Review of ethiopian coffee house Buna Bet, Amsterdam

We ran into Buna Bet just by accident today. We were walking down the Van Woustraat in the Pijp area of Amsterdam, when we noticed it. It looked very inviting so we decided to give it try. Inside we found a normal coffee place, but with a twist. All the coffee beans are imported from Ethiopia and the farmers are given a fair price for their coffee beans, so they can start to build a life. Also it provides employment for refugees who needed to flee Ethiopia, because of the conflicts there. And finally all profits from this place are donated to projects in Ethiopia. All very worthy causes and the prices are not different from any other place in this area.

The menu is mostly focused on coffee. They have four different mixes of coffee beans you can choose from, each which their distinct flavor. You can of course add other flavors like vanilla, etc. They also have special Ethiopian teas and fruit juices. On the food side they have sweet things, like muffins, brownies and cakes. If you fancy something more savory you can have a grilled cheese sandwich.

After we sat down and had studied the menu, a very friendly guy came to our table for our order. Since I hadn’t had a big breakfast I took a fruit shake and a toasted sandwich. My friend took a fresh orange juice. The order arrived in due time considering that the guy was working alone and he had to wait for the sandwich to finish. The fruit shake tasted very nice and the grilled sandwich came with some ketchup and filled the hole in my stomach. As a dessert we took some coffee and apple pie. The coffee was of very good quality. Also it is good to know that this coffee supports the farmers. The apple pie was not home made, but tasted good none the less.

When I ordered dessert at the counter (I think the guy was bit shy to ask us if we wanted anything else at the table), there was a mum and her baby in the place as well. And in that moment the baby knocked over his hot chocolate. And instead of paying attention to it, the boy just kept running around the place looking at the pictures while the waiter cleaned up the mess. In the end I don’t think the baby noticed anything. But neither did the mum say anything to the baby! It seems more and more these days that children are being raised like little princes and princesses.

Anyway, Buna Bet is a good place to come to have a coffee when you are in the neighborhood. Not only are you supporting three good causes, you get good coffee and friendly service to boot.