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Whether you go for Baroque antiques or cutting-edge fashion, the variety of goods available in Amsterdam’s boutiques, street markets, and concept stores is mind-boggling, and hunting for that special purchase akin to grand entertainment.
If you enjoy the thrill of the chase, explore the charming, mazelike streets of the Jordaan and The Nine Streets, in the Western Canal Ring, where you'll stumble upon a surprising number of vintage fashion boutiques, high-end denim brands, art galleries, local design outlets, and specialty-food stores.
For high-end shopping, Amsterdam's priciest street is the P.?C. Hooftstraat, in the Museum District–-affectionately called "the P.?C." (pronounced “pay say”). Porsches and Range Rovers are parked on the street, and many shop interiors mimic stately Dutch mansions, replete with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and antique furnishings. Don't neglect the nearby Van Baerlestraat, Willemsparkweg, and Cornelis Schuytstraat, where you're likely to discover a hyperchic home accessory or premium investment piece for your wardrobe. At the other end of the scale, join the crowds on the Leidsestraat, Kalverstraat, Damrak, Rokin, and Nieuwendijk, where flagship stores, major chains, and department stores stand shoulder-to-shoulder with inexpensive fashion outlets and cheesy souvenir shops.
If that's all a bit too noisy and crowded, head to the Spiegelkwartier for a quieter, more refined shopping experience, with proportionately escalated prices. You’ll find elegant antiques shops whose beautiful displays include antique art, maps, furnishings, jewelry, and clocks. Collectors, museum curators, and antiques dealers routinely shop here for old Delft and Makkum treasures. If you have time, visit one of the daily outdoor markets: the bustling Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp is one of the oldest and best known. Be sure to explore the neighborhood’s many concept stores and hip indie boutiques as well, and make a pilgrimage to nearby Utrechtsestraat for its fantastic food, fashion, and lifestyle stores. There are lesser-known Sunday markets, like the organic Pure Markt at Frankendael Park and the Maker Market at De Hallen, or check out the Sunday Market and Neighbourfood Market at Westergasfabriek.
Founded in 2007 by Myon Veenendaal and Barbara Hilbrink, this fashion and lifestyle brand celebrates "enduring style" and a "seasonless wardrobe" over trends that come and go. The brand's flagship store offers a good selection of its European-produced mid-range women's fashion basics and some homewares.
You know that famous floating flower market? It's a tourist trap. Instead, pick up your tulip bulbs, fresh flowers, plants, and organic herbs at one of the many other markets where Amsterdammers actually shop, like the weekly "Amstelveld Plant Market." It’s held on Monday (March to December) on one of the city's prettiest squares, leafy Amstelveld, with its old white wooden church and sunny sidewalk cafés overlooking the adjacent canals. The farmers' market on Noordermarkt (every Saturday) is another good option.
Come here for arm candy with class: vintage Rolex, Jaeger LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, Omega, IWC, and Cartier watches, as well as exclusive timepieces by Christiaan van der Klaauw, Van der Gang, Squale, and D. Dornblüth & Sohn.
Founders Anna de Lanoy Meijer & Nina Poot take inspiration from their travels to Bali, India, and Thailand for their colorful, creative, and affordable jewelry, housewares, and clothing. There’s a second store in De Pijp at Gerard Doustraat 94.
The dazzling, skylighted quarters of this hidden Grachtengordel atelier-cum-store evoke the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Since 1987, antiquarian Anouk Beerents has been buying 18th- and 19th-century antique mirrors from France and Italy, and restoring them for local and international clients (including Ralph Lauren shops in Chicago and New York, and the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Amsterdam). Replete with ornate gold- or silver-gilded frames, several hundred museum-quality mirrors (some actually from the Palace of Versailles) adorn the walls of this space, which is so large that customers are invited to park their cars inside. Visits are by appointment only, and international shipping can be arranged.
The largest covered art and antiques market in the Netherlands is a cooperative, housing more than 55 dealers and 10,000 objects. You may have to browse through a lot of junk, but you wouldn't be the first to end up with a great buy on an antique doll, a first-edition book, or military memorabilia.
This antiquarian's heaven, housed in a former department store, offers five floors of treasures on Amsterdam history. Specialties of this family-run business include books on pre-18th-century art, classical archaeology, architecture, biology, and the Olympic Games, as well as topographical maps and prints. It also offers a fair share of other literature nicely shelved by subject.
Chocoholics, take note: this Oud-Zuid institution not only sells handmade bonbons in sophisticated flavors like Earl Grey, cranberry-caramel, and black sesame-lychee, but will also custom-design just about anything you can imagine in chocolate. Several options are available for those with lactose, gluten, or cacao allergies. There is also a shop on Molsteeg 11, offering ArtiChoc's most famous in-house specialty, Hemelse Stenen or ''Heavenly Stones," meltingly soft chocolate squares with nuts.
Founded in 1967, this shop is treasure trove of jewelry, fabrics, furniture, and other curiosities—both old and new—from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Fashioned by three local goldsmiths—Marijke te Loo, Marit de Koomen, and Wouter de Gruijter—the exclusive, handmade gold jewelry here evokes the romance of Byzantium.
Looking to stock up on original gifts for the (grand)kids back home? Head to this colorful toy store and boutique on trendy Javastraat, where you'll find brands like Petit Monkey, Bobo Choses, Konges Sløjd, and Janod for kids up to 10. There's also a specialist in-house hairdresser, where the littles can perch on unicorn, VW bus, or motorcycle seats. Every kids' haircut (€29.50) includes your choice of plaits, glitter, or a rainbow of spray-on colors.
Stop by this highly respected specialty shop for art books after visiting the nearby Stedelijk Museum, Van Gogh Museum, or Rijksmuseum. The store also has an interesting selection of highbrow literature and nonfiction.
In business since 1792, this is one of the city's oldest and finest jewelers. In fact, founder Adrianus Bonebakker was famously commissioned by King Willem II to design a royal crown. While Bonebakker still manufactures and sells high-end jewelry and diamonds, you'll also find watches and fine jewelry by the likes of Ole Lynggaard, Pasquale Bruni, Boucheron, and Messika.
Redolent of a bygone era in a rural New England town, this browse-worthy shop sells used English-language books on all subjects and many a secondhand paperback.
Women inspired by the betwixt-beach-and-bar look of Ibiza should sashay their suede ankle boots here for brands such as Isabel Marant Étoile, Paul & Joe, Antik Batik, Ganni, Masscob, and Joseph.
Established in 1841, this Dutch department store chain offers affordable fashion for the whole family, ranging from 100% organic cotton baby clothes to plus-size cargo jeans and recycled swimwear. There are always sales racks, and if you have the patience to paw through them, you may be rewarded with some discounted gems. The Kalverstraat store is one of five in Amsterdam alone; for other locations, visit the website.
Trendy boys and girls flock here for fashionable street wear from labels such as maharashi, Billionaire Boys Club, Rick Owens, and Walter van Beirendonck, as well as the latest sneakers and shoes from Premiata, Grenson, and Both. Do check out the work of local and international artists in the adjacent gallery.
Since 1910, this popular market has been a consumer crossroads in Amsterdam-Oost. Running the length of the eponymous street, the market's 250 stalls sell everything from discount clothing and cosmetics to flowers and fabrics. The food offerings are just as diverse and include halal lamb kebabs, Indonesian loempia (egg rolls), and Dutch kibbeling (deep-fried battered cod).
"The Beehive" is still the nation's best-known department store, where shoppers swarm for top international lines of designer clothing, shoes, and cosmetics, along with a decent array of furniture and appliances, and one of the best stationery selections in town. Recent renovations, including a tax-free lounge and various ground-floor store-within-a-store boutiques, have focused on attracting international shoppers looking for premium brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chloé, Givenchy, Tiffany & Co., and LOEWE.
The city has a number of book markets, although its most famous takes place every Friday on leafy Spui Square. Under the little white tents, it's an antiquarian- and used-book browsing paradise.
A discreet, well-informed staff promote healthful sexual practices at this condom emporium (with an equally handy online store). You'll find a colorful collection of rubbers and novelty condoms as well as allergy-free and made-to-measure options.
Besides exhibiting highlights of its collection, this design collective also sells a number of its irreverent, often artfully industrial, furniture, and home accessories. What began as a decidedly Dutch group now comprises designers from all over the globe who have together cultivated an international reputation for groundbreaking conceptual design.
With an emphasis on "real food"—local, seasonal, and sometimes organic—and transparent production practices, this sustainable supermarket offers everything from fresh fish, meats, and cheeses to baked goods. A variety of organic wines, artisanal snacks and drinks like kombucha are available, too. Note that only credit and debit cards are accepted.
This shop started out in 1935 as a specialist in English hats and caps. Later, they added pullovers, tweed jackets, tartan scarves, and many other trappings of the English gentleman to their inventory. The cozy shop may be small, but there's plenty to choose from—and they still sell hats, too. There are also locations in Oud-Zuid, Nieuwmarktbuurt, and Amstelveen.
It's Grandma's attic meets the Salvation Army at this stylist’s playground that originally opened on Waterlooplein and now has branches throughout Amsterdam and the Netherlands as well as in Brussels, Copenhagen, Antwerp, Paris, and Hamburg.
Founded in 2009 by the (then) student Guillaume Philibert, who wanted to challenge the status quo and design a premium sneaker at a fair price point, this Amsterdam-based label's now-famous Low Top has successfully bridged the gap between street wear and fashion, winning international acclaim along the way. Visit the flagship store to peruse the entire collection of innovative footwear as well as ready-to-wear luxury streetwear, bags, accessories, and eyewear for men and women.
For superb Chinese porcelain, Venetian glass, and Dutch tiles—all fired before 1900—visit this family-run shop in the Spiegelkwartier. Kitty Laméris has been the "glass and tile expert" on the Dutch version of Antiques Roadshow since 2006, so you know you're in good hands here.
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