All vegan neighbourhood bar in Amsterdam Noord. Open daytime.
Laid-back hangout
Back in 2019 Jort and Caitlin were colleagues at vegan restaurant Meatless District. They became friends and found out they both had the ambition to open up their own place plus had similar ideas about it, so it just made sense to join forces – the beginning of Subcult. They felt Amsterdam was lacking an affordable, laid-back hangout spot open to different subcultures. Something in between a coffee house and a brown bar.
They started off small in 2022 with a pop-up coffee place operated by Jort (who is an experienced barista) inside vegan kitchen and community hub De Sering. Here they also hosted several events together.
Fastforward to summer 2024 when Subcult finally opened for real – their own concept at a permanent location! Located in Vogelbuurt, Amsterdam Noord. Although it’s not the prime focus, Subcult is all vegan (they are themselves as well) – their manifesto reads ‘Don’t eat if it has a beat.‘
“We want to serve quality without the label vegan as selling point, it simply is,” says Jort. “Because of the character of Subcult, people already come in with an open mind. So they’re not necessarily surprised when they find out we’re a vegan place.”
Spicy Mapo tosti
Savoury stuff on the menu includes some tostis (e.g. Spicy Mapo; Baked Bean) or spread on toast like Vegemite (!) – Caitlin is from Australia. Sweet options include baked goods such as cake or cookies.
Drinks include first and foremost top quality coffee. But also draft beers (Butcher’s Tears), ‘unwanky’ natural wines, cocktails and more.
Vogelbuurt
Subcult is located on a quiet square close to Meeuwenlaan. Just six minutes walking from the IJplein ferry which leaves next to Central Station. Plenty of cosy seating inside at various tables or at the bar. There’s a terrace directly in front and a bigger one on the other side of the street. Dog-friendly and laptop-friendly.
In the near future they want to host food pop-ups and to get the kitchen up and running, so they can offer a full menu of plant-based pub food. They are open to collaborations for private or community events, including activist groups.
