Overtoom in Amsterdam

What are the highlights of Overtoom?

Overtoom is just over 1.5 km of pure shopping, coffee-sipping and gastronomy. It's one of the top places to people-watch and try out different cuisines in the Dutch capital. And there's such a variety of establishments that you can keep coming back night after night for more.

Excellent dining spots on Overtoom include BUUF, a ground-breaking hipster gastro-teahouse with a menu that changes every single day. Or you could drop into De Pizza Bakkers for crispy, wood-fired Italian pies and a glass of prosecco to match. And there's more, in the form of Olivity, where smorgasbords of Greek mezze abound, and Gollem's Proeflokaal, a hearty Belgian-inspired tavern with Low Country meat dishes.

When night approaches, you can check out spots like Craft & Draft and the hole-in-the-wall of One Dim Sum. Then, hop across to Leidseplein. It's just on the far side of Overtoom, but reigns as one of the city's main nightlife quarters, constantly buzzing with students and travelers alike.

You'll also want to set aside some time to wander the leafy Vondelpark. It runs all the way down the south side of Overtoom and is one of the most iconic green spaces in the whole city. It's awash with duck ponds and lazing lawns, along with a few charming open-air cafés.

What are the best places to go shopping on Overtoom?

Overtoom is arguably the best shopping strip in all of West Amsterdam. That's saying something because this is an area well-known for its upscale boutiques, fashion shops, and finery.

Most of the top places to get the tills going string down the west side of the roadway. They include the boutique jewelers of Hare Majesteit, where Art Deco throwbacks mingle with handcrafted wares with a twist of the psychedelic about them. You'll also find the quirky homewares of COCO-MAT and the artisan florists of Sans L'eau – a true Amsterdam specialty. And that's really just scratching the surface.

Good to know about Overtoom in Amsterdam

Overtoom should be very easy to reach. You'll find multiple streetcar stops up and down its length, starting with Leidseplein in the east and ending with Rhijnvis Feithstraat in the west. A number of the trolley automobiles that go there also connect with major interchanges near Dam Square and Centraal Station.

You could also arrive on foot. The walk is about 35 minutes from Dam Square but takes you through the pretty Canal Ring – a UNESCO World Heritage site, no less – and potentially even the Vondelpark – a lovely area for a picnic and a stroll in the summer months.

Overtoom has more traffic than much of downtown Amsterdam as it's a major transportation interchange. You'll need to be wary of crossing the road, especially because of the streetcars and the cyclists, of which there are plenty.

Overtoom is generally safe, but increased crowds do mean more petty crime. What's more, the area can get loud, especially on weekends at its eastern end, which is where you find the throbbing nightlife quarter of Leidseplein.