Heemelrijck Centrum

Heemelrijck Centrum is located at Singel 161 and 161A in Amsterdam. The venue is also known as Petit Heemelrijck. The business presents the location as a restaurant and bakery for coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This concept differs from a coffee bar that focuses exclusively on specialty coffee.

Nars Hemelrijk and Benjamin van Roekel opened Petit Heemelrijck together with the adjacent Bakkerij Heemelrijck. They were also involved with Restaurant Heemelrijck and La Nostra Gigi. According to reports, the two central locations opened on January 3, 2025. A precise opening date has not been publicly recorded.

The concept aligns with a family history that began in 1949. Nars Hemelrijk’s grandfather, also named Nars, started a sandwich shop in central Amsterdam at that time. His son Robbie opened a Dutch-French bistro in 1976. The third generation reopened the family restaurant on Van Woustraat on January 1, 2023.

Petit Heemelrijck operates as a venue for various times of the day. The menu features a shorter selection of traditional Dutch dishes from the original restaurant. These include, among others, pea soup, shredded meat, stamppot, and wentelteefjes. The owners described the interior as a “brown bar 2.0”, featuring woodwork, wainscoting, and Delftware.

The dining area offers approximately twenty to twenty-five seats, according to available information. The associated bakery has an entrance on Torensteeg. Additionally, a seasonal terrace has been set up for approximately seventy to eighty guests. The size of the terrace is thus larger than that of the indoor restaurant section.

Coffee is part of the offering, but public information contains few technical details. Posts on social media mention regular coffee, cappuccino, and latte. These posts often apply to the brand as a whole. As a result, it is not always possible to determine which images or offers specifically belong to the Centrum location.

Beukenhorst Koffie is mentioned in coffee-related materials from Heemelrijck. However, the current location page and menu do not list a roaster, blend, country of origin, or roast profile. Information regarding farms, certifications, and purchasing terms is also absent. Consequently, the coffee used cannot be substantively evaluated according to standard criteria within the specialty coffee sector.

The brewing method is also not publicly described. Available documents do not mention an espresso machine, batch brew, hand filter, AeroPress, cafetière, or cold brew. A recurring offer between 10:00 and 12:00 confirms that coffee is served, but provides no further information on beans, dosage, or extraction.

The current menu lists three versions of wentelteefjes. The first is served with cinnamon ice cream and cinnamon sugar. A second variant features stroopwafel ice cream and crumble. The third combination consists of vanilla ice cream and advocaat. The wentelteefjes from the bakery are made using Fries suikerbrood, although the restaurant menu does not name a separate bread supplier.

The menu describes the wentelteefje as “award-winning.” This designation is linked to a pastry chef’s prize that Nars’ grandfather is said to have won in the 1950s. Available public information does not specify which competition, organization, or exact date was involved. Coffee prizes or results from barista competitions are not documented.

A social media post describes a system where a customer can prepay coffee for the next guest. It is unclear whether this arrangement applies only in the center. Furthermore, Heemelrijck handles requests for groups of eight or more people, catering, and exclusive rentals. No fixed public program featuring tastings, workshops, or exhibitions is known.

No concrete goals or measurable programs for sustainability have been published. There is no public information regarding certification, reusable cups, waste reduction, sustainable energy, or CO₂ reporting. Additionally, no permanent neighborhood organizations or long-term partnerships are associated with this location. Kesbeke is mentioned as the producer of Amsterdam-style table pickles for several dishes featuring shredded meat.

Heemelrijck Centrum combines coffee with Dutch dishes, a bakery, and a historic family concept. The location thus offers coffee within a broader hospitality model. Due to the lack of data on origin, branding, and brewing methods, the connection to specialty coffee remains limited in support. The available information primarily points to a restaurant concept where coffee is just one part of the overall menu.