A few weeks ago, while strolling around the city centre of Eindhoven, I decided to take another turn and bumped into the Victoriapark. A surprisingly relaxed spot with lots of potential. I went to sit on one of the terraces and ended up at Zwart Wit koffie.
The young owners are really nice, enthusiastic, very relaxed and open for a chat and we got to talk about this new Coffee and lunchspot. After practising the barista moves with wooden spoons to get the routines memorized, working very hard in the Ozzies coffee-bars for a combined 1.5 years and after being schooled and working at Illy, they stumbled upon the opportunity of a great location to start a business in their hometown Eindhoven. Jenko And Raymon started Zwart Wit Koffie in August at the Victoriapark in Eindhoven, a place surrounded by the old Philips-buildings that are being renovated (or already have been) into lofts and apartments. The park itself will be made-over within the next two years, transofrming it into THE city park of Eindhoven, just a 2 minute walk from the busy Demer shopping street. This is going to be an incredible area.
We have to move back in time four years and move to Australia to get to the point of birth of the idea of opening their own coffee- and lunchbar. The idea started in Eindhoven with a Jack Daniels & Coke, progressed in Melbourne, Australia and ended up being a concept of ‘We only serve the best quality’. These fresh looking Dutch Aussies worked in several coffee-bars in Brunswick, Melbourne and got to learn the tricks of the trade of being a high-end barista. The standards in Australia regarding coffee are a lot higher than the Dutch ones.
So, what does ‘only the best quality mean?’ Well it means, that if your latte is too flat, or if your tea is not at the right temperature, it will be sent back to insure you get the perfect beverage. They just installed an osmosis-system in front of the espressomachine that filters the minerals and only adds the good ones. The food menu adds to this concept of only the best, so the sandwiches and other food they serve are always perfect and delicious; even the sauces have been invented and tested to match the standards of the owners. One of the most-sold is the ‘broodje zoet’, a sandwich with buffalo mozzarella, strawberry, fresh basil and 5yr old ripened balsamico. I have also had the Pulled-Pork sandwich which was really delicious. Also good: The fresh fruit of the day and the daily-fresh croissants from ‘Mannen van Deeg’ (Vershal het Veem) and last but not least the proper Australian Ginger beer Bundaberg.
Eindhoven Coffee tasting
I recently tried some of Eindhoven’s best coffee hotspots beans at home, looking for my best cappuccino for at home. Of course taste is very personal, but you can find my coffee tasting blog here. I tried Keen Coffee, which was served at Zwart Wit Koffie, when I was there.
The interior of Zwart Wit Koffie is very well thought of, and the objects and furniture come from all different corners of Holland. The owners wanted to have a great view from every angle in the coffee-bar. Wherever you sit, it must look good and feel great. I think they did a hell of a job, because the opennes of this place, including the warmth of the wooden wall and the terrace makes this place easy-going. Enjoy your coffee in the sun (when it pops out, it will light up the terrace all day), or your perfect tea at the (really) long wooden table whilst reading a newspaper or doing some work.
The design of their menu, merchandise, take-away trays/cups and their facebook site was done by a friend Willem van Kollenburg and is all in style – looking good. In reference to the building they are part of, the silver-wear is not silver, but gold. I guess that in a couple of months, the golden spoons will be in circulation throughout the whole city of Eindhoven. 🙂
The guests of Zwart-Wit koffie are of all kinds. The Design Academy is right around the corner, but you will find people of all sorts: young and old, hip and alternative, Dutch or foreign at Zwart-Wit Koffie.
All in all this coffee, lunch and terrace hotspot has a good interior, friendly service, good products and above all a chill atmosphere. Maybe the owners brought a little of Australia back to Eindhoven: No Worries mate!!! They serve you in a personal manner and with smile and a small joke every now an then.
Please enjoy this nice hotspot near the city centre!
For other Lunch, Coffee or Terrace hotspots visit my category pages. Recently Zwart Wit Koffie started delivering in the city centre. You can order your sandwich, breakfast or coffee via Deliveroo. For the latest hotspots or events follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.