream was opposite Dutch Delight, somewhere near where the "Semsemah" sign is in the picture above.


From Mellow Pages 3rd edition by Kip

As you can see, Kip says it used to be part of a cinema. Maybe it was Semsemah in between being a cinema and a coffeeshop. Or maybe that was a different building?

[KeyMonCha]

Might be a separate building, Lem...

Dutch dream appears to be this building;

https://maps.app.goo.gl/H9NqwPh1hrSSSQax7
(Yu Family Kitchen)

Whereas, Semsemah seems more towards Wok to Walk...

...i could be wrong.... Just passing time!

[Lemming]

Yes, that's the right building but Wok to Walk is on the opposite side.