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This is a cafeteria style, serve-yourself restaurant at Zaanse Schans that is supposedly famous for their Dutch pancakes. There were also cold sandwiches, hot soups, pastries, coffee/tea available. No free tap water; only bottled water available for sale. Came on a weekend around lunch time and the place is less than half full, with no wait time to pay. Got the stroopwafel pancake and the banana & chocolate pancake. The pancake itself is thin and slightly crispy at places. The stroopwafel are crumbles pieces that are mostly not crunchy; I suspect that they are old or improperly stored so moisture has gotten in. Overall, I think it's a fair option for food in the area, but would not come here just for the pancakes.
When you come to Amsterdam, you have to eat Dutch pancakes and there will be so many places that sell them so it's best to try multiple restaurants. De Kraai is located in Zaanse Schans, which is about 30 minutes from Amsterdam. Expect many tourists here since it's an easy day trip from the city. Most of the food is cafeteria-style, where you just grab the premade food. But for the pancakes, those are ordered through the cashier and made fresh right in front of you! Because it's a touristy location, the pancakes are on the pricier side but one order should be enough for one person, maybe even two. If there isn't a lot of people, you shouldn't have to wait too long for your pancake. It's open seating and you can help yourself to tables inside or outside. We decided to try a savory pancake and went for the cheese and bacon. Very different from American pancakes as these are thinner and crispy on the edges. Not bad for a meal but I think the sweet pancakes tasted better. It's probably because I associate pancakes with sweet so it was a little off putting with the savory toppings. Worth a try if you're in the area but nothing to go out of your way for. There's a ton of different pancakes to try so if you find yourself always in the area, there's variety.
This is a find-your-seat type of place. When we walked in there were tons of tables filled with used dishes so a ton of people but less staff for that time being. We ordered the salami pizza, the pumpkin soup and the crepe. All were decent for a lunch around the corner. For kids they have color pencils and coloring papers to be entertained while waiting for food.
We stopped by for lunch when visiting Zaanse Schans, and my expectations were low since it's located in such a touristy area. Decent pancakes though! It's a very casual cafeteria-style spot where you grab everything you want from the front on a tray, go to the register to order your pancakes as well as pay, then seat yourself at an available table. Everything is self-service. Free bathrooms for customers! I always prefer savory over sweet, even for desserts, so I ordered the Salami & Cheese Pancake. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was a little funny when it came out and pretty much looked just like a pizza. It was still tasty though, definitely better than it looked! I also got a cup of coffee and it came with a cute mini stroopwafel! Overall, obviously not the best food you'll have and it's on the pricier side, but for such a touristy area, this is a decent option for lunch and overall we were happy with our meal!
After our tour and some exploring, we stopped here for a quick bite. The process was simple: place your order and wait for the buzzer to signal when it's ready. However, the staff wasn't particularly welcoming or friendly. By the time I arrived to the counter to pick up my food, the employee who set it down had already walked off. I tried the bacon and cheese pancake. While it was warm, it didn't have much of a wow factor, especially considering it cost nearly €13. It was literally cheese melted on top of a pancake. Overall, the food was mediocre, the service could use improvement, but it's a cute spot if you're looking for something quick.
We had the bacon, apple cinnamon crepe and the bacon and cheese crepe. They were both fantastic. This place is adorable.
Ate her by myself today for brunch to try this place out. I had only ordered the Apple and Cinnamon Sugar pancake, it was super big (bigger than the American pancake lol) and it tasted sweet and delicious. The service there was also attentive and great that I didn't wait too long to wait for my order. Finally, I definitely would eat here again maybe in the future when I visit Amsterdam someday! :)
We came here for the Dutch pancakes and they weren't the best that we had while in the Netherlands. De Kraai is a casual eatery where you walk in and it has a cafeteria style to it, where you select food from what's displayed...except the pancakes that are made-to-order. My friends and I each ordered a Dutch Pancake, as they have a decent selection of different flavors. As soon as I saw the Nutella option I was sold. After you order at the register you grab a seat and await for your number to be called for pick-up at the counter. What I first noticed was that my pancake was not smothered in Nutella, as I had hoped. Rather, I was given packets of Nutella with my pancake that I can smear on myself. Although the benefit of this is that you can put however much Nutella you want on your pancake, I would've preferred the Nutella already smeared on the pancake by the chef, so the Nutella could've been warmed up from the freshly-made pancakes. I think it would've tasted much better had the Nutella been warm and more gooey. The texture of the pancake was a tad hard to cut into, as if the pancake had been overcooked; I would've liked it more had it been softer. However, the pancakes aren't bad and I can see how perhaps another flavor would've fared better. Overall, De Kraai is a convenient option in Zaanse Schans for casual eats, particularly since it's located in such a tourist location. I wouldn't say the pancakes were anything to specifically seek out, but they aren't a bad choice if you haven't had a Dutch pancake yet.
Remember, you are in a tourist attraction. As long as you approach this restaurant with that lens, it's fine. The pancakes are a little more expensive than you would pay elsewhere, and be prepared to wait for a table. This is cafeteria style, so order your pancake at the counter and you'll get a buzzer for when your order is ready. The ham and cheese was fine and my companion liked the cherry. If it's nice outside, that's probably the nicer setting.
Cafeteria style restaurant with pancakes (more like large crepes) with different toppings made fresh to order. With the Zaanse Schans card, you get a 10% discount there. We ordered a #3 with chocolate and whipped cream and #9 with banana, chocolate, and whipped cream. Our cashier was nice and gave us a voucher for a free coffee or tea afterwards. It took about 25 minutes to have our pager buzz during the lunchtime crunch. I had a lemon ice tea and my husband enjoyed his tropical IPA Hoop Kaper. They were thinner and less sweet than American pancakes. Satisfying though not super flavorful, added a little syrup from the table. Next time I would try a savory option because the ones at the table next to us looked good! Lots of table discs inside and outside as this is the restaurant on site (many other takeaway places with fries or ice cream or other snacks but not a meal). read more
Restaurant De Kraai is a convenient, cafeteria-style spot located right in the heart of the Zaanse Schans tourist area. They specialize in both sweet and savory Dutch pancakes, which are served in the traditional style--very flat and spread out across the plate. The process is straightforward: you order and pay at the register, then head to the counter to pick up your food once it is ready. During my visit, I tried the pancake with apricot jam and whipped cream (€12.95). It was a decent meal--certainly not bad, but also nothing particularly special. While the prices are a bit high for what you get, that is somewhat expected given its prime location in a major tourist hub. In addition to pancakes, they offer a variety of cakes, muffins, and a full selection of beverages to choose from. The restaurant is quite spacious, offering plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather. A nice perk for guests is that the restrooms are free for customers to use, which can be hard to come by here. The staff was also very friendly and welcoming, making it a pleasant and easy place to take a break after a day of exploring the windmills. read more
This is a great place to get pancakes before visiting the windmills. A cafeteria style restaurant, but staff are very helpful and friendly. Order and pay with the cashier. There is seating also outside and the patio is absolutely beautiful when it's good weather. The pancake making station was very interesting. The pancakes were very good. Suggestion is to use the washroom before leaving to site see. read more
1 year ago
This is a cafeteria style, serve-yourself restaurant at Zaanse Schans that is supposedly famous for their Dutch pancakes. There were also cold sandwiches, hot soups, pastries, coffee/tea available. No free tap water; only bottled water available for sale. Came on a weekend around lunch time and the place is less than half full, with no wait time to pay. Got the stroopwafel pancake and the banana & chocolate pancake. The pancake itself is thin and slightly crispy at places. The stroopwafel are crumbles pieces that are mostly not crunchy; I suspect that they are old or improperly stored so moisture has gotten in. Overall, I think it's a fair option for food in the area, but would not come here just for the pancakes. read more
When you come to Amsterdam, you have to eat Dutch pancakes and there will be so many places that sell them so it's best to try multiple restaurants. De Kraai is located in Zaanse Schans, which is about 30 minutes from Amsterdam. Expect many tourists here since it's an easy day trip from the city. Most of the food is cafeteria-style, where you just grab the premade food. But for the pancakes, those are ordered through the cashier and made fresh right in front of you! Because it's a touristy location, the pancakes are on the pricier side but one order should be enough for one person, maybe even two. If there isn't a lot of people, you shouldn't have to wait too long for your pancake. It's open seating and you can help yourself to tables inside or outside. We decided to try a savory pancake and went for the cheese and bacon. Very different from American pancakes as these are thinner and crispy on the edges. Not bad for a meal but I think the sweet pancakes tasted better. It's probably because I associate pancakes with sweet so it was a little off putting with the savory toppings. Worth a try if you're in the area but nothing to go out of your way for. There's a ton of different pancakes to try so if you find yourself always in the area, there's variety. read more
2 years ago
This is a find-your-seat type of place. When we walked in there were tons of tables filled with used dishes so a ton of people but less staff for that time being. We ordered the salami pizza, the pumpkin soup and the crepe. All were decent for a lunch around the corner. For kids they have color pencils and coloring papers to be entertained while waiting for food. read more
2 years ago
We stopped by for lunch when visiting Zaanse Schans, and my expectations were low since it's located in such a touristy area. Decent pancakes though! It's a very casual cafeteria-style spot where you grab everything you want from the front on a tray, go to the register to order your pancakes as well as pay, then seat yourself at an available table. Everything is self-service. Free bathrooms for customers! I always prefer savory over sweet, even for desserts, so I ordered the Salami & Cheese Pancake. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was a little funny when it came out and pretty much looked just like a pizza. It was still tasty though, definitely better than it looked! I also got a cup of coffee and it came with a cute mini stroopwafel! Overall, obviously not the best food you'll have and it's on the pricier side, but for such a touristy area, this is a decent option for lunch and overall we were happy with our meal! read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
After our tour and some exploring, we stopped here for a quick bite. The process was simple: place your order and wait for the buzzer to signal when it's ready. However, the staff wasn't particularly welcoming or friendly. By the time I arrived to the counter to pick up my food, the employee who set it down had already walked off. I tried the bacon and cheese pancake. While it was warm, it didn't have much of a wow factor, especially considering it cost nearly €13. It was literally cheese melted on top of a pancake. Overall, the food was mediocre, the service could use improvement, but it's a cute spot if you're looking for something quick. read more
2 years ago
Ate her by myself today for brunch to try this place out. I had only ordered the Apple and Cinnamon Sugar pancake, it was super big (bigger than the American pancake lol) and it tasted sweet and delicious. The service there was also attentive and great that I didn't wait too long to wait for my order. Finally, I definitely would eat here again maybe in the future when I visit Amsterdam someday! :) read more
8 years ago
We came here for the Dutch pancakes and they weren't the best that we had while in the Netherlands. De Kraai is a casual eatery where you walk in and it has a cafeteria style to it, where you select food from what's displayed...except the pancakes that are made-to-order. My friends and I each ordered a Dutch Pancake, as they have a decent selection of different flavors. As soon as I saw the Nutella option I was sold. After you order at the register you grab a seat and await for your number to be called for pick-up at the counter. What I first noticed was that my pancake was not smothered in Nutella, as I had hoped. Rather, I was given packets of Nutella with my pancake that I can smear on myself. Although the benefit of this is that you can put however much Nutella you want on your pancake, I would've preferred the Nutella already smeared on the pancake by the chef, so the Nutella could've been warmed up from the freshly-made pancakes. I think it would've tasted much better had the Nutella been warm and more gooey. The texture of the pancake was a tad hard to cut into, as if the pancake had been overcooked; I would've liked it more had it been softer. However, the pancakes aren't bad and I can see how perhaps another flavor would've fared better. Overall, De Kraai is a convenient option in Zaanse Schans for casual eats, particularly since it's located in such a tourist location. I wouldn't say the pancakes were anything to specifically seek out, but they aren't a bad choice if you haven't had a Dutch pancake yet. read more
Remember, you are in a tourist attraction. As long as you approach this restaurant with that lens, it's fine. The pancakes are a little more expensive than you would pay elsewhere, and be prepared to wait for a table. This is cafeteria style, so order your pancake at the counter and you'll get a buzzer for when your order is ready. The ham and cheese was fine and my companion liked the cherry. If it's nice outside, that's probably the nicer setting. read more
7 years ago
Wow - the pancakes here are surprisingly delicious! One would think that going to Zaanse Schans, one of the most touristy areas of the Amsterdam area, you wouldn't get really good food for high prices, but the food is not only reasonably priced 9-12 EUR for a large pancake, but they are made with a special pancake grill (see pic) and amazingly tasty!! We got the pinapple and cheese and added the bacon - almost like a hawaiian pizza but with dutch crepes and we were so happy. The coffee here wasn't bad either, though slightly pricey for about 3 EUR. If you are in the area visiting windmills then for sure you should stop by for a meal here! read more
10 years ago
More info about De Kraai
Kraaienpad 1
1509 AX Zaandam
The Netherlands
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075-6156403
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