The Plug (formerly Utopia)

[DRA]

All the activity here certainly does have me excited to visit Utopia! I've been exploring the coffeeshops of Amsterdam ever since my first European excursion back in 1998. I have been traveling to Europe every year up until 2010 and 2011 when some family issues and other circumstances combined to keep me away for far too long. This April will mark my triumphant return to Europe and Amsterdam as I meet with friends from all over the world who also have coordinated their travel plans to coincide with mine. I expect that some of my friends and I will be spending a little time at Utopia.

Will I be allowed to shoot video inside the shop? I will want to document the shop and post a video on YouTube if I am allowed to bring out the camcorder. I have a few other videos already posted which document some other coffeeshops.

[BelfastBen]

Useful post #1
I have just got back from Amsterdam yesterday, and this shop was one of my two choices for additional shops to add to my prerequisite choices (along with Voyagers), mostly given all the new postings going on. I was very happy with the service I received. The girl (who I presume was Ingi and she was neither bald nor beardy) was very friendly and more than happy to talk at length about the lovely stuff she was selling. I got some Citronella 12.50€/gram, Eidelweiss 10€, Sweet Haze 10€ and Temple Ball 8€ (all per gram). I gave them marks out of ten on my grand scheme of all coffeeshop visits and made a brief note after smoking each for the first time. The score was based on strength of stone, taste, aftertaste, effects (probably in that order).

Here goes;

Citronella 7.5/10 Really different taste but not as strong as I expected after reading the rave reviews - I had been especially looking out for this because no where else that I know of sells it - very delicate citrus taste particularly nice smoked pure or in a bong so not to damage the taste.

Eidelweiss 7/10 strong intense stone but lacking in distinct flavour, a bio indica.

Sweet Haze 8/10 I remember thinking it was the opposite of Eidelweiss, very sweet taste - nice and uplifting - and made my tongue tingle! A fabulous daytime smoke.

I am quite surprised because the buds of the other weeds were bigger and nicer looking, (eidelweiss had the biggest bud i have ever seen not on a plant!! Brilliant) the sweet haze had definitely seen better days but was the nicest in my opinion.

Temple Ball 8€ 7/10 definitely worth purchasing at the price, standard tball. Mellow stone - nice for mixing with weed or using as a sandwich between two weed joints. So good for the price I got lots.

All and all it was a really nice shop, nice decor and im sure it would have been lovely relaxing on their new shiny sofas if we had taken up the free hot drinks offer. Looking forward to seeing the new sign on my next trip later in the year, nice service, close to dam square, 5€ discount when you buy ANY five grams (pretty good deal in my experience) - Overall Shop Score 8/10

Watch out for other potentially useful posts on other coffeeshop threads made by me, purely accidentally of course.

[iddsy40]

really looking forward to visiting this shop as my hotel is 5 mins away,all the good reviews and updates from nel makes this sound like a great place

[Cupcake Diva]

Useful post #1
I have just got back from Amsterdam yesterday, and this shop was one of my two choices for additional shops to add to my prerequisite choices (along with Voyagers), mostly given all the new postings going on. I was very happy with the service I received. The girl (who I presume was Ingi and she was neither bald nor beardy) was very friendly and more than happy to talk at length about the lovely stuff she was selling. I got some Citronella 12.50€/gram, Eidelweiss 10€, Sweet Haze 10€ and Temple Ball 8€ (all per gram). I gave them marks out of ten on my grand scheme of all coffeeshop visits and made a brief note after smoking each for the first time. The score was based on strength of stone, taste, aftertaste, effects (probably in that order).

Here goes;

Citronella 7.5/10 Really different taste but not as strong as I expected after reading the rave reviews - I had been especially looking out for this because no where else that I know of sells it - very delicate citrus taste particularly nice smoked pure or in a bong so not to damage the taste.

Eidelweiss 7/10 strong intense stone but lacking in distinct flavour, a bio indica.

Sweet Haze 8/10 I remember thinking it was the opposite of Eidelweiss, very sweet taste - nice and uplifting - and made my tongue tingle! A fabulous daytime smoke.

I am quite surprised because the buds of the other weeds were bigger and nicer looking, (eidelweiss had the biggest bud i have ever seen not on a plant!! Brilliant) the sweet haze had definitely seen better days but was the nicest in my opinion.

Temple Ball 8€ 7/10 definitely worth purchasing at the price, standard tball. Mellow stone - nice for mixing with weed or using as a sandwich between two weed joints. So good for the price I got lots.

All and all it was a really nice shop, nice decor and im sure it would have been lovely relaxing on their new shiny sofas if we had taken up the free hot drinks offer. Looking forward to seeing the new sign on my next trip later in the year, nice service, close to dam square, 5€ discount when you buy ANY five grams (pretty good deal in my experience) - Overall Shop Score 8/10

Watch out for other potentially useful posts on other coffeeshop threads made by me, purely accidentally of course.

Great info!

Might be an idea to put it up in the travelogue section too always people looking for ideas of where to go and ratings etc

H x

[nel z bub]

Hello folks
Firstly thank you all for your feedback regarding the vaporizer, all interesting stuff and helpful too. I've been reading the thread on here about the Arizer and while it looks nice, I think we would probably stick with the volcano if we were to get that style of vape.
Thinking about the Verdamper I have been wondering if anyone has tried out the new RooR vape system? I think it wouldn't be too hard to adapt so that the heating element would work on a regular RooR bong.
I think this might be a good idea to reduce the amount of expensive glass we have to worry about. All options remain open.

In other news, this week we have put up the new sticker on the window and I think it looks nice.
It certainly allows for a better view in and out of the shop and I hope the new lettering will help to make us more visible from the street.
Our resident artist(Recal One) has also started to get his spray cans out on a nice mural.
I'll post some pictures soon if i can get my camera to talk to the computer.
coming soon for the menu - a high grade marroccan and maybe one more old school weed if the samples pass muster.

Finally for now...

@Belfast Ben- cheers for the review, glad you liked the place-hope to meet you next time. btw your comment on the Nes Cafe thread really made me laugh! You're not wrong.

@ DRA- regarding shooting video in the shop. I personally have no problem with being filmed and people filming in the coffeeshop but sometimes coffeeshop staff, regulars and visitors would rather not be recorded.
I generally find it is best to ask before you start filming, and be sure to ask any other customers as well as the staff if they object to being filmed.

[Munkee]

Wow, I had no idea roor were doing a vape now, just checked it out,it would probably be good for business if you were the first shop with a roor vape, people would be queuing up to have a go, looking forward to visiting utopia next week and hopefully meeting you Nel

[Nimrod]

Loving this inside peek at a CS makeover. Can't wait to visit, meet, and sample some off the modest menu. Too full a menu just hurts my head. I would rather have a few quality choices than a barrage of hit and miss.

Nel, you're really upping the bar regarding contact and response from a CS insider. Well done, sir. Hopefully this continues after Utopia's establishment as a top-shelf CS. See you in April.

Much success to you and all at Utopia.

[MrSifter]

Anyone?

Having my first trip to Amsterdam the start of March and by luck my hotel is a 5 minute walk to Utopia. We get there at night and was wondering does anyone know what time they close?

[nel z bub]

@ mr Sifter , sorry, missed your earlier question.
Given that we are in a very quiet period we are generally closed by midnight, sometimes a little earlier.
Our license allows us to be open until 1am and I'm hoping that as the summer approaches and as business picks up we will have cause to take full advantage of our licensed hours.
Hope you can come by and say hello.

[sully]

Given that we are in a very quiet period we are generally closed by midnight, sometimes a little earlier.
Our license allows us to be open until 1am and I'm hoping that as the summer approaches and as business picks up we will have cause to take full advantage of our licensed hours.
Hope you can come by and say hello.

Hey nel z bub what time do you open at?

[nel z bub]

eight thirty.

[sully]

eight thirty.

Nice our hotel is about 5 mins away so breakfast and then nip round to try some of that citronella. Only 18 sleeps to go!

[BelfastBen]

@ Nel Z Bub... You're welcome for the review! I really wanted your shop to be the first one I reviewed as I am sure there are lots of people salivating to get their chance to visit your shop in person. Hopefully my comments may help tide them over until they can get there also looking forward to meeting you in June.

What was it in particular that made you laugh about my Nes Cafe post? The anonymous chocolate finger donations that really wind up poor Dave, or the fact that I completely neglected to visit this place sooner? The latter made me a bit sad actually, but anyone who doesn't enjoy themselves in Amsterdam irrespective of venue is probably unconscious anyway.

I will try and upload some pictures of the weed I got from here later if I can get some lovely close ups of the crystal goodness that actually do the stuff justice. Thanks to your shop I now have a new pastime; making all sorts of shapes out of the temple ball. Perhaps we could start a completion to see what people can craft, and you never know maybe one day all claymation will be made from Utopia temple ball

@cupcake diva... I will certainly try and cobble together a travelogue at some point cheers!

[nel z bub]

@Ben- I believe it was..

go on hurry up

..that got me chuckling. It really is a great place and I rarely go anywhere else for a drink.
Looking forward to seeing your pictures.

I'll have some pictures of my own for you all soon I hope.

Managed to remove the dirty, broken awning from the front of the shop this evening. Only nearly killing myself and four tourists who happened to be passing by at the wrong moment.
Who knew these things had spring loaded arms as well as weighing about eighty kilos?

Still, it's done now and I think it looks better.
I've been up a ladder scrubbing the paintwork most of the evening.
It will be even nicer when we've re done the paint work I hope.

The new maroc(Grand Cru), coming to the menu tomorrow, is a real special one.
Melt in your hand, clean, strong and tasty. It won't be cheap but I think you guys will appreciate it.

[MadCore]

Hey Nel,

I will be in town from the 24th til 27th of this month and your shop is certainly on my places to visit. And now you mention melty maroc! That is what I am looking for! I will certainly grab some of this and come citronella as I am a taste fiend. Feel free to pick up a Roor Vape between then and now too lol. Would be epic to try one. Any way it is great to see you active on here and listening to the people who love coffeeshops. See you soon and keep on making this place awesome.