Het Oud-Hollandsch Snoepwinkeltje — Local services in Amsterdam

Entering Het Oud-Hollandsch Snoepwinkeltje (The Old Dutch Candy Shop) is like taking a nostalgic journey back in time, evoking childhood memories. This quaint shop on Tweede Egelantiersdwarsstraat is reminiscent of the kind of sweet shops that were in existence half a century or more ago.

The walls are lined with shelves packed with glass jars filled with confectionery in every colour imaginable. Purchases are usually sold in weights of 100 grams upwards and packed into triangular paper bags. Here you can discover traditional treats that are very difficult to find elsewhere, as well as a large assortment of hard and soft candy, biscuits, fudge, chocolate, toffee, cinnamon sticks, butter balls and sweet and salty Dutch licorice. There are also sugar-free versions for diabetics. In the unlikely event you can't find what you are looking for, the owner is happy to order it for you. A stand by the entrance is filled with Pez dispensers and refills. If you are looking for something unusual, be sure to try the quadruple salt licorice drops, blueberry licorice drops, aniseed gums or potato candy. A sweet...

EXCELLENT licorice but owner was the quintessential crabby candy lady. How is it that you sell something sweet that brings joy, yet you are jaded. It was a Willy Wonka-ian experience. Going in, we had a very good working knowledge of different types of licorice (salmiak, sweet-to-salty, soft, ammonia essence, caramel texture, etc) so we tried to communicate what we liked, but she didn't want to listen. Instead, she felt the need to judge our kid for being on her phone. How about grasping that without a phone kids would be climbing the walls, grabbing at candy, whining, but that would have been a complaint too! So, on either side of this "argument" she would've found fault. How about just sell candy with a smile or sell your biz to someone who is passionate about licorice & retail. And in a media focused world (& good for promotion), grinchGirl won't let you take pics in the store and accused our kid of taking a photo, all that was really happening was she was watching something on her...

This shop is all about licorice—it’s in everything, even the chocolate—and there’s a good selection. While there are other types of candy available, the real focus here is clearly the licorice, especially the traditional Dutch black variety. Unfortunately, the experience was soured by the owner’s demeanor; she was noticeably rude and condescending, particularly toward tourists. I was met with irritation simply for asking a question. As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy black licorice, I found the candy passable but not compelling enough to justify the unpleasant atmosphere. Unless you’re a die-hard licorice enthusiast who can overlook poor customer service, this shop is probably not...