Breakfast in Amsterdam
 

<BR>We'll be off to Amsterdam for a week on July 17th. Our hotel does not include breakfast in its price. <BR><BR>We'd be very interested to hear of great places to have good breakfasts in the city. We've already had Bagels and Beans highly recommended. We'd like to try somewhere different every day.<BR><BR>Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to give us.<BR><BR>Yours,<BR>Alex

Hi There<BR><BR>Breakfast is not one of the best meals of the day here in Amsterdam (in my humble opinion). But... <BR><BR>Similar to Bagels and Beans is Gary's Muffins, of which there are 6 or so in the city. Gary is a guy from NYC who noticed the extreme lack of decent breakfast foods in Amsterdam-- and thus started this great little chain. Other than muffins, they have good bagels, brownines, cinnamon buns, carrot cake, and bannana bread. <BR><BR>Also, for something a little more substantial, try the brunch buffet at the American hotel. They may only do it on weekends or sundays, so call ahead. Another hotel with a buffet is Pulitzer's. <BR><BR>There is another place called Dimitri's Cafe which is on one of my favorite streets: Prinsenstraat #3, they open at 8am for breaky. <BR><BR>One thing to note: the famous dutch pancakes (pannekoeken) are not traditionally served for breakfast, so most of the pancake houses don't open until lunch time. <BR><BR>Good luck! <BR>Terra

<BR>Hi, Terra!<BR><BR>Thank you very much for these suggestions. It was most kind of you. We'll certainly investigate some of these breakfast options while in Amsterdam.<BR><BR>Yours,<BR>Alex

Great breakfast buffet at the Crown Plaza.

For a simple, quick, cheap breakfast Gary's Muffins is a great option but you'll want to check out the local bakeries - they're fabulous!

Em and I decided to purchase some goods from a local bakery whilst we were in the 'Dam. Em asked the rather gruff bloke behind the counter what a certain pastry was.<BR>'Borsch' he seemed to say<BR>'Sorry?' said Em<BR>'Borsch' he reiterated<BR>'Ah right Borsch...ok one slice, please'<BR><BR>It was like a sort of sweetened aspic. I hadn't had it before and I can't say I'll have it again.<BR><BR>But yeah, great croissants (cross-sandwiches!).

Doughnuts, doughnuts, doughnuts! =) I had the best pastries ever in A'dam. Also, if you're interested in the more "alternative" side of the city, Barney's Breakfast Bar--as the name suggests--makes a hell of a breakfast.

One word of caution about Barney's-- it is also a coffee shop, so you better not mind the smell of cannibis accompanying your eggs if you go there for breakfast!

There is a superb Pancake House up from the Anne Frank House - can't remember what its called but it is on the same side ofthe canal as AF and about 5 minutes walk away from the main road / Tram track. Would recommend for Breakfast/ Brunch

The Jolly Carlton Hotel has a wonderful breakfast buffet. It's next to the flower market.

<BR>Many thanks to all of you for your great suggestions. At this rate we'll have to try and fit in two breakfasts per day, or keep some for our next visit! <BR><BR>Yours,<BR>Alex <BR><BR>

<BR><BR>To the top for Alex...

<BR>I am shocked, absolutely shocked, that a Netherlands hotel does not have breakfast available. <BR><BR>Alex, even if your hotel "does not include breakfast in its price" it must have breakfast. Are you a troll or just not reading the whole story to us? From B&Bs to the Mary-Rott, Holland has the second best breakfasts in Europe. For the best breakfasts go further north. <BR><BR>If you can't get your fill of cereals, eggs, meats, cheeses and more CHEESES, breads and more BREADS, juices, yogurt, fruits, and more you have the only wrong hotel in Holland, maybe in all of northern Europe.

<BR>Dear Slider,<BR><BR>I am not a troll. I did not say that breakfast was not available at the hotel where we're going. <BR><BR>The "whole story" is simply that our hotel does not include breakfast in its rates as it is not a Dutch-owned hotel, but part of a big American chain. This is common practise in such hotels. Yes, it provides breakfasts at an exorbitant additional price, so I would rather eat out for breakfast at a variety of Dutch establishments. It's a great way of discovering more of what Amsterdam has to offer, I think.<BR><BR>To reassure you, I have stayed at many Dutch-owned small, cheap hotels in the Netherlands, and have been completely satisfied every time with the standard of the breakfasts, and these have been included in the rates.<BR><BR>To give you even more information, I have been lucky to get a very special rate for our room as a friend of mine works for this hotel chain, otherwise we'd be choosing one of the city's many charming, small, cheap Dutch-run hotels. The rate we're getting for this trip beats anything we've paid before, even adding the price of "outside" breakfasts, and being on a limited budget, we can't refuse it.<BR><BR>Luxury may be worth a try, even just once!<BR><BR>Yours,<BR>Alex<BR><BR>