I am major wary of anything cafeteria-esque. That may make me a brat, but the idea of too many people having access to the food I will eat just doesn't sit with me. I had heard that Vapiano was self-serve and had some assumptions that it wouldn't be for me, but the super fantastic daily wine special drew me in (I think $3 glasses until 7pm or something lovely like that).
The space is clean and nicely lit. It definitely has a nice balance between modern and cozy. You walk in and the hostess gives you a card, you pick a station (salad, pasta, pizza), tell the friendly people what you want, and it's made for you right there. You just tap your card on the station and, viola! Good to go!
I've tried the goat cheese pizza and orange and fennel salad...both delicious. It's a European concept restaurant so no tipping necessary and the prices are very reasonable. I left a major fan.