Best Brunch in Amsterdam: 10 Top Breakfast Spots

I first discovered Little Collins’ excellent line in international brunch dishes, from kedgeree to waffles, at their cosy location in de Pijp, but I later discovered they also do dinner. The menu is very international, which I would usually avoid, but they do so many things well. The chef is Australian, and of course Australian cuisine is a melting pot of influences from Europe, Asia, America… you name it. I usually order a rhubarb bellini and/or a coffee while I’m waiting for brunch. You can’t go wrong with one of their Asian dishes, like smoked tofu or pork belly with kimchi, or one of their Middle Eastern brunch classics like cilbir or shakshuka. Little Collins was the first to bring Antipodean brunch culture to Amsterdam, and a few other copycats have sprung up since – but none are as good as the original.

Dignita

As well as serving up an excellent brunch, Dignita is excellently set up for families with kids at their Vondelpark location. But they’ve subsequently opened up branches along the Amstel and in the Spaarndammerbuurt, too – my favourite being the restaurant/terrace that’s tucked into the leafy garden behind the Hermitage Museum. I’ve loved pretty much everything I’ve eaten at Dignita, but my number-one pick has to be their chickpea and courgette fritters with fried halloumi, poached egg, avocado, dukkah and a mint-yoghurt dressing. The fritters are moist, the egg perfectly poached, the textures well balanced – all in all, a lovely dish. Their coffees and breakfast cocktails are also good, and even the service is quick – although you might have to wait for a table at busy periods.

Belly Pepper

I love Turkish food at any hour, but Turkish breakfast has to be perhaps the best meal of the day. Belly Pepper in Amsterdam West has a lovely curated menu of half a dozen or so brunch dishes, including a hearty wrap filled with sucuk (sausage), eggs, cheese and avocado, with chilli-dipped potatoes on the side. But for big flavours with a smaller appetite, order the borek: whirls of light pastry are filled with spinach and feta, served topped with a perfectly poached egg and surrounded by a small lake of yoghurt with chilli butter. Delightful with a glass of homemade lemonade.

Box Sociaal

Run by Antipodeans, Box Sociaal is known for its brunch but (much like Little Collins, above) is worth visiting for dinner as well. They do a good line in the usual brunch suspects from eggs Benedict (pictured below) to breakfast sandwiches, but they also had some more creative-looking menu items when I went, like the yum cha waffle or what looks like a pimped-up PBJ sandwich. Their coffee and juices are very good, and their service impeccable. Box Sociaal has been going strong in the Plantage neighbourhood for several years now, but they’ve since opened a second location in the Jordaan, too.

Greenwoods

Greenwoods is the quintessential English tearoom, and with two very central canal-side locations, they’re perfect for taking visitors. Their soda bread is to die for – moist and cakey, slathered with butter. You also can’t go wrong with either of their takes on eggs Benedict: the classic comes with ham on English muffins, but the “Emperor’s Eggs Royale” comes with salmon on hash browns with beetroot Hollandaise. Don’t let the strawberry-sauce visual effect put you off – the flavour is pure Hollandaise!

Miri Mary

I love brunch. I love Indian food. So it’s hardly surprising that I loved the Indian-inspired brunch fare at Miri Mary. There were two menu items that jumped out at me immediately: the Butter Chicken Benny and the Goan omelette. The first was (as you might have guessed) a take on eggs Benedict, with the requisite poached eggs and brioche bun, but with butter chicken instead of ham and hollandaise. It absolutely worked (albeit the sauce could have been a little warmer). The second dish I liked perhaps even more: the omelette was perfectly cooked, filled with an interesting combo of coconut and goat’s cheese, and it came swimming in a spicy curried sauce, ready to be mopped up with soft flatbreads. Prices were the same you’d see for brunch anywhere in Amsterdam, but the quality and thoughtfulness of the dishes made Miri Mary feel like far better value for money.

The Cottage

One of the few truly British restaurants in Amsterdam (other than Greenwoods!), The Cottage is a lovely spot for breakfast, afternoon tea or Sunday roast in the Watergraafsmeer neighbourhood. But it’s their brunch we’re here to talk about. I generally order one of the egg-based dishes: scrambled eggs with hot-smoked salmon, horseradish and watercress, for instance. Or Bombay eggs with Indian spices, coriander and pickled red onion. But The Cottage also serves a full English breakfast for those with a hearty appetite in the morning. If you’re not too full, be sure to order their scones with proper English clotted cream and homemade jam for dessert. A taste of my childhood.

Feed Amsterdam

More than just brunch, Aussie restaurant and bar Feed Amsterdam combines a radio studio and a focus on music and community with killer brunch dishes (not to mention a popular pub quiz). The menu changes fairly regularly, but my favourite brunch dish currently is the huevos rancheros (pictured below): a huge tortilla laden with lamb merguez sausages, black beans, chipotle, avocado, spinach, cheese, tomato and – of course – fried eggs. But you also can’t go wrong with Feed’s breakfast rolls, range of burgers, top-notch coffee and breakfast cocktails

Gartine

Despite the fact that Gartine is sandwiched between the Kalverstraat and the Rokin in the centre of town, it has its own moestuin (allotment) in which they grow much of the produce you’ll eat at the restaurant. I should more properly call it a “tearoom”, as it’s open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, but not dinner. The location is delicate and classy, but in an old-fashioned way – as if your grandma had taken a degree in interior design. The food is likewise: eggs benedict with salmon for breakfast, crayfish rillettes for lunch, and a plethora of tarts and cupcakes at tea time.

Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs

You can’t come to Amsterdam without experiencing the gluttony that is Dutch pancakes – especially if you have a hangover. These bad boys are the size of dinner plates and as thick as pizzas, with both sweet and savoury toppings. My favourite pancake house is Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs, which is (unsurprisingly) up an extraordinarily steep and narrow flights of stairs – even by Dutch standards. It’s a tiny place, and easy to miss, but worth it once you get inside. Teapots hang from the ceiling in every size and shape, and the pancakes are buttery and satisfying.

Want to eat more than just brunch in Amsterdam? Download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide:

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And don’t forget to watch the battle of the brunches with my friend and fellow blogger Jessica, from A Wanderlust for Life!