louf - oud west — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Louf could easily be the best looking, local, bakery in town.

I am happy to support local businesses if they give me a reason to come back but Amsterdam gastronomic expenses mostly go into branding and marketing rather than the product. Staff on average don’t “sell”, they just “serve”. At Louf its the same, making it a “drive through” bar.

As for the products, I still don’t understand why we still having this quality in Amsterdam.. Unfortunately they aren’t as good as everything here looks. Went for croissant and pain au chocolate and a cappuccino in two different times of the year to see if it was chance. They were the most greasy pastries i’ve ever had.. dripping really! Had to pass my hands on three paper napkins to remove the grease. Heavy on the stomach, poor for the palate. Pastries should be light and fragrant, thats really enough. And for the price i’d expect to smell orange notes, vanilla… anything.

Sadly, same disappointment for the coffee: it was burnt and acidic... milk was not warm. In the city, bars typically add 70-90% margin over coffees. This means that a “latte macchiato” costs around 0.3-0.5€ to make and is priced at 4.5€ making it a 90% margin. If you gonna charge that much over it, back it up!

The bakery is definitely the anchor point of your business and it would def be my trusty local bakery - but this experience did not make my day so i never came back after it. Ya’ll don’t need to be a bar - there are plenty already - but if you open yet another coffee place in this town just to market your awesome bakery display, might be worth while training one or two staff about proper coffee extraction… cheap labour doesn’t save on costs. But one day in Italy is enough to acquire a sense of hospitality and the taste of good coffee

love🩷and really hope to come...

At first glance, Louf looked like a cozy and inviting café, ideal for a quiet conversation with a friend, a date, or even a business chat. Unfortunately, that initial impression faded quickly.

The ambiance was disrupted by the loud chatting and laughter of the staff behind the counter, which forced us to raise our voices just to be heard. It completely undermined the calm atmosphere the place seems to be going for.

The coffee wasn’t bad, but any enjoyment I might have had was ruined when I found not one, but three dog hairs in my cup. I was tempted to buy some of the breads, which looked good at first glance, but they were left out in the open and not covered, after the coffee experience, I didn’t dare to try them.

Adding to the noise, there were multiple dogs inside, barking loudly, especially in the morning, it came at the cost of any real comfort or ability to hold a proper conversation.

We ended up leaving early, plates half finished, and went in search of a quieter and more hygienic place. The food itself? Nothing memorable.

Bottom line: Louf might have charm on the surface, but the noise, hygiene concerns, and lackluster food made it a one time visit for us. Disappointing experience, especially in such a vibrant...

Inspired by a Sourdough starter bakkerij louf began in 2022, the first location opened by friends soon yielding two more with each retaining its focus on careful craftsmanship plus good Ingredients served in a comfortable space.

Open from 08h00 to 15h00, the oud-west storefront an ideal place to sit outside during summer, choices come both sweet and savory though personal predilections lean into items such as a beautiful spiral Cardamom Roll with butter bolstering the aromatics.

Connecting with local farmers for Meats and Produce, the toppings to Sandwiches on Sourdough, louf’s “Honey Bun” takes that starter and sweetens it slightly beneath a crust with good chew in stark contrast to the shattering Pain au Chocolat.

Not ignoring more interesting items, a Cookie with big chunks of Chocolate finding new heights thanks to Sesame Seeds, fans of Shortbread will fall head over heels for Gateau Breton made just as it is...