One of my favourite wine bars in Amsterdam is no more. Blackboard Canteen, which was attached to the Canadian creative agency Sid Lee, has gone. The good news is that it has been replaced by cult American coffee company Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

Founded by Duane Sorensen in Portland in 1999, the company has several branches in the US. Amsterdam is the first branch in Europe.

The short list of caffeinated beverages chalked up on the blackboard walls - yes, those are still there – are prepared with beans from Stumptown’s own roaster in Brooklyn by baristas flown in from the US.

My mocha was made from a shot of espresso and, I was told, Guatemalan chocolate kisses. It was thick and slightly bitter (in the best possible way) and the foarm had been artfully fashioned into a leaf.

It is not clear why Blackboard Canteen faded away, but it was Sid Lee who invited Sorensen to occupy the premises. He said he accepted the invite because he was already familiar with Amsterdam, having stopped here numerous times on coffee-bean runs to Africa.

The pop-up coffee outlet will only be open until the end of July 2010. When I asked the waitress whether Stumptown had any plans to open a permanent branch in Amsterdam, she said, “On the record, no.”

Amsterdam has no shortage of good coffee options, but perhaps Sorensen will use the next three months to scope out the market to find out whether there is enough demand to make transatlantic expansion worth his while.

Restaurant info

Opening hours:
Mon-Sat 07.00-19.00

Price indication:

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Address: Albert Cuypstraat 101
City: Amsterdam
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