Black Brew

Black Brew is a coffee house located at Willemstraat 55 in Utrecht. The venue is situated in Wijk C, within the Vredenburgkwartier in the Utrecht city center. In public mentions, Black Brew is described as a coffee house combining coffee and music. Available sources name Rob, also referred to as Rob Dunk, as the owner or a key figure associated with the coffee house.

An exact opening date is not publicly recorded in the reviewed materials. However, two sources provide direction on the year of opening. An article from February 2019 described Black Brew as having just opened. A post from September 2020 stated that the coffee house had opened the previous year. Based on this, an opening in 2019 is the most likely scenario, although an exact date cannot be specified.

The concept of Black Brew revolves around coffee and music. The official description highlights a setting where visitors can listen to records from a vinyl collection via headphones. Other public mentions also describe the venue as a coffee and music location. Centrum Utrecht uses the imagery of a living room in the heart of the city, near ’t Paardenveld and La Vie.

The vinyl feature was already described in 2019. At that time, visitors could choose records, bring their own, and listen via multiple headphones. This makes the setup distinct from a standard coffee shop, although the reviewed materials do not provide further technical details about the installation or the size of the collection.

Black Brew states that it serves single-origin specialty coffee roasted locally by Keen Coffee Roasters. This partnership with Keen Coffee Roasters is also mentioned in other public profiles. The reviewed material contains no further details regarding countries of origin, processing methods, roast profiles, or rotating coffees on the menu.

The official drink menu features several espresso-based beverages. These include espresso, doppio, lungo, americano, macchiato, cappuccino, flat white, latte, and latte macchiato. Additionally, the menu lists caramel latte macchiato and mocha latte macchiato. For cold coffee, the menu mentions iced espresso, iced latte, tonic espresso, iced caramel latte macchiato, and iced mocha latte macchiato.

A specific part of the menu is syphon filter coffee, designated as the Black Brew Special. According to the menu, this preparation is available as a half pot for two cups and as a full pot for four cups. Discover Utrecht also describes Japanese syphon filter coffee as a house preparation. An article from 2019 noted that Black Brew served espresso-based drinks and Black Brew Syphon Coffee. Chemex and AeroPress were not mentioned in that article.

In addition to coffee, Black Brew is associated in public mentions with brunch, brownies, cakes, and sweets for take-out. The reviewed material does not provide a complete food menu. As a result, the composition, price level, and whether dishes are fixed or rotating remain unclear. The official drink menu also mentions brands such as Fritz, Schulp, and Charitea.

Public information about activities primarily points to small-scale cultural elements. The vinyl collection forms the fixed part of the concept. Additionally, there are a few public posts about events in the space. A post from February 9, 2026, documents “On the Wall: installation by Lisanne Tijssen”. Another public post, linked to Collectief Voor de Vorm, mentions a performance at Black Brew during Gluren bij de Buren on February 1, with times at 12:00, 13:30, and 15:00.

Workshops and coffee tastings at Black Brew are not publicly documented in the reviewed material. Therefore, no fixed program can be established for these. The available information primarily supports the image of a coffee house where music and some cultural activities play a role.

Regarding sourcing, one concrete point is documented: Black Brew uses coffee from Keen Coffee Roasters and describes this coffee as single-origin specialty coffee. Discover Utrecht and other mentions also repeat the local branding by Keen Coffee Roasters. The reviewed material contains no specific sustainability statement from Black Brew.

No public data was found regarding certifications, waste policies, reusable cups, or direct trade relationships. A proprietary direct-trade policy is also not mentioned. Therefore, for a factual description of sustainability, the information remains limited to the mentioned relationship with Keen Coffee Roasters and the listed drink brands.

Black Brew appears in various public Utrecht and coffee-specific mentions. Discover Utrecht documents, among other things, the address, opening hours, coffee roaster, syphon filter coffee, brunch, brownies, cakes, and the vinyl concept. European Coffee Trip includes Black Brew in an Utrecht specialty coffee guide and on a dedicated cafe page with address and opening hours.

Explore Utrecht published an article about Black Brew in Wijk C in March 2019. That article described the listening room, syphon coffee, and the address. Last Days of Spring wrote about the coffee and music concept in February 2019 and named Rob as the owner. Centrum Utrecht lists Black Brew as a business in the Vredenburgkwartier. Utrecht by Inge mentions the coffee shop in a list of Utrecht coffee bars and refers to Keen Coffee Roasters, vinyl listening, and homemade brownies and cakes.

Formal pricing or rankings for Black Brew are not publicly documented in the reviewed material. The available data places the establishment primarily within the Utrecht coffee landscape, with a focus on specialty coffee, syphon brewing, and listening to vinyl as recurring features.