Café Pierre

Café Pierre is the museum café of Museum Arnhem, located at Utrechtseweg 87 in Arnhem. The café is situated in the museum’s renovated dome. It opened on May 13, 2022, coinciding with the reopening of the renewed museum. Visitors can enter the café during opening hours without purchasing a museum ticket.

Museum Arnhem developed the hospitality venue as part of the renovation. No individual founders have been publicly named. The 2022 annual report states that Café Museum Arnhem B.V. organized the hospitality activities. This places the café organizationally under the broader museum operations.

The name refers to Pierre Janssen, who lived from 1926 to 2007 and served as director of Museum Arnhem. According to the menu text, the café is a tribute to his vision of art. Janssen encouraged visitors to discuss art together, rather than solely listening to expert explanations.

This idea is reflected in the café’s function as a meeting place. Museum Arnhem positions the space as a connection between the museum building, the terrace, and the sculpture garden. Studio Modijefsky designed the café and other public areas of the museum. The design project was completed in May 2022.

The public menu from May 2024 lists freshly ground Sento coffee beans from Beukenhorst. The menu does not mention any other coffee roaster. Additionally, the available information contains no details regarding the countries of origin, coffee farms, or individual producers of the beans used.

The coffee offering consists primarily of espresso-based drinks. The menu features café crème, espresso, double espresso, cappuccino, cortado, latte macchiato, Dutch coffee (koffie verkeerd), and flat white. Chai latte is also available, although it is not a coffee preparation. Oat milk is listed as an alternative to milk in coffee drinks.

Manual filter methods are not mentioned on the examined menu. Consequently, there is no public confirmation of pour-over, batch brew, AeroPress, Chemex, or French press. Based on this information, the available offering can be described as espresso-oriented. Technical details regarding recipes, grind size, or the espresso machines used have not been published.

At its opening, the café announced its intention to use organic and sustainably produced items wherever possible. Regional suppliers also played a role in this. The 2024 menu reiterates that Café Pierre collaborates with regional suppliers as much as possible and uses artisanal products.

In addition to Beukenhorst, the menu features loose-leaf teas from Senza Tea Co. and fruit juices from Schulp. It also lists Brouwerij de Snor from Arnhem and Gulpener. Several items carry an individual organic label, including Gulpener Ur Pilsener, semi-skimmed milk, and various juices. This does not mean that the entire range is organic.

In 2023, Stichting Recap supplied serving boards made from repurposed tables and cabinets. This Arnhem-based organization describes itself as working socially and circularly where possible. No further information has been made public regarding certification, payments to coffee producers, or the traceability of the coffee.

Café Pierre serves as a central meeting space within the museum. The café, the museum shop, and the sculpture garden are freely accessible during opening hours. In 2022, the museum and the café jointly organized opening events and other gatherings.

The Salon Museum Arnhem program also included events held in the café. For instance, an announced conversation was followed there by drinks and music from jazz duo Sara Bax and Marius Holland. The museum also organized workshops, lectures, performances, a summer festival, and a coffee concert in the sculpture garden.

Available sources attribute these activities to Museum Arnhem rather than to an independent program by Café Pierre. Public coffee workshops, brewing training, or tastings are not documented. Consequently, the café’s role is primarily focused on hospitality and social interaction within the museum’s cultural environment.

Various trade media outlets covered the opening, interior, and renovation in 2022. The focus was mainly on the design by Studio Modijefsky, the materials used, and the relationship with the museum building. In 2025, Café Pierre also appeared in an overview of coffee shops in Arnhem.

No separate industry award for Café Pierre has been found. Therefore, any honors received by Museum Arnhem as a whole cannot automatically be attributed to the café. Based on documented data, Café Pierre is primarily a museum café with a standard range of espresso drinks and a public social function.