About De Spiegel

In 1907, AF Haagedoorn Lunchcafe De Spiegel opened its doors as a people's coffee house. In the past, almost all of Amsterdam's garbage was collected on the Lijnbaansgracht. De Spiegel opened for the employees of the city sanitation department. For many years, De Spiegel was a thriving business with customers from all over Amsterdam.

 

Around the 1930s, the city sanitation department was moved to another location, and clientele declined. When the future new owner, Toon Haagedoorn, started working at the café in 1932, he did not want to sell just coffee. From that moment on, it was also possible to get beer and snacks.

At half past six in the morning, the café was filled with window cleaners, porters, and coachmen. The carriages were chained up in front of the door.

During the war, it was often impossible to obtain coffee or coal for heating. Thanks to the regular customers, the café was able to keep running.

 

After the war, in 1947, the café was renovated and the first real coffee machine was installed. The former living space at the back was incorporated into the café. As a result, it was now twice as large.

 

In 1974, Toon Haagedoorn's son, Fred, took over the café together with his wife Annie. Fred and Annie added a terrace to De Spiegel. Since 1990, the sunny terrace has made it an attractive place for day-trippers to enjoy Amsterdam.

 

In the late 1990s, the business was handed over to daughters Claudia & Alice and her husband Jan. They completely renovated the café in 2005. The menu was expanded with various dishes and specialty beers.

 

In 2007, the 100th anniversary of De Spiegel was celebrated on a grand scale with a visit from AT5; see the video below.

 

In 2012, the café was renovated again with a beautiful new bar where specialty beers are served on tap.

 

In 2022, Claudia's sons, Alice and Jan, took over the café. After a complicated COVID period, they enthusiastically started their new roles in the family business.