New Amsterdam Café

This place is chill. The people working here are friendly. The temperature of the place is incredibly warm. I wasn’t a huge fan of paying $ 5 an hour. The music is dreadful.

Terrible customer service. Guy working there was a complete asshole I’ve never seen such poor customer service in my life but I guess thats what you get for a low life place like this. Upstairs at the lounge is much better.

Best strawberry milkshake ever! Shared it with a friend and it was one of those times you need two straws to make sure you can both drink that yumminess at the same time unless you want to throw down and risk your friendship. It’s that delicious.

Awesome place! Marc came up to us. Introduced himself and sat a bit and chilled! Going back tonight!

Good place, the servers and patrons were friendly. The place didn’t seem dirty or run down as described in other reviews. It certainly was busy on a Wednesday night. Enough said, this place gets my approval. Thank you Vancouver!

Great place. Hung out here while waiting on a later flight and the owner was very welcoming and personally took care of our luggage and really accommodated us.
I ordered a chai latte which was great. And they have an awesome downstairs long for anyone to hang out or smoke if they please after paying a $ 5 cover change for that area. But upstairs is just your usual friendly café.

Walk in, get your smoke on. Easy as pie. No purchase required. Need a vape? Rent one out for 5 $ and hour per person (I have NEVER been asked to pay 5 $ more than once and have stayed 3+ hours!)
Munchie food, cool lounges, cool hngout spot.
This is definitely a cool location– beware, it is not a spot that entails much in terms of things to do, it is very much just a hangout kind of place. The pool table onn third floor attached to canna culture next door is often taken but they have a pretty fair system of change. Smoke, relax, sink into your COUCH, and smile :)

I’ve been here a few times and always enjoy it. No frills but a cool environment. Whether you want to sit at the bar and use a Volcano, just sit at a table and spark a spliff or break out your own gear and rip a bong or dab, you’re in the right place. It’s free to sit in the lobby and spark up. Some of the other other places charge a small cover. They have a great snack bar with lots of tasty snacks and munchies fit for the hungriest stoner. Everyone seems pretty friendly and engaging. Just don’t be that annoying out of towner with no green, no tact and no clue. Have fun.

I’m writing this as a visitor from the U.S. I was in Vancouver for a month, and did a lot of research on the pot scene before coming. In everything I read, Vancouver was the place to get and smoke pot. In fact, it is called Vansterdam. So I was looking forward to my time here, and enjoying a more relaxed attitude towards smoking than what we experience in the states (my state, at least). On my first morning, I stopped in to the New Amsterdam Café. There was hardly anyone there. I sat at the bar and ordered a latte, and had a nice chat with the «bartender». He laid out the way the café works. I didn’t ask where to get weed, and he didn’t offer. According to what I had read, one shouldn’t ask the employees about getting weed. It was said that anyone should be able to find pot anywhere in the city, and especially in front of the café. So I finished my latte and left.
A few nights later, I visited the café again. This time it was a busy Friday evening. I pulled up to the bar and immediately the bartender staring setting me up with a vape. I told him I didn’t need it because I hadn’t come up with anything yet. Then he went into this dissertation about how I really should not be in the café if I didn’t have any weed. They didn’t want people without weed to «mooch» off of those that do have it. I left and went outside to hang a bit. I had read if one hangs out in front of the café, a dealer would surely approach and ask if you need anything. The only person to approach me was a woman looking for money to buy a coffee. Instead of giving her money, I took her and bought her a coffee.
I had one more similar experience there when a man, who was strung out on something, approached me and spent 45 minutes talking about absolutely nothing. I got rid of him, and gave up for the night.
During the month in Vancouver, I caught whifs of pot quite often. So I know people are smoking it. I hung out more in front of the café, hung out in parks, walked along the beach, constantly looking for someone to buy a small amount from. But I have to say, after one month here, I came up empty handed. It is almost a type of sub-​culture that hasn’t quite figured out how to behave. I believe the locals who have it, treat it like a special club, and don’t want outsiders honing in. I certainly did not want to be rude and blatantly ask everyone I saw, but I thought it would be much easier. After reading the last review, I understand a bit more.
People in Vancouver smoke pot. And they do it on the streets, in the parks, and in the New Amsterdam Café. But try to come in from the states and partake, and you may come up short. I don’t know why they don’t just legalize it and be done with it. Next time I will bring my own.

The food here is shockingly good. I didn’t expect much when ordering the samosa, but it ended up being sizable and the filling was well seasoned. The grilled cheese is a dream, too. They have a surprisingly good selection of tea. There is bar seating, so make sure you’re comfortable with that.
One thing I have to say is, tourists, please be considerate. Locals aren’t looking to be pestered about where to get weed or debunk your assumptions about cannabis laws in our country. Many people are more than happy to have a coversation if you care to initiate one and if you ask respectfully we can usually give you a run down of how cannabis laws are enforced. Also keep in mind that there are certain Canadian values that we hold to dearly. If you’re critical of multi-​culturalism I’d advise you keep it to yourself to avoid confrontation. I had to endure a very uncomfortable conversation with a tourist from a Southern state here, who was clearly unaware that my friend and I were both in interethnic relationships. Just be respectful.
There is no smoking in the café before 6 on weekdays.

I was so surprised about the snacks this café has. The pulled pork sandwich was really good and I will definitely go back for it again. I also am not a pot smoker so my judgement wasn’t ‘clouded’ by the munchies.

I’ve come here a few times with some friends. I don’t smoke pot, however, I have friends who do and who subscribe to the culture. I used to come here when I was younger to work on my zine. I come here for the bacon cheese sticks.

I came upon this place after exploring the cafes along Hastings street. It’s entrance attracts eyes to the various glassware and marijuana related things encompassed within the glass showcases that lead into the store. Once you enter you’re greeted with high ceilings and colourful hand-​painted artwork that makes the place so unique. If there’s something you need in your adventures of marijuana then this place has it. They stock vapes, glassware, grinders, containers to store weed in, clothing with their name on it, you name it. They even have postcards if that’s your thing.
The reason I go so frequently is the vapour bar aspect of the café. They let you rent a vapourizer to use for an hour and it is a different, and in my opinion, much better way to smoke marijuana. I go for my chamomile tea and vape, it’s a pretty good combination. I’ve met many interesting people and brought many friends to this place just to have a casual chat and smoke. It’s a different atmosphere and it brings out a different vibe from each person that comes and stays to enjoy the place, usually it’s a pleasant one.
The sandwiches are good, I’ve personally tried them all just to make sure that I knew which one I liked. I would recommend one of the special grilled cheese sandwiches (So aptly named, the Cheech or the Chong), they are very good (Make sure to ask for ketchup if that’s you’re style).
The various pastries are such a tease when you sit at the bar. They’re all very good and they have a nice selection of gluten-​free items that would please even the most picky eater.
The drinks are good, I come back for the tea and maybe sometimes for a smoothie if I feel like something especially nice.
Don’t ever get the pie, it is way too good and I have to pretend it’s not there to stop myself from getting some each time I visit. But if you do ignore my advice, just remember that it comes with ice cream so enjoy each bite with a bit of it on your spoon, it’s how it’s meant to be eaten and for good reason.
The ventilation is nice, especially for a vapour bar that allows their customers to smoke up joints and bongs, the fans circulate the air around the café, allowing the stale smoky air to exit through the back or the front.
At night it gets extremely busy. Patrons standing and leaning on the tables to enjoy their smoking and eating, their eyes absently looking around during lulls of silence in their conversations, patiently waiting for those who are finished to leave to eagerly scoop up their seat. But don’t let that stop you from coming, it is an experience that I recommend most everyone to try out at least once in their life.
During the day it becomes more of a chill location, one where I have in many occasions chosen to do my writing at. If the thought of coming here when it’s packed still overwhelms you, come during the day. It’s all smiles and friendliness from the staff and the owner.
The music varies depending on the person (s) working at the time. Personally, I never had any problem with their music selection, it varies from Hip Hop to electronic and from jazz and rock.
Like the music selection, the visitors of this café vary from different kinds of places. There are tourists who come to visit and enjoy the sights, students who come during breaks just to enjoy a snack, business men and women in suits and formal attire looking to smoke in between meetings, retirees who are eager to exchange a few words, and many others. So if you fall under the group of people who would never go here, I implore you to rethink and visit it one day, it is an experience that you can’t really get anywhere else in North America.

Just go next door to Marc Emery Café.
Its cleaner, more comfortable and the staff are better, friendlier and less aggressive with customers. Here they not only speak to you like something stuck to the bottom of their shoe in the park across the street — but keep the place as clean as a crack mattress.
New Amsterdam was once cool — not any more. Now they are slow and disengaged — shocking I know — but the killer is the cleanliness of the place and their attitude. Their equipment is literally matted with build up, residue and gets rented out filthy, every time. This all while a bottle of alcohol sits unused by the counter, begging to be.
I wouldn’t mind if it was free to use and they made cash on their drinks and food — but this owner does both. Not only are they renting every person in the place their space by the hour, but overcharging for everything else they sell too. All with the drone of overly loud, B-​grade hard rock from an era that none of us live in.
Friendly hippies? Hardly.
I have rarely seen staff as rude. These are hard core capitalists, and they seemingly don’t care much for any repeat business — they cater to tourists who they think will never be back again, so they don’t care. They not only charge $ 5 per hr, per person — but then have the cannon balls to not clean their equipment for weeks or months but demand customers use filthy mouthpieces, gauze and bags. And if you happen to mention it or point it out to them, they are either aggressively rude or the white guy with corn rows simply looks at you with that blank stare one gets from a dog watching television.
Seriously — the place needs a staff overhaul and a thorough cleaning. Not only of the store, but of their equipment, prep area, toilets and everything else. And until they do — I just head next door to Marc Emery Café, take a seat overlooking the park and sit down knowing I will head home without a layer of filth sticking to me.
Disgusting.

On my top 5 list of places to bring people when they visit me in BC… Feels just like a coffee shop in Amsterdam, except you need to bring your own greens (or find that dude with a pony tail that usually stands outside and sells dime bags) but this place is truly a unique experience (for now, until they legalize weed next year) — speaking of which, what are the rallies and protests still about in BC?!? How much more legal does it need to get? You can walk into this café and roll joints and smoke as you please — there’s even a «lounge» upstairs that rents vaporizers for $ 5, what more do you want?!
Ok, fine, you want to be able to buy the weed here too, I get it I get it…
This is an experience and a half, especially if you have friends from conservative states like Texas come visit… Grab a nice latte and roll yourself a fat one. Enjoy!

This is a super cool place to hang out.
I recommend the herba mate tea-​mint flavour.
The bacon cheese bread sticks are amazing.
You have to bring your own smoke but you can rent vaporizers.
If you do not have smoke you cannot buy it here. Go to a dispensary first. You will need a medicinal license to purchase anything to smoke

It’s usual a great place, I’ve been visiting there for a few years.
Yesterday I was there and the staff is mostly horrible. I sat on the bar and got the worst attitude from a couple of the guys there.
I brought my own weed, left a great tip and they were still jerks. Both times I was there.
For me costumer service is the most important thing, even if it’s a touristy place.
Won’t go there agein

The best herbal smoke bar in Vancouver has recently gotten a face-​lift. (Can you name a better or more professional one?) They knocked out some walls and opened up the drink counter to a now mini-​kitchen. Surprise, the Space Ceiling goes all the way to the back too it seems. STELLAR! It’s a highlight for sure.
Now back to the new stuff… Before was just drinks, snacks, pastries, etc. now there’s wraps, and MORE. Much better menu options for those who’s appetite gets a little more worked up than just a bag of chips. *cough* Check out the photos on here for a snapshot of the new menu board. There’s some familiar faces (Hi boys!) and some new staff (cute girls finally!) too… They are a hard working bunch, despite popular concept, and tipping in green is always nice! ^_​~
What to know: BYOMJ. Don’t ever ask around. $ 2 minimum (try the new items!) a seat, to keep out loafers. Just scan the tables, there’s a drink or food in front of everyone there, so just volunteer to get on-​board, belly up and order. It’s RESPECT. Don’t come after you’ve been at the bar, and are feeling rowdy (or just over friendly)… even on a Saturday night! It’s OBVS to herbalists, & you stink like beer, go across to Pub340, and support local bars too, OK?!
This is a safe community minded space for all walks of life to converge. There’s not too many places you can go in this cold town where, if so choosing, you can strike up a conversation with your table neighbours, and you just never know what great connections or conversations you’ll have, but remember not everyone is there to socialize. Be respectful of boundaries.
Hmm. What else? Go! It’s a great place to relax before one of the many gallery openings or local band performances in the area. Take your friends from out of town to blow their minds, that Yes, you CAN actually just sit there, sip coffee, eat food, smoke/​vape/​etc, and converse, in peace, like grownups, for Real.
What a novel concept…

Cool spot to check out while in Vancouver since its legal to smoke there but since I dont get high, it wasnt that enjoyable for me.
Because they have a $ 2 minimum to hang out there i tired to order something but a girl with purple braids ignored me for 5 minutes and never did take my order at te coffee bar.
There is little to no ventilation so it was a hot smoky mofo inside.
During the summer it was an interesting experince but would recommend a smoke in the park since no one cares anyway.

My husband and I made a stop here on a daily basis during our 7 day trip to Vancouver last week. The place is pretty cool and as far as I know the only «smoke-​friendly» place with the exception of the place next door and across the street.
The food items are just what you need. All walks of like stop through this Café on a daily basis. Very friendly people, with very good party favors.
Please know that they DO NOT SALE CANNABIS at this location or anywhere else for that matter. You look reall dumb when you walk in there asking people where you can «score» when the signs clearly say «don’t ask». We watched tons of «Americans/​states folks» walk in there and make complete asses of themselves.
But if you are smart enough to do your research you will find that «scoring» is very easy to do, you just have to be smart and patient about it, not stupid and fast.