Habit, proximity, and a city best walked slowly.
For this edition, we step into Amsterdam through the eyes of Ulrika Lundgren, founder and creative director of Rika Studios, Rika Magazine, and Rika Studios Paper. Working between Amsterdam, London, Paris, and New York, Ulrika moves across publishing, fashion, and object design.
Still, Amsterdam is where everything comes together. Her studio, home, gallery, and boutique all sit within the canal belt, connected by short walks and familiar routes.
For Ulrika, the city is meant to be walked. Moving on foot brings you closer to its pace. Light on the water, glimpses through windows, the small details that shape everyday life.
Weekends start at Noordermarkt. Flowers, oysters, fresh produce. Coffee at Libertine, watching the market settle into its rhythm. Around the corner, Lindengracht carries the same atmosphere, with Toscanini as a constant. Along the way, stops like Pompom Flowers and Pompadour add small moments of pleasure.
Much of her time centers around Rika Studios, a townhouse boutique built on a precise sense of curation. Next door, Poetic Playground, once a bank, now hosts a rotating selection of art, objects, and jewelry, including a recent curation by Inez and Vinoodh featuring their selection of jewelry alongside exclusive pieces.
The neighborhood extends through places she returns to often. Architectura & Natura for books. Odette for long lunches. The Rijksmuseum garden for a slower afternoon, followed by the Stedelijk for a different perspective.
Evenings stay simple. A drink at Café Cenc, dinner at Balthazar’s Keuken, where the menu changes weekly. Later, Soho House for the view, or The Dylan for something quieter.
An Amsterdam shaped by habit, proximity, and knowing where to return.
NOORDEMARKT
My home is by Noordermarkt, a charming market that defines the weekend. Saturday mornings mean fresh flowers, oysters for lunch, and slow grocery shopping from local farmers.
LINDENGRACHT
Just around the corner, Lindengracht carries the same rhythm, local, intimate, and quietly vibrant. It’s where the neighborhood feels most lived-in.
LIBERTINE
A pause at Libertine, coffee outside, watching the market unfold. Simple, old-school, and exactly what a weekend morning should feel like.
TOSCANINI
One of the best Italian kitchens in the city. Always book ahead, it’s a local institution for a reason.
ODETTE BUFFET
For weekend lunches, Odette on Prinsengracht. Homemade cooking, effortless atmosphere, and desserts worth staying longer for.
BALTHAZAR’S KEUKEN
A small, ever-changing menu. The kind of place where you don’t choose, you trust.
CAFE CENC
An easy stop for a drink. A familiar, relaxed place to end the day.
BAR COPA
Opening next door, a new tapas bar. More casual, more late-night, and already one to watch.
POMPADOUR
A small luxury chocolate boutique. Perfect for gifts, or for bringing something back to the studio.
RIKA STUDIOS
Our townhouse boutique, a space for the Rika wardrobe alongside a selection of jewelry and accessories. Everything is curated, often in limited editions.
POETIC PLAYGROUND BY RIKA STUDIOS
Next door, a gallery set in a former bank. A rotating curation of art, objects, and fine jewelry, always unexpected.
ARCHITECTURA & NATURA
A bookstore dedicated to architecture, gardens, and nature. A quiet, timeless space that has been part of the city for decades.
POMPON FLOWERS
For fresh flowers beyond the market. Seasonal, natural, and beautifully composed, with a newer silk selection as well.
RIJKSMUSEUM
A must, but also for its garden. In spring and summer, outdoor painting sessions make it feel especially alive.
STEDELIJK MUSEUM
For contemporary art, just next door. A different pace, a different perspective on the city.
SOHO HOUSE AMSTERDAM
For its central location and rooftop. In summer, the pool and terrace become one of the best views in the city.
THE DYLAN
A quieter option. The courtyard in summer makes it feel like a hidden escape.
Amsterdam is best experienced slowly. Walk instead of cycling. The city reveals itself in details, in windows, in reflections along the canals.
#74CityGuides takes us across the globe with voices from our cultural community, tracing cities through lived experience, personal rituals, and the places that continue to shape them.
