Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

Tiger Shark wrote:Obviously a bunch of stoners. This thread is way off course!

Regarding etiquette, most coffeeshops are ok with burning dope bought elsewhere. I noticed however that in and around the redlight district they INSIST that you buy some dope from them before smoking. Does anybody know waht the rule on this is? Thanks.

Hello Tiger Shark and welcome to the forum....Regarding etiquette.

Tiger Shark wrote:I noticed however that in and around the redlight district they INSIST that you buy some dope from them before smoking. Does anybody know waht the rule on this is? Thanks.

Would be interested to know where you experienced this. I have never had this experience, but I always buy a beverage first if I am not buying cannabis.

don't start taking pictures without asking first. Sal got a bit forgetful and started flashing away at the dampkring menu, before asking and they were less then impressed, lets just say my chocolope bag wasn't nice buds. and i had high hopes for this shop.

Hey there. My wife and I just got back from our first trip (we're both on the verge of the big 40), so I did the same basic research you're doing as well. I can highly recommend Cafe 420 for a laid back, comfy vibe to just hang out and enjoy yourself. They also play great music (classic rock) and they were also playing some really cool videos on the big screens showing different sea life, oceans, etc during our visit. If I wasn't so allergic to cats, I would have spent much more time there (they have a cat named Max that has free run of the place).

As others have stated, check the laws in your state re: pipes, etc and don't bring back anything that has been used, regardless of whether or not you have cleaned it. Better safe than sorry. I wouldn't worry at all about the hardsell or pushy tenders. I didn't run into that at all.

I hope your first visit is as great as ours was. Make sure you find some time to take a hop-on, hop-off bus or canal tour and see as much of the city as you can. It's a really unique and amazing place. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

ed the head wrote:

Tiger Shark wrote:I noticed however that in and around the redlight district they INSIST that you buy some dope from them before smoking. Does anybody know waht the rule on this is? Thanks.

Would be interested to know where you experienced this. I have never had this experience, but I always buy a beverage first if I am not buying cannabis.

I don't know where it was Ed. But it happened twice -- in 2006 and 2009, three years apart in the redlight district. Knowing my propensity to find and use the same roads, it COULD have even been the same place. The first time went down like this.


I walked into the place and sat close to the "bar". I made eye contact with the budtender who was busy and said, "When you have a free minute I'd like a cup of coffee please." He nodded at me and when he saw me pulling out my stash to roll one he says, "You need to buy some weed HERE if you want to smoke here." (or words to the effect).

I was a little put out because I knew that I was leaving the next day and could not possibly finish it, but I asked for the smoking menu.

After a glance at the menu I said, "Gimme a gram of the Purple Haze please." He says, "I swear to god, I don't have ANY purple haze".

I'm thinking what's wrong with this guy. I look at the menu again. "POWER haze please. Sorry." He gave it to me and then asked me what I wanted to drink.

The second time was similar. "You can't just come in get a drink and smoke whatever." It only happened in the redlight district and I dind't spend much time there.

As an aside, I'd like to say that I really like Freeworld up near Centraal Station. Those guys are the best.

Tiger Shark wrote:

ed the head wrote:

Tiger Shark wrote:I noticed however that in and around the redlight district they INSIST that you buy some dope from them before smoking. Does anybody know waht the rule on this is? Thanks.

Would be interested to know where you experienced this. I have never had this experience, but I always buy a beverage first if I am not buying cannabis.

I don't know where it was Ed. But it happened twice -- in 2006 and 2009, three years apart in the redlight district. Knowing my propensity to find and use the same roads, it COULD have even been the same place. The first time went down like this.


I walked into the place and sat close to the "bar". I made eye contact with the budtender who was busy and said, "When you have a free minute I'd like a cup of coffee please." He nodded at me and when he saw me pulling out my stash to roll one he says, "You need to buy some weed HERE if you want to smoke here." (or words to the effect).

I was a little put out because I knew that I was leaving the next day and could not possibly finish it, but I asked for the smoking menu.

After a glance at the menu I said, "Gimme a gram of the Purple Haze please." He says, "I swear to god, I don't have ANY purple haze".

I'm thinking what's wrong with this guy. I look at the menu again. "POWER haze please. Sorry." He gave it to me and then asked me what I wanted to drink.

The second time was similar. "You can't just come in get a drink and smoke whatever." It only happened in the redlight district and I dind't spend much time there.

As an aside, I'd like to say that I really like Freeworld up near Centraal Station. Those guys are the best.

...Interesting. I guess I have been lucky. I would definitely remember a place like that so I could avoid it and rant against it in the forum. The budtender sounds like a total ass-wipe.

Anyway, I think it was marco that advised to just turn around and leave if you get a bad vibe. Certainly no shortage of good shops in Amsterdam.

Wow my thread is still alive and kicking and I had no clue - typical stoner blonde heh!

I've been to Amsterdam since posting this thread - I liked visiting different shops so we went to places that were recommended on the forum and purchased recommended weed and always ordered a beverage as well to be polite. If you adhere to this policy you can sit there long as you like and smoke what you brought with you as well. I found my favorite shop to be Basjoe btw and I recommend it HIGHLY. Laid back atmosphere, super nice budtender James will treat you right. They are usually watching sports and/or listening to some reggae. Clean restrooms and great coffee as well as fresh squeezed juices. There are board games to play and the whole vibe of the place is just homey and welcoming. Our next trip we will mostly just hang out here everyday instead of doing such a tour of coffeeshops and buying so much weed. We had weed leftover and had to trash it at the last minute so it was wasted. Didn't plan ahead and leave it somewhere for locals there that could have enjoyed it.

The main thing is to be polite and I always definitely buy a beverage even if its just a bottle of water. I understand they have to make a living too and we were treated nicely everywhere we went. We cannot wait to return and its looking like a possibility for my dude's bday. If so that means in about 90 days I will be back in the homeland lol... I am crossing my fingers he decides to go back again. We are even thinking of what it would be like to live there and rent a place several months a year after he retires.

I found my favorite place on earth - and its AMSTERDAM! Wish I was there now for Cannabis cup!

Toke up for me LuvBong ya'll are there right now!

"Coffee Shop Etiquette", where to begin?
I still am at a loss as to how people think it's ok for them to go into a C/S, not buy any anything, and light up gear bought from another shop. To add insult to injury, break out drinks (and food) also purchased from other establishments. For the coup de grâce, become offended when confronted.
Why go into a shop if not buying? Taking up seats that would normally be filled with PAYING customers is also bad etiquette. Go chill in a park, library, cemetery, or home.
Let me break it down like this - if a person were to walk into a bar, sit down at a table, remove a bottle of booze from a bag and commence to drink, what would the actions of the bar staff be? Hey peeps from t'Nes, what would you do? I thought so...

I'm not perfect, I spaced it ONCE, while visiting HGF. I was sitting outside getting ready to open a bottle of soda (with a meal) when the budtender asked that I not drink what was not purchased at the shop. He was super chill about the situation and not exasperated as some C/S employees have become when dealing with these types issues.

It's all about attitude, always has been, always will be...
...and some will never understand.

I believe it's against Dutch law for coffeeshops to require you to purchase cannabis in order to enter their shop so not sure how it's rude to smoke something you bought somewhere else. As a courtesy, one should purchase at least a drink or something to eat. If they give you a hard time, just get up and leave.

Went i went into HGF, i already had enough weed to sink a battle ship, i ordered a coke and asked the BT if i could smoke my own weed, he said ye thats no problem as you bought a drink so enjoy.

Sadly had to go to the Old Church Coffeeshop at Oudekerksplein yesterday (waiting for the radio station there to open) and they would not let us sit in that shit hole (while buying drinks) and smoke our own weed. They did let us sit outside.

Fuck that place!

Uncle Ron wrote:"Coffee Shop Etiquette", where to begin?
I still am at a loss as to how people think it's ok for them to go into a C/S, not buy any anything, and light up gear bought from another shop. To add insult to injury, break out drinks (and food) also purchased from other establishments. For the coup de grâce, become offended when confronted.
Why go into a shop if not buying? Taking up seats that would normally be filled with PAYING customers is also bad etiquette. Go chill in a park, library, cemetery, or home.
Let me break it down like this - if a person were to walk into a bar, sit down at a table, remove a bottle of booze from a bag and commence to drink, what would the actions of the bar staff be? Hey peeps from t'Nes, what would you do? I thought so...

I'm not perfect, I spaced it ONCE, while visiting HGF. I was sitting outside getting ready to open a bottle of soda (with a meal) when the budtender asked that I not drink what was not purchased at the shop. He was super chill about the situation and not exasperated as some C/S employees have become when dealing with these types issues.

It's all about attitude, always has been, always will be...
...and some will never understand.

I wish I was as eloquent as you Ron, thats just how I see it. And I've never been bad vibed in any C/S I ever been in and I've been going to Amsterdam since prehistoric times. All about ALTITUDE really.

I had a can of Redbull that I pulled from my pocket and put on the table at Greenhouse and they told me I couldn't drink it in there, no worries. Otherwise I don't have any issues, I treat the coffee shops as if they were a friends house.

I was at my usual hangout last week in 'Dam and I actually saw someone try to sell back some of the weed he just bought to the budtender. I just craned my head at the confrontation and gave the whole thing a "Scooby-Doo" look because I thought it was funny as hell and couldn't believe someone was trying that. Apparently he bought too much. After the kid left I asked the budtender if that happens often, he said people try to do that all the time.

Another visit on consecutive nights I saw someone get a little too sauced and throw up all over the place, and pass out at their tables. I think people fail to realize the amount of shit coffeeshops have to deal with constantly.

Sometimes i run a "round robin" type thing were I go to the first CS buy a few grams, roll and smoke, then move on to the next CS buy a few more grams but maybe I really like the weed from the previous shop so I smoke that again and pocket the weed I just bought. Then move to the next CS and smoke from the previous shop but buy a few grams more form the current shop.....yeah I smoke alot in the 'Dam.

I'll stop now. I am kinda high right now.

I was in Abraxas once, got some weed and a coffee both were below average so the next time I went in (the following day as I'd arranged to met someone there) I sat for close to 2 hours smoking whatever weed I had with me and didn't bother ordering a drink, we were the only people in there the majority of the time so the bud tender kept coming up to me asking if I wanted anything be it a drink, smokeables and such and I kept saying I was fine, you could see he wanted to tell me to fuck off but for whatever reason he didn't say a single word, that is the first and only time I've spent considerable time in a coffeeshop and not bought anything.

spidergawd wrote: I wish I was as eloquent as you Ron, thats just how I see it. And I've never been bad vibed in any C/S I ever been in and I've been going to Amsterdam since prehistoric times. All about ALTITUDE really.

I hope that was a compliment... If not, ...

StonerDan put it quite nicely. So he didn't buy any gear, big deal, but he did buy something even though he didn't have to, and he asked.
I've been to a couple of shops (my regular spots) and chilled for a while, smoking gear bought from another place, but did buy something to drink. That's me, I'll always buy something. This is a place of business and not my personal club house. Oh snap, did I just hit on something...?

A difference between being an adult and an adolescent is knowing that in life, it isn't about what one HAS to do, it's about what one SHOULD do (quite often one in the same). The bitch is getting to know the difference...

It is all about attitude...
Happy times...