Coffeeshop La Canna
Nieuwendijk 123-125, Amsterdam
Description section
Comments section
Awards section

Street Nieuwendijk La Canna
District Centrum
Town Amsterdam
Province Noord Holland
Postcode 1012 ME
Telephone 0031 (0)20 4284482
Open Sun-Thu 10:00-01.00, Fri & Sat 10:00-03.00
Map Amsterdam Map ref: F3
and Centrum Map spot: 77 (C3)
Founded 1996
"Official" Site www.lacanna.nl/en

Description Top

La CannaA big, bright place on three levels. Right in the heart of the shopping district.

Glass, chrome and palm trees give La Canna the appearance of a ritzy nightclub. There are several pool tables on the top floor. They've also got a "smart" shop (mushrooms, herbal xtc, etc.) and a hotel.

This place doesn't really appeal to me but larger groups and pool players might find it more attractive.

7 9 7
Comments Top

Lucy and Stacey from UK. Sent 29 May 2005.
We loved this place sooooooo much.10/10. Ace. It made our stay in Amsterdam complete. Thumbs up to the DJ- great tunes. Waitress was busy but when our drinks were empty she came over and assisted us she was very friendly. It was nice to have under one roof-a smoke, something to drink, something to eat and a game of pool. Perfect! Love the big soft sofas and the nosey out chairs by the window front upstairs! Felt chilled and relaxed there. We are 100% going back there. One of the days we were in there for a smoke the pool tables were in use but so what after a couple of joints who wants to play pool anyway! I think this place needs a few more positive reviews. Love it.

Dave & Janine from UK. Visited 23/04/05. Sent 29 Apr 2005.
Very busy! Waited ages for waitress service to bring drinks. Stayed for 1 spliff then left. OK place but not brilliant!

Claud from Netherlands. Sent 1 Mar 2005.
This place is open for the full 24/7, the music is good, you can pool here and you can sit on different floors. But the beer is expensive and the glasses aren't cleaned very good so the beer is dead in a short time :-( It was a little bit messy in here because of the so many tourists and locals visiting this shop and the not so very much cleaning. The weed and hash is a little bit expensive and are just the commercial sorts.

Tony from England. Sent 3 Jan 2005.
We took one look at the long list outside of what was not allowed and thought "Why?" Nowhere else seemed to have lists of rules so we gave it a miss, it looked way too controlled for my liking and I don't like my coffee shops to have bouncers.

Dave B from Wales. Sent 30 Nov 2004.
After finding out about the 20 Euro minimum for weed, I asked if I could have a 10 Euro deal of some Leb, the hash was nice. Didn't get a coffee, but place looked big, and plenty to do. Not best for the weed, but sure they don't mind if you bring some in.

Lesley from UK. Sent 13 Sep 2004.
As a novice I was actually quite reassured by the touristy look as some of the other places looked a bit intimidating. The chap in the kiosk was helpful when my friend and I admitted to knowing very little and advised as to suitable buys and tips on making up a joint including amounts of tobacco to use. Pleasant waitress took an order for coffee which was fine and seemed reasonably priced and didn't hassle us to have any more. We liked the sofas and view over the street. The 20 euros minimum buy was not so good and might encourage some people to try and smuggle any spare back to their own country if they did not use it. Did not use the loo but seems a bit petty to charge.

Michael from UK. Sent 24 Aug 2004.
I like the service and the weed and hash menu. It is not the cheapest shop, there are other cheaper shops to find, but overall Amsterdam is pretty expensive. So I prefer a shop that has good service, quality products, and a nice atmosphere, where you can sit and relax upstairs on the 3rd floor, and play some pool, or sit downstairs in the grandcafe, whether with a small or big group, you can always sit together- it's the biggest shop in whole Amsterdam! Big choice in the menu from the 2nd floor (the weed and hash menu) and guys who can tell you all about the product you are about to buy. Sexy dressed waitresses. It's located near the Central Station Amsterdam, you can walk there in 5 min. I really recommend this one.

Mark from England. Visited 13-15/8/04. Sent 17 Aug 2004.
Went there twice. We were trying to get a pool table. Our first visit was alright, we waited 2 hours but couldn't get one so we chilled. The second time we went there we got a table. But they kept coming over and moaned that we weren't buying enough beer. (We brought soft drinks and they didn't seem to like it.) Very Rude. Menu was rubbish. Avoid, unless you want hassle.

SummerDam Boys from UK. Visited 30/07/04. Sent 9 Aug 2004.
This place is situated in the main shopping area not too far from the station, the coffeeshop is on the top 2 floors. Quite a commercial place, you wouldn't wanna get your stash from here, but the good thing is that its quite spacious compared to the other shops and there are a few pool tables so chances are you can get a game on one. Good if there's a few of you and finding seats in other coffeeshops is tricky.

Simon from Denmark. Sent 1 Jun 2004.
Warning: This place is a multi-level rip-off, you have to buy for at least 20 Euro, I bought some White Widow, which I think was bad. You have to pay money to go the toilet, the staff is slow and unfriendly, I put some money in the candy machine, but didn't get any candy. They have a doorman to throw people out. This place is a tourist trap/money machine, I recommend you don't go there.

Jo and Matthew from Wales. Visited 13 Feb. 04. Sent 17 Feb 2004.
The hash cakes were shit this time.

Wease from England. Sent 22 Oct 2003.
Went here straight off the plane. Found it very touristy and manned by what looked like bouncers!!. Could tell it was a tourist trap, and wasn't impressed with the 20 euro minimum buy. Didn't like the vibe at all, which is a shame cause it was recommended by a good friend of mine. Average Afghan Black though/ but fairly good Northern Lights. Very disappointed - and my wife really didn't like it!

Dave from UK. Sent 9 Oct 2003.
La Canna was the first place we stumbled across without realising. The first floor is where the dealer is. Good selection of weed here but the drawback, and it's a bit of a wounder - is that if you buy any weed you pay a 20euro minimum. But before you have chance to think about choosing a simple few ready rolled's, the smelly green shit is weighted, bagged and on the counter. So overall beware of this. The Dutch dealer was friendly, helpful and seemed a nice guy - the tall, thin, long curly haired, Italian looking dealer was a bit of a goon though. Top floor has pool tables where you can shoot some pool and smoke some weed. "Cali Mist" is one to try from here if your looking for something giggly, and basically makes you piis yourself with laughter. La Canna operates a 50cent payment for going to the Loo. It always made me wonder if you wanted a poo as well - would you pay double?

Rhys from UK. Visited 27th Sept 03. Sent 30 Sep 2003.
Walked in, Sat down, was ignored by every single member of staff, they looked like they couldn't be bothered.... that feeling seemed to echo throughout this large place, we decided we didn't like it at all and left without buying a drink or a smoke.

Giorgio from Italy. Sent 25 Sep 2003.
It's a nice place to smoke with friends and drink a good glass of your favourite drink, even if paying to use the toilet is mimsy! La Canna is an Italian name that means "Joint" and here you can find some Italian products such as coffee imported from Naples or Sambuca. "La Canna Energy Drink" has the same taste (and probably it's exactly the same thing) of "The Bulldog Energy Drink".

Mary from USA. Sent 19 Sep 2003.
I have been there on several occasions and the guy upstairs is too busy making me pay to use the toilet......not much friendliness there!!!! A nice layout though. I like the 3 story action.

Kev and Theresa from UK. Visited Oct 02 and Feb 03. Sent 23 Jul 2003.
Do not like the place. I had some Afghan it was rank and no free rolling papers. Most cafes have them on the bar for free and tips. The service in the coffee shop was, to put it mildly, crap The waiter was too concerned with the football on the big screen to be bothered with the customers. All he had to do was serve me 1 double espresso 1 cappuccino. What did I get 1 espresso 1 cap and 1 Pepsi. I have tried this place on two occasions and both times it was the same I am sorry if this is bad news for them but the customer always comes first not the TV. A very tourist trap place.

Nik from USA. Sent 26 Mar 2003.
By far when it comes to scenery and layout, La Canna has it all. It has two floors with a bar on the 1st floor and coffeeshop on the 2nd. You feel like you have just stepped into the jungle once you walk in. Oh yea they have a smart shop right out in front of the bar/coffeeshop. The only problem I found at La Canna is that the weed prices were absolutely ridiculous! I guess they're just tryin to make a buck gettin money from tourists like myself.

Mark from USA. Sent 28 Jan 2003.
I remember this from last year as a great spot to party. Last year they carried a guy out the door who was trippin out on mushrooms and booze. They have a nice decor, full bar, two floors, have to go upstairs to meet the guy at the pulpit. This year I dropped by to get some carry along, so I dropped in, the guy at the pulpit was a total jerk, the menu says must purchase 20 euro, 2g, for 20. I argued it was too expensive, he just threw it at me, I said OK, I am on vacation. and computer didn't work. The la canna, is a great place to party, but score elsewhere. Sometimes the chain shops have higher prices, to pay for the decor, and the winter times things are slow.

Zunki from UK via South Africa. Visited Frequently. Sent 15 Dec 2002.
I have only bought Northern Lights 5/10 and here which was not great. The shop itself is too big but you can always get a pool table and the bar downstairs is reasonable.

Jon from UK. Sent 21 Aug 2001.
La Canna proved popular with all. It was the first place we hit after a long and taxing journey and a joint or two of Jan Herrer produced a marvellous mellow feeling. After that we sat back, played pool and just generally chilled out. Not too crowded -could always find somewhere to sit for all seven of us, music ok- too loud for my tastes but no-one else seemed too mind. Friendly service when it came to buying weed. Other people tried White Widow, and White Tiger both of which were very well received. Close to the station, loads of space, good weed friendly service and lots to do. Even the non-smokers in our party liked this one.

B-Li from USA.
This two-story mega-plex of a coffeeshop/headshop/hotel sits prominently off one of the busiest shopping streets in Amsterdam. The interior is adorned with paintings of the faces of music and movie stars, and spread out over two sweeping levels. Upstairs is a full bar to the left, and a rather large dealer booth adjacent to the right.
Several pool tables downstairs are available for your shark like whims, while in the room next door a mini-headshop peddles mushrooms, bongs, smart herbs and anything you may ostensibly ever need to have to smoke the wacky weed.
There is also a hostel style hotel for the traveler on a budget and looking for a very different brand of in-house catering. During weekends they're even open until 3 am.
The only time I've ordered from here, I bought a gram of Northern Lights. The smoke master was informative and friendly, allowing me to view the THC glands on particular brands of weed and hash through a powerful microscope, as well as letting me see how fresh it was. The smoke itself was decent, but not knock you down potent like I was hoping for.
La Canna is a nice place for larger groups of friends to gather and mill about over a pint and a game of pool, but those looking for an intimate atmosphere to go with their buzz should definitely look elsewhere.

Gerry from USA. Sent 29 Nov 1999.
I like La Canna because it is big and there are lots of things to do - play chess or backgammon, 5 pool tables, etc. If you are with a group there is room for everyone to sit together, and for some reason the staff there makes me feel comfortable. When I first started going to the coffeeshops I was curious about just how permissive the Dutch were and where the shops got their weed. I've always wanted to grow my own (but haven't) so I asked questions at a lot of shops. At La Canna the guys would talk to me for hours about the system. One of the guys there even called me over to talk to his supplier once when I was there. We ended up talking about growing for over an hour. It was great.

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ACD rating 65% (Click here for info on ratings)


La Canna Top


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