Back to Black

the filter coffee here is where you should start, not the espresso. back to black sits on van hallstraat in the westerpark neighbourhood, a stretch of amsterdam that moves at a slightly slower pace than the canal belt crowds, and the shop fits that rhythm. people come back. that's the clearest thing you can say about a place. regulars in this city have plenty of options and short attention spans, so consistent returns mean something is being done right, repeatedly, without shortcuts. if you do want espresso, go with the flat white over the latte, the ratio tends to hold up better in smaller formats. van hallstraat in the late morning, filter in hand, is a reasonable argument for staying put a little longer.