Julia Khan Anselmo

Despite the fact that we are always on the go, we are never without a book, stashed away in our bags or tucked into a (roomy) pocket. When we want a little guidance for finding inspiring books or want the best magazines, there’s only one place we ever go: Athenaeum Boekhandel & Niewscentrum. Looking for a paper to enjoy while you have a coffee at Café Droog? There’s a great selection here.

This family-owned pastry shop is worth a visit for the interior design alone. That being said, their pastries are pretty damn good too. They have a fantastic selection of French & Dutch patisserie, but their (typically Dutch) kroketten are the most popular with local Amsterdammers . You’ve got to do as the locals do, are we right? We thought so.

Sometimes you want something a seriously slinky, but sometimes you just want gorgeously feminine, perfectly candy-coloured pyjamas and lingerie. In those moments, there’s only one place to go: Love Stories. This true Amsterdam brand is the go-to for all things underthings. Plus bathing suits and accessories and jewellery and more.

If you like Toscanini then you are sure to love their sister Deli! Here you can stop by for a flavourful espresso and focaccia sandwich, or browse through their big assortment of Italian products! 

Magpies, consummate hosts and antique aficionados will have a whale of a time at Tableware Amsterdam. Vintage glassware in dazzling colourways, antique silver napkin rings and kitsch crockery line the shelves (and the floors! and the tables!) at this chaotic but cute dreamland. Watch your step as you navigate the shop, as ‘you break it, you buy it’ is the motto here.

This diminutive bakery is easy to miss if you're zipping through the Negen Straatjes, but it's certainly worth a stop if you find yourself hungry mid-shopping spree. If the sun's out, we love nothing more than sinking our teeth into one of their cinnamon buns while getting as much of a tan as we can in the Dutch sun!

RAE is not your typical florist. Run by Australian transplant Ariella Hill, this floral studio feels as if it could only exist in a Roald Dahl story or a Tim Burton film. But, lucky for us, it is a real-life brick-and-mortar shop in the heart of Oud-West. There is no bloom to wild or branch too weird for RAE. Tiny bananas. Cerulean petals. Here, anything goes.