Non-touristy Amsterdam: Best things to do in Amsterdam Oud-West

If you’re planning to visit Amsterdam for your second or even third time and thinking of exploring some non-touristy or less touristy spots in Amsterdam, this post is for you. In this post, you will find out all about the up and coming neighbourhood Amsterdam Oud-West and learn about the best things to do in Amsterdam Oud-West in a half day or even a full day if you decide to stay there for long.

So without further ado, let’s get started!

Where is Amsterdam Oud-West and why is it worth visiting?

As I already mentioned before, Amsterdam Oud-West is a great up and coming neighbourhood in Amsterdam. It used to be not a very remarkable residential area of the city; however, in recent years it changed a lot. Since the opening of De Hallen in 2014, Oud-West started to attract way more locals and tourists alike, and it helped Oud-West a lot. Now Amsterdam Oud-West is on its journey towards becoming a very trendy and hipster area of Amsterdam. We teamed up with iAmsterdam in order to explore the are and tell you about the best things to do in Amsterdam Oud-West. Amsterdam is more than just canals and a beautiful city centre, so if you want to see more unusual, unique and non-touristy places in Amsterdam, look for the hashtag #morethancitycenter. Alternatively, I also tried to sum up the best spots outside the city centre of Amsterdam that I managed to explore in just two days. You can find and read this post here (to be published soon).

As for the location, Amsterdam Oud-West is located close to the city centre of Amsterdam, and you can actually walk there in 30 minutes. However, if you prefer other means of transport other than your legs, you can also take a tram. Amsterdam Oud-West is located between Oud-Zuid and Jordaan, and if you’re planning to explore the Vondelpark as well, you will really be just minutes away!

Where to stay in Amsterdam Oud-West?

In case you’re planning to stay in the area as well (which is probably a great idea), I have a couple of suggestions for you. It’s a great idea because prices for accommodation in Oud-West are way lower than in the city centre. Nonetheless, there are quite a few really nice hotels and flats in Oud-West. Just take a look at these great hotels, for example:

Conscious Hotel Vondelpark and Pillows Anna van den Vondel.

Or these two flats on Airbnb just stole my heart as well: this one or this one

Have you never booked with Airbnb before? You’re lucky because you can get free credit if you use my link to sign up!

Finally, let’s get started with the best things to do in Amsterdam Oud-West:

Have a coffee in one of many coffee places of Amsterdam Oud-West

Amsterdam Oud-West has a lot of photogenic coffee places, where you can stop for a while, drink a delicious coffee and even work for a while (in case you’re doing a bit of freelance or working remotely). Some of the coffee places I liked a lot were: Lot Sixty One and Coffee Room.

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Have a photoshoot in one of the beautiful empty streets of Oud-West

Oud-West is a perfect place for a photoshoot! Why? Because its streets are charming and surprise, surprise, they are quite empty. That makes them a perfect place for a photoshoot (especially if you have your photographer in mind / or you are a photographer). Or, perhaps, you could bring a tripod and take some great shots using the tripod. If you’re not into taking photos, perhaps, you could just walk around hunting for beautiful houses and streets.

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Have a brunch in De Kanarie Club

Amsterdam Oud-West has a great spot for a nice lunch/brunch – De Kanarie Club located at the end of De Hallen. This restaurant is really unusual, as it doesn’t look fancy or pretentious, however, it has two floors and even a swimming pool. Moreover, you can still see the railroad on the floor, as De Hallen used to be a tram depot like I already mentioned before in the post. We had a lovely lunch in Kanarie – I had a pumpkin salad and Pepe had a burger and overall, the food was nice! The prices aren’t that low, however, they are very similar to other brunch spots in Amsterdam.

Buy your souvenirs in the Maker’s Market

Maker’s Market is one of the best places to buy souvenirs in Amsterdam. You can buy some really unique things made in Amsterdam that you can buy for yourself or your friends / significant others. Some of the items are more serious while the others are fun or even a bit vulgar. Whatever you pick – it’s up to you.

Stroll around De Hallen and check what’s on sale there

Okay, now let’s finally talk about De Hallen. As I mentioned before, it only opened in late 2014 and started working in 2015. It’s hard to believe that this place was an abandoned tram depot and was once in ruins and occupied by squatters. Amsterdam actually has an interesting measure against squatters – you can move into an empty property (e.g. former school or church) and live there using the government anti-squatting scheme. You don’t pay rent, but you still need to pay for the utilities. However, it’s a cheap alternative for those, who find the rent prices in Amsterdam really high.

De Hallen is split into 2 parts – one is just small nice shops, while another one is massive and contains the Maker’s Market, Foodhallen (we will talk about it later) and an art gallery / cinema.

There are plenty of things to do in De Hallen and you can easily spend there half a day if you want.

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Foodhallen

Foodhallen is another place worth mentioning because it’s an absolutely amazing buzzing food market located inside De Hallen. I must admit that on Saturday it was already extremely crowded and probably doesn’t need more advertisement. However, I must admit, that Foodhallen is probably one of the best places for lunch in Amsterdam, especially with friends. Everybody will be able to find whatever they like, from hot dogs to Vietnamese food and tacos. Everything is affordable and delicious, so well, definitely give Foodhallen a chance!

Visit a couple of designer stores in Oud-West

Oud-West is quite an unusual shopping destination, as most people/tourists shop in the city centre or in De Pijp (that has a lot of amazing small clothing and accessories stores). However, Oud-West also has a couple of amazing stores that are worth visiting. For example, you can check out the plant store Wildernis or the furniture stores (for some design inspiration) in Overtoom or check out some clothes in Following Lucy or Gesponnen Suiker.

Have a vegan or vegetarian burger in The Dutch Weed Burger joint

The Dutch weed burger joint has an extraordinary name, but don’t worry, it has nothing to do with drugs. There, however, you can get one of the best vegan or vegetarian (depending on your food preferences) burgers in your life. So if you prefer plant-based food, definitely give this place a try!

Check my post about a vegan Afternoon tea experience in London, UK

Have a modern dinner in Dikke Graaf (De Graaf)

In case you’re staying in Oud-West for a while or just looking for a lovely place to have dinner, head to Dikke Graaf. This is a small cosy restaurant located in Amsterdam Oud-West in part close to Overtoomse Sluis. There are very few tables, so it makes sense to book in advance if you don’t want to end up hungry. The menu is minimal and simple, but the ingredients are amazing and everything we ordered tasted absolutely delicious.

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I hope you enjoyed this post about the best things to do in Amsterdam Oud-West and exploring non-touristy Amsterdam.