It was a gamble where to go once we parked along the Keizersgracht, I was completely in the mood for a rejuvenating cup of java to wake me up from our nap-filled, seemingly hour-long drive from Utrecht. Unfamiliar with the coffee scene in the Jordaan area, my only reliable resource, google, told me about the closest decent coffee shop in the neighborhood, and Caffé Il Momento was it.  We arrived at a near-empty shop, quickly ordered and sat down to a quiet, marble-top bar table that was just what the circumstances called for. It was absolute, unhurried relief.

To call it the most delicious cup of coffee in ages may be too much but just one sip felt like a revelation of sorts. Was it my exhaustion playing tricks on me? Were the beans really that good or was it just a fluke? Safe to say my first taste of Jordaan’s coffee scene was impressive, and the accompanying cupcake that was the lightest and most satisfying I’ve come across yet made for an incredibly unbeatable pair. Jot down another great experience in little Amsterdam town.