IJsland Smaakmakers

IJsland Smaakmakers is located in the Rivierenbuurt in Amsterdam-Zuid. Public sources place the shop at Maasstraat 63. On their own website and current menu, the address is listed as Maasstraat 63-43 in Amsterdam. In the municipality’s hospitality records, the business is listed as an alcohol-free ice cream parlor at Maasstraat 63. The official Instagram profile also links the business to the Maasstraat in the Rivierenbuurt.

The official website names Jason and Marieke as the founders. According to the text, the business started after years of experience in the hospitality industry. It further states that both attended hotel school and completed a teacher training program in consumer techniques at the HvA. Public LinkedIn profiles identify Jason van Leur and Marieke van Leur as the entrepreneurs behind the company, with those profiles pointing to a start date in 2014.

The consulted information does not provide a completely consistent picture regarding the exact opening year. LinkedIn refers to 2014, while the current menu design features the line “Smaakmakers since 1994”. The available sources do not further explain this discrepancy. However, the same core concept appears in all descriptions: flavor is central, with a focus on house-made preparations and a broad role for coffee, ice cream, breakfast, lunch, and sweet drinks.

The official website states that IJsland Smaakmakers serves coffee from Cook & Boon. The current menu shows that the coffee offering consists primarily of espresso-based drinks. These include coffee, espresso, double espresso, cortado, espresso macchiato, cappuccino, caffè latte, flat white, and latte macchiato. The same menu also mentions that the coffees are prepared with two shots of espresso.

Additionally, the menu features several variations that combine coffee with sweeter or colder applications. These include affogato, frozen iced latte, chocolate coffee, caramel coffee, and cinnamon coffee. Frozen iced chai latte and frozen iced matcha are also on the menu, although these do not fall directly under coffee. The overview makes it clear that the shop integrates coffee into a broader beverage offering, where classic espresso formats exist alongside dessert-like and cold preparations.

No manual filter methods were found in the examined website and menu materials. There is no mention of pour-over, AeroPress, siphon, or batch brew. This creates the impression of a coffee menu that relies on espresso and derived milk drinks, rather than filter coffee or slow coffee. The official website adds that the coffee is roasted specifically for the shop, without providing further details on roast profiles or the origin of the beans.

The official website describes a workflow involving the daily preparation of various components. For instance, lemonades are made on-site, salted caramel for the ice cream is prepared in-house, and fresh components for breakfast, lunch, and poké bowls are prepared daily. It also states that ingredients are sourced from the fresh market and from entrepreneurs in the immediate vicinity of the Maasstraat. Thus, the business presents itself as a company that curates part of its assortment itself and supplements it through local sourcing.

Regarding coffee raw materials and sustainability, the relationship with Cook & Boon is most prominent. A text about this partnership states that Cook & Boon produces CO2-neutrally and works with organic and Fairtrade-certified coffee, alongside ties to Rainforest Alliance-certified companies. The roastery’s website further states that Bio Fairtrade coffee is grown organically, is Fairtrade-certified, and is cultivated without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The roastery also mentions sustainably generated energy, solar panels, LED lighting, fully electric warehouse equipment, and an energy-saving recirculation system on the roaster.

Alongside the coffee supplier, one other name is explicitly mentioned in public records. An article from Boeren van Amstel states that Jason van Leur sources milk and yogurt directly from that producer. Beyond Cook & Boon and Boeren van Amstel, no other specific suppliers, importers, or coffee farms are named in the available sources.

No workshops, tastings, exhibitions, or recurring public programs were found in the public information examined. Consequently, the establishment is not visibly positioned as a venue for coffee-focused events. However, external reports highlight a different use. Articles describe a reading table and a back room with toys and books for children. This creates the image of a business that is also used by families, alongside its role as a spot for ice cream, coffee, and lunch.

The public visibility of IJsland Smaakmakers consists primarily of mentions in guides and lifestyle media. Their own website displays a Restaurant Guru badge from 2020. Furthermore, an article about the business appeared in 2016, followed later by inclusion in an Amsterdam family guide from 2026. The name also appeared in an overview of ice cream parlors from 2025 and in an Amsterdam ice cream test from the same year. These mentions primarily reflect visibility in local media, rather than the coffee offering itself.