Literature lovers, you must recognize this situation: it feels so sad to find your favourite works somewhere in a small hidden corner after passing kilometers of thrillers and fantasy books (nothing against them, by the way). Fortunately, there's at least one bookstore in Amsterdam where it is the other way around: Atheneum is specialized in academical books, meaning classical novels, lexica, scientific publications, art books etc... which they sell in several (European) languages. The shop is rather small but has a good collection, the staff is friendly and very well informed and you can tell they have a passion for their work. I'm glad that such places still exist!
What adds to the charm of Atheneum is the beautiful building from the Art-Deco period and its location at Spui in the very heart of Amsterdam's old centre. As I have written in my other articles, I regularly borrow books at the public library (check out my article OBA), but whenever there's something I really wanna own or give away as a present, Atheneum is my place to go :)
Find your way with 166 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Amid Amsterdam’s busy centre, the Rijksmuseum gardens offer a calm oasis with seasonal flowers, fountains, art exhibitions, and a peaceful spots to relax.
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Mangiassai is this very lovely Italian place, where all of the pizza makers speak Italian. What do we recommend? Close your eyes and pick blindly.
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Bar Babar is a wine bar on the bright Utrechstsestraat in Amsterdam, serving natural wines and carefully selected bites (the bread they have is yummyyyy).
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Le Sud, a family-run vegetarian takeaway, serves Mediterranean-to-Middle Eastern flavours with quality, simplicity, and friendly service. Worth a try!
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"Uncommon" in Amsterdam is a café that's so aesthetically pleasing it hurts. 'Good coffee is for good people', they say...
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"Local Dealer" in Amsterdam deals in addictive, authentic Mexican food! My favorite dishes? The tacos with fermented pineapple or the chicken stew...
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At "The Upside Down" in Amsterdam, your world is quite literally turned upside down! But here you can also learn a thing or two about the Dutch - win win!
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When exploring Amsterdam's famous canal belt, make sure to visit the art nouveau "City Archives", the most extensive municipal archives in the world!
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"Pompet" in Amsterdam Noord, with its bright furniture, jeu de boules area & outdoor bar with the the enormous croissant, gives new life to Floradorp...
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"Eiburgh Snacks" makes the best, extra-crispy fries in Amsterdam, hands down. What makes them so great? Just take a peek inside the next container!
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166 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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