We’re excited to introduce our latest food partner! As of October 2023, we’re including a new stop on the Grand Dutch Food Tour. For warm drinks, homemade stroopwafels, and other sweet treats, we’ll now be taking you to ‘t Goede Soet on the Keizersgracht. Here you will also be able to enjoy a lemongrass chocolate decorated with a print of the famous Dutch painter Mondriaan.
At this delightful chocolate and sweet shop, you will also find a host of other delicious cookies, sweets, pastries, and more. And, of course, you’ll have time to browse and buy some extra treats to take home with you.
Getting to know ‘t Goede Soet
‘t Goede Soet was started by Mireille 21 years ago, and the shop is located across the road from the house where she was born. She makes her own chocolates and stroopwafels in a workplace in Wormer, and she also works closely with the famous Amsterdam confectioner Arnold Cornelissen, who delivers a selection of typically Dutch sweet and savory cookies.
For this article, we interviewed Mireille to get a few more details on her background and to find out whether she had any interesting tips for visitors to Amsterdam. Here’s what she had to say:
How did you decide to start ‘t Goede Soet?
Mireille: My parents bought the building where the shop is located and then asked my sister and me whether we wanted to do anything with it. My sister wasn’t interested, but I was. There used to be a chocolate shop down the road from here when I was growing up, and perhaps that’s where I got the inspiration to do something similar. And the size of the shop also plays a role. It’s great for a chocolate shop, but it definitely wouldn’t be big enough for a clothing store, for example.
For the first year or so, I kept my previous job (ground hostess at the airport), while I spent a lot of time traveling around looking for suppliers and setting up the shop. And after that, it took around another four or five years before the shop was firmly established and well known among the locals.
What would be your number 1 tip for someone who has only a few days to spend in Amsterdam?
Mireille: I would say the 9 Streets (9 Straatjes), because you can find a variety of things there. I would also recommend the streets around the Albert Cuyp market, where you can visit all kinds of boutiques. And if you’re into pasta, I would definitely recommend a visit to Il Pastificio in De Pijp. This is a pasta factory where you can find great quality fresh and dried pasta.
What is your favorite food, and where in Amsterdam do you like to eat it?
Mireille: I really enjoy going to the Japanese restaurant EN Amsterdam. Another place I like to visit is Fondue & Fondue for their cheese fondue.
What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned while running ‘t Goede Soet?
Mireille: Never change your product range, especially in the beginning. If you decide to take something out of the selection, you’re almost guaranteed to have someone looking for it the very next day. And it’s also good to keep the selection steady and to stick to something for a while so that you can become known for it.
We’re excited about this new food partnership, and we look forward to taking you to ‘t Goede Soet on a Grand Dutch Food Tour!