It started with a pitch at a coffee event in Norway. Nicolás Castagno introduced himself to The Coffee Collective in 2013 and talked about his plan: an Amsterdam bar that would be entirely dedicated to Scandinavian specialty coffee. No broad menu, no concessions - purely the best from the north. That idea became Scandinavian Embassy in De Pijp.
A barista himself, Castagno works with a rotating selection of roasters: The Coffee Collective from Denmark, Sweden's Koppi, Drop Coffee from Stockholm and Norwegian institution Tim Wendelboe. The selection changes, the bar is always high. Anyone who walks in here doesn't know exactly which roaster is in the grinder that week - and that's exactly the point. Scandinavian Embassy runs not on repetition, but on discovery.
The bar at Sarphatipark has an intimate Scandinavian interior that suits the neighborhood: quiet, but with character. You choose from filter coffee or espresso, prepared through various brewing methods, and order homemade pastries to go with it. Small, uncluttered, good.
The bar on Sarphatipark has an intimate Scandinavian interior that suits the neighborhood: quiet, but with character.
For businesses and events, Scandinavian Embassy also offers catering, showing that the concept extends beyond its two permanent locations. De Pijp has long had a strong coffee scene, but a business that so consistently maintains one philosophy - exclusively Scandinavian small-batch roasters, always changing, never generic - is an exception even in that neighborhood.