La Place - V&D Warenhuis, Amsterdam

That was my best gastronomic experience during a short stay in Am-dam - quick and nice. You chose a plate size, fill it up with vegetables you like, then you hand it over to a girl behind the counter - just name a sort of meat, way of cooking and dressing - options are marked above your head. Price was less than 10 Euros. Nice choice of cakes and pies.

Favorite Dish: apple pie with creamy sauce

To describe V&D as a buffet is underselling it by a long long way. It is more of a food court where you can wander amongst the freshest food in town, pick the choicest delights and get it cooked before your very eyes. From prime steaks to suculent salads, sublime smoothies to hand pickes stir fries. A must for any visit to this great city.

Favorite Dish: This restaurant thrives on its selection, not one particular dish. The different combinations that you can create will have you coming back time and time again.

Dining choices while shopping on Kalverstraat are largely limited to American fast food chain outlet and we were drawn to this food court like moths to a flame. Presumably not named after the French astronomer and mathematician, La Place is a chain of 200 locations, emphasizing in the advertisments fresh and often organic foods, made daily, and pre-tasted. The company serves over 35 million visitors/year.

The ground level of the venue at Kalverstraat, whiich also fronts on Rokin, features a multitude of serving stations with meat and fish dishes, pastas, salads, soups, sandwiches, and of course desserts. Up the escalator to a large somewhat ramshackle room with tables. Some overlook Rokin. Crowded at midday, La Place must be a madhouse during lunch hours. Closed for dinner. Prices seemed quite reasonable, at least to New York residents. Seemed like none of the major plates including the beef specialties were more than 9-10 Eu.

Pizzas were fresh made, thin crust properly baked -- margherita and pepperoni. As for the prepared meals, they should only taste half as good as they look. For a decent meal at a reasonable cost, given the cuisine starved nature of the neighborhood, La Place is far better than expected and worth recommedation.

La Place is a buffet lunchroom and restaurant. It's connected with to V&D department store close to the Mint Tower.

The food is fresh and very popular (often there are coupons available on the website or in flyers).

This is a large department store chain in the Netherlands and a great place to stop for a good lunch or, as we did, for some cake or pie and coffee. We were with VT friends and Dila had sheets of coupons so we got discounts on several items. The food all seems freshly prepared and quite tasty. They have excellent coffee as well. We had lunch another day at the V & D in Haarlem and it was excellent. Also, the eating areas seem to be on the top floor with outside access to great views.

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La Place is a Dutch chain of inexpensive "fresh food" cafeterias with several locations in Amsterdam. We had a light brunch one day at "La Place" in central Amsterdam, the one with an entrance on Rokin. Good smoothies and fruit, and a light coffeecake that satisfied. Bright and modern-cheery.

Note that there is another entrance on the popular shopping street of Kalverstraat.

This is a foodcourt with a great choice of sandwiches, warm meals, salads, deserts etc. Prizes are rather low, around NLG 15 for a main course, NLG 4 for a piece of (lovely) cake. Portions are big. One of the places with the best value I found in Amsterdam!

Favorite Dish: The strawberry cakes!!!!! The chips!!! And the sandwiches looked nice, too!