Exploring Amsterdam - De Pijp

You'll find De Pijp (pronounced der - pipe) nestled just below the centre of Amsterdam, about a 10 minute stroll from the museum district, just beyond the Heineken Brewery.

Here you'll find not only a great market, but also some wonderful little independent shops, restaurants and bars. We met my brother and his girlfriend Laura for dinner at The Butcher one evening (I went for the Babaganoush - a juicy beef burger topped with minced aubergine) moving onto Kingfisher Cafe and Het Paardje for post dinner drinks, returning the next day to browse the market.

If you're looking to get away from the bustle of central Amsterdam for a quiet bite to eat and a spot of people watching, this is the place for it. The shops also offer sweet souvenirs that bring a welcome change from the gaudy trinkets in the more touristy areas. Some favourite stops along the way were Anna + Nina - a beautifully curated treasure trove full of everything from embroidered espadrilles to stamped brass necklaces and the kind of notebooks you love to hoard but are too special to write in, and The Collector, a lofty open space that sells the perfect stripy socks and lust worthy stationery, as well as a pop-up mani bar if you're in need of a bit of TLC.

De Pijp Address Book

The Butcher - Albert Cuypstraat 129, 1072 CS Amsterdam

Kingfisher Cafe - Ferdinand Bolstraat 24, 1072 LK Amsterdam
Het Paardje - Gerard Douplein 1, 1073 XE Amsterdam
Anna + Nina - Gerard Doustraat 94, 1072 VX Amsterdam
The Collector - Eerst van der Helstraat 1D, 1073 AA Amsterdam

I wanna go where everybody knows my name

I've lived in West London for just over 5 years, just off Portobello Road over the Golborne Bridge.
It's a well-visited part of London but has so much more to offer than the reproduction antiques and ten a penny market stalls selling knock off handbags.

If you fancy a visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon, do yourself a favour and avoid the crowds at Notting Hill Gate and instead hop off the tube at Ladbroke Grove, and cut through to Portobello under the Westway. At the end you'll find a treasure trove of vintage finds, second hand books and vinyl, as well as a burger truck or two thrown in for good measure.

Turn left at the top and carry on up Portobello until you reach Golborne Road, where you'll find George's, a traditional-as-they-come fish and chip shop that's become a W10 institution, Portuguese bakery Lisboa and Fez, a Moroccan shop that sells beautiful tagines and stripy terracotta bowls.

My newest must-visit is Redemption Bar, not only because of its location (a literal stone's throw from my flat) but also because of the stunningly fresh and healthy vegan food served there.

So, come and take a stroll around. And if you didn't know already, Portobello is officially the best place to see the cutest dogs in London. Extra points for spotting the old gent with his Jack Russell on his shoulder.