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Lairesse Apotheek
Both pharmacy and installation art, with graphics of the periodic table filling the entrance and a rotunda of green backlit cases inside.
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Laundry Industry
Hip, urban types head here for well-cut, well-designed clothes by this Dutch design house. Watch glamorous couples coveting soft leather coats and perfectly fitted suits. There's another branch at Magna Plaza, but the Spui location is the main store.
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Laura Dols
Compulsive style-watchers head to this vintage-clothing store for fur coats, 1920s beaded dresses, lace blouses and '40s movie-star accessories like hand-stitched leather gloves.
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Le Cellier P000
You'll find a splendid selection of Dutch jenevers , absinthe, spirits and liqueurs, and a super range of Old and New World wines and around a hundred beers.
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Lieve Hemel
You will find magnificent contemporary Dutch realist painting and sculpture at this smart gallery. It handles Dutch painters Ben Snijders and Theo Voorzaat, and astounding, lifelike representations of clothing - hewn from wood! - by Italian Livio de Marchi.
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Local Service
Media types (male at 400, and female at 402) hunt here for the latest Paul Smith (Amsterdam's exclusive dealer for his main line), and the Ghost, Stone Island and Dreikorn collections.
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Look Out
Looking through the racks at these wonderful neighbouring men's and women's stores is a real delight. Look out for super stylish labels such as Paul Smith, Philosophy, Etro, Kenzo, Bruuns Bazaar and Annemie Verbeke.
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Magic Mushroom Gallery
There are fresh and dried magic mushrooms on sale (it's recommended that first-timers try the Mexican ones for a relaxed, happy trip) as well as mushroom-growing kits, herbal ecstasy and smart drinks. They also have a website for their smart products, dietary supplements and souvenirs.
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Magna Plaza
This grand 19th-century landmark building, once the main post office, is now home to a marvellous upmarket shopping mall with over 40 stores - fashion, gifts and jewellery, everything from Mango and Sissy Boy to Pinokkio.
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Maison De Bonneterie
Exclusive and classic clothes for the whole family are featured here. Men are particularly well catered for with labels like Ralph Lauren and Armani, best purchased during the brilliant 50%-off sales, but there is still plenty for the ladies. Note the amazing chandeliers and beautiful glass cupola.
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Marañon Hangmatten
Anyone who loves hanging around should come here and explore Europe's largest selection of hammocks. The colourful creations, made of everything from cotton to pineapple fibres, are for everyone from adults to babies, and are made by many producers from indigenous weavers to large manufacturers.
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Mechanisch Speelgoed
This fun shop is crammed full of nostalgic toys including snow-domes, glow-lamps, masks, finger puppets and wind-up toys. And who doesn't need a good rubber chicken every once in a while?
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Meeuwig & Zn
Fill your own bottle from metal crocks containing over 50 types of olive oil from around the world. You'll also find bottles of gourmet vinegar, mustard, chutney and fresh olives.
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Mendo
The Mendo ad agency has opened this smart, black-walled gallery specialising in young Dutch painters. Works range from bright to disturbing-but-alluring. It also sells an intriguing selection of art, design, architecture and photography books.
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Miauw
Analik is one of Amsterdam's edgiest young designers. Her latest enterprise, Miauw, is a showcase for her idiosyncratic collections, and likeminded labels such as Preen, Karen Walker, Kokon to Zai, and Henrick Vibskof. It also has changing exhibitions of graphic, media, graffiti and conceptual art.
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Nic Nic
A trip here is like a visit to a gallery of 20th-century design. Cramped shelves take you from Art Deco to Bauhaus, googie, the '70s, The Simpsons and heaven knows what else.
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Nijhof & Lee
Design fans will want to head here for a swell selection of international architecture, art and typography books, and posters in an intimate but contemporary setting. It's all the ultimate in academic cool - especially their limited graphic prints. One wall boasts a substantial selection of well-priced remainders.
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Nou Moe
This tiny corner shop features Asterix, Garfield, Tintin and 24 (yes, that 24 - don't ask us how you base a comic on a television show that unfolds in real time!). More importantly, it sells various merchandise: soft toys, notebooks, stickers, games, coffee mugs and bedroom slippers.
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Nou Moe Stripwinkel
This tiny corner shop features Asterix to Garfield, Tintin to 24 (yes, that 24 ). More importantly, it sells the merchandise: soft toys, notebooks, stickers, games, coffee mugs and bedroom slippers.
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Petsalon
In Dutch a pet is a cap, and milliner Ans Wesseling has been designing all sorts of caps and hats from this shop since around 1990. It's even possible to see the actual workshop in action at this store. One perennial favourite has an elaborately woven net down the back, giving a whole new meaning to the expression 'letting your hair down'.
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Pied À Terre
The galleried, skylit interior of this classy travel-book shop feels like a Renaissance centre of learning. It specialises in pretty much any book you'll need for outdoor pursuits: hiking and cycling books, topographical maps and travel guidebooks.
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Pinokkio
This pleasant shop stocks wooden and educational toys, rocking horses, wooden vehicles, replica canal houses, mobiles and, of course, lots of Pinocchio dolls. Since this is Holland, there's also a Miffy section.
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Puccini Bomboni
We're not the only ones who go gaga over Puccini's large, handmade chocolate bonbons with rich fillings. Unforgettable chocolates include plum, marzipan or the calvados cup. There is another branch at Singel 184. Be warned though, these shops have been known to close in warm weather - for the sake of the chocolates, of course.
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Reflex Modern Art Gallery
This prominent gallery, opposite the Rijksmuseum, is filled with contemporary art and photography, including works by CoBrA members and members of the Nouveau Réaliste movement.
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Reflex New Art Gallery
This new branch specialising in new art is across the street from the original Reflex. There's an emphasis on photography, and artists include young up-and-comers like David La Chapelle, Robin Lowe, Roger Ballen, Larry Sultan and Nobuyoshi Araki.
