Similar to when I travel, finding where to get coffee is one of my top priorities after moving to a new city. Arnhem also has the distinction of being my first foray into Dutch coffee culture! While there are plenty of similarities to what I’m used to, there are also some major differences. First, most coffee places are called either cafes or espresso bars instead of coffee shops. This is because ‘coffee shops’ in the Netherlands are where you can buy weed! Second, at many Arnhem cafes some of the milk-based coffee drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos, favor a higher ratio of milk to coffee than I’m used to in the US. Think a single shot of espresso for a 12 oz drink – which is nowhere near enough for me! This leads me to often request an extra shot of espresso in these drinks to compensate.

Arnhem has way more coffee options than I’d originally anticipated. It feels like I discover somewhere new to add to my “want to try” list around every corner! Below you’ll find the good and bad of the ones I’ve visited so far.

If you’re new here: I don’t give stars or number ratings to the coffee shops I visit. Those kinds of reviews tend to be pretty subjective and in my opinion not all that helpful. Everyone has different tastes and my favorite coffee spot might be one that someone else hates! Instead in my posts you’ll find relevant details like the vibes/decor, thoughts on what I ordered, recommendations/tips, and if I enjoyed my visit or not. This way you can decide if you want to give the place a shot. Interested in my other coffee-related travels? Check out the rest of my Will Travel for Coffee series!

Wake Up. Drink Coffee. Travel. Repeat.

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PRUT specialty coffee

Prut has quickly become one of my favorite coffee spots in Arnhem, even with all the other options in the city I keep ending up back here. Its a cozy space that kind of feels like you’re relaxing in a friend’s home. Like in many cafes in the city you can just walk in and take a seat, and someone will come to you to take your order. They’re a bit unique in that their coffee menu actually changes every few weeks, as they source a rotating selection of small-batch specialty beans. I love that there are always two different beans to choose from for their espresso-based drinks, each with a different flavor profile. In the afternoons you can also stop in for Middle Eastern lunch dishes with a glass of natural wine or beer.

Our first visit we tried a little variety: an oat milk cortado, hot chocolate with a large dollop of whipped cream, a cinnamon knot, and a chocolate raisin cookie. Prut hands down makes the best cortado I’ve had in Arnhem. You can’t go wrong with an iced coffee here either on a hot day, I especially like the iced flat white!

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GraanGeluk Bakkerista

Part sourdough bakery (bakker-), part coffee shop (-ista), Bakkerista is prominently situated on the main shopping street in the Spijkerkwartier neighborhood. Their mission is to bake as much as possible with grains sourced from the local region. Compared to some other bakeries in the area, Bakkerista has significantly more seating than I’d expected to find. That being said, the later in the morning you go on the weekend the busier they tend to be, so just keep that in mind if you weren’t planning to take things to-go!

Our order: an oat milk cappuccino, cinnamon roll, brioche slice topped with cream and raspberries, and a hot chocolate (not shown). While the cappuccino wasn’t anything special or memorable, it was still solid enough that I would order it again. Their hot chocolate is made with chocolate chunks and hot milk, not powder or chocolate sauce, which my husband appreciated. Its safe to say the treats are the highlight here, not the coffee.

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Bij Ann

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Anne & Max

This Dutch cafe chain has over 30 locations across the country, including 2 in Arnhem. I’ve only visited the Steenstraat location. It’s pretty popular – I always see people sitting outside anytime I walk by on nice days. The cafe interior is warm and inviting, with lots of natural light that makes you want to hang out for a while.

We grabbed coffee and to-go breakfasts here a few times in the first weeks after we moved. The first time I got the seasonal cold brew with cold foam, and was shocked that it was half foam! I ended up having to mix in a 2nd cold brew I’d gotten for the next day so that the ratios were closer to what I prefer. The pistachio cream croissant and croissant breakfast sandwich were both great though. My second attempt was an iced oat milk latte with an extra shot. It got the job done, but flavor wise it was pretty lackluster. I wouldn’t go back here for coffee, but I’ve heard good things about their lunch menu so I’ll probably try that at some point.

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Pure Roasted

I’m a sucker for people watching, so of course I couldn’t wait to check out this coffee bar with both floor to ceiling windows AND outdoor seating. The interior is full of cozy mismatched sets of tables and chairs that just seem to work together in the space. The cafe’s location couldn’t be more convenient, as it’s situated just across the way from the Velperpoort station.

I walked up to the counter, but afterwards learned you can also just sit down and someone will come to you. I ordered a cortado and grabbed a table outside while I waited. It was brought out with a water and a small piece of nougat – a little treat with your coffee seems to be a thing here! Unfortunately, I didn’t have the greatest experience taste-wise. There was a slight chemically aftertaste, as if maybe the espresso machine wasn’t fully rinsed out after it was cleaned. It was super disappointing because I really enjoyed the laidback vibes of the shop. I may give them another shot, in case it was an off day, and because I saw someone else eating a piece of cake as I left that looked really good!

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Boulangerie Hotel Karel

Tucked away on a residential side street, this popular area bakery actually started as a bar/lunchroom for the boutique Hotel Karel it’s connected to. In 2025 it fully transitioned into the bakery it is today, which is renowned for making delicious sourdough breads. All the reviews I’d read were right, the sourdough loaf we got was the best we’ve had so far in Arnhem. While it may be located in a hotel, when you visit the bakery you’ll find a mix of locals and tourists alike.

We were lucky enough to snag a table right before the Saturday morning rush had a line going out the door. Our order consisted of a cortado, hot chocolate, and of course some cinnamon knots. The espresso in the cortado was a tad bitter and as silly as it was I was sad my drink didn’t have as cute of a design as my husband’s hot chocolate. But the cinnamon knots made up for it by being light, fluffy, and delicious.

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Wakuli Coffee | Koningstraat

Wakuli has a wildly different vibe than most of the other coffee places I’ve visited in Arnhem. The interior is pretty modern and minimalist, with pops of bright colors and a wall of different coffee bean bags to choose from. If you’re a dark roast person, this probably isn’t the place for you, as they roast their beans lighter than average at their facility in Amsterdam.

This has become my go-to coffee stop if I need a quick iced pick me up, especially after a hot day of (usually unsuccessful) clothes shopping. I typically go with the nitro oat milk cold brew, which is the closest I’ve found to the strength I’m used to in the United States, and a bag of their House Blend beans when I need a restock. They work great with the new fully-automatic espresso machine I treated myself to after the move.

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Grand Cafe Aan de Beek

This restaurant in Park Sonsbeek is mainly known for lunch, drinks, and seemingly being a popular location for baby showers and other events. But on the weekends they also offer to-go coffee – perfect for anyone planning to visit the park. Which is exactly why we stopped in! I stopped in to quickly grab a flat white for some energy to get me through our walk. I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to come here for a coffee again, as it was pretty plain and unmemorable. Especially when I’ve since learned there is also a popular coffee cart that makes the rounds inside the park on the weekends.

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BEER

We stopped at this cafe in the Klarendal district on our way to the Open Air Museum. BEER has lots of seating both inside and out, and seems to be a pretty popular neighborhood spot. Not long after we arrived early on a Saturday morning the outdoor seating area was overrun by a large local running group! The interior reminded me a bit of Pure Roasted, with its variety of tables, chairs, and decor giving off a cozy, homey vibe.

The menu was more extensive than I was expecting, with a variety of breakfast, lunch, and pastry options, and it actually took me a minute to decide! Along with my standard oat milk cortado, which came with a small brownie piece, we also ordered slices of apple cake and pecan tarte. While the espresso was brewed well, neither burnt or under-extracted, the beans they use here have a fruity note to them that just isn’t my favorite. But if you do like fruit-forward coffees, I’d highly recommend a coffee at BEER.

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Het Arnhems Gemaal

One Sunday morning we decided to take a scenic bike ride across the river to an old pump house turned cafe in Arnhem Zuid called Het Arnhems Gemaal. In English, the name means The Arnhem Pumping Station. The station was built in 1934 to help drain the surrounding area in preparation for the construction of the new neighborhood. Thanks to it’s location just off some bike paths, it seems to have become pretty popular with the cylists in the area. We got there as soon as it opened and it filled up quickly! Thankfully there is lots of seating both inside and out. It has one of the cuter interiors of the cafes I’ve visited so far in Arnhem.

I ordered a flat white (with whole milk because I spaced and forgot oat milk – oops!) and a hot chocolate for Jasper. The coffee flavor wasn’t as strong as I prefer, but what I did taste was a tiny bit bitter. If you prefer hot chocolate made with steamed milk and melted chocolate, this isn’t the place for you. Here you’ll just get steamed chocolate milk, which while not bad, isn’t ideal. Jasper inhaled a slice of blueberry cheesecake and the rest of my dense espresso cake with walnuts that I struggled to finish.

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LOTS Brunch Club

We walk by this place almost every time we go to the farmers market and finally stopped in one morning for brunch. LOTS serves breakfast all day plus sandwiches, salads, and bowls. The interior is bright and airy, but it doesn’t have much going on in terms of unique ambiance. Unfortunately underwhelming seemed to be the theme of this outing. My iced tiramisu latte tasted mostly like milk and cinnamon with a dash of coffee, and the mascarpone topping was too thick to be drinkable. Eggs benedict are usually my go-to brunch dish, but I haven’t had much luck with any I’ve ordered in the Netherlands. That continued at LOTS. I think it’s something different about the way places hollandaise sauce here, but I’m not quite sure. There’s just not much flavor to it! I’m not all that inclined to go back.

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Next Up On My List

Bomboca – Eusebiusbuitensingel 10, 6828 HV Arnhem.
A cozy Portuguese koffiebar on the outskirts of the Spijkerkwartier district.

Heisa Koffiebar – Sonsbeeksingel 160, 6822 BM Arnhem.
Minimalist coffee bar near the Velperpoort station known for their matcha and sandwiches.

Tribute to Coffee – Nieuwstraat 37, 6811 HV Arnhem.
This specialty coffee bar is considered by many to be one of, if not the best in the city.

Aristé – Ingenieur J.P. van Muijlwijkstraat 19, 6828 BP Arnhem.
A cozy minimalist cafe specializing in matcha and pastries.

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Have coffee spot in Arnhem you think I should try next? Let me know in the comments!
See the button below? You could buy me my next coffee!