Good Food, Good Mood • 5 great places to lunch near the VU

Food, isn’t it all we think of? Especially during boring lectures! Our minds tend to wander thinking of what to eat for lunch. As students we often have limited funds, so we have to spend it wisely. Did you forget to bring lunch today, or would you just like to know where you can get a cheap and delicious lunch within walking distance of the VU? Read on!

As VU students, we have the luxury that there is a campus full of eating and drinking facilities. Like, in the courtyard you have the Spar supermarket and the Basket, which is a restaurant on campus. The Spar is convenient, since it has a wide variety of products, and the supermarket is already widely known throughout the VU, because it is hard to miss. But what people do not know is that the Spar has an app through which they offer nice discounts that come at convenient times. For instance, during lunch time there is a deal for a sandwich with a bottle of water for €1,50. The app is called Spar University and is available for Android and Apple.

Unfortunately, the food in the VU canteen and at the Basket is often quite expensive. So if you are not planning to just get a quick grab at the Spar, there are some nice alternatives within walking distance of the VU.

People often associate the “Zuidas” – the Central Business District of Amsterdam – with wealth, huge offices, and expensive prices, but that is not entirely true. The VU is near the trainstation of Amsterdam Zuid and the surrounding Zuidas, which accommodates various lunchrooms and sandwich bars. Besides these lunchrooms, a new Albert Heijn supermarket just opened its doors at the Zuidas. Luckily, their products are not as expensive as the AH to go or the University Spar.

Mentioning every lunchroom or sandwich place at the Zuidas would take us hours, so we chose 5 of our favorite spots near the VU to spice up your lunch!

 

1. Dagelijks Lekker • Zuidas

• Everything costs only €1.80! Sandwiches (4 types of bread), smoothies, salads and soups.
• This is a place which  you would easily miss out on if you do not know the concept; a store where literally everything costs €1.80. Although the place does not look very attractive or inviting, the food is very tasty and definitely worth its money. But be aware, you might be waiting in line that goes around the corner since the place is very popular.
• Address:  Claude Debussylaan 265
• Opening hours: weekdays from 8:00-16:00

 

2. Caffè Belmondo WTC • Station Amsterdam Zuid

• Tosti’s starting from €2.50 and different kind of sandwiches starting from €2.75. They also have small cappuccino’s for €2.50.
• Caffé Belmondo, a good alternative to Starbucks, has a lot to offer. With big chairs to doze off in with a tasty sandwich and good coffee, Belmondo is a great place to grab a bite to eat with friends. A big plus is that they offer a 20% student discount. What more do you need?
• Address: Zuidplein 18
• Opening hours: weekdays 7:00-18:00, weekends 9:00-17:00
• Another location: Claude Debussylaan 273

 

3. Bagels & Beans • Zuidas

• A big variety of good bagels (also gluten-free!): simple with cream cheese (€ 3.90), different warm bagels (€5.25-8.25) or special bagels (€4.25-6.95). Drinks like freshly squeezed orange juice or a coffee are priced at €2.80 and €2.85.
• This place has a very nice atmosphere, and the staff is very friendly. With a wide variety of different kinds of bagels, salads and yogurts, there is always something for everyone. As a plus, their baked goods are relatively cheap, very good and quite filling as well.  
• Address: Parnassusweg 218
• Opening hours: weekdays from 8:30-17:30 and weekends from 9:30-17:30.
  small side note: always very busy around lunch time.

 

4. SLA • Zuidas

• Every 3 months the menu changes according to the season. SLA offers salads, soups and sweets priced from €3.00 – €11.00.
• SLA is a very hip place. You can order for takeout or eat in. Because of their big portions, you get your money’s worth since you can easily share one order or eat from it for two meals. Do know that at SLA you do not get an ordinary salade, but a salad that is quite extravagant, with a lot of  fancy toppings.
• Address: Claude Debussylaan 35
• Opening hours: weekdays: 8:00-21:00, Friday 8:00-15:00 and closed on weekends

 

5. BackWerk • Zuidas

• All kinds of sandwiches from €1.00 – €3.99; from a simple croissant to a royal sandwich with a lot of toppings.
• Just down the street from Dagelijks Lekker, you will find BackWerk. The German sandwich concept works with a self-service system, so that saves you a lot of time. The coffee machine looks very tempting as well, and a cup of coffee is very cheap!
• Address: Claude de Debussylaan 5A
• Opening hours: weekdays 7:00-17:00

 

Hungry for more? If you would like to escape to VU more often, besides during lunch, then read our blog about our favorite study spots around Amsterdam here!