Our top 8 hotspots in Amsterdam West

Visiting Amsterdam West area? These are our 8 favourite spots to go to over there!

De School

The name says it all: ‘De School’ was once a school. The location has been transformed into its current form, a 24-hour location that is open seven days a week! In the coming five years, it’s expected to become the place to be in Amsterdam West, with a nightclub, concert venue, restaurant, and café under one roof. Bicycles used to be stored in the cellar which now houses the nightclub with a dance floor easily big enough for 500 people. Meals can be enjoyed at Restaurant DS, which offers three-course, five-course, and seven-course set menus with a focus on vegetables. Breakfast, lunch, and coffee are served seven days a week at Bar DS next door to the restaurant. With a lush, green inner courtyard as the epicentre of all this, we can tell you that this is a place not to be missed if you find yourself in Amsterdam.
De School | Dr. Jan van Breemenstraat 1

Fa. Speijkervet

Think of grandma, yesteryear, and all-but-forgotten dishes. See chopping boards with beautiful meat, from top to tail; worktops full of freshly-chopped herbs and vegetables; pans with steam escaping from under the lids; and all manner of wooden spoons. That is Fa. Speijkervet: one of the few restaurants in Amsterdam where every part of the animal is used in dishes. Almost nothing is thrown away. It’s a wonderful spot for those who love offal, as well as for those wanting to try something a little different.
Fa. Speijkervet | Admiraal de Ruijterweg 79

Rotisserie Amsterdam

Rotisserie has devised an ingenious combination of grilled chicken, burgers, and classic cocktails! Chickens are served in quarters, halves, or as whole birds, and cocktails are on the menu from Thursdays to Saturdays inclusive. Craft beers, available every day of the week, make for a very tasty and refreshing accompaniment to a plate of food appealing to the more carnivorous among us.
Rotisserie Amsterdam | De Clercqstraat 81H and Beukenplein 17

Foodhallen

We have mentioned the Foodhallen (‘food halls’) before as being one of our favourite affordable restaurants in Amsterdam… but actually it’s not a restaurant at all! The indoor food market is like a mobile ‘food truck’ festival but with a permanent location allowing you to taste all kinds of dishes, from meatballs to authentic Mumbai street food. The pop-up stand ‘Chicks Love Donuts’ has just opened and will remain until the end of April, offering the unique combination of doughnuts with fried chicken. Just want something sweet? The doughnuts can also be purchased on their own.
Foodhallen Amsterdam | Bellamyplein 51

Robin Food

Are you a vegetarian? At Robin Food, they serve a vegetarian, organic three-course set menu in the open, social space of a formerly squatted school building for the fantastic price of just €9. The Robin Food Kollektief is a kitchen on a mission: to improve the world by getting people to think differently about food.
Robin Food | Frederik Hendrikstraat 111

De Marktkantine

This creative pop-up hotspot is set to stay until 2019. It was once the canteen for all the traders working at the market next door. These days, it is a theatre, nightclub, and restaurant – all under one roof. The programme includes concerts, theatre performances, and monthly vintage markets, so be sure to keep an eye on the events calendar.
De Marktkantine | Jan van Galenstraat 6

Kopjes

The Netherlands’ very first cat café is home to eight cats, selected with love by two animal shelters in Amsterdam. It is a paradise for the cats, and guests can indulge in a ‘catuccino’. Book a table in advance to ensure there is space for you, and you can spend two hours in the company of feline friends.
Kopjes | Marco Polostraat 211

Zaal 100

In the words of Zaal 100 themselves, they are here to provide ‘toe-curling amateur theatre, curious concerts, bizarre dance performances, poetry of variable quality, exhibitions by all and sundry, mini congresses, obscure meetings, and other secretive gatherings that could probably be hosted elsewhere.’ We can certainly recommend a visit to this unique cultural venue if you are looking to be surprised.
Zaal 100 | De Wittenstraat 100
Are you planning to visit Amsterdam West? We’re located in Amsterdam Zuid and that’s just a 15 minute drive away by public transport or bike!

Photo by Matheo JBT on Unsplash