West-kept Secrets

Originally a residential area for working-class families, West is a prime example of how Amsterdam revitalised its neighbourhoods outside the Canal Ring. Boasting everything from cool art spaces and leafy parks to canal-side bars and a vibrant, multicultural crowd, this increasingly popular corner of Amsterdam is rapidly expanding into one of the city’s most dynamic creative outposts.

Westergas

Energetic Oud-West

Bordered by the stately Vondelpark, Oud-West is a dynamic neighbourhood, home to a flurry of top-notch restaurants, lazy-Sunday brunch options and alternative music venues such as OT301 or Orgelpark. Shopping streets such as De Clercqstraat, Overtoom and Kinkerstraat run parallel and are peppered with hip boutiques and design stores, while Bilderdijkstraat pumps energy into the area with its many bars and vegan

This complex of industrial buildings was once the city’s gasworks. Over the past few years, it has been redeveloped into a cultural hub. Troost (Pazzanistraat 25-27, brouwerijtroost.nl) and Pacific (Polonceaukade 23, pacificamsterdam.nl) are the best spots for drinks. For the coolest sounds and sexiest pizzas head to Radio Radio (Pazzanistraat 3, radioradio.radio) – a DJ bar and restaurant where diners get a discount on clubbing entrance. WESTERGAS.NL

Loof & Binnenvisser

Bakkerij Loof is your daytime pit stop for artisanal sourdough, deli sandwiches, and viennoiserie – or simply to peruse their selection of coffee-table books about baking. Next door, Café Binnenvisser from the same owners is something between a cosy wine bar and a retro pub. Tuck into veg-heavy seasonal dishes alongside an extensive wine list.

BILDERDIJKSTRAAT 36-38, BAKKERIJLOOF.NL, BINNENVISSER.NL eateries. At the intersection of the bustling Ten Katemarkt, you’ll also find one of Amsterdam’s most remarkable developments – De Hallen. This former tram depot houses a boutique hotel, the Filmhallen cinema and indoor food hall, Foodhallen, a feast for culinary connoisseurs.

What game is more exciting and nostalgic than table tennis? Paddle your way to victory at Pong, with a vegan kebab and delicious cocktail to treat the winner.

From ‘BoLo’ to Westerpark

The western expansion continues further to Bos en Lommer and De Baarsjes, two districts that have long been regarded as the hip kids on the block. Hot new restaurants spring up weekly, such as Felperlaan for small plates or MasMais Marisqueria for seafood tostadas. The streets surrounding leafy Erasmuspark are ideal for an afternoon stroll paired with specialty coffee from FUKU and freshly-baked pastries courtesy of Fort Negen. Continue towards peaceful Wester- park, where the former gas factory was rehabbed and transformed 20 years ago into Westergas. Just outside Westerpark there’s the charming Spaarndammerbuurt. Like a church in the centre of a vilage, Museum Het Schip forms the centre of the neighbourhood. The building is the epitome of the Amsterdam School architectural movement and itt offers excellent exhibitions and guided tours around the area about the 19th-century style and movement.

Podium Mozaïek

Located in the former Pniël Church in Bos en Lommer, Podium Mozaïek embraces the cultural diversity of Amsterdam, providing a stage and meeting place for a range of cultural and artistic initiatives. Their programme offers music, theatre, dance, exhibitions and spoken word, generally focusing on language-no-problem performances.

BOS EN LOMMERWEG 191, PODIUMMOZAIEK.NL