The Jolly Joker
Nieuwmarkt 4-A
1012 CR Amsterdam, Netherlands [Get Directions]
Phone: +31 020-625-1227
Hours: Call for hours
Even though I was in Amsterdam for the 2008 Cannabis Cup, I not only wanted to hit up coffee shops that were entered in The Cup, but I also wanted to hit a handful of shops that I had heard good things about over the years.
The Jolly Joker is a shop that I had heard and read nothing but good things about so when my wife and I happened to come across it while to trying to do a little sight seeing, I was stoked.
Right when you walk in you can’t help but feel welcome, which is a lot more than I can say for some of the shops I visited. There is nothing super-special about The Jolly Joker, at least that’s what I thought prior to trying their White Widow and noticing the upstairs lounge area.
It was pretty damn cold outside when we found The Jolly Joker and walking into a nice and warm, pot smoke filled room was quite comforting. My wife walked up the stairs that are located near the back wall and grabbed us a table near the rail which allowed us to look down over the entire shop. A plus for any ‘people watchers’ out there.
There were a few people in line ahead of me at the bar. Not too bad. I actually prefer to see people at the bar, it makes me think they have something of quality to offer. (Not always the case)
When it was my turn the bud tender was more than happy to show me a variety of strains to choose from. In the end there was no way I could pass up their White Widow, it just looked head and shoulders better than everything else. And that’s saying a lot as they had some pretty good bud.
After heading upstairs I sat down and proceeded to chop up the biggest of the 2 nugs that came in the gram I purchased. It was immediately obvious this was some serious gear and I ran down and grabbed another gram for the road.
As I mentioned before, the upstairs lounge area, which has a bunch of chairs and tables is a great place to people watch. We must of sat up there for a good 30 minutes while I burned 2 nice Widow fatties. One after another both locals and tourists alike came in and out, some staying for a while while others were there on a mission and just left.
By far the most interesting of the people we saw was a hottie in her 20’s that came in with a dog. It was a little tan Chihuahua that she just let run all over the place like it owned the shop. Luckily it didn’t come upstairs because I was in no mood to deal with a little snappy dog.
I know there are a few of you reading this that probably have been to Amsterdam and missed The Jolly Joker. Never fear, I have a feeling The Joker is going to be around for many years to come. It just had too good a vibe to it for it to ever close imo. –Chubbs
Grade: A+
Pros: Great vibe, nice staff, plenty of seating, clean, great selection of weed and hash, upstairs lounge area, location
Cons: The usual, no credit cards and no atm. Those 2 are just big drawbacks for us Americans.
Weed Map:
View Coffeeshop De Jolly Joker in a larger map
Related Reviews
White Widow – By far the best example of this world famous strain I have tried.
2008 Cannabis Cup – A great competition that ended up showcasing some great herb.
2009 Cannabis Cup – I am looking forward to this years cup being even better than the last. By far!
Amsterdam – A collections of revues and posts that all have Amsterdam as a common theme.
Random Reviews
may not be too popular but i’ll always have fond memories, first coffeeshop i stepped foot in on my first trip to the dam
@ogspliff: I have a feeling The Joker is very popular with locals and those that are “in the know” as they say.
i love white widow, when i go to Adam im gunna have to try their WW.
The Joker is about as good as they come. We have been going to Amsterdam for years and the Joker is always the first and last place we visit. I have made many friends there, locals and otherwise and really look forward to going again. It is not a big place but it is very comfortable and the staff is usually really nice. There have been a few aholes working behind the counter over the years, but where is that not true?
Very welcoming place! I visited Amsterdam, not knowing what to expect of the “coffeeshops” I’d heard of. The baristas were friendly and helpful. I had an issue with low blood sugar, and my hands started to shake. One of the baristas assisted me– she helped me outside and gave me a banana and some kind words. Very comforting for a novice like me! I know I’ll be paying the Jolly Joker a visit next time I’m in town, no doubts about it.