One thing that will never seize to amaze about The Netherlands is the sheer proximity of some cities that in other, larger countries would probably count as one big metropolitan area. This is particularly true for Amsterdam and its little sister Haarlem. Just a few minutes apart by car or train, Haarlem offers a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the Dutch capital.
While its population is more of the ‘caffe-latte-sipping’ type and more traditional cafés abound, a few more daring entrepreneurs have taken it upon themselves as of late to introduce finer specialty coffees to the city.
One such team is made up of sister act Anne Marie and Sofie Mulder. Sofie, who spent a few years living in Copenhagen with her boyfriend Rens, developed a taste for more refined coffees while exploring the coffee scene in the Danish capital, and with her sister, shared a dream of one day owning her own café.
Upon returning to The Netherlands, they found a former hairsalon and with some help from their dad converted into what is now Mica. The name is their mother’s maiden name, and it doesn’t at all sound Dutch, but as Sofie laughingly confirmed: “We’re also not entirely sure where it’s from, but it’s a beautiful name right?”
The sisters bake all the treats themselves, bar the croissants, and have chosen to work exclusively with Berlin-based coffee roasters Bonanza. Their goal was to offer something a bit more unusual to the more common local roasteries and during a visit to Berlin, they came across Bonanza and after tasting some their coffees, fell in love with the quality, roast profiles and selection of coffees.
Mica’s interior is warm and welcoming and feels like a living room where it’s easy to strike up a conversation or submerge yourself in a book to get lost for hours. If coffee’s not your thing, they also serve a fine selection of teas from the likes of Lemon Poppy, who we also hold in high regard.
In Haarlem the pace of life is a bit slower than in Amsterdam but who needs to be rushing around when you’ve got a good cup of coffee and a delicious slice of cake?
