Amsterdam is one of the most photographed cities in the world and with a population of just under a million, it may be regarded as a cosmopolitan village. Images of gabled houses, bicycles and the notorious red-light district are all synonymous with the city. The rise in smart restaurants, trendy shops and stylish luxury hotels has been prolific since big corporations like IBM and Nissan chose to base their European headquarters here.

AMBASSADE HOTEL
Herengracht 341, 1016 AZ Amsterdam (00 31 20 555 0222; fax: 555 0277; www.ambassade-hotel.nl). Less grand and, correspondingly, less pricey than most of the canalside hotels in or around the picturesque shopping area Nine Streets, this is a privately owned conversion of 10 merchants' houses. The hotel is filled with antiques and has a library of 1,800 modern first editions, many of them signed by authors who have stayed here. Ask for a canalside room (those at the back can be cramped), and don't hesitate to seek advice from the outstandingly helpful and clued-up reception staff. ££

CANAL HOUSE
Keizersgracht 148, 1015 CX Amsterdam (00 31 20 622 5182; fax: 624 1317; www.canalhouse.nl). Located in a residential street, this quiet, old-world hotel has 26 rooms decorated in a classic 17th-century style with fine antiques and canopied beds. £

GRAND HOTEL AMRATH AMSTERDAM
Prins hendrikkade 108, 1011 AK Amsterdam (00 31 20 552 0000; fax: 552 0900; www.amrathamsterdam.com). The Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam opened in 2007 in Amsterdam's Shipping House, the former headquarters of the major Dutch shipping companies. The five-story, turreted building is a prime example of Amsterdam School architecture, the Dutch interpretation of the Art Nouveau movement. The historic landmark now houses 164 sophisticated rooms and suites plus many original features including a marble staircase topped by a stained glass ceiling, decorative wood panelling, architectural ironmongery and specially commissioned furnishings. ££££

HOTEL ARENA
's-Gravesandestraat 51, 1092 AA Amsterdam (00 31 20 850 2400; fax: 20 850 2465; www.hotelarena.nl). The hotel is located a 10-minute tram ride from Centraal Station in the city's 'green belt', near the botanical gardens and Oosterpark. The low prices and 127 spartan rooms with wood floors, lockers, white walls and bedlinen and simple bathrooms attract a mix of party-seekers in their twenties and thirties: a mix of stag parties and backpackers. TODINE serves traditional Dutch fare, trendy fusion or standard Italian options. TODRINK has a shorter menu. The best thing is the nightclub: roll off the dancefloor into your bed. £

HOTEL DE L'EUROPE
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-8, 1012 CP Amsterdam (00 31 20 531 1777; fax: 531 1778; www.leurope.nl). Hitchcock was so enamoured of the old-world charm of this hotel that he used it in his film Foreign Correspondent. Now supplemented with all mod cons, it offers haute extravagance. £££

HOTEL ORLANDO
Prinsengracht 1099, 1017 JH Amsterdam (00 31 20 638 6915; fax: 625 2123; www.hotelorlando.nl). This chic B&B, set in a renovated 17th-century canal house, has five modern rooms (the cheapest is in the basement) with Philippe Starck lamps, silk curtains, oak floors and beamed ceilings. £

HOTEL PATOU
PC Hooftstraat 63, 1071 BN Amsterdam (00 31 20 676 0232; fax: 676 9170; www.hotelpatou.nl). Named after the French couturier Jean Patou, this stylish boutique hotel is located on Amsterdam's famous shopping street and has 12 minimalist rooms and an Art Deco brasserie. ££

HOTEL PULITZER
Prinsengracht 315-331, 1016 GZ Amsterdam (00 31 20 523 5235; fax: 627 6753; www.pulitzer.nl). The hotel has 230 rooms hidden behind a façade of 25 canal houses and is ideal for the business traveller seeking old-world charm and efficiency. ££

LLOYD HOTEL
Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 1019 BN Amsterdam (00 31 20 561 3636; fax: 561 3600; www.lloydhotel.com). The hotel, in Amsterdam's Docklands, is housed in a building from 1921 and was recently modernised by several Dutch designers. All 116 rooms differ in size and interior - ranging from one to five stars. The hotel houses restaurant Snel (see Where to Eat), a bar and a library. £

PARK TOWER SUITE
13 Florapark, 2012 HK Haarlem (00 31 23 534 7773; fax: 534 8620; www.parktowersuite.com). Just a 15-minute drive from the capital, Haarlem is a boutique version of her seedier big sister Amsterdam, with picture-postcard canals, churches and narrow, cobbled streets. Park Tower Suite, a one-room B&B, is run by the effortlessly relaxed Arjan and Tricia van der Schoot, who have converted the ground floor of their home into a cool, light-filled space, with an open fireplace and Dutch-colonial antiques (although the bed is backed by an enormous carved door from Pakistan in peeling, pea-green paint). The suite opens directly from the sitting room onto the landscaped garden. Breakfast is served at a table-for-two in an intimate, sunny room and includes fresh fruit salad, great coffee and creamy Dutch yoghurts. Guest are given a set of keys to come and go as they please. It's a five-minute walk into old Haarlem and Arjan, while super-casual, will make sure you dine well and see all the best exhibitions. ££££

SEVEN ONE SEVEN
Prinsengracht 717, 1017 JW Amsterdam (00 31 20 427 0717; fax: 423 0717; www.717hotel.nl). Seven One Seven is a 17th-century canal house near the Rijks and Van Gogh museums and the main antiques drag, the Spiegelstraat. It's grand and masculine, with a serious collection of art and antiques. Expect honeymoon couples galore. There are eight sumptuously decorated suites named after artists, writers and composers, plus the more prosaically titled Room at the Top. All food and drink is included, from afternoon tea to breakfast in bed. Fruit, snacks and refreshments are available all day. £££

THE AMSTEL INTERCONTINENTAL AMSTERDAM
Professor Tulpplein 1, 1018 GX Amsterdam (00 31 20 622 6060; fax: 622 5808; www.amsterdam.intercontinental.com). This is the most expensive, luxurious hotel in the Netherlands. Quiet, scenic and located on the Amstel. Services cover everything from limousine to motor yacht. Its restaurant La Rive serves refined French cuisine. £££

THE COLLEGE HOTEL
Roelof Hartstraat 1, 1071 VE Amsterdam (00 31 20 571 1511; www.thecollegehotel.com). Located in the upmarket neighbourhood close to all major museums, and smart shopping street PC Hooftstraat, the College Hotel is a fusion of contemporary interiors in a classic, red-brick school house. Expect to see Beyoncé or a host of MTV presenters. There are 40 rooms and suites with glamorous bathrooms. Divine decadence is the mantra in the bar and restaurant, where chefs experiment with Dutch cuisine (try the herring sorbet). Most items are handpicked or inspired by Dutch artists. The College Hotel was featured in The Hot List 2006. ££

THE DYLAN
Keizersgracht 384, 1016 GB Amsterdam (00 31 20 530 2010; fax: 530 2030; www.dylanamsterdam.com). The Dylan is located in the heart of the 17th-century city centre, near trendy shopping area Negen Straatjes (Little Nine Streets). Previous owner Anouska Hempel's trademark Asian aesthetic is still in evidence. Kylie Minogue, Lenny Kravitz, Will Smith and Nick Cave have all stayed. There are 41 big bedrooms in various colours with huge beds that could easily sleep three or four. Bathrooms are sumptuous with vibrant wallpapers and marble tiles. The Dylan restaurant serves a mixture of international dishes and a French-North African menu. ££

11
Oosterdokskade 3-5, 1011 AD Amsterdam (00 31 20 625 5999; www.ilove11.nl). Housed on the 11th floor of the Stedelijk Museum of modern art (see What to See), this restaurant's limited four-course set menu is well priced. Very highly recommended. Be sure to book.

BLENDER
van der Palmkade 16, 1051 RE Amsterdam (00 31 20 486 9860; fax: 486 9854). Lounge-bar/restaurant with DJs at the weekend.

BORDEWIJK
Noordermarkt 7, 1015 MV Amsterdam (00 31 20 624 3899; www.bordewijk.nl). This minimalist, canal-side restaurant is popular with locals who go for the excellent dishes served up by chef Wil Demandt. Expect roasted quail and watercress salad, Provençale-style rabbit with red onion confit, and seafood risotto perfumed with bergamot lemon.

BRASSERIE HARKEMA
Nes 67, 1012 KD Amsterdam (00 31 20 428 2222; www.brasserieharkema.nl). Centrally located with a slick modern interior, open kitchen, great staff and very fashionable bar.

CAFE RESTAURANT AMSTERDAM
Watertorenplein 6, 1051 PA Amsterdam (00 31 20 682 2666/667; fax: 682 2665; www.cradam.nl). This industrial monument once pumped water from the coast's dunes. It now pumps out well-priced French dishes.

CAFE RESTAURANT LUXEMBOURG
Spui 24, 1012 XA Amsterdam (00 31 20 620 6264; fax: 638 5175; www.luxembourg.nl). Just across the square from the great Athenaeum Bookshop (see Where to Shop) and overlooking the Sunday-morning art market, this is a grand café and a good bet for a lazy breakfast over the papers. If you don't fancy the dark interior, there's a glassed-in terrace as well as outdoor tables.

CAFE VAN PUFFELEN
Prinsengracht 375-377, 1016 HL Amsterdam (00 31 20 624 6270; fax: 627 6900). A slightly upmarket take on the traditional brown café, this relaxed, but busy place serves good modern Dutch cooking: herring salad, steak with truffle sauce, salmon with beetroot and saffron dressing. You can also dine outside on a barge moored on the canal.

CASA DI DAVID
Singel 426, 1017 AV Amsterdam (00 31 20 624 5093; fax: 638 4646; www.casadidavid.com). Italian restaurant with a long-standing clientele. Pizzas are cooked in wood-fired ovens, and the pasta is hand-made and fresh. The restaurant also serves more substantial fare. Ask for one of the tables by the window. Highly recommended.

CHRISTOPHE
Leliegracht 46,1015 DH Amsterdam (00 31 20 625 0807; fax: 638 9132; www.restaurantchristophe.nl ). Although Christophe still bears the name of its original Michelin-starred owner, the restaurant, on a quiet and beautiful canal, is now under new ownership. The menu still draws inspiration from the olive-oil-and-basil flavours of southern France with influences from North Africa.

CINECENTER CINEMA
Lijnbaansgracht 236, 1017 PH Amsterdam (00 31 20 623 6615; fax: 620 4502; www.cinecenter.nl). In this soothing, minimalist bar setting, you may even forget to buy a ticket for its first-run art house films.

DE GROENE LANTAARN
Bloemgracht 47, 1016 KD Amsterdam (00 31 20 620 2088; fax: 622 0275; www.fondue.nl). Offers a selection of fondues in an elegant setting. Dim Sum Fondue, anyone?

DE KAS RESTAURANT AND NURSERY
Kammerlingh Onneslaan 3, 1097 DE Amsterdam (00 31 20 462 4562; fax: 462 4563; www.restaurantdekas.nl). Popular restaurant headed by acclaimed chef Ronald Kunis, situated in a renovated 1926 greenhouse in Frankendael Park.

ENVY
Prinsengracht 381 (00 31 20 344 6407; www.envy.nl). A trendy, delicatessen restaurant serving tapas-style Italian, French and Spanish delicacies. The interiors are modern with an open kitchen and glass-fronted fridges displaying ingredients from cheeses and wines to sausages and chutneys. The same owners have opened Vyne (00 31 20 344 6408; www.vyne.nl), a similar styled wine bar next door.

FIFTEEN
Jollemanhof 9, 1019 GW Amsterdam (00 31 10 711 1567 [from abroad], 0900 343 8336 [from the Netherlands]; www.fifteen.nl). Streetwise spin-off from Jamie Oliver's original, with corrugated-iron walls and graffiti art.

HERENGRACHT FOOD DRINKS ART
Herengracht 435, 1017 BR Amsterdam (00 31 20 616 2482; fax: 775 0299; www.deherengracht.nl). With its exposed brick and striped velour walls, the interior of this restaurant/lounge bar/art gallery is alluring in itself, but in warm weather the canalside tables across the road are better still. The cooking is 'modern Dutch', with Japanese and Italian accents.

LA STORIA DELLA VITA
Weteringschans 171, 1017 XD Amsterdam (00 31 20 623 4251; fax: 623 4251; www.lastoriadellavita.nl). The host here decides what combination of Italian country cooking you deserve. Enjoy excellent wines, the tinkling of a piano player and the spaciousness of its grand brasserie-styled interior.

ODESSA
Veemkade 259, 1019 CZ Amsterdam (00 31 20 419 3010; www.de-odessa.nl). Just across the dock from the Lloyd hotel (see Where to Stay), this Ukrainian fishing boat has been tricked out with an interior that might do as a location in an Austin Powers movie, and a menu to match. The irony seems lost on the staff, but not on those who flock here on weekend evenings for dinner or cocktails. Fans of modern residential architecture will love the views of KNSM Island from its deck.

PANAMA
Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 1019 BM Amsterdam (00 31 20 311 8686; fax: 311 8681; www.panama.nl). Panama is located in a 19th-century power station and serves international cuisine. The attached nightclub, designed by Ruud van Empel, is distinctly non-industrial-looking, evoking an old-fashioned jazz-club ambience.

RESTAURANT AS
Prinses Irenestraat 19, 1077 WT Amsterdam (00 31 20 644 0100; www.platform21.com). Located on the southern edge of the city, this conceptual restaurant forms part of Platform 21, an experimental space for design and fashion. Diners sit on benches at long communal tables while seasonal, organic dishes are cooked in a wood-fired oven.

RESTAURANT-CAFE IN DE WAAG
Nieuwmarkt 4, 1012 CR Amsterdam (00 31 20 422 7772; fax: 422 8641; www.indewaag.nl). International cuisine with a Flemish influence.

SNEL AT THE LLOYD HOTEL
Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 1019 BN Amsterdam (00 31 20 561 3636; fax: 561 3600; www.lloydhotel.com). When the Lloyd Hotel (see Where to Stay) opened, it had two restaurants Snel (brisk) and Sloom (leisurely). The former is a very popular brasserie with an unpretentious menu, where we lunched on delicious salads, and enjoyed excellent vitello tonnato and grilled fish for supper. The concept at Sloom was that there would be no menu - the chefs would prepare whatever you felt like. It didn't work, though you can't but commend the idea.

TEMPO DOELOE
Utrechtsestraat 75, 1017 VJ Amsterdam (00 31 20 625 6718; www.tempodoeloerestaurant.nl). Perhaps the best, and spiciest, Indonesian restaurant in town.

THE COLLEGE HOTEL RESTAURANT
The College Hotel, Roelof Hartstraat 1, 1071 VE Amsterdam (00 31 20 571 1511; www.thecollegehotel.com). The restaurant at The College Hotel (see Where to Stay) serves New Dutch cuisine. Dishes include herring ice cream and roast leg of lamb with white asparagus.

THE DYLAN RESTAURANT
Dylan Hotel, Keizersgracht 384, 1016 GB Amsterdam (00 31 20 530 2010; fax: 530 2030; www.dylanamsterdam.com). Under executive chef Dennis Kuipers, the Dylan restaurant, at The Dylan hotel (see Where to Stay), serves imaginative French-orientated food to a well-heeled crowd. Dishes include grilled lobster with muscat pumpkin mousse, pistachio pesto and orange tuiles, and beef entrecôte au gratin with bone marrow and smoked garlic, served with polenta and marinated button mushrooms.

VISAANDESCHELDE
Scheldeplein 4, 1078 GR Amsterdam (00 31 20 675 1583; fax: 670 4617; www.visaandeschelde.nl). One of the city's premier fish eateries. It serves a bouillabaisse to die for.

CONCERTS AND LIVE MUSIC
The Amsterdams Uitburo (AUB) is the cultural office of the city council and the place to go for information and advance tickets for theatre, concerts, and other events. Tickets can be obtained via the AUB's various service centres:
Last Minute Ticket Shop, Leidseplein 26, 1017 PT Amsterdam (0900 0191; www.lastminuteticketshop.nl); AUB (www.aub.nl); and www.iamsterdam.com.

BIMHUIS
Piet Heinkade 3, 1019 BR Amsterdam (00 31 20 788 2150; box office: 788 2188; fax: 788 2180; www.bimhuis.nl). A futuristic music venue that hosts over 250 concerts a year, Bimhuis specialises in jazz and improvisation.

HET CONCERTGEBOUW
Concertgebouwplein 2-7, 1071 LN Amsterdam (00 31 20 671 8345; www.concertgebouw.nl). With fine interiors and world-class acoustics, this should not be missed by the classically and theatrically inclined.

MELKWEG
Lijnbaansgracht 234a, 1017 PH Amsterdam (00 31 20 531 8181; www.melkweg.nl). The areas around the Leidseplein and Rembrandtsplein, though touristy, offer plenty of options, and this is one of them. Melkweg is home to film, dance, theatre and music, both Dutch and international.

PARADISO
Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam (00 31 20 626 4521; fax: 622 2721; www.paradiso.nl). This venue hosts world-known celebrities such as Robbie Williams and Babyshambles while on tour in the Netherlands. It also offers concerts with less well-known Dutch artists.

MUSEUMS
If you intend to visit more than three or four museums, either in Amsterdam or in the rest of the Netherlands, you can buy a museumjaarkaart (www.museumjaarkaart.nl), which allows you free or reduced admission to 440 museums throughout the country for an entire year. The I amsterdam card (www.iamsterdamcard.com) offers free public transport and free entrance and discounts to museums, restaurants and major attractions. Both cards are sold at VVVs, Amsterdam tourist offices (see Tourist Info), and the museumjaarkaart can also be purchased at most museums.

AMSTELKRING
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40, 1012 GE Amsterdam (00 31 20 624 6604; fax: 638 1822; www.museumamstelkring.nl). Of all the canal house museums, this is the most intriguing. The Amstelkring is a merchant's house with a Catholic church (Our Lord in the Attic) concealed in its attic, extending through the lofts of two neighbouring buildings. It dates back to 1661, when Catholic churches were tolerated only if they were invisible from the street. Open daily until 5 pm, but closed 1 January and 30 April.

ANNE FRANK HUIS
Prinsengracht 267, 1016 GV Amsterdam (00 31 20 556 7105; www.annefrank.org). Hundreds of thousands of people visit this museum every year, in the building where Anne Frank and her family hid as they tried to survive the holocaust. It provides one of the most enduring testaments to the horror of Nazism. There are no guided tours, but tickets for special evening visits can be bought in advance. Open daily.

HERMITAGE AMSTERDAM
Nieuwe Herengracht 14, 1018 DP Amsterdam (00 31 20 530 8755; www.hermitage.nl). Like its mother museum in St Petersburg, Hermitage Amsterdam is an imposing riverside building dating back to 1681. It overlooks the Nieuwe Herengracht canal and the River Amstel, and is close to the famous Blauwbrug, the Blue Bridge. The exhibitions here, drawn from the 93% of the collection that the Russian site hasn't got room to display, change every six months or so. The museum also has a bookshop and a courtyard café well worth a look. Open daily, but closed on 25 December, 1 January and 30 April.

HORTUS BOTANICUS AMSTERDAM
Plantage Middenlaan 2a, 1018 DD Amsterdam (00 31 20 625 9021; fax 625 7006; www.dehortus.nl). Walk a block further north from the Hermitage museum, and you will come into these gardens. The Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, founded in 1638 as a place to grow medicinal herbs. The butterfly house is particularly beautiful with orange postmen, monochrome zebras and giant owl butterflies the size of your hand flying freely among the plants and the greenhouses. It is a treasure, strangely off the tourist track. It is open daily, but opening hours vary with the seasons.

NEMO
Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam (00 31 20 531 3233; fax: 531 3535; www.e-nemo.nl). A Renzo Piano-designed, copper-clad children's science museum, part whale, part lurching aircraft carrier, whose rooftop becomes a sandy beach in summer. Open daily during the Dutch school holidays except 1 January, 30 April and 25 December. Otherwise, open Tues-Sun.

REMBRANDTHUIS
Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam (00 31 20 520 0400; fax: 520 0401; www.rembrandthuis.nl). The house in which famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn lived between 1639 and 1658 has been a museum since 1911. The museum has a good collection of Rembrandt's, including many etchings. Open daily, but closed on 1 January.

RIJKSMUSEUM THE MASTERPIECES (PHILIPS WING)
Jan Luijkenstraat 1, 1071 ZD Amsterdam (00 31 20 674 7000; www.rijksmuseum.nl). The Rijksmuseum, one of the finest museums in the world, is currently being restored to its former glory in a renovation campaign that will last until 2010. Until its completion you can see 400 of the museum's treasures, arguably its greatest works, in the adjoining Philips wing. The four luminous Vermeers are still on view, as are paintings by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Hendrick Avercamp, Gerard ter Borch I and highlights from the collections of silver, Delftware and 17th- and 18th -century dolls' houses. If your hunger for art is still not sated after a visit here, there is a mini Rijksmuseum at Schiphol airport (between piers E and F), with ten permanent Dutch masterpieces from its collection and a changing temporary display. Open daily, but closed on 1 January.

STEDELIJK MUSEUM CS
Oosterdokskade 5, 1011 AD Amsterdam (00 31 20 573 2911; fax: 00 31 20 675 2716; www.stedelijk.nl). The museum has been forced to shut its antiquated and cramped 19th-century building on Museumsplein following a safety order by Amsterdam's fire department, and can only move back in 2009. In the mean time, Amsterdam's modern art collection can been seen in a former post office headquarter on Oosterdokskade in the city's Docklands, just east of the Central Station. Although only a fraction of its remarkable collection is on show in this hastily configured and semi-industrial temporary space, the result is a triumph. The building is rough and almost derelict in parts, with metal supports jutting raggedly from broken concrete. The fixtures are made of ply, fibreboard and polythene and the signage looks like laser printouts. But, as a place to see radical art, it is thrilling, raw, exciting and of the moment. Its 11th floor café-restaurant, called 11 (see Where to Eat) is proving a draw as well. Open daily, but closed on 1 January.

VAN GOGH MUSEUM
Paulus Potterstraat 7, 1071 CX Amsterdam (00 31 20 570 5200; fax: 570 5222; www.vangoghmuseum.com). This is Amsterdam's top tourist attraction, with the largest Van Gogh collection in the world. It is a gentle, unassuming introduction to the man and his art. The museum houses a shop where all things Van Gogh can be bought. It also operates a library, open to scholars and interested members of the public, located at Museumplein 4. The museum is open daily, but closed on 1 January.

ANTIQUES

DE LOOIER
Elandsgracht 109, 1016 TT Amsterdam (00 31 20 624 9038; fax: 427 4990; www.looier.nl). Grand-scale indoor art and antiques market with 72 stands and shops offering a staggering selection of furniture, Bakelite objects, clocks, glassware, jewellery, ornaments, paintings and antique toys. Open Sat-Thu.

NOORDERMARKT
Off Prinsengracht, Amsterdam. While offering much of the same range as the larger Waterlooplein Market - from vintage clothes to furniture and books - this Monday morning flea market is far richer in old-world atmosphere. It's also a great place to set off on a tour of the speciality shops and tiny galleries in the hip Jordaan area. Open Mon, 9am-1pm.

PETER KORF DE GIDTS ANTIQUAIR
Brouwersgracht 869, 1015 GK Amsterdam (tel/fax: 00 31 20 625 2625). Right in the heart of the art and antiques district where more than 100 dealers have galleries, this shop stands out as a friendly place to stop for a crash-course in the history of glassware and the true difference between blue and white delftware. Open Mon-Sat.

BOOKS

ATHENAEUM NIEUWSCENTRUM
Spui 14-16, 1012 XA Amsterdam (00 31 20 514 1460; www.athenaeum.nl). Sells maps, guidebooks, glossy design and music books, as well as an excellent selection of international magazines and newspapers. Its sister bookstore next door sells Dutch, French and English fiction. There's an antiquarian book market on the square outside on Fridays. Open daily.

DEPARTMENT STORES

DE BIJENKORF
Dam 1, 1012 JS Amsterdam (00 31 20 552 1700; www.bijenkorf.nl).). The Beehive is the department store in the Netherlands, boasting eye-popping window displays and a fifth-floor chill out zone where kitsch and club wear reign supreme. Open daily.

MAGNA PLAZA
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 182, 1012 SJ Amsterdam (00 31 20 626 9199; www.magnaplaza.nl). A former general post office turned shopping mall - the perfect stop for speedy gift-buying. Spoil your kids at Bam Bam Kinderwinkel or Pinokkio; treat yourself at America Today and Velvet Uomo. Open daily.

FASHION

EXOTA
Hartenstraat 10, 1016 CB Amsterdam (00 31 20 620 9102; www.exota.com). Surfs the wave between high street and street fashion with its snappy King Louie casual wear and Petit Louie for kids. Also stocks Kookaï, Mambo, kitsch Japanese trinkets and fab Dolly Bags by local designer Olga Harbidge. Open daily.

SHOEBALOO
PC Hoofstraat 80, 1071 CB Amsterdam (00 31 20 671 2210, www.shoebaloo.nl). Cutting-edge shoes from Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Patrick Cox with sister outlets selling men's shoes on Koningsplein 7, and children's shoes on Leidsestraat 10. Open daily.

VAN RAVENSTEIN
Keizersgracht 359, 1016 EJ Amsterdam (00 31 20 639 0067; www.van-ravenstein.nl). Convenient one-stop shop for Belgium's most acclaimed purveyors of minimalist chic, including Dries van Noten, Veronique Branquinho and A. F. Vandevorst. Open Mon-Sat.

FLOWERS

BLOEMENMARKT
Singel, 1017 AZ Amsterdam. Near the Spui gateway to Begijnhof, this might be an Amsterdam cliché, but the 'floating' flower market is unbeatable when it comes to shape, size and colour of budding and dried bloomers. Remember to check your country's import rules before stashing any tulip bulbs in your luggage. Open Mon-Sat.

FOOD

DE KAASKAMER
Runstraat 7, 1016 GJ Amsterdam (00 31 20 623 3483). Follow your nose to The Cheese Room in the Nine Streets neighbourhood. Offers a shelf-buckling selection of domestic and imported dairy products, as well as olives, pâtés, fresh pasta and wine.

J. G. BEUNE
Haarlemmerdijk 156-8, 1013 JJ Amsterdam (00 31 20 624 8356). This century-old handmade chocolate and cake store, on a street that specialises in quirky shops, can reproduce any photograph on the icing of a cake.

HOME

WHAT'S COOKING
Reestraat 16, 1016 DN Amsterdam (00 31 20 427 0630; www.whatscooking.nl). This culinary gift shop specialises in colourful products with plenty of pizzazz, including hand-painted dinner services, silk sari tablecloths, kitchen gadgets and beautifully packaged marinades and wines. Open Mon-Sat.

JEWELLERY

COSTER DIAMONDS
Paulus Potterstraat 2-6, 1071 CZ Amsterdam (00 31 20 305 5555; fax: 305 5556; www.costerdiamonds.com). Amsterdam has been diamond-central since the 16th century when Sephardic Jews introduced the cutting process. Coster cut the Koh-I-Noor diamond for the Crown Jewels in 1852.

GALERIE RA
Vijzelstraat 80, 1017 HL Amsterdam (00 31 20 626 5100; fax: 620 4595; www.galerie-ra.nl). Paul Derrez's acclaimed gallery for contemporary jewellery is a welcome alternative on the otherwise conservative Amsterdam diamond scene. Open Tue-Sat.

TOBACCO

P. G. C. HAJENIUS
Rokin 92-96, 1012 KZ Amsterdam (00 31 20 623 7494; fax: 638 7221; www.hajenius.com). The house of Hajenius has been selling cigars since 1826. Also attracts non-smoking fans of fine Art Deco interiors. Open daily.

AIRPORT
Schiphol is the main airport in Amsterdam (www.schiphol.nl).

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
bmi (0870 6070 555; www.flybmi.com)
British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com)
easyJet (www.easyjet.com)
Jet2.com (0871 226 1737; www.jet2.com)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (08705 074074; www.klm.com)
Lufthansa (0871 945 9747; www.lufthansa.com)
VLM Airlines (0871 666 5050; www.flyvlm.com)

BY RAIL
Rail Europe (0870 8371 371; www.raileurope.co.uk) offers return fares from London to Amsterdam. The journey takes seven hours, including one change from Eurostar to a regular train in Brussels.

If you need to cover any distance in Amsterdam, take a tram. You can buy day passes or the flexible stippenkaart (strip ticket) which is better value. Alternatively you can hop on and off the canal bus boats. For more information on both trams and boats, as well as taxis and water taxis, visit www.iamsterdam.com. Why not join the locals and get on your bike? Orangebike (Singel 122; 00 31 20 528 9990; www.orangebike.nl) and MacBike (00 31 20 620 0985; www.macbike.nl) rent various styles of bike.

Amsterdam is fine all year round, although there is always the possibility of rain. The city is at its most beautiful in the spring when the weather is warm and clear, the tulips are in full bloom and the tourists are yet to arrive.

VVV, the national tourist information organisation (0900 400 4040 or 00 31 20 201 8800 if calling from abroad; www.visitamsterdam.nl), has several offices in the city and at Schiphol airport. It provides visitors with plenty of information, including how to get about by tram, bus, bicycle, canal and watertaxi.