Scandinavian Embassy Bakery & Shop: Specialty Coffee in Rivierenbuurt, Amsterdam

Scandinavian Embassy Bakery & Shop

The original Sarphatipark location put Scandinavian Embassy on the map, Sprudge named it Best New Cafe in 2015, and this second outpost, opened in 2022, carries that reputation into a quieter residential pocket of the city. The focus here has shifted slightly: more bakery, more production, the smell of cardamom in the air before you've even decided what to order.

The coffee programme rotates across a tight selection of Scandinavian roasters, The Coffee Collective, Koppi, Drop Coffee, which means the cup in front of you is almost certainly sourced with more rigour than most of Amsterdam will offer you that morning. The Modbar AV system sits under the counter, keeping the bar clean and the workflow uncluttered. The EK43 does what EK43s do. Espresso and filter, no theatrics, just dialled-in extraction from beans that tend toward the brighter end of the spectrum: Ethiopian naturals, Kenyan washed lots, Bolivian and Colombian offerings that reward attention.

If you're here for the flat white, you'll leave satisfied. If you're here for the filter, ask what's on, the rotating single origins are the point. Geisha appears on the menu occasionally, which tells you something about how seriously co-owners Nicolas Castagno and Rikard Andersson take the sourcing side of things.

The cardamom buns are the other reason to come. Chewy, fragrant, freshly baked, the kind that make the cinnamon version feel like a consolation prize, though that one holds its own. There's a small seating area where you can watch the bakers work, which is either a feature or a temptation depending on your willpower. The model is largely takeaway-oriented, and the space reflects that: efficient, calm, not designed for a three-hour laptop session.

For Rivierenbuurt locals, this is a serious daily option. For visitors making their way to or from the RAI, it's worth the detour. The neighbourhood doesn't have a deep specialty coffee bench, and Scandinavian Embassy raises the standard without making a fuss about it.