My Amsterdam guide for the best vintage & coffee
Fun fact about me: I used to live in Amsterdam (and a few other places in the Netherlands), but by no means is this a guide written from a local perspective - I moved out over 10 years ago. I have been coming back ever since, though, quite regularly as well, so I thought I’d share some of the places I love to revisit.
Split by area, here are my favourite addresses.
Central station area
Vintage shopping in Amsterdam still feels like vintage shopping anywhere else in Europe 5-10 years ago. If you’re old and lucky enough to remember the heyday of vintage shopping before the pandemic, you know that the difference compared to current times is unmatched. Vintage shopping back then always felt like an adventure, with shops packed to the ceiling with genuinely old things. You never knew what you’d find, but you’d find something insane or quirky, and that was the whole point.
After seeing some major, most recommended stores, and others that I just happened to pass by, I was so pleased to see that Amsterdam’s vintage scene is doing so well!
If you walk about 7 min from the central station, direction city center, you’ll find yourself on the Haarlemmerstraat, and this street is packed with independently owned vintage stores. Just walk down the street and enjoy the experience of visiting different worlds - you’ll find a good selection of 60s and 70s pieces in some, more denim in others, kilo stores and lots of proper cowboy boots everywhere.
Prices are sweet too; from the items I tried, there was a 70s leather skirt suit for €119, Tony Lama boots for €80, and 60s dresses varying from €30-70.
A very cool springbok fur, but a bit too 80s for my style
While you’re there, grab yourself a cup of a ‘fucking strong coffee ’-head to Good Beans, a tiny but cosy coffee shop with beans from their own roastery. For food - Gebr. Niemeijer, a French bakery with perfectly sour and crunchy sourdough (I even ended up bringing a whole loaf home on the Eurostar). I am now a huge fan of cheese and mustard in a baguette! Wow (in Gordon Ramsay voice)!
Dam
I only have one recommendation for this area, but it’s THE recommendation. CKX Studio, one of the prettiest vintage stores I’ve ever been to. Everything in there is just perfect and looks straight outta Pinterest or Ralph Lauren magazine. Harmony, who has run this space for 9 years, curates true American vintage with Dutch and Japanese antiques, lots of accessories and Native American jewellery. I could spend an entire day (in fact, I spent there a good while) just looking at things and studying the details.
Jordaan
You can get here by tram or just on foot - Amsterdam is beautifully walkable! If Americana, military and heritage are your things, make sure to check out Concrete Matter. Apart from vintage menswear, they also carry cool modern brands, with prices comparable to London’s.
Now, this area has a strong coffee lineup, and unless you can chug a few a day (lucky you!), you’ll need to come back - but what a great excuse to do so! My absolute favourite for the past few years is DAK Coffee - their beans are exceptional, and so is their showroom. You can book a coffee tasting session - something I’m still yet to do! About 4 min walk down South, you’ll find Five Ways Coffee Roasters - my 2026 discovery (I was just very loyal to DAK). Very good coffee, lots of cowboy art on the walls - I’m in! They also have another venue in the East (their brunch menu is 10/10). And yes, there’s more great coffee to have there. LOT61 Coffee Roasters - 10/10 perfect, extra score for the moss green decor, mugs and matching takeaway cups!
In the same area, there’s a cute Polish (!) place called Kazik which serves homemade zapiekanki - it’s an old-fashioned Polish street food, basically a pizza but better (I know I've now lost all my Italian friends here). They’re freshly made from scratch; the venue smelled of freshly cooked mushrooms, and they’re served on Polish pottery, not too far from where I come from. So I’m biased, but it was really good!
If you’re veggie or vegan, Vegan Sushi Bar at Kinkerstratt - my personal recommendation; their triple mushroom California roll was stunning.
Thanks for reading!