We will be traveling throughout Western Europe - 16 countries in total - and I am having trouble finding cafeteria style meal options - I have found a few - such as the migos and co-op grocery stores in Switzerland - and the galleria lafayette in paris - but not much else - are there any other options throughout europe for cafeteria style dining?
Thanks
El Corte de Ingles in Spain. The one in Barcelona is especially nice.
Time Out Market in Lisbon is a giant food court. You can buy food and put it on a tray to give you the cafeteria experience.
You'd have to look at each city, but for travelers, AutoGrill is all over At highway rest stops, railroad stations, airports, other places. I've been to a couple and was impressed. Maybe others can confirm.
Department stores in big cities have them. Off the top of my head, Florence at the Rinascente Dept Store on Piazza Rebublica, Paris at the BHV Dept Store.
Yes, I was shocked at the offerings at our bus rest stops while on a Rick Steves tour in Italy years ago. Auto-Grill as Stan has mentioned are all over the place off the highways (in Italy at least).
In Italian cities, you might search under "tavola calda" which is the nearest equivalent outside of the aforementioned AutoGrill.
Try milk bars in Poland. If you end up in Sarajevo, let me know and I’ll send you a name (I haven’t tried it).
Bistrot Milano Centrale in the station is an Autogrill establishment.
In Germany you can find such places often in bakeries - often near to or in same building with a supermarket.
You can also search for "Café" or "Bistro", sometimes a "Kaufhaus" in a town center such as Galeria Kaufhof has also such a restaurant. Most of them in cities / towns, less on the landside. If you have a car IKEA stores and other "Möbelhaus" places have these cafeterias. A little improved version are self-service restaurants with cooking on demand such as Vapiano branches.
You are going to go to 16 European countries and eat cafeteria food..... Pretty much every European country has cheap local options that are more interesting than drab cafeteria food!
I've lived in Switzerland for over three decades and the only thing to recommend Migro or Coop dining is that it is quick. In terms of quality and price most small local establishments will trump them for lunch.
In Belgium Lunch Garden offer good value for the money, most time to find near shopping malls. In the Netherlands in the larger places Hema for breakfast, pastry and sandwiches. La Place for warm meals too.
In French it's "un self" or "restaurant self" or "buffet".
France - Flunch
Netherlands - La Place
Switzerland - Tibits and Manora
Germany - biergartens
Belgium - Lunch Garden
