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Our favourite Glowcations, Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of our favourite cities. It’s packed with canals, art galleries, flower markets and museums. However, what attracts us most is the cool vibe and the huge choice of plant-based food. The selection of vegetarian and vegan cafés can be quite daunting. Luckily, two of our Glowstars, Fabienne Dobbe and Fleur Maat are local and Dutch, so we can really narrow down your hit list. Here’s our top three must visit vegan and vegetarian cafés in Amsterdam.

Lavinia Good Food, Centrum

Lavinia Good Food is a hidden gem in the historic centre of Amsterdam. Sat on the pretty Kerkstraat, between two canals, it is charming, laid back and serves a mean gluten-free pizza. The food is mostly vegetarian and vegan, but they also have some salmon dishes if you eat fish.

Lavinia has an all day brunch and lunch menu with lattes, juices, cocktails, beers and organic wines.

We suggest  ordering The Lavinia bowl with whole grain cous cous, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, pickled red cabbage and home made hummus. Model Fabienne thinks the vegan vanilla pie is “a must! ”

To read more about Lavinia Good Food click here.

Juice Brothers, several locations

Our favourite spot for a vitamin packed juice is Juice Brothers. Founded in 2015 by four friends on a canal holiday, it’s now a huge success and has  several branches in Amsterdam, plus two in New York. We love their Haarlemmerbuurt branch with its view of the iconic ”Willemsbrug”. The café and grab and go is modern and minimal. You order at the bar and the eating area is upstairs.

Juice Brothers have a mega choice when it comes to drinks: ten juices, three tonics, three mylks, six shots and ten smoothies! We suggest the Unicorn’s Blood – a fresh and spicy mix of watermelon, pineapple, ginger and lemon.

And there’s the smoothie bowls… all the smoothie and açai bowls are made with made with non dairy organic products. We love their signature bowl the Almond açai.

Finally, they sell Van Leeuwen the vegan ice-cream brand. Fabienne and Fleur suggest grabbing one to go. Plant-based heaven.

To read more about Juice Brothers click here. 

The Meets, De Pijp

The Meets is in the Pijp, one of Amsterdam’s coolest neighbourhoods, packed with cafés and home to  the Albert Cuypmarkt street market.
This brick walled café focuses on locally sourced produce, using organic ingredients as much as possible and staying away from refined sugars . The menu is international.  It includes açai bowls and kimchi toast for breakfast, fresh spring rolls, beetroot balls for lunch (a healthier vegan alternative for the famous Dutch ‘bitterbal’ which is a deep fried ball of minced meat)  and Sicilian eggplant stew or Pad Thai for dinner.

On the drinks front, student Fleur loves their fresh coconuts with lime juice,

“I have tasted many fresh coconuts in my life (in Vietnam, Malaysia and Bali), but I must say this was one of the best coconuts I ever had!”.

Also, don’t miss their blue smoothie. The ‘Samui Blue’ consists of banana, mango, coconut water, whey protein, spirulina and bee pollen.

To find out more about The Meets click here.

 

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Beter & Leuk, Amsterdam

 

Beter & Leuk translates as ‘better and fun’. It’s known for its organic, local, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan menu throughout Amsterdam. Their delicious menu is 100% vegetarian and their USP is their vegan pastries.  You can eat in, but Beter & Leuk also has a flourishing take-away counter and an on site shop selling sustainable lifestyle items, clothing, jewelry and more. We love it.

The setting

Beter & Leuk is in a lively area in Eastern Amsterdam, near the river Amstel. This cute homestyle café is on an urban street, with a calm and relaxed feel to it. This area of town is less touristy than others. It’s quieter and more residential, but filled with cafés and shops.

The space

Beter & Leuk feels like a living room. It’s compact and cosy. With the little shop-area in the back of the café, it also has the feeling of a concept store. You can buy cookery books, jewellery, beauty products and more. Most products come from local suppliers and everything is sustainable. The emphasis on sustainability continues not only in the menu and shop, but also in the decor of the café. It’s a stylish mix of non-matching, vintage and upcycled furniture. The walls are hung with changing artworks (also for sale) showcasing new Dutch artists. In the Summer, there are a few outside-seats, but no large terrace. Inside, are small tables and a large sharing table plus window bar seating. Beter & Leuk has table service.

The crowd

Beter & Leuk is run by Ilse and Maja, two ladies that are are passionate about spreading the healthy lifestyle message.

The mostly female crowd is a fun mix of young girls and trendy mums as well as older ladies- proving that healthy eating is for any age.

 

The fresh juice test

We began  our brunch review with some freshly prepared juices- an apple, carrot and ginger juice for my sister and an apple, celery and lemon one for me. Their juices are not too sweet and pretty generous in size.

What we ate

The food menu at Beter & Leuk includes sweet items such as berry smoothie bowls and banana-buckwheat pancakes. And you can find savoury items including a selection of salads (a seasonal one and a bibimbap), soup and sandwiches.

We ordered the baked tempeh sandwich with wasabi mayonnaise, cucumber, pickles and a small, fresh side salad.

I also ordered the spinach-buckwheat pancake with pea hummus and grilled vegetables. It came with a small quinoa side salad and the portion size was really good.

 

You can’t resist the sweet items on the menu. You can choose from  scones made of oats served with coconut yogurt and berries, chocolate brownies made from sweet potato and sweetened with date syrup and much more. In the end, we decided to end our brunch with the berry banana bread (sweetened with rice syrup) served with date creme and the vegan carrot cake with coconut frosting.

The carrot cake  was especially good!

We also had an almond matcha latte and a spiced iced almond turmeric latte on the side, a perfect end to a good brunch.

What else?

Beter & Leuk is active in hosting workshops on healthy eating and living. On some days you can even take a yoga class followed up by a healthy breakfast.

The bill

Juices 2x  €4.95
Matcha latte  €3.95
Turmeric latte  €3.75
Tempeh sandwich  €8.95
Masala Dosa  €10.50
Banana bread  €3.95
Carrot cake  €4.50

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Lavinia Good Food, Amsterdam

Lavinia Good Food is a hidden gem in the historic centre of Amsterdam. Sat on the pretty Kerkstraat, between two canals, it is charming, laid back and serves a mean gluten-free pizza. If you’re visiting Amsterdam or a local who loves healthy food, then it’s a must visit.

The setting

Lavinia Goodfood is based on the Kerkstraat. It’s close to the flower market and near other healthy hotspots like Delicious Deshima, Stach and SLA. Take tram 2, 11 or 12 to the Prinsengracht of Keizersgracht and from there it’s a five minute walk. There are also plenty of art galleries and vintage shops in the area.

The space

The space is charming and cosy. Outside there’s kitsch yellow furniture in front of the windows,  so you can sit outside and relax in the sun. Inside is brick walled with wooden furniture and lots of wood tables – mostly for two,  but they also have a huge sharing table.

The decor is very kitsch- cute plates and miss matched items stylishly combined.

Around lunch time it can get very packed. There’s great wifi and you can definitely take your laptop out and work, but not at lunch or brunch times since it is too busy. There’s another branch in Amstelveenseweg in Oud Zuid.

The crowd

What’s funny is the waiters are English – they’re not Dutch! Lavinia is really popular with a younger crowd, especially students.

What else?

You can eat in or take away and Lavinia also sells items like juicers, superfoods and even some gardening supplies.

The fresh juice test

Lavinia has a choice of fresh juices and lemonades. We had the green juice.  It was a mix of spinach, celery and apple. The juice wasn’t too sweet, despite the apple, and it contained lots of veg.

What we ate

Lavinia Goodfood serves a bit of everything. The menu is mostly vegetarian and vegan, but they also have some dishes with salmon. Lavinia has an all day brunch and lunch menu with lattes,  juices, cocktails, beers and organic wines. They also have some gluten-free options.

For my review, I had the Açaï bowl, Lavinia’s vegan bowl and a vanilla pie to finish off lunch. The portions were satisfyingly large and colourful. The acaï bowl came with cheese which we switched for coconut yoghurt. It didn’t really taste like acaï, more like a smoothie bowl, but this wasn’t a bad thing.

The bowl came with a very delicious and crispy granola which was gluten-free with coconut chips, fresh fruits and a drizzle of agave on top.

The Lavinia bowl was our savoury choice. It was whole grain cous cous, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, pickled red cabbage, home made hummus and we also added some vegan “bacon” made out of mushrooms. All the ingredients were perfectly balanced. There was something creamy, something warm, something crunchy and something refreshing due to the pickled cabbage.

The vanilla pie was a must! They had a choice of vegan, gluten free pastries, but also traditional choices like dutch apple pie.

The vegan vanilla pie was a two layered cake with jam in the middle and and white icing on top. Topped off with some roasted almonds, blueberries and an extra drizzle of maple syrup. The cake was not dry at all, it had so much flavour and a really spongy texture.

The little things that make the difference

You can rent out Lavinia Good Food on the Kerkstraat for events.

The bill

Açai bowl  €9,50
+ coconut yoghurt  €2
Lavinia’s bowl  €11,50
+veggie bacon  €2,50
Green juice  €6,50
Vanilla cake  €4,50

 

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The Cold Pressed Juicery, Amsterdam

‘What was missing for us?  A “McHealthy””, says Nathalie Alica Streng, founder of The Cold Pressed Juicery. So, she decided to fill the gap and developed the first cold pressed juicery and raw food grab n’ go bar in The Netherlands.

The Cold Pressed Juicery now has four branches in Amsterdam all famous for their organic, raw  juices, delicious smoothies and their superfood lattes. And we also love those tiled green walls!

The location

We went to the original location on the Willemsparkweg, which is right next to the Museumplein and Vondelpark. The closest tram stop is “van Baerlestraat”-just take the 2, 3,5 or 12 . The café is located near the the expensive shopping street, PC Hoofdstraat – where you can find shops like Armani, Gucci and Dior.

The space

The café has huge windows. In front of the restaurant, there are two benches under the windows to sit out on if it’s warm.

Since it’s on the corner of a side street, there’s more of a neighbourhood feel.

Inside, there are a few pillows on the wide window ledge. Or one level up, there’s a little bar area with a few designer wooden chairs, which are -to be honest- not the most comfortable chairs. All the walls are covered with beautiful, vivid green tiles where they display menu options.
It’s mostly a grab and go type of café and you can also order online at Uber eats. We arrived at around 1pm, and a lot of people were popping in for a quick  juice, but there weren’t  long queues.

The crowd

Expect yoga pants, or workout clothes with a mix of tourists.

The fresh juice test

Where to start? There’s 13 juices and 7 superfood smoothies.

Glowcation fans should go for The Glow (pineapple, strawberry, beetroot and ginger).

But it’s hard to ignore The MOAJ or The Mother Of All Juices ( a mega mix of spinach, kale, fennel, cucumber, green bell pepper, aloe vera, nettle, romaine, parsley, watercress, lime and jalapeño).

Since it was a cold day,  I went for one of their special lattes. I chose the Blue Majik and Ginger latte which you can have either hot or cold. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and had a herbal flavour. It tasted pretty special and boasts great benefits for energy and health, as it contains a lot of minerals and vitamins.

What we ate

The Cold Pressed Juicery makes 99% organic, pure and local food, without chemicals, added sugar, preservatives, pasteurisation, HPP, animal products, gluten and dairy. It is primarily juice bar, but they do have a lot of different menu options like wraps, smoothie bowls, salad jars and raw snacks.  All the portions are medium sized, so you may need a snack or a starter as well. Wraps are freshly made in the kitchen, but most dishes are pre-made in the fridge.

We chose the dragon bowl, a raw wholesome pesto wrap and a banoffee parfait.

The dragon bowl was a really beautiful pink smoothie bowl made of pitaya, raspberries, mango, pineapple, fresh coconut, almond milk, lucuma and raw cacao.

It had a lovely tropical flavour mixture. As toppings, we had raw sprouted buckwheat granola, chia seeds, raspberries, grated coconut and  passionfruit. The granola was super crunchy, definitely a must try!

The Pesto wrap was very thin and super crunchy and was filled with spinach, carrots, courgette, alfalfa and home made pesto (made of basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, almonds, maple syrup, Himalayan salt, nutritional yeast, Tamarini and black pepper). The wrap was very well filled and contained a lot of pesto. My only comment would be that the pesto was mostly on one side which made the other side a bit dry.

For dessert, we chose the Banoffee parfait which was a triple layered pot. The bottom layer was like cookie dough made of almonds, maple syrup, cacao, cinnamon, dates and vanilla. The second layer was a little darker, made of banana, cashew and cinnamon and the last layer was made of banana, coconut and cashews.

It was all topped off with a little almond and some cinnamon The flavours all matched each other perfectly. It was heavenly!

The little things that make the difference

The green tiles are stunning and create a lovely, plant based, organic feel.

The bill

Raw wholesome pesto wrap  10.50EU
Dragon bowl  9.90EU
Banoffee parfait 5.50EU
Hot blue latte  4.75EU
Juices  4.75-5.25EU

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JuiceBrothers, Amsterdam

JuiceBrothers was founded in 2015 by four friends on a canal holiday who saw a gap in healthy, cold-pressed juice market in the Netherlands. Three years on, it’s a huge success and JuiceBrothers have several branches in Amsterdam, plus two in New York. And their vitamin packed juices are amazing!

And it’s not all about juice, head there for their signature açai with almond butter and of course the delicious Van Leeuwen vegan ice-cream! I went along with fellow Glowstar Fleur Maat.

The location

JuiceBrothers has multiple locations across Amsterdam. We went to the branch they share with Van Leeuwen on the Haarlemmerplein. It’s about a 15 minute walk from Amsterdam Central station. Or you can take a train or bus to Haarlemmerplein Station. It has a good view of the ”Willemsbrug”.

The space

The café is white and modern. Large, floor to ceiling windows display “JuiceBrothers”. Inside, the minimal and clean theme continues. You order at the bar and the eating area is upstairs. There are about 10-15 tables with wooden chairs and a leather couch area with green pillows. The tables are decorated with tiny plants.

You can take away, order online through deliveroo, uber eats and foodora or just eat in.

There’s WiFi, in this branch, so you can totally camp out and work on your laptop.

The crowd

Most of the people who come are younger city types who have a healthy lifestyle.

The fresh juice test…

JuiceBrothers are winners here with a mega choice of ten juices, including five green; three tonics including targeted juices like their Master Cleanse; three mylks; six shots; and ten smoothies.  Our favourite is the Unicorn’s Blood a fresh and spicy mix of watermelon, pineapple, ginger and lemon. It’s also deliciously tropical.

What we ate

The whole menu is vegan. All the smoothie bowls and açai bowls are made with non dairy organic products and so are the juices. Their signature menu option is the Almond açai bowl, which we had to try of course!

The bowl is a blend of açai and almond butter topped off with their own homemade granola, blueberries, strawberries, banana, cacao nibs, goji berries and Terra Sana organic almond butter. The granola is made of buckwheat, nuts, seeds,  maple syrup, coconut and spices.

It was literally one of the most delicious and crunchy granolas I’ve ever had.

Plus, the açai had a very deep, rich flavour, because of the almond butter in it.

The other smoothie bowl we chose was the Matcha made of matcha, banana, almond milk, vegan protein powder and various spices, topped with granola and a banana. This smoothie bowl had far less toppings than the Almond bowl. It was mostly granola, which was a shame and, disappointingly, the flavour didn’t taste like matcha.

Last, but not least, we had three Van Leeuwen ice-cream scoops. We picked the most famous one – Peanut Butter Chocolate chip. The peanut butter flavour was so rich, it tasted like a frozen spoon of actual peanut butter.

The fact that it was mixed with the chocolate chips added an extra flavour twist and bite.

Our other two flavours were turmeric and blue spirulina. They were both a bit crazy looking due to the colours, but they were very delicious. If you love turmeric, I would really recommend trying this one out, it has a really creamy turmeric flavour. Plus, the blue spirulina contained some soft cookies, which we adored.

The little things that make the difference

You can see how they make all the bowls behind the counter, nothing is a secret and they really want you to see that everything is freshly produced!

What we’d go back for…

The ice cream and granola!

The bill

Juice  8EU
Matcha bowl  9EU
Açai bowl almond  9.50EU
3 x scoops Van Leeuwen  5EU

 

 

 

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Rainbowls, Amsterdam

Rainbowls describes itself as “plant-based, all natural and highly addictive”. We agree!

As the new kid on the block in Amsterdam, their colourful smoothie bowls transport you directly to Bali.

It was created by 25-year-old Mirre van Klaveren, after she was inspired by her travels through Indonesia, and especially Bali.

There she was amazed by the wide array of exciting healthy food and innovative places to eat.

The location

Rainbowls is located in the Pijp, one of the most famous and trendiest neighbourhoods of the city. There are several bus and tram stops close by. It’s only a small walk away from many other culinary hotspots, cool shops and the famous Albert Cuyp market.

The crowd

The crowd was very mixed- young Insta girls, a young family, two guys hanging on the bench out front.

Essentially, this place is for anyone who enjoys a good smoothie bowl.

The space

You enter through an inviting bright pink painted door and there’s a couple of wooden benches with pillows outside. Once inside, you have the choice of eating in or grab and go. You order at the bar and the bowls are delivered to your table. One of the side walls is made of timber, adding a tropical vibe. Here, several items for sale are on display – cookery books, coconut shell bowls and beautiful wooden cutting boards. The bar at the back of the space is dressed with clean white tiles. Sitting is not super comfortable, as, apart from a set of exotic looking woven lounge chairs, most of the seating consists of  long window benches and woven stools. Right now, seating is still limited, but Rainbowls is new and still evolving. There’s currently no WiFi, but this may change.  Nevertheless, the café has a really relaxed ambience and low noise, so having a conversation with my fellow eater was no problem!

The fresh juice test

We had a green juice made with spinach, cucumber, celery, Granny Smith apples, ginger and lemon. However, their signature drink is the iced rainbow latte. We thought it was a work of art! It was a layer of red cold pressed beetroot, followed by a yellow layer of ginger and turmeric, ending with a layer of green matcha. It has three different types of plant-based mylk. We think it is the happiest drink you will ever drink . It was very refreshing too on a (non-typical Dutch) warm, Summer day.

The little things that make a difference

Sustainability is a very important component of the DNA of Rainbowls. The smoothie bowls are served in coconut shells, you eat with sustainably produced wooden spoons and the bill is emailed to you, rather than being printed.

What we ate

Rainbowls is all about smoothie bowls.

With a choice of a pink, violet, orange, yellow, green and blue bowl, the whole rainbow is covered!

There are also three different types of açai bowls, plus chia and porridge bowls as well as vegan sweets like banana bread and carrot cake.

We chose the Orange Bowl, the Violet Bowl and the Yellow one – which we were told is the most popular and it was also our favourite! It contained banana, coconut, passion fruit, turmeric, ginger and pineapple and had the perfect sweet-sour balance. The Violet bowl with raspberry and blueberry was also really nice, it tasted like a ‘regular’ berry bowl, but we liked the addition of cauliflower. We were less enthusiastic about the Orange bowl with carrot, orange, ginger and mango.

For dessert we had a raw chocolate pie and something very special- a vegan ‘roze koek’ (‘pink cookie’), which is a famous, typically Dutch cookie, from  Donny Craves who specialises in vegan cookies and sweets. The pink layer is made using beetroot and in total the cookie is has 21 grams of veg-  not bad! Since the cookie was very sweet, tasting it together with the raw chocolate pie, which had a very pure and slightly sweet taste, was not a very good idea. Nevertheless, we enjoyed both very much!

What we’d go back for…

Next time I am definitely trying the Blue bowl!

 

The bill

Rainbowl € 9.50
Rainbow latte € 4.50
Juice  € 4.95
Vegan brownies € 3.50
Raw choco pie € 4.50

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The Meets, Amsterdam

‘We like to follow the 80/20 rule- 80% plant-based, 20% animal produce! Although the main rule is 100% lekker!’ Or ‘tasty’ explains The Meet’s website.

The Meets is a place for healthy food lovers. It focuses on locally sourced produce, using organic ingredients as much as possible and stays away from refined sugars. The menu is pretty international.  It includes açai bowls, kimchi toast for breakfast, fresh spring rolls, beetroot balls for lunch (a healthier vegan alternative for the famous Dutch ‘bitterbal’ which is a deep fried ball of minced meat)  and Sicilian eggplant stew or Pad Thai for dinner.

The space

The Meets is located on the corner of a lively street in the Pijp, one of Amsterdam’s coolest neighbourhoods.

The interior is clean and bright with brick walls, wooden tables and floors and single fresh flowers spread around in vases which add a pop of colour. There is limited seating available outside. Inside the space appears narrow at first sight, but it stretches down to the back.

The little things that make a difference

The Meets uses paper straws which is something I support.

The fresh juice test

The drinks menu features many different teas and lemonades, but not many fresh juices. We chose a blue smoothie! The ‘Samui Blue’ consists of banana, mango, coconut water, whey protein, spirulina (hence the colour) and bee pollen. It was not only a refreshing and lovely sweet drink, but also the fact that it was blue made us feel instantly happier and healthier!

What we ate

We ordered a fresh young coconut to start with, paired with some lime juice. I have tasted many fresh coconuts in my life (some of them being in  coconut famous countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Bali), but I must say this was one of the best coconuts I ever had!

We also ordered the avocado sourdough toast with poached eggs, spinach and roasted tomato. The bread wasn’t toasted (which led to it being slightly soggy) and the poached eggs weren’t poached quite like we like them to be, but the addition of spinach, and especially the flavourful oven roasted tomatoes, was a winner!

Next, a Mexican veggie burger (made of sweet potato, black beans and quinoa) which came with a vegan mayo that tasted exactly like French mayonnaise.

We had the option of having the burger served in a salad leaf which we went for, making it a rather light dish.

We also ordered the açai bowl. Paired with the house-made granola served on top of the bowl, it was delicious!

Finally, we couldn’t resist the house-made vegan treats! We decided to have them for take-away since we were told that they were amazing. We ordered the banana bread, served with almond butter, and a heavenly (though rather heavy) raw dark chocolate pie with caramel peanut sauce.

What we’d go back for…

What I really liked about the Meets was the amount of choice you have as a customer.

The menu is nearly fully vegan, but you can always opt for add-ons such as bacon or different types of cheeses (burrata, halloumi) as well as vegan cheese.

This means that The Meets attracts a very broad audience, as it has something on the menu for everyone!

Also, for dishes such as the wraps and the burgers (normally served in a tapioca wrap or a sourdough bun), you have the choice to have it served in a gluten free tortilla or even a salad leaf, which we included with the burger.

The bill

Fresh young coconut   5.00 €
Samui blue smoothie   5.00 €
Açai smoothie bowl  9.00 €
Avocado toast  10.00 €
Mexican veggie burger  13.00 €

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Amsterdam Coffee and Coconuts

Coffee and Coconuts, CT to locals,  asks customers a simple question: “Do you wish to take off your shoes, let your hair down and dance in the warm sand?”

The minute you step inside the café’s cool interior, it’s easy to live the mission statement and appreciate why CT has been a cult favourite since opening in 2014.

Owner Bas Beijer felt he had seen it all in hospitality and dreamed of opening a unique place of his own. So he created the innovative Coffee & Coconuts,  serving up healthy food and a dose of beach style relaxation daily.

CT uses high quality products and delivers mellow, surfer charm by the bucketload. Open daily from 8:00 until 23:00 you can pop in any time a day for breakfast, lunch, bites or dinner, a coffee, a juice, a beer or a fresh coconut. CT has it all!

Setting

Entering the spacious three storey café, you immediately forget the busy streets of Amsterdam. Comfy, sand coloured sofas invite you to sit down and unwind whilst sipping on a fresh coconut. Coffee & Coconuts is located in a beautiful art deco former cinema in the Pijp, one of Amsterdam’s most vibrant and famous neighbourhoods.

The building itself is a landmark with beautiful stained glass windows. Inside, the large interior is flooded with light and features whitewashed wood, stripped back brick and industrial lights.

The furniture  is clean and simple. It works beautifully with the wooden floors and sand coloured sofas. Outside seating is limited to only two tables, but it’s not a problem as there is plenty of space inside.

 

 

The little things

What is amazing about Coffee & Coconuts is that it suits all types. The crowd is a good mix of friends going for brunches, couples chilling on the lounges and flex workers with their laptops.

CT is particularly good for flex workers, as there are several lounges and even bean bags to sink into. Plus, the smaller tables are perfect for people who want to focus on work without being distracted by other customers.

CT is ecologically friendly and uses paper straws, rather than plastic ones, and provides take-away bags.

What else?

The staff were friendly and very efficient in what is quite a big restaurant. We asked for a window table and were invited to wait at the bar with a drink until one came available. The dinner menu also looks very appealing!

The green juice test

CT doesn’t do a green juice, you can get plain OJ and an apple, carrot, lime and ginger combo. It is famous for its signature smoothies, so we tried two recommended by the staff. First, the Gorilla Loco with coconut water, oat milk, ‘jungle’ (raw) chocolate, berries, banana and almond. It was not too sweet due to the bitterness of the chocolate and it had a beautiful pure taste.

For every Gorilla Loco Smoothie bought, a euro is donated to the benefit of the Virunga gorillas in Congo.

Our favourite, however, was the Magic Mango Lassi with yogurt, mint, honey, orange blossom and masala which managed to be very sweet and still refreshing.

What we ate

We ordered CT’s classic almond and buckwheat flour pancakes. They have been on the menu from the beginning and come with whipped coconut cream, toasted shredded coconut, blueberries and a generous serving of maple syrup. The (100% gluten free) pancakes were fluffy and pillowy. Combined, the whipped coconut cream and maple syrup was a little too sweet, but the blueberries added a touch of acid flavour to counter this.

The second dish was toasted sourdough with oven-roasted tomatoes, almond pesto, Dutch burrata cheese, extra virgin olive oil and smoked almonds.

Finally, we also decided to share the CT avocado toast- sourdough with miso paste, scrambled egg, flavourful taggia olives and feta cheese. Our eyes were indeed bigger than our stomachs, so luckily we could take the rest of the the toast (which was huge!) for takeaway.

The bill

Mango Lassi  €4.90
Gorilla Loco  €5,80
Avocado Toast  €8,90
Coconut Pancake  €7,50
Burrata Toast  €8,50

What made us glow?

The absolute glow-factor of Coffee and Coconuts is the relaxed atmosphere.

It is a very chilled spot whether you are looking for a flex work spot on your own or want to have brunch with a large group of friends.

 

Coffee and Coconuts
Coffee and Coconuts