Instagram, you’ve got a lot to answer for.
Across Amsterdam, a range of restaurants and cafés with food that looks particularly great in square format have become magnets for tourists who spend time suspending phones above plates, looking for the perfect shot. And I’ll admit. I’ve fallen victim at times too.
Let’s take Moak for example, which has become the poster-child for pancake-agrams. Located in the West of the city, the English menus fly off the shelf whilst the Dutch ones linger miserably gathering dust as visitors rush to hashtag their brunch.
Disappointing as this is, its not enough to leave Mook out of a favourites list, because at the end of the day, the pancakes are really good. These are American pancakes rather than Dutch ones which is pretty counter-intuitive for a country that virtually invented the perfect combination of flour, eggs and milk. Still, when your plate’s piled high with something that looks a lot like pancake-perfection, who the hell is arguing.
Opt for the Heavy Mama loaded with banana, walnuts, dates, coconut and honey or go for something a little more savoury with their famous Mancake piled high with bacon, cheese and onion. Kids are perfectly catered for with a single pancake adorned with any topping on the side (the ridiculously rich homemade chocolate sauce proved irresistible to 6 year old Zacy who declared it “the best pancake…OF. MY. LIFE!”)
And be sure not to miss out on drinks. Lip-smacking freshly squeezed juices (honeydew melon anyone?) are served in gorgeous glass bottles from the selection of seasonal fruits on show.
With a cool interior and a hip hop soundtrack its perhaps not surprising that Mook has risen to the front page of TripAdvisor’s dreaded best restaurants in Amsterdam list. Just please don’t tell everyone you know.
