Café Belcampo

Café Belcampo is located at Hannie Dankbaarpassage 10 in Amsterdam-West. The venue is situated within Tramremise De Hallen, inside OBA De Hallen. As such, the café functions as a reading café for the library branch housed in the former tram depot. The opening of the reading café Belcampo in De Hallen is documented as taking place on April 4, 2014.

The name refers to the Dutch writer Belcampo, who lived in Amsterdam Oud-West for a period. The café is accessible to library visitors as well as other guests. Newspapers and magazines from the library are available in the space. The described function is broad: studying, working, meeting, making appointments, and meeting others.

The founders’ names are not publicly recorded in the reviewed communications from the café. However, Gary Feingold is named as the owner and operator since 2014. He is also described in local news as the person running Café Belcampo in Bibliotheek De Hallen. This information places the café within a combination of hospitality, library function, and cultural programming.

The menu states that the coffee beans come from Moyee Coffee. The coffee is described there as transparent FairChain coffee. De Hallen Amsterdam also mentions that Café Belcampo serves Moyee Fair Chain coffee. This makes the coffee supplier publicly documented, while details regarding branding, blending, or equipment are not included in the available material.

The range of coffee drinks consists of standard espresso drinks and milk variants. The menu lists coffee, large coffee, cappuccino, large cappuccino, coffee with milk, large coffee with milk, latte macchiato, espresso, and double espresso. Additionally, flat white, espresso macchiato, cortado, iced coffee, and iced coffee with milk are on the menu.

In addition, the menu lists various drinks that do not have coffee as a base. These include iced matcha latte, iced chai latte, chai latte, matcha latte, and beetroot & cacao latte. According to the menu, all coffees are also available as decaf. A surcharge applies for oat, coconut, or almond milk. Syrups with hazelnut, caramel, or vanilla can also be added for an extra price.

In the investigated website and menu sources, no specific manual brewing methods are documented. No mention was found of pour-over, filter coffee, AeroPress, Chemex, V60, cold brew, or batch brew. As a result, the available material primarily allows for the deduction of which coffee drinks are offered, not how the coffee is technically prepared.

In addition to hospitality, Café Belcampo has a cultural function. The official description mentions literary and cultural activities, often in collaboration with the library. Examples include lectures and book presentations. The café is also open to initiatives from others, preferably with a literary, cultural, or social content. In this regard, a connection is primarily sought with the collection or activities of the library.

De Hallen Amsterdam mentions that literary, social, and cultural programs take place regularly on the mezzanine of Belcampo and in OBA De Hallen. These activities can take place during the day and in the evening. On the De Hallen page, Japanese watercolor workshops and music sessions for babies and toddlers are mentioned, among others.

A separate role is reserved for the Belcampo Loft. This 110-square-meter space is described as multifunctional. It is used for meetings, presentations, workshops, theater, dance rehearsals, and other activities. On the relevant page, several partners and instructors are mentioned, including Pilates West, Simone Heijloo, Aviv Bekerman Pilates, The Dance Movement, Modern Bruises, Tom Goldhand, and Guilty Pleasures Choir.

Local news also shows that the location is used for a wide range of programs. In 2024, a part of 24 uur West was documented at Café Belcampo, featuring OBA, dancers from Henny Jurriëns Studio, and music programs. In 2025, a dialogue evening took place, organized by Stichting KunstenDialoog with other partners and the Municipality of Amsterdam.

The sustainability information surrounding Café Belcampo focuses primarily on suppliers and products on the menu. Moyee Coffee describes its own FairChain model as an attempt to redistribute the coffee chain differently. The model aims for a balance between coffee-producing and coffee-consuming countries. Moyee also mentions a FairChain premium of 20 percent and a program focused on a livable income for farmers.

Moyee further states that roasting and packaging are being shifted to Ethiopia wherever possible. This ensures that more value-adding steps take place in the producing countries. No separate sustainability strategy was found for Café Belcampo in the sources reviewed. The menu does, however, feature line-caught tuna from Fish Tales in the house-made tuna salad.

Other brand names and suppliers mentioned on the menu include Tweede Jeugd, Clipper, Earth Water, SOOF, Kumasi, Agroposta, and Beemster. These names provide insight into some purchasing choices but do not offer a complete overview of all suppliers. They also do not provide a full picture of the café’s overall procurement policy.

Café Belcampo is linked to De Hallen, OBA De Hallen, and Amsterdam Oud-West in various public mentions. I amsterdam describes the venue as the literary café of the Amsterdam library in De Hallen. De Hallen Amsterdam lists the café as a hospitality venue and reading café within OBA De Hallen.

Local media have primarily focused on events, the reopening, and the role of Gary Feingold. De Westkrant published, among other things, about a reopening after the pandemic restrictions, the 24 uur West program, and a dialogue evening in 2025. Dansdocent.nu reported that Gary Feingold won the Special Prize of Dansersfonds ’79 in 2020. This recognition was for the entrepreneur and his contribution to the dance arts, not a prize for the café itself.