April 2022

My favourite tea shop in Amsterdam is hands down the Last Crumb or die Laastse Kruimel. It is an absolutely quaint tea shop in a tiny old Dutch house, overlooking a bit of canal, where little old buildings are higgledy piggledy stacked against each other in narrow cobbled lanes. Most of the stores around are filled with touristy souvenirs and bars. Despite that, the area is charming and you can almost imagine what it was like centuries ago.

I have visited DLK several times because it’s just my favourite place. It is quaint, pretty, and the food is delicious. The little cafe offers precious respite from shopping marathons, a comfort for aching feet and thirsty throats.

You will be overwhelmed with the goodies on offer, beautifully displayed at the entrance windows. Spoiled for choice with sweet and savoury, the vast array of pastry is freshly baked right there, and the smells will haunt your memory for months: what can be better than fresh bread and pastries out of the oven?

The tea shop is so quaint and charming with its little touches of flowers, vintage decor and tea sets. I always want to come back to India and open my own little tea shop and serve, yes, scones and cream teas!

The menu is fresh and vast, but we always settle for the cream teas with the different scones, and it never disappoints. There is just something so old-world soothing to sit in a pretty tea shop, and relax into a soft chair with a bracing cuppa tea or mug of fresh coffee, and melt into scones, jam and clotted cream, or quiche, cake and bakes.

The walk up to the attic washroom is another little surprise and the decor is so charming and fun!!

We actually plan our days around tea here so we can enjoy the little terrace with outdoor seating or the large room upstairs. There is always a queue and always a rush for a seat. Once we overcome this, we settle in for mugs of fresh mint tea, the fragrance heady and refreshing, especially on a blustery Amsterdam day.

DLK is a wonderful state of mind, an absolute treat for the body and soul. I sit and sigh, staring at the world go by as espresso machines hiss and china clinks to soothing murmurs in many languages around me. I could be in an Enid Blyton, barring the sharp-eyed Tea Room Lady in her apron, and bowls of strawberries and cream. By the way, Dutch cream is soooo delish. All the old fashioned, no frills cake and hearty things to eat, spoil me for choice: apple pie, deep and fragrant; carrot cake, chocolate cake….towering high and smothered in simple frosting.

Is there anything better?