15 best places to study or work in Amsterdam in 2024

Looking for a cosy spot to work or study in Amsterdam? We’ve found the best of the best.

Let’s be honest; sitting at the same desk and staring at the same walls every day for hours on end messes with your focus.

But if you’re living in Amsterdam, you have a ton of great options for studying and working outside of your home. Our team often come from Amsterdam and collaborated on this article to bring you the best of the best. 💪

Oh, and it goes without saying, but all of these spots have top-quality coffee to help you power all your tasks! ☕️

1. Volkshotel: the student hotspot

The Volkshotel is a trendy spot for students in Amsterdam and at the top of our list. Located in central Amsterdam, just a stone’s throw from the UvA, the hotel has a werkplaats (working area) with plenty of indoor and outdoor study spaces and huge windows.

The best part? Big tables with loads of plugs. 🔌

Have a group project or need to schedule a work meeting? The Volkshotel has lots of meeting rooms that you can book for group sessions.

They even have work cabins! How gezellig is that? But heads up: you have to pay for the work cabins, and the prices can vary depending on the size. If you want free, it’s best to stick to the werkplaats.

2. Coffee & Coconuts: for film buffs

A former cinema built in the roaring ’20s, Coffee & Coconuts is now home to a huge, spacious café. It’s great place to study or work, especially if you want the feeling of an open space.

Coffee & Coconuts offers a menu of mostly organic and locally sourced food, as well as freshly roasted beans from all over the world. All-day breakfast, anyone? And if you’re there until later in the day, you can switch from coffee to cocktails too. 😉🍸

This place is especially great for group projects or small meetings, as they have big tables and an inspiring atmosphere to get those creative juices flowing.

3. OBA: the cheapest place to study or work in Amsterdam

A free place to work or study in Amsterdam? With no pressure to purchase an overpriced coffee? That’s the magic of public libraries!

Amsterdam’s OBA is a huge library network. We particularly like OBA Oosterdok, a multi-level library close to Amsterdam Centraal with stacks of study nooks and desks.

You can just walk in, set up your laptop, and start ticking things off your to-do list. The Wi-fi is free — no library card needed!

4. Coffee Bru: colourful and cosy

This is the perfect coffee spot for socialising, meetings, and alone time. Coffee Bru has comfortable seats and a quirky atmosphere. They’ve nailed the perfect combination between loads of colour and just enough wood and plants to keep the place feeling gezellig.

On top of the friendly service, they have an amazing rotation of weekly filter and espresso roasts. You can even choose from two locations just 1500 metres away from each other — so if one is full, you can just hop on over to the other!

5. Startup Village: free coworking space

If you’re on the hunt for a dedicated coworking space with heaps of innovative people in a unique location, Startup Village in Amsterdam’s Science Park is the place.

Better yet? It’s coworking space is completely free!

But don’t stress; you won’t have to get through the day uncaffeinated. The nearby cafe Traiteur Ted’s will give you your coffee bean fix.

6. Back to Black: for pet parents

So you want to leave your house but don’t know anywhere that will let your dog, cat, bunny, hamster, or lizard join you? Well, Back to Black is a lover of all our fluffy (or scaly) friends! 🦎

As for the actual coffee, Back to Black boasts its own roastery and produces high-quality, sustainable coffee, which you can also purchase by bag to take home. They also offer barista and latte art workshops, so you know they’re not messing around!

The comfy layout is perfect for studying, with tons of seating to work solo, in a group, or with your dog.

7. Bocca: the minimalist’s dream

Looking for a clean, minimalist atmosphere for your focused work sessions? Bocca’s got your back. And they’re serious about coffee: they manage the entire coffee chain and doing it sustainably.

The café charges €6 per hour to get some work done there, but you do get a drink that’s included in the price.

8. Rum Baba Cafe: for a chiller workday

They call themselves “your happy eclectic home away from home”. Rum Baba is undeniably gezellig, and get this — they have their own bakery just a few doors down for your sweet tooth. 🥐

There’s plenty of seating, including a long wooden table perfect for groups. On sunny days, you can also work outside and take in that sweet vitamin D.

9. The Coffee Virus — A Lab: a coworking haven

A hidden gem, The Coffee Virus is discretely located in one of Shell’s old laboratories. It’s famous for its great coffee and amazing chai tea and offers a relaxed environment for studying or working in Amsterdam.

This cafe’s focus is to create nice and cosy spots to meet other entrepreneurs following the same paths as you. The Coffee Virus wants you to build some connections while having some yummy food and coffee!

10. Espressofabriek: something for everyone

Espressofabriek is known as the ideal meeting place in the heart of Westerpark. It has a spacious room with plenty of seating, perfect for silent studying.

There are three different locations in Amsterdam, so you’re bound to find something that tickles your fancy!

11. White Label Coffee: focus on fair trade

This café has four locations in Amsterdam, each with long tables perfect for studying and several nice plants for all you plant lovers! Just don’t get too distracted snapping photos. 🪴

White Label Coffee focuses on quality in every aspect. From making the best cup of coffee to paying producers fairly in Rwanda and Brazil (cheers to fair trade!).

12. Lot61: serious about coffee

Their motto, “Stay caffeinated”, is something we can get behind. We will definitely need their delicious brews while we sit in their cafés for hours on end.

The nicest part of the place — you can watch them hand roast your coffee beans on their huge Probat roaster in the middle of the café. They have limited space for seating, so get there early for a morning study session. The coffee and rustic atmosphere are worth it!

13. Monks Coffee Roasters: good in the mornings

While all these places have delicious coffee, Monks Coffee Roasters also serves a mean brunch. Suddenly, sending emails at 9 AM doesn’t feel so bad with their pancakes or tacos sitting next to your laptop! 🥞

They also have loads of comfortable seating areas for you to focus on work whilst enjoying a nice cup of coffee. If you’re REALLY into coffee, they have a wide range of choices from Aeropress to French press.

14. Coffee Room: for late-workers

This is one of the few cafés in Amsterdam that stays open until the wee hours of the morning (ahem, 7 PM). If you’re in the zone while you work, you get to enjoy the lovely vibes of this café for a whole extra hour or two.

They’ve got big tables, small tables, a terrasje, counters, and a very eclectic collection of comfy vintage chairs. Oh, and a mezzanine! It’s the perfect level of seriousness (a lot of people around you will be hyper focused) and relaxed (a great playlist and super friendly staff).

15. Yusu Coffee: all things matcha

Yes, they do serve coffee, but they also make mean matcha and matcha-flavoured cakes, cookies — you name it! Plus, the whole vibe of the place is just… *chef’s kiss*.

Comfy couches, massive windows, and consistent colours (the green plates and cups are enough to make you feel like an influencer).

The modern look of the place is bound to motivate you enough to act like you have your life together and you definitely know what you’re doing at work. 😅 Not to mention, the staff are super friendly, and you can bring your pets!

We’re absolutely looking forward to grabbing a coffee at one of these places and procrastinating while pretending to work. Hopefully, you’ll do better. Good luck! ☕️

What are your favourite places to study or work in Amsterdam? Tell us below!