There are over 300 coffee shops in Amsterdam. They come in several basic flavours: dark rasta, generic touristy, authentic dutch, and cool.

Each one has a menu with their selection of hash, grass, pre-rolled joints, and sometimes spacecakes. Prices range from, fl 5 (£1.30) to fl 25 (£6.50) - depending on strength, strain, and rarity.

The better coffeeshops are cheaper, have a better selection, friendly staff, nice snacks, and good music. We attempted to find a few for you. Hard work but somebody had to do it.

instant factoid dutch
Everyone speaks English but it's polite to learn a few words of the lingo. Try: bedankt (thanks), tot ziens (see you laters), dargh (hello/bye) and, importantly, vloeitjes (pronounced "floo-chess" which are skins or rolling papers)

we are recommending:
global chillage
cosy central hang-out with good hash selection and excellent music
good place to start or end the day with a young crowd, excellent music (rare groove, drum and bass) plus live DJs sets from time to time. The wall paintings with their leprechauns and fairies are a bit classic-painting-by-stoned-numbers but overall thumbs up.
Keikstraat 51, open 11-24 daily
http://www.globalchillage.com

der tweede kamer
authentic Dutch coffeeshop with excellent menu
secreted in a tiny backstreet, this mellow orange and red coffeeshop has a olde worlde feel and an exceptional menu. Locals play chess, people pop in and out to sample the exceptional menu or chew the fat with the friendly uber-knowledgeable staff. A coffeeshop you could take your parents to. Actually, perhaps not.
Heisteeg 6, open 10-22 daily

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de Rokerij
dark and cave-like stopping off point
the low-rise tables and chairs, wood floors, and subdued lighting make this a nice place to sink into for a couple of hours. Music is a bit changeable but they serve booze, it's open late, and the crowd is chummy.
Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 41, open 10-01 sun-thur, 10-03 fri/sat
Singel 8, open 09-01 sun-thur, 09-02 fri/sat

abraxas
multi-levelled and colourful, worth a visit
If the busy ground floor doesn't catch your fancy, take the spiral staircase up to the treehouse-like other floors, all splashed with colour. You can see cannabis growing - LIVE! - on the top floor or stare, mashed, at people through the glass floor. Music good but can get crowded at weekends.
Jonge Roelensteeg 14, open 10-01 daily

greenhouse
good looking and welcoming coffeeshop chain
nice to see someone's spent time designing the perfect smoke spot: nice paintings, pictures, and - yummy - sea shells. Highly rated menu if a little expensive.
Tolstraat 91, open 10-01 sun-thur, 10-02 fri/sat
Waterlooplein 345, open 09-01 sun-thur, 09-02 fri/sat
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 191, open 09-01 sun thur, 09-03 fri/sat
http://www.greenhouse.org

paradox
bit of a walk but great food
Tucked away in the very good-looking Jordaan area of town, Paradox is worth seeking out to kill a couple of hours. Very good food (an excellent veggie burger) and fruit drinks, noisy kitchens, and a friendly Brit-heavy crowd. Warning: wall paintings very "cannabis".
1e Bloemdwarsstraat 2, open 10-19 daily

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instant factoid pre-rolled
If you can't skin up or can't be bothered, you can buy pre-rolled spliffs for about fl 6 (£1.50). Careful - these are not meant to be smoked by one person in one go

other notables:
Grey Area
A bit far flung and a bit industrial but good for connoisseurs
Oude Leliestraat 2, open 12-22 tue-sat, 13-22 sun
http://www.xs4all.nl/~greyarea

Kadinsky
Small, cosy and relaxed
Rosmarijnsteeg 9, open 10-1 daily

Homegrown Fantasy
famous, laid-back, bright, with a nice café
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 87a, open 09-24 sun-thurs, 09-01 fri-sat

The Other Side
gay, central and cool but with some occasional horrible Dutch music
Reguliersdwarsstraat 6, open 11-1 daily