Basjoe

Basjoe at a glance

Basjoe is a small, long-running cannabis coffeeshop at Kloveniersburgwal 62, on the canal where the Rusland side street meets a bridge, about five minutes’ walk south of Nieuwmarkt. Public listings show it open daily from 10:00 to 01:00. It’s a relaxed, café-style room with booth seating and a lot of regulars, and it makes an easy stop if you’re exploring the quieter canal edge of the old centre rather than the busiest Red Light District lanes.

Detail	What to know
Address	Kloveniersburgwal 62, 1012 CX Amsterdam
Area	Centrum, on the Kloveniersburgwal canal south of Nieuwmarkt
Usual hours	Daily, 10:00 to 01:00 (check before you go, as listings don’t all agree)
Phone	+31 20 627 3858
Nearest metro	Nieuwmarkt (M51, M53, M54), one stop from Centraal Station
Entry	18+ only, with a valid passport or ID card
Purchase limit	5 grams per person per day
Alcohol	Not sold (Dutch coffeeshop rule)
Social	Facebook: basjoeshop

Hours and phone number come from public listings. Confirm directly with Basjoe before a late-night visit.

What to expect inside

Basjoe feels more like a neighbourhood café than a showpiece tourist coffeeshop. The room is compact, with warm wood, booths and artwork on the walls, and the music is usually loud enough to set the mood without drowning out conversation. Reviewers regularly mention friendly staff, a good soundtrack and proper coffee. One Dutch reviewer notes the espresso is Lavazza.

The menu covers both weed and hash, and pre-rolled joints are available. The selection is smaller than at the big-name chains, so if you want a specific strain, ask at the counter rather than assuming it’s in stock. Menus change often, and that goes for edibles too. Check what’s available on the day and ask how strong each product is before you buy.

Expect to buy something from the cannabis menu if you want to sit down. At least one visitor review says buying a drink or two wasn’t enough to keep a seat. That’s common in busy central coffeeshops, where there aren’t many seats and staff give them to paying customers.

Don’t confuse Basjoe with its old second branch. Coffeeshop Basjoe 2, formerly ‘t Gierenest, has closed permanently. The Kloveniersburgwal shop is the one to visit.

Coffeeshop rules to know before you go

Amsterdam coffeeshops are still open to tourists. Some Dutch border cities have a residents-only policy, but Amsterdam doesn’t. The rules are strict, though, and a few of them catch first-time visitors out.

• You must be 18 or older. Bring a passport or national ID card, because staff can ask for it at the door.
• You can buy up to 5 grams per person per day, and you shouldn’t carry more than 5 grams on you.
• You can’t smoke tobacco indoors. The Dutch indoor smoking ban has covered coffeeshops since 2008, and indoor smoking rooms have been banned since 2022. If you smoke inside, it has to be pure cannabis.
• Coffeeshops can’t sell alcohol, so plan on coffee, tea or soft drinks.
• You can’t smoke cannabis on the street in De Wallen (the Red Light District), Nieuwmarkt, Dam or Damrak. The fine is 100 euros. Basjoe is a short walk from both De Wallen and Nieuwmarkt, so don’t light up on the canal outside unless you’re sure you’re outside the zone.

Best time to visit Basjoe

For a calm visit and time to chat with staff, go on a weekday morning or at lunchtime. The crowd pattern on this page shows Wednesday and Thursday before noon as the quietest times. Tuesday mornings are also light.

Weekends are a different story. Saturday is by far the busiest day. The room is typically at its fullest from about 18:00 to 22:00, and it’s also busy through the early afternoon. Friday picks up from mid-afternoon and stays fairly busy until around 22:00. Thursday evenings get a little busy after 19:00. If you want a seat on a Saturday, arrive before noon.

The same logic applies to the calendar. Amsterdam is at its most crowded in summer and on big days such as King’s Day, so expect a full house then. In the shoulder months, roughly April to May and September to October, the city is easier to get around. On a wet day, a pot of coffee at Basjoe is a good way to wait out the rain.

How to get to Basjoe

Basjoe is on the west bank of the Kloveniersburgwal, at the corner with Rusland. It’s in the old centre, between Nieuwmarkt and the university buildings along the canal, and not near Rembrandtplein.

• By metro: take M51, M53 or M54 one stop from Centraal Station to Nieuwmarkt. From the square, walk south along the Kloveniersburgwal for about five minutes. Basjoe is on your right where Rusland meets the canal at a bridge.
• On foot from Centraal Station: allow about 15 to 20 minutes. Head through the Zeedijk to Nieuwmarkt, then follow the canal south.
• On foot from Dam Square: allow about 10 minutes. Walk east along Damstraat and Oude Hoogstraat until you reach the Kloveniersburgwal, then turn right.
• By bike or taxi: both work for the trip there. Don’t cycle after using cannabis, and remember that taxis crawl through the narrow centre at busy times.

Download an offline map before you set out. The rings of canals are easy to get turned around in, and using an offline map saves your phone battery. The shopfront is low-key, so look for the Basjoe name in the window.

Tips for a smoother visit

• Bring some cash in case card payments aren’t available on the day.
• If you’re new to cannabis, start small and wait before having more. Tell the staff what kind of effect you’re after, whether that’s relaxing or social, and ask about strength before you choose.
• Be patient with edibles. They can take up to two hours to kick in, so don’t decide it isn’t working and take more. That’s the most common way first-timers end up overwhelmed.
• Locals use Basjoe too. Keep your voice down, and ask before you take photos of other customers.

Nearby coffeeshops and cafés

If you want to make an afternoon of the area, start with our Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood guide. For a second coffeeshop close by, Greenhouse Effect on Oudezijds Voorburgwal is a few minutes’ walk away. For a drink after your visit, Café De Zeemeeuw on the Zeedijk is on the walking route back towards Centraal Station.

For a quieter canal-side setting elsewhere in the city, compare Coffeeshop Siberië on the Brouwersgracht and Coffeeshop La Tertulia in the Jordaan. If you’re short on time near the station, try De Kroon near the Damrak.

Frequently asked questions