A street chock full of desire

If you'd asked me ten years ago to name my favourite streets in Amsterdam, the Haarlemmerstraat would not have made the list. Shabby, uninspiring, its bleak shop windows punctuated by the occasional high street staple (Blokker, Albert Heijn, Etos...), this was a street that did no more than service the most basic needs of its inhabitants.

How things have changed – and for the better. Today, the Haarlemmerstraat and its shops are winning 'Best in Nederland' awards. No longer a mere conduit to Amsterdam Central Station, the street has become a destination in itself.

Take Deksels, for example, a kitchen and tableware shop that is so successful it has not only had to double in size (it now has two shops along the street), it has been voted Leukste Winkel in Nederland – nicest shop in the Netherlands. A glance into its window will show you why... 

Window displays as tempting as these are now the norm on the Haarlemmerstraat. From toy shops to juice bars to clothes stores to bakeries, the owners know that the shop window is their foremost marketing tool.

There are food haunts galore as well. Want to make macaroons? Step into Petit Gateau. Is Spanish ham your thing? Ibericus stocks the finest (with price tags to match). Wheatgrass smoothies? Make Jay's Juice your next stop. 

So next time you arrive in Amsterdam by train, don't head straight for the predictability of the Kalverstraat. Make a small but worthwhile diversion: hang a right onto the Haarlemmerstraat to indulge in a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Just be sure to take your wallet.