Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam Review

Very modern and impressive library. The view from the top is great and a visit to the restaurant is also worthwhile.

It is a big library, with amazing building. They have place for parking your bicycle. The collection is complete.

Beautiful, modern architecture. Perfect place to read and study. The restaurant has a good selection but is a bit expensive ...

Hammer great food, a bit expensive but fresh and tasty, with a great panoramic view over the city

You actually only have to sit in the top floor canteen for fifteen minutes on a Saturday morning, and your clothes smell like chips all day long, it's amazing

Great atmosphere .Very clean My levelings Place .Am grateful to all the people who work hard there to master So Comfortable atmosphere

Neighborhoods are really nice. Terrace is currently being repaired

Largest public library in Europe. An endless book collection. Very good design Beautiful views from the floor of the cafeteria above.

An enormous amount of work / study places, yet almost always completely full.

Spectacular views of Amsterdam. You can climb to the upper terrace for free. By the way the bathrooms are free.

Very nice and quiet place, with a terrace at the top of the library that offers a view of the city, as well as a restaurant and a cafe!

Small exposures throughout the floors, seats / chairs for landing and a child's corner.

N.B .: small bonus and not least, there are instructions and toilets (very clean) free, supervised by a security guard! :)

The library is very nice. Modern architecture and comfy armchairs to sit in while you read whatever you want. However, my restaurant experience on the top floor was rather horrible. Burned food from obviously unqualified "chefs" and indifferent service at the checkout and table.

A beautiful view of the city. Although a little removed. Order a coffee and a snack to enjoy.

A beautiful view of the city. Have a coffee and bagel and enjoy.

Beautiful library with lots of reading and study areas and a truly special children's area. The rooftop restaurant and terrace have nice views of the city and an impressive selection of fresh juices.

I am often very pleasant here to study. What really bothers me is that there is an OPEN space downstairs where children can play and scream all day long. It is very unfortunate to see that parents do not realize that a library is not a playground. It is also very unfortunate that OBA has not thought better about how to make the children's ward soundproof. With the current layout, the screeching echoes throughout the entire building.

Love this light, large and yet quiet library. On the top there's a restaurant with a nice view over the city. A year card will get you internet access, but it keeps dropping. This should be improved as many visitors are highly dependent on stabile internet connectivity.

Bright, modern and cozy. However, the terrace is currently closed.

Interesting building, many different books, English as well, nice children zone. The view was not as amazing as expected, but in common I m very impressed. 5 stars and strongly recommended!

Love this library! Just teenagers never stop talking... is it normal thing in netherlands?

Fine place to work or study where you can concentrate well by the rest.

Very cool building and free access, definately recommend

Modern installation, very avenografica and luminous, where anyone can enter and use the services offered, also a good internet connection comfortably seated.

One of the best libraries in the world, the OBA has incredible resources, wonderful architecture and an extensive collection to suit every taste. You can purchase internet by the hour, or get a yearlong membership. If you plan on borrowing books, you will need an address. The OBA also has a theater, restaurant and cafe on site. They also have a lot of wonderful events year-round.

You are not allowed to drink coffee at the self-study places which I find really ridiculous. I understand that it is not the intention that people sit down there and eat croissants and the like in this way, but make a cup of coffee is not allowed? Man man ..

The cool place to drop in and find a peaceful place to read, chill, eat something, drink a good coffee.
It s opens you a great view from top floor to the down town of the city. I used this spot very often to study and get somewhere to a public spot but still peaceful. That s the place!

Huge library over several stories. Cafe at top has a great view of Amsterdam

The best library I have been to. I have spent a day there, literally.

Try their food and bring your headphones!

Big public library. The top floors offer nice views of the city.

Great views from top floor. Great place to have a drink.

Beautiful place. Spacious. Views of the city from the top floor, as well as a restaurant with great food at a reasonable price.

This is a find! Great place for both students and wanderers. Free admission. On the ground floor there is free Wi-Fi from the restaurant. For the rest, you can buy a coupon Internet access for 30 minutes for 1 . Only 6 floors. At the last there is a cafe, a free toilet. Excellent panoramic view of the city from the top floor. There is access to an outdoor area. Everywhere books, CDs, computers, you can take your laptop, power outlets with a shaft. If you want to take a breath and take a break from walking - I highly recommend it.

Huge library! The view on the top level is amazing.

The OBA in Amsterdam, a fifteen minute walk from Central Station. Is freely accessible. The restaurant of La Place is located on the top floor, where you can eat well. You can indicate what you want to eat with the cook who prepares your food. From the restaurant you have a beautiful view over the center of AMSTERDAM. JAN 2018.

Great library with many books, cd, dvd and more..
The wifi is usable only if you make a partnership, and that is a big mistake in my opinion.

Good place to work, great view, huge book selection. Wifi is 20/year, a library card good for 50 books is 35/year and works at any OBA. The NL Plein (5th floor, in the front) is a great resource for anyone trying to learn Dutch, and has textbooks, short stories with simple vocabulary, and books for self-study.

Fantastic public library in an inspiring modern space close to the Centraal Station. They have what looks to be an good selection of books, journals, and magazines. There is a cafe/cafeteria and a theatre on an upper level, with views of the city from the terrace. This is an excellent constructive use of public funds which adds to the cultural scene in Amsterdam.

Beautiful building, beautiful view. Nice employees book a lot!

Librarians are super friendly and the open air cafe was perfect

! , ) )

The Amsterdam public library is one of it's kind. The building is a true homage to readers, books and knowledge. When a pianist is playing the public-piano and you're reading your book, the atmosphere is set to drift away with the story. The OBA is definitely worth your visit. Only disadvantage is the paid wifi-service for guests.

I have been here a lot to study. This place is okay. If you have a macbook the internet reception is only good on the first floor. And if you hook up your laptop on any other floor you can get shocks from static electricity. Internet is not free which sucks for a public place but for 20 euro's you can get an entire year of internet. I wish they would open sooner at 9 or 8 am. Apart from that it is a really great place to study.

huge library with fantastic view of the city, and just nice to relax.

Impressive building and nice view from the top floor.

A real architectural jewel, it is precisely what is missing in some splendid Italian cities: a meeting place for young and old, where culture is also aggregation.
Inside it is almost futuristic, brilliant seventh floor terrace where you can be outdoors and enjoy a beautiful view of the city.
I can only imagine how much pleasure I can enjoy going to read a book or studying every morning in this library.
If you are around Amsterdam, after seeing the main attractions (the two main squares and the two most famous museums), my advice is to visit you very quickly, the place deserves!

Amazing place, very modern with an inspirational atmosphere

Very nice view, nice restaurant, internet, many jobs and retreats, even if you do not speak Dutch.

I am reviewing the 'Babel' restaurant on the 6th floor of the OBA. The restaurant freshly makes your BLT sandwich in front of your eyes. I had a vegetarian advocado variant and my partner had a BLT chicken version. It was one of those tripple sandwiches. For drinks we had a vitamin water and kombucha tea. It was priced in total 25 euro's. The atmosphere was great and the food was decent but I am sure you can find just as tasty sandwiches for less money

Es gibt hier so viel zu sehen, nicht nur hat man eine tolle Bibliothek, sondern oben auf der Dachterrasse auch noch einen super Ausblick (und gutes Essen). Top!

Most beautiful library I have ever seen. You can go all the way up there is a restaurant and you have a nice high vantage point over Amsterdam

A nice place to study. Everything is fine, just a bit too busy unfortunately and many people come out to use the toilet, sometimes it stinks dirty!

Very large library that I did not have time to visit as a whole. The 7th floor offers an incredible view of the city.

Very spacious beautiful library with reading material for everyone. You should have just seen the building once, if only for the view.

The best library ever gorgeous view from above and really piles of books!!!

A wonderful place to learn, work, play and be amazed.

I'm glad to be here every time, maybe just reading a book, or just a drink a cup of coffee or tea, they allow us to use their internet on PC for free. That's damn good man.

Very beautiful, it's hard to believe that this is a library. WiFi only on the first floor.

Excellent, clear, spacious, light and fantastic views. Good hospitality.

If only libraries in NYC could be like this one! This is probably the biggest library I've ever been in. It's very modern, and has quite a few floors. They even have a cafe on the top floor where you can grab a bite and a view of Amsterdam.

When I visited in April 2016, they had this exhibit where you could use your phone to take a 360 selfie. It was kind of hidden, so I don't think a lot of people knew about it.

If you're in the area, you should definitely check this place out!

One of my favourite places in Amsterdam. If I'm around and whenever I need some quiet time and a spot to work I come here. Excellent vibe, beautiful view over the city and an amazing collection of resources. They also have a nice and well priced cafe downstairs.

One of the best libraries I have visited. Amazing view of the city and beautiful architecture.

You can work here in silence, just like the building.

Very nice place to read a book at your leisure. View of the city from the top floor is just amazing

The library is excellent. The cafe is massively overpriced and the coffee is truly terrible.

Super chill spot to chill with me matties. Last week with my whole class. You don't have to be quiet anywhere and you can eat everywhere, watch youtobe. You can get top and bottom food. Some people complain that it must be quiet, but there are no tog signs and no quiet tog spots? Then you better go home if you want. There are also tramps and stuff and staff do Tog Nix.

We were just turned away while everyone is making herie. Also escalators enso. Quiet place does not matter because tog is not closed

friendly staff, although i like audible, i would say that if you like the smell of books while reading, then this is must do in amsterdam

Very convenient opening times. Study spaces usually busy.

Friendly employees! But which idiot gives permission to the Volksuniversiteit to give singing lessons?

One of the best libraries I've been to.
Good collection, good service, lots of interesting spaces to sit, free computers with internet (not for wifi for your own laptop, for that a subscription is necessary, and for that, to be a resident), great views from the rooftop. Recommended.

Excellent place to study. I would advise to come early so you have a place to study

Great place to stay, relax and lunch - delicious and not touristy crowded - great library for the kids - you could easily spend a whole day- absolute recommendation

Very big modern library, always plenty of space to sit as well! And the view is absolutely gorgeous when you sit in front of the windows facing south (With the stairs to your back)

Please note that wifi here is not free if you do not have an OBA subscription, you will actually have to pay for it (around 2 euros an hour)

The last floor you have a restaurant where you can buy about anything (la place)

Balcony has a fantastic view of the city. Great modern library, awesome restaurant on the bottom floor. Toilet facilities clean

An impressive and very modern furnished library, which is also freely accessible to tourists. Especially the visit to the cafe with roof terrace on the top floor is very rewarding because of the great view over the city. Especially in the morning it is mostly still very empty, so you can enjoy the view in peace and take good pictures. From the central station in a few minutes walk.

Nice but smak selection, very nice view from the terrace and nice service

Jan 2017: Walked by during a walk in the harbor. Very nice building. (architecture)

One of the best libraries I have been to. Kids floor is amazing. I just wish they had a wider section for books in English.