Amsterdam Shops

With a focus predominantly on fashion, design, architecture, and photography books, Mendo’s cavernous, sexy space couldn’t be more fitting. All in all, it’s one of the most stunning bookshops we’ve ever visited.

Maison Rika is actually an adorable single-apartment guesthouse masquerading as an achingly chic boutique-slash-gallery. Former stylist Ulrika Lundgren applied the same edgy-yet-approachable aesthetic that makes her namesake line of accessories and separates so great to the two-bedroom, canal-facing space—if it’s authenticity you’re after, this is the way to go. The ground-floor shop is where you’ll find Ulrika’s famed leather bags and star-print tees, as well as jewelry from local designers and a selection of niche fragrances.

This teeny shop is a treasure trove of antique books, prints, and maps. Eduard van Dishoeck is a fifth generation antiques expert, so you know that whether you walk away with a fun one-of-a-kind souvenir or a valuable collector’s item, it’s the real deal. Stock is sourced from all over the world and tends to turn around frequently, so no two visits are the same.

It’s virtually impossible for anyone—adult or child—to walk by this place without being drawn in by the neat rows of rubber ducks, which all make excellent Amsterdam keepsake alternatives to the ubiquitous windmill/clog/tulip magnets. There are rubber duckies of every possible size, profession (ninja, dentist, bag-piper), and theme (duck as Christmas ornament, punk duck)—though our favorites are the ones dressed up as other animals (cat-duck, sheep-duck, shark-duck, etc..).

In short, this is a sneaker head store that caters exclusively to female sneaker heads, meaning that the Nike Air Max’s, New Balance 530’s, Asics Gel-Lyte’s, and so many more, come in women’s sizes only. They often get limited editions and hard-to-find colorways—we suggest following them on Instagram for updates on new releases.

As the bricks-and-mortar outpost of graphic designer Sanne Dirkzwager’s online shop, this beautifully curated stationery store can be a major time-suck for anyone with a penchant for pretty paper things. Dirkzwager gathers the collectable journals, cards, calendars, prints, writing utensils, and everything in between from all over the world—mainly Japan, Korea, and Denmark.

It’s been said that Jason Denham makes the kind of jeans other denim designers want to wear. What makes Denham denim so special is that it's mostly selvedge and comes from boutique plants in Japan and Italy, in fact, so high is the quality, that according to Denham employees, you don’t have to launder the jeans very often...or ever. The Denham Concept Shop is located just a few doors down from the men’s and women’s denim bars (clients are encouraged to customize their jeans to perfection) and features shoes, some accessories, and a really neat little espresso bar. Their flagship store, which carries the brand’s complete collection, is located just a few blocks away at Hobbemastraat 8.

Though you can come to this De Pijp favorite to shop, eat cake, and peep some art while you’re at it, Cottoncake isn’t just another design-centric concept shop: There’s something decidedly feminine about the whitewashed brick interior, globally sourced accessories, clothing, and thoughtful jewelry offering. It doesn't hurt that the café serves a small but mighty menu of brunch-y dishes, excellent coffee, and as mentioned, really good homemade cake.

While you may stop in with the intention of quickly picking up some train or plane reading material, the selection of English-language books—which spans three floors and just about every genre—has been known to keep book lovers browsing for hours. Check the ABC site before your visit for special events like book signings, author readings, and their famously generous sales.

It’s hard to categorize Droog as any one thing since it’s actually a shop, design collective, gallery, café, garden, and micro-hotel (there’s only one guestroom) all spread out over three floors of a single historic house. The shop is stocked with design-y home décor, accessories, and furniture from notable Dutch makers, as well as an area devoted to under-the-radar fashion labels, and a “spa” for beauty products of European origin. Connected to the retail space you’ll find the Fairy Tale Garden—a real-life garden designed by Claude Pasquer and Corinne Détroyat to look like something out of a pop-up book. Set up right next to the garden is Roomservice—a truly special little nook for grabbing a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or something more substantial, like soup and salad. It’s a lot to take in, we suggest setting aside a good chunk of the day to exploring the space.