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Number 6 of 20 in Amsterdam

Café 't Smalle

't Smalle, the narrow one, is as small as its name. It was the tasting room of a distillery in the eighteenth century, and became a café in 1978. In summer its terrace is a row of tables at the edge of the Egelantiersgracht, one of the prettiest canals in the Jordaan.

What it is
Brown café
Opened
1978, as a café, in the tasting room of Pieter Hoppe's distillery of about 1780
Area
Jordaan
Nearest museum
Our Lord in the Attic, 1.0 km

Amsterdam this week

    What Café 't Smalle is known for

    1. The terrace

      Tables by the water on the Egelantiersgracht, a favourite of the Jordaan on summer evenings.

    2. Hoppe's tasting room

      Around 1780 Pieter Hoppe took over a wine shop here and set up a distillery, and this room was where his jenever was tasted.

    3. The Jordaan

      The café is in the heart of the Jordaan, a few minutes from the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House.

    What to know

    • Pieter Hoppe set up his distillery on the Egelantiersgracht around 1780, by the café's own account
    • His family moved the making of Hoppe jenever to Schiedam from 1858
    • The café opened on 30 November 1978

    Where Café 't Smalle is

    Address

    Egelantiersgracht 12
    1015 RL Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Nearest station

    Westermarkt, on the tram, about four minutes away

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.

    From tasting room to café

    By the café's own history, Pieter Hoppe came to Amsterdam around 1780, took over a wine shop on the Egelantiersgracht and set up a liqueur distillery, with this room as his tasting room. His family later moved the distilling to Schiedam.

    The building stood empty for long periods until the city, which owned it, found a tenant in the 1970s. Café 't Smalle opened on 30 November 1978.

    Café 't Smalle: common questions

    Where is Café 't Smalle?
    At Egelantiersgracht 12, in the Centrum district of Amsterdam. The nearest station is Westermarkt, on the tram, about four minutes away.
    Which museums and sights are near Café 't Smalle?
    Our Lord in the Attic is 1.0 km away, Rembrandt House Museum is 1.4 km away, A'DAM Lookout is 1.5 km away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
    What is Café 't Smalle known for?
    The terrace, Hoppe's tasting room, The Jordaan. A tiny brown café on the Egelantiersgracht in the old tasting room of a jenever distillery, with a terrace on the water's edge.
    When did Café 't Smalle open?
    In 1978, as a café, in the tasting room of Pieter Hoppe's distillery of about 1780. Pieter Hoppe set up his distillery on the Egelantiersgracht around 1780, by the café's own account.

    What visitors say about Café 't Smalle

    Rating from Google

    4.6

    1,594 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 19 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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