This is the kind of canal-side coffee bar you stumble into and immediately want to make your regular spot. Tucked along the Singel near Central Station, Caffè Il Momento pairs industrial-chic brick walls and raw wood with marble counters and a Scandi-cool vibe that feels distinctly Amsterdam. They serve Lot Sixty One coffee, do a proper Italian cappuccino, and keep things open every day — perfect for a morning espresso or an afternoon hot chocolate with a not-too-sweet baked treat.
Proper Lot Sixty One cappuccino in a brick-and-marble canal-side setting — the kind of Amsterdam coffee bar you'll want to make your regular.
Go before 10am on weekdays if you want a seat inside — it's small and fills up fast, especially on weekends.
Canal-side coffee done right
If you're walking along the Singel and need a proper coffee, Caffè Il Momento is where you stop. This place nails the Amsterdam coffee bar formula: exposed brick, raw wood, marble counters, and a cozy interior that feels lived-in rather than designed. They proudly serve Lot Sixty One beans, and the cappuccino is consistently excellent — reviewers rave about it, and it's the thing to order. The hot chocolate also gets frequent shoutouts, especially on a cold day when you've been walking the canals.
The vibe is relaxed and unfussy. It's small, so it can get busy, but service stays quick and friendly — multiple reviewers mention how fast they got their drinks even when the cafe was packed. There are benches outside where you can sit in the sunshine and watch the Singel traffic drift by, which is honestly half the appeal. The baked treats are solid and not overly sweet, which is exactly what you want with a good espresso.
It's not a place for a long lunch — there's no full food menu, just coffee and baked goods. But that's not the point. This is a coffee bar in the truest sense: you come for the coffee, the atmosphere, and the canal-side people-watching. With over a thousand Google reviews averaging 4.6, it's clearly doing something right. Go in the morning before 10 if you want a seat inside, or grab a cappuccino to go and sit along the canal.