Let’s Set the Record Straight on Brunch in Amsterdam
Look, I get it. When someone says “brunch,” your brain probably jumps to eggs benedict, smashed avocado, or some flaky thing covered in edible flowers. Not here. Not today. This isn’t LA. This is Amsterdam, where brunch comes with gravy, syrup, and maybe a shot of jenever if you’re doing it right.
If you’re searching for the best brunch Amsterdam can offer without veering into Instagram cliché territory, then stick around. We’re talking traditional Dutch brunches, hearty, sweet-savory, nostalgic, and just a little bit rebellious. It’s the kind of meal that’ll tide you over until dinner… or next week.
Whether you’re in the mood for warm poffertjes, a kroket sandwich that’ll glue your soul back together, or a pancake big enough to qualify as furniture, these are the best brunch places Amsterdam locals actually return to. Prefer a local to lead the way at your own pace? Book a private food tour and we’ll plan the morning around you.
1. Pancakehouse Upstairs - Tiny Place, Giant Pancakes
Where: Grimburgwal 2
Best for: Tall Dutch pancakes in a room with four tables and 300 teapots
First up, if you want the best brunch in Amsterdam central and you don’t mind climbing the steepest staircase in town, Pancakehouse Upstairs is your jam. This cozy nook sits above a narrow canal and serves some of the best traditional Dutch pancakes in the country.
What to expect:
- Dutch-style pancakes: thin, plate-sized, and topped with things like bacon, apple, or Gouda
- The one reviewers keep going back for: the honey, brie, and bacon pancake, sweet and salty at once
- A drizzle of stroop (Dutch syrup) that sticks to your fork and your heart
- A dining room so tiny, it feels like brunch in your eccentric grandma’s attic
Two things to know before you go. The place is tiny and the stairs are steep, so book a table ahead. And bring cash, they don’t take cards.
Skip the tourist-packed chains and brunch like an Amsterdammertje who knows their way around a pancake.
2. Moeders - Brunch Like Your Dutch Mom Made It
Where: Rozengracht 251
Best for: A late-morning feast straight out of your Dutch oma’s kitchen
Moeders isn’t typically labeled a “brunch spot,” but who cares? This place serves exactly what you want when you’ve slept in and need food with roots. Their brunch offerings are traditional lunch dishes, heavy on nostalgia, light on pretension.
Brunch fuel:
- The Dutch tasting platter to share, a spread of old-school classics that reviewers order again and again
- Hachee, the slow-cooked beef and onion stew, if you want the real comfort-food end of the menu
- Warm poffertjes dusted with powdered sugar
- Herring toast or Dutch cheeses with a thick slice of brown bread
It’s easily one of the best brunch spots Amsterdam offers for people who believe brunch should include potatoes and possibly a beer. It fills up, so book ahead.
3. Pancakes Amsterdam (Centraal)
Where: Prins Hendrikkade 48 (right across from Centraal Station)
Best for: Starting your day like a real Dutchie, even if you just got off a train
Want to tick off “eat Dutch pancake by the water” on your Amsterdam to-do list? Head to Pancakes Amsterdam Centraal, one of the best brunch places in Amsterdam central that delivers the classics with speed and smiles.
On the griddle:
- Traditional apple & bacon pancake (salty-sweet heaven), the one reviewers reach for first
- Smoked salmon pancake if you want something lighter and a little fancier
- Buckwheat pancakes with aged cheese and arugula
Note: this branch does the big flat pancakes, not poffertjes. If poffertjes are what you’re after, that’s a different stop.
Service is fast, the vibe is cozy, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a window seat to people-watch canal traffic roll by.
4. Omelegg - Not Dutch-Dutch, but Definitely Local Approved
Where: Nieuwebrugsteeg 24 (near Centraal)
Best for: Omelets so packed they could legally qualify as luggage
Alright, hear me out. Omelegg isn’t “traditional Dutch” in the strictest sense, but it’s got local DNA and attitude, and that’s enough for brunch cred. It’s also constantly full of locals, which tells you everything you need to know.
Their take on brunch:
- The halloumi omelet on rye, the one reviewers keep ordering, is the one to beat
- Omelets with Dutch cheese, mushrooms, and smoked sausage
- Brown bread served with local butter
- Coffee that comes in mugs big enough to swim in
One tip: go early. The queue builds fast once the morning gets going. If you’re staying near Amsterdam Centraal, it’s one of the best brunch places Amsterdam locals swear by for a quick, filling, and properly cooked start to the day.
5. Café de Eland - Jordaan’s Best-Kept Brunch Secret
Where: Elandsgracht 33
Best for: A relaxed drink and a light bite in a real Jordaan brown cafe
Tucked into the Jordaan like it’s hiding from Yelp, Café de Eland is a proper old brown cafe, not a full-menu brunch kitchen. Come here for the atmosphere first. What reviewers love is the low-lit, wood-panelled room, the terrace by the water, and a spot to nurse a coffee or a beer while the neighbourhood drifts by.
Come for:
- A coffee or a Dutch beer in a room that looks like it hasn’t changed in decades
- A borrelplank or a light snack, the kind of thing that pairs with a drink, not a big sit-down meal
- Terrace seats on the Elandsgracht when the weather plays along
It’s one of the best spots in Amsterdam if you’re looking for peace, authenticity, and a slow morning drink over a big plated brunch.
Final Sip of Coffee: Brunch That Makes You Dutch-ish
So what if you can’t pronounce stamppot properly yet? Order it anyway. Brunch in Amsterdam doesn’t need hashtags or matcha foam. It needs hearty dishes, local ingredients, and enough mustard to clear your sinuses. Curious what locals actually eat on a normal weekday morning instead? That humbler story is told in full in the Dutch breakfast explained. Whether you’re after the best brunch in Amsterdam centrum, or just want somewhere to recover from too many local beers the night before, Dutch brunch hits different. And if you want the stories behind these dishes too, our award-winning food tour serves both.
