There were actually very few restaurants I had jotted down as must visits when I made my first trip to The Dam. One of them was the Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs, a breakfast and lunch staple in Amsterdam. I originally heard about this spot from Anthony Bourdain in Season 1, Episode 7 of his Travel Channel series, The Layover. The chef had ordered him the bacon, apple and strawberry dutch pancakes. Tony enjoyed them all. I decided to go another route and order the pulled beef pancakes, which were absolutely phenomenal.
Aside from the phenomenal pancakes, the Upstairs Pancakes House offers a fun and warming environment. The establishment is small, like 4 tables small, which makes you feel right at home. There are over 100 teapots that hang from the ceiling and you share a room with the chef and his kitchen. I will say this place is not easy to enter. There is a steep set of stairs that separate you from heaven, but every step is worth it. Just hold on tight to the railings and don’t look back! It’s also worth noting there are long wait times for walk-ins! Darby and her family ended up having to wait for over a day! You can call ahead to make reservations. The phone number is 020 6265603. This is one spot you can’t miss.
