An article about Luuk’s Coffee Vijzelgracht in Amsterdam, including details on history, coffee, collaborations, sustainability, and media mentions.
About Luuk’s Coffee Vijzelgracht
Luuk’s Coffee Vijzelgracht in Amsterdam
History and Concept
Luuk’s Coffee is an Amsterdam-based coffee shop founded in 2021, according to its own website. The company operates two cafés in the city and has since begun roasting its own coffee. The Vijzelgracht location is situated at Vijzelgracht 49, 1017 HP Amsterdam, right in the heart of the city.
The company was founded by Luuk Nijsen. Public profile information indicates that he graduated from Hotelschool The Hague in 2016. Following graduation, he spent several years in the corporate world. A Dutch-language profile also mentions experience in the fashion industry before he opened his own coffee bar in 2021.
According to their own description, Luuk’s Coffee aims to occupy a middle ground within the coffee sector. The concept focuses on specialty coffee that remains accessible to a broad audience. The emphasis is on a café that functions first and foremost as a community-oriented establishment, with a strong focus on consistency and daily preparation.
An exact public opening date for the Vijzelgracht location was not established in the researched material. However, public records show that this location was announced to the public no later than November 16, 2022. Later, the shop was described as a new location on the Vijzelgracht.
Coffee and Brewing
Current business information shows that Luuk’s Coffee roasts its own coffee and sells it under its own label. The assortment includes a House Blend, Filter Coffee, Decaf, and seasonal coffees. This suggests that the roasting operation has now become a permanent part of the business model.
The researched material also points to an earlier phase in the company’s development. A Dutch-language profile from 2022 reported that Luuk’s Coffee was serving coffee roasted by Olaf from Spot On Coffee Roasters. This indicates a previous external roasting partnership prior to their current in-house approach.
For the Vijzelgracht location, the company does not publish a full menu detailing brewing methods or bar preparations. However, various drinks appear in public descriptions, painting a picture of a shop with an emphasis on espresso-based drinks, complemented by a few cold and non-coffee options.
- espresso
- flat white
- cappuccino
- americano
- matcha latte, hot and cold
- iced latte
- cold brew
The name Decaf Club is publicly linked to the Vijzelgracht location. In a location overview from Decaf Club, Luuk’s Coffee Vijzelgracht is listed as an address where that brand’s decaf coffee is served. This indicates a concrete partnership within the decaf segment.
Community and collaborations
Public Instagram posts show that the shop has also made room for temporary collaborations. In December 2023, a pop-up took place with Milou Broersen Ceramics. Additionally, a sandwich takeover by Sabato Amsterdam was shared publicly. Such mentions show that the location occasionally functions as a stage for small-scale collaborations.
Other publicly mentioned collaborations include Barista Cacao and references to participation in relation to Maker Market. However, the researched material contains no public documentation of permanent workshops, cuppings, or recurring tasting events. No structural program for these types of activities was found in the consulted sources.
Sustainability and origin
On its own store pages, Luuk’s Coffee describes the coffees as small-batch and carefully sourced. It is also mentioned that coffees are first tested in their own cafés before being sold online. This speaks to the internal workflow, but not automatically to broader sustainability goals or measurable impact.
A separate and detailed sustainability policy for the bar at Vijzelgracht is not publicly documented in the researched material. Nor were concrete environmental goals or a detailed traceability framework found on the official pages viewed. Consequently, available information on sustainability remains limited and fragmented.
Some public origin information is visible in an Instagram post about coffee. It states that a coffee was sourced via Sucafina and Greenco. The same post mentions more than 1,700 smallholder farmers. Additionally, a reusable takeaway cup is visible in public communications, indicating a reuse-related product.
Media attention and positioning
During the period studied, Luuk’s Coffee received several mentions in editorial overviews and city guides. KoffieTcacao included the company in October 2024 in an overview of new specialty coffee shops in Amsterdam. Hotel Casa Amsterdam mentioned both Westerstraat 3 and Vijzelgracht 49 in January 2025 in an overview of specialty coffee addresses.
The name also appeared in thematic lists outside of coffee media. Your Little Black Book mentioned both Amsterdam addresses on June 13, 2024, in an overview regarding matcha latte. Such mentions demonstrate public visibility within urban guides and lifestyle media, but do not constitute a formal award or professional distinction.
No formal award for Luuk’s Coffee Vijzelgracht was identified in the researched material. However, the location appears in location guides and editorial selections. This creates the image of a relatively young Amsterdam specialty coffee shop that profiles itself with an accessible approach, its own branding, and a limited but visible network of collaborations.
