Hutspot is a mixed retail/hospitality space that proves tough to describe without first taking a deep breath. Here goes… Situated on Van Woustraat, Hutspot blends clothes, homewares and gifts with a cafe, ever-changing multi-purpose exhibition space and even a barbershop.

It might sound a little ambitious to combine all of this into one space but thanks to some excellent curation of its retail and a well-selected concession for its barber, Hutspot never feels like it’s overreaching or unfocused. The store opened in the very recent past and the concept’s rapid success has meant the opening of another site on Rozengracht in the Jordaan (minus the barbershop) early in 2014.

Despite how its content sounds, the store is no John Lewis. Occupying just two floors, Hutspot is a relatively large space for an Amsterdam independent, but nowhere near department store standards. It offers a boutique-y selection of clothing, accessories and homewares that tempt the neighbourhood’s cool kids to part with their disposable incomes. By the looks of it, quite successfully.

The upstairs cafe is a spot to hang out and (let’s face it) be seen in with your cool friends, your branded toddler or MacBook Pro. It offers decent sandwiches, cakes and pastries, teas and coffees, but unfortunately the service is a sore point that stops us from sticking around for too long.

Back downstairs, the nook by the front door houses the barber. Run by the succinctly titled The Barber (who also have a standalone shop in the Jordaan), it offers the kind of contemporary/traditional grooming experience you’d expect.