Shopping in Amsterdam

The largest street market in the Netherlands and the social spine of De Pijp, running for over a kilometre through the heart of the neighbourhood six days a week since 1905. Albert Cuyp is genuinely used by locals, not just positioned for visitors: the produce stalls are competitive on price, the Dutch street food (fresh stroopwafels pressed to order, raw haring with onions, poffertjes) is the real thing, and the fabric, flower and household goods stalls reflect what De Pijp’s residents actually need. Tourist stalls exist but are outnumbered. Best in the morning when the produce is freshest. Combine with lunch or dinner in the neighbourhood afterwards.

Two distinct markets on the same square on different days. Saturday morning brings the finest farmers market in Amsterdam: certified organic produce, artisan bread, raw-milk cheeses, freshly pressed juices and the best stroopwafels in the city, sold warm from the iron beside the church. It draws serious cooks and is worth the journey from anywhere in Amsterdam. Monday morning brings a flea market with antiques, vintage clothing and miscellaneous finds. Both are worth an early start: by 11:00 the Saturday market is at its busiest and some of the best stalls are already sold out. One of the most pleasant market experiences in the city.

Amsterdam’s historic flea market has operated on the Waterlooplein since 1886 and retains a genuine junk-market character that most European cities have lost. Antiques, vintage clothing, tools, books, records, bicycle parts and a significant amount of interesting debris from Amsterdam households. The quality varies enormously and patience is rewarded. The single most useful thing Waterlooplein offers to expats is secondhand bicycles: it is the best and cheapest source of rideable used bikes in the city, and Amsterdam without a bike is a diminished experience. Go early on weekday mornings when the best bikes appear and competition from other buyers is lower. See our attractions guide for more on the market as a destination.

Europe’s largest indoor flea market, held one weekend per month in the vast NDSM shipyard halls in Amsterdam Noord. Over 750 vendors spread across 15,000 square metres of warehouse space selling furniture, clothing, art, ceramics, tools, records, jewellery and everything in between. The scale is genuinely impressive and the quality is higher than a typical flea market: regulars treat it as a serious sourcing ground for vintage furniture and design objects. Check the IJ-Hallen website for the monthly dates. Reached by the free ferry from Amsterdam Centraal, which drops you at the NDSM wharf. Allow at least three hours.

The finest independent shopping area in the Netherlands and one of the best in Europe. Nine short streets connecting the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht and Herengracht canal rings in the Jordaan are lined almost entirely with independent boutiques, vintage shops, specialist food stores, bookshops, concept stores and galleries. There are almost no chain stores and the quality and originality of what you find varies from genuinely excellent to quietly interesting. The area is compact enough to cover completely in an afternoon. Highlights include Laura Dols for vintage fashion, Paagman and American Book Center annex for books, De Kaaskamer for Dutch cheeses and any number of design and lifestyle stores that change frequently. An afternoon here is one of the most enjoyable Amsterdam experiences regardless of whether you buy anything.

One of the best streets in Amsterdam for independent food, lifestyle and design shopping, running west from the Jordaan into Amsterdam West. Less tourist-oriented than the Nine Streets and more rooted in what Amsterdam residents actually want: artisan food shops, independent fashion, quality homeware, specialty coffee roasters and a mix of cafes and small restaurants between the shops. The street has a relaxed, unhurried pace. Good for Dutch design objects, local food products and independent clothing labels. Worth combining with a walk through the Jordaan or towards Westerpark.

Amsterdam’s main pedestrian shopping street running through the centre of the city from Dam Square south towards the Muntplein. The full range of mainstream high street retail: H&M, Zara, Uniqlo and the rest. Not distinctive but functional and centrally located. The Bijenkorf department store at Dam Square is significantly better than the street around it: a genuine multi-floor department store with a strong beauty and homeware offer, decent food hall and a good selection of Dutch and international brands across fashion. The rooftop terrace cafe has a fine view over the Dam. If you need a department store, the Bijenkorf is the best option in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam’s luxury shopping street, running alongside the Vondelpark adjacent to the Rijksmuseum. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermès, Prada, Chanel and most major luxury brands are represented here in a compact, walkable strip. The street has a calm, polished atmosphere suited to its purpose. A short walk from the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum. For those living in or visiting Amsterdam Zuid, it is the most convenient luxury retail in the city.

A quieter, more neighbourhood-oriented shopping street running south from the Rembrandtplein through the canal ring. Utrechtsestraat has a pleasing mix of independent food shops, wine merchants, bookshops, a handful of independent fashion stores and some of the better neighbourhood restaurants in the city. Concerto, at number 54, is one of the finest record shops in Europe: four floors of new and secondhand vinyl and CDs in a former department store. Worth the detour for music. The street has a more relaxed atmosphere than the Nine Streets and sees fewer tourists.

Amsterdam has an unusually strong bookshop culture for a city of its size. The American Book Center on the Spui is the largest English-language bookshop in the Netherlands, with a broad stock of fiction, non-fiction, academic and travel titles across four floors. Athenaeum Boekhandel, also on the Spui, is the finest Dutch bookshop: well-curated, beautifully arranged and with knowledgeable staff. The Spui square hosts a book and print market on Friday and Saturday mornings. Mendo in the Jordaan is outstanding for design, photography and art books and worth the visit even if you are not buying. For secondhand English books, the Book Exchange on Kloveniersburgwal is the best in the city.

Amsterdam has one of the strongest vintage retail cultures in Europe, concentrated in the Jordaan and De Pijp. Episode on Waterlooplein and Berenstraat is the best large-format vintage clothing shop, with well-organised stock across a wide price range. SPRMRKT on Rozengracht carries curated vintage and contemporary streetwear. Laura Dols in the Nine Streets is excellent for 1950s to 1970s women’s fashion. For vintage furniture and Dutch design objects, the antique and bric-a-brac shops along Westerstraat and Elandsgracht in the Jordaan are the best hunting ground in the city. The IJ-Hallen monthly flea market is the best single-event source for both clothing and furniture at scale.

The Netherlands has a strong design tradition and Amsterdam is the best place to buy it. The Frozen Fountain on Prinsengracht is the finest Dutch design shop in the city, carrying furniture, lighting and objects by established and emerging Dutch designers. Droog on Staalstraat is an internationally known Dutch design brand with a shop, gallery and hotel in a 17th-century building in the centre. The Stedelijk Museum shop is genuinely good for design objects, prints and books. For smaller, more affordable gifts and Dutch-made products, the Nine Streets shops offer the most original selection in the city without the souvenir-shop feel of the tourist centre.

De Kaaskamer on Runstraat in the Nine Streets is the best cheese shop in Amsterdam, with a huge range of Dutch and European cheeses, proper staff knowledge and vacuum packing for travel. Puccini Bomboni on Staalstraat makes some of the finest chocolates in the city: small-batch, unusual flavours, genuinely worth the detour. For stroopwafels to take home, the fresh-pressed ones from the Noordermarkt on Saturday mornings are the standard to aim for; the packaged versions in the Albert Heijn are a decent alternative. Van Velze’s on the Haarlemmerstraat has a good selection of Dutch jenevers and spirits for those interested in taking home something to drink.

The dominant Dutch supermarket chain with branches in almost every Amsterdam neighbourhood. Reliable, well-stocked and open late most days including Sundays. The own-brand range (AH Huismerk) is consistently good quality at competitive prices. The AH XL on Westermarkt is the best-stocked central branch with the widest range of international products. App-based shopping with the Bonuskaart loyalty card unlocks meaningful weekly discounts. For most expats, Albert Heijn becomes the default for everyday groceries within the first week of arrival.

Albert Heijn’s main national competitor, generally slightly cheaper on comparable products and with strong fresh produce. The Jumbo Foodmarket on Overtoom in Amsterdam West is one of the best supermarkets in the city: large, well-organised, with an excellent deli counter, fresh fish section, wide international food aisle and a good bakery. Worth the slight detour over a standard Albert Heijn for weekly shops. Jumbo also tends to carry a wider selection of international products in its larger branches, making it useful for expats looking for specific items from home.

The Netherlands’ largest certified organic supermarket chain. Good selection of organic fruit and vegetables, certified organic meat and dairy, a wide plant-based range and natural health and personal care products. Prices are noticeably higher than Albert Heijn but the quality, particularly for produce and meat, is genuinely better. Several locations across Amsterdam; the Bilderdijkstraat branch in Amsterdam West and the Linnaeusstraat branch in Oost are the most convenient for central residents. A good choice for families who prioritise organic food and are willing to supplement with Albert Heijn for everyday staples.

A premium sustainable supermarket with a strong focus on local, seasonal and traceable produce. Better quality meat and fish than any standard supermarket, an excellent prepared food and deli counter, good cheese selection and a thoughtful range of local and artisan products. Noticeably more expensive than Albert Heijn but the quality difference in fresh categories is real. Popular with the food-conscious residents of the Jordaan, De Pijp and Oud-West where its main branches are located. A good choice for dinner-party shopping or for those who cook seriously and care where their food comes from.

For East and South-East Asian groceries, the Chinatown area on Zeedijk in the Centrum has several well-stocked shops. Dun Yong on Stormsteeg is the largest Asian supermarket in Amsterdam, with an extraordinary range of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese ingredients, cookware and pantry staples. Oriental Commodities nearby is also well stocked. For South Asian and Middle Eastern ingredients, the Albert Cuyp area in De Pijp and the Dappermarkt in Amsterdam East have excellent specialist shops and stalls. Surinamese grocery shops, reflecting Amsterdam’s significant Surinamese community, are found throughout De Pijp and Amsterdam East.

For those living in or near the outer neighbourhoods, Dekamarkt and Lidl offer good value alternatives to Albert Heijn. Lidl in particular has a strong own-brand range and consistently low prices on staples, and its Amsterdam Noord branch on Buikslotermeerplein is one of the most convenient supermarkets in that part of the city. Dekamarkt branches are larger format stores with a wider range than a standard Albert Heijn, popular with families doing a large weekly shop by car or cargo bike. Neither is centrally located but both are worth knowing about for residents of the outer neighbourhoods.