Walk south from the Zuidas for 10 minutes – or take the free shuttle bus – and you’ll find yourself in a world of luxury: the Gelderlandplein is an exclusive shopping mall, with more than 90 stores selling all the major brands. And it offers plenty of places to relax, from breakfast cafes to a rooftop terrace.
A modern, spotlessly clean mall, open 7 days a week and with cuisines from all corners of the world – that sums up the Gelderlandplein. During a drastic make-over in 2016, the Gelderlandplein has been converted into a classy square with an international appeal. Albert Heijn XL is open daily, including Sundays, from 08:00 to 22:00 hours, and experienced sushi chefs are making fresh sushi all day long. And there’s a branch of Marqt offering all kinds of organic products.
In restaurant Ruby, Irene Tan sips her jasmine tea and beams with enthusiasm: “My parents started Ruby in 1970 so I practically grew up here. These days, my brother and I are running Ruby, serving Asian tapas. Gelderlandplein has got everything you need; you could easily spend a whole day here. And you can even stay the night in the beautiful Element Hotel, boasting a Spanish restaurant and a large rooftop terrace – a wonderful place to have a cocktail or a glass of wine with a few pintxos.”
Family businesses with a rich history
The abundance of special stores will make the hearts of even the most spoiled shoppers skip a beat. They’ll find brands like Natan, Moschino, Joseph Ribkoff, Max Mara, Ted Baker, Marc Cain, Armani, Canali, Hugo Boss and Woolrich in fashion stores Bronwasser Woman, Pauw, Modehuis Blok and Rick Moorman|House of Men. Shoe stores Van den Assem and Zwartjes van 1883 sell top-quality shoes from Tod’s, Santoni, Magnanni, Paul Green, Arche, Dubarry, as well as lots of other brands.
These are all family businesses with a rich history; some of them have been here since the early beginnings in 1968. “These stores keep on modernizing; they have the best brands in their collection,” Irene says. “La Valise sells bags and suitcases from well-known manufacturers such as Longchamp, Tumi, Samsonite and Rimowa. Their lower floor is a real suitcase paradise!”
And there are plenty of other businesses with a special character, including Japanese-Korean supermarket Shilla, patisserie-chocolaterie Huize van Wely, tobacco store Van Lookeren with its speakeasy cigar lounge and wool & knitting store Pingouin.
Concept Stores
Michael Bles, owner of Bles Concept, based his retail business on concept stores in Milan and Paris: “We keep updating our range of brands. Here you’ll find Sylvian Heach and the luxury streetwear label Opening Ceremony from New York. And from London we’ve got Rixo and fake-fur label Jakke.”
Sandy Y, owner of Le Concept, calls her store a ‘multi-brand candy store’. It’s the only store in the Netherlands selling Valmont skincare products and exclusive Nicholas Kirkwood shoes. Sissy Boy, a concept store with Dutch roots, sells clothing for men, women and children, as well as a range of trendy lifestyle products.
Flagship Stores
Siebel Juweliers, Rivièra Maison and sports & outdoor store Bever chose the Gelderlandplein as the location for their flagship stores. Both Rivièra Maison and Bever have very spacious upper floors. Moreover, Bever has excellent in-store shops from The North Face, Patagonia, Arc’Teryx and GoPro.
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Restaurants
The excellent restaurants alone merit a trip to Gelderlandplein. From breakfast to nightcap, the place offers something for every taste and mood. Irene: “just love tasting all the different things available here at Gelderlandplein: cheesecake, sushi, oysters, curry, roti or tapas. There are Italian, Dutch, Oriental, French, Surinam, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants here!”
Free parking and a free shuttle bus from the Zuidas
At Gelderlandplein, car park P1 is free for the first 1.5 hours, and in P2 and P3 there’s free parking for 2.5 hours. The mall is also easily accessible using public transport. There’s a free shuttle bus to and from the Zuidas, taking you here in a couple of minutes. The Gelderlandpleinlijn app tells you exactly when and where to take this luxury minibus.
Right in the middle of the mall you’ll find Kiddieland, a fun play area opposite the Coffee Company’s terrace. From October till early March there’s an indoor skating rink with real ice. Watching the kids having fun with a nice cup of coffee in your hand – what else do you need as a parent?
Work hard, play hard
The Gelderlandplein also caters for the work hard, play hard mentality of the Zuidas professionals: it’s great for shopping, after-work drinks, food, picking up a nice meal in one of the many shops selling fresh produce, getting a haircut at one of the various hairdressers or a beauty treatment at De Studio.
At N-Ice, you can get a physical and mental reset in a cabin at minus 110 degrees Celsius – good for improving your resistance and lowering your stress levels. You could even do this cold shock therapy during your lunchbreak as it only takes 3 minutes. You bet you’ll be sharper than ever afterwards!
50th Anniversary
The Gelderlandplein mall will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. As a member of the local shopkeepers association, Irene has been busy organizing things. “The festivities are planned for March next year. All the store owners are creating fun activities! I’m really looking forward to it. I grew up here, I work here, I do all my shopping here, and still this mall never ever bores me!”
Winkelcentrum Gelderlandplein, Van Leijenberghlaan 43, 1082 GM Amsterdam
F Facebook facebook.com/winkelcentrumGelderlandplein/
I Instagram Gelderlandplein
P 1.5 hour free indoor parking at P1
2.5 hours free parking at P2 and P3
Opening hours:
Monday 12:00 – 19:00 hours
Tuesday 09:30 – 19:00 hours
Wednesday 09:30 – 19:00 hours
Thursday 09:30 – 19:00 hours
Friday 09:30 – 19:00 hours
Saturday 09:30 – 18:00 hours
Sunday 12:00 – 17:00 hours
* Some shops, stores and restaurants have longer opening hours. Please check the website for details.