Dam Plaza

bad luck found this place to have dinner with my wife, I do not know why they are still in business. never return. DO NOT GO !!!

Tourist trap in the centre that charge € 3 for a glass of Coke that’s half full! Mediocre food at expensive prices. Goats cheese ciabatta with honey (couldn’t taste it) and pine nuts. Goats cheese was cheap and almost tasted rubbery. Staff don’t pay attention to tables or ask how the food was. Was a long wait too and the place wasn’t so full.

Food is ok, had better steak elsewhere in Amsterdam. But good location right at the Dam square. Free wifi.

I’ve stayed at the adjacent Swissotel twice previously and had mostly good experiences at the restaurant, which is adjacent/​attached. Food was good prices reasonable, etc. Mid-​January 2014, I was visiting with my sister and we had lunch there on Saturday afternoon. It was fine, no issues, we expected that there wouldn’t be free refills of soda. The same night, after a full day of sightseeing, we decided to go there for dinner, based on my several past meals over a couple of years. Terrible.
We were motioned to sit at a table, and then nothing. And nothing. And still more nothing. Finally I was able to wave someone down for menus, but then more and more nothing. I get that service and cultural norms are different, but based on multiple past meals there, I knew I shouldn’t have to get up and walk around to ask someone to offer us drinks or take our order. Finally we got up and left. I have no idea what we did wrong to offend them or lead them to not want our business especially since we ate there earlier the same day perfectly pleasantly. We weren’t dressed any differently than anyone else in the place, quiet, behaved, just wanted food and drink. I used to recommend this place to friends, but never again.

The more I think about this place, the more stars I’m compelled to knock down.
It was «tea time» and we needed a break from shopping around in Kalverstraat and Damrak. As it was rainy and cold outside, we didn’t put much thought into which pit stop to go to. We couldn’t have consulted Unilocal on this joint either because there was only one other review and it’s in Dutch. Anyway, we just popped into whatever was next to us and tried our luck.
We made our orders and also asked for some water. When the server came back with bottled carbonated water, we politely informed her that simple tap water would have sufficed. Her face told us she wasn’t happy to have to take that back. Only then she let us know they didn’t provide tap water. Is it cultural? For a city which seems «green» in many ways, I’m startled that they’d rather load it up with all these plastic bottles. Our hot chocolate and English breakfast tea were each under € 4 but lo and behold, a small Coke Light without refill was € 7. Are you kidding me?! It’s a diner!