Foodhallen (De Hallen)

A tram depot turned into a dining room

Foodhallen is a covered food market in the west of Amsterdam, in a building that once housed trams. Inside, a ring of small counters serves food from many countries. Between them stand shared tables and a bar or two. You order at the counter you like, carry your food over and find a seat wherever there is one.

It is worth the walk because it shows a different Amsterdam from the canal belt. This is the Oud-West neighbourhood, an everyday district of shops, cafés and apartment streets. The hall is where people from the area meet after work, so it feels local.

The story of De Hallen

The building belongs to a complex known as De Hallen, on the Kinkerstraat side of the Bellamyplein. It went up in the early 1900s as a depot for the city's trams. Electric trams had only just arrived in Amsterdam, and the city needed big sheds to store and repair them. It was a working place for decades, built for machines rather than for people.

After the trams left, the complex stood unused for a long time. Eventually it was restored, and the old depot was given new uses. Foodhallen opened in 2014. Other parts of De Hallen hold a cinema and other cultural and creative spaces, so the whole site has become a small neighbourhood centre.

The restoration kept the character of the depot. That is why the hall feels more like a railway shed than a shopping mall.

What to look for

Start by standing still for a moment just inside the entrance and looking up. The space was designed to hold vehicles, so it is tall and wide, with a lot of air above the tables. Notice the old industrial structure of the building, the brick and the metal, and how the new counters have been fitted in without hiding it.

Then walk the full circle before you decide what to eat. The stalls cover a wide range, from Dutch snacks to dishes from further afield. Most are small, with a short menu and a cook visible behind the counter. It works well to share several little plates rather than commit to one big meal.

Watch the crowd as well. In the evening the tables fill with groups of friends and people from the neighbourhood. If you want a quiet look at the architecture, a less busy hour suits you better.

Around the hall

Outside, the streets around De Hallen are ordinary Amsterdam, which is part of the pleasure. From here it is a walk of about ten minutes to the Zevenlandenhuizen, seven houses in seven national styles. The Vondelpark is a little further on foot, and you can cross it to reach the lawn where the Picasso sculpture stands. Foodhallen makes a good place to eat before or after that stretch.

A depot that once sheltered trams now shelters dinner. Take a seat, and the building does the rest.