Amsterdam Shopping Tips by heryanta

de Bijenkorf: Clothing, accessories, house decorations Dam Square Area Review

De Bijenkorf is the most upscale department store in the Netherlands. Compared to US it is probably just below Bloomindale's and more upscale than Macy's.

It is a very good place to shop for dress shirts, tie, shoes, watches and house decorations. Part of the fun is a lot of the products are really European/Dutch so they also make good gifts.

Inside the building there's a restaurant, La Ruche, that is also a very good place to eat.

Prices are of course on the steeper side, but the clothes that you get there has a lot of European 'flavour', different from what you get in Los Angeles. I would recommend that you pay a visit, even if you don't buy anything. Their flagship store is located at the Dam, so chances are you will be in the area anyway :)

Address: Dam 1

Directions: Right at the Dam Square

Theme: Department Store

Website: http://www.bijenkorf.nl/

Huize van Wely: Champagne Truffels

If you are staying in Amsterdam South, near Beethovenstraat or Gelderlandplein make sure you make a stop at Huize van Welly chocolate and cake bakery.

This is one of the top 5 shops I miss from Amsterdam.

I used to live close to their Gelderlandplein shop and it is a heaven for chocolate lover like myself.
They have premium cakes, ice cream cakes, chocolates and truffels. Their champagne truffels is just amazing. Their cakes are wonderful too and they have everything from chocolate, lemon, berries, caramel and hennessy.

Their Groot Gelderlandplein shop reminds me somewhat to a jewellery shop where the cake and chocolates are kept behind a glass showcase drawers. The shop assitant dressed in white chef-like uniforms with white gloves. If you like chocolate, you will like Wely

Address: Beethovenstraat 72

Directions: Take tram 5 (Central Station - Amstelveen) it stops at Beethovenstraat

Theme: Food and Drink

Website: http://www.huizevanwely.nl