Little Collins

What a weekend we’ve had! It was Hayden’s first birthday spent in Amsterdam, so the celebratory brunch spot was chosen by…still me, obviously. After almost an year in the West, we finally made an appearance at the famous Little Collins!

Brunch spots may be my favorite to review, and enjoy. I just get so excited about brunch, what a wonderful concept. I am happy to be in a city that seems to get it more and more, with new places coming up all the time. However, Little Collins is not new on the map at all – well, maybe on the West map, but their branch in De Pijp has been there for 7 years!

The concept is: simple menu, not too many choices, a mix of cuisines, served in the style of Australian brunch. The name comes from Melbourne’s small street, packed with food spots, boutiques and bars. Little Collins prides itself in using local and natural produce (think Frank’s Smokehouse, OhNaMi Kimchi and Oedipus Brewing).

The place looks very cozy and even has a nice sunny terrace. It was not full this time, but I know it can be, so reservations are advised. “Looks nice” will have to do, since I forgot to take actual pictures of the interior, sorry.

I started with a nice Bloody Mary to cure my…nothing, I just started with a Bloody Mary for…reasons. Hayden and his fancy pants had the Rhubarb Rose Bellini.

We decided to split our dishes, as too many things on the menu sounded too good. Honestly, I wanted to try them all – maybe except for all those yogurt and fruits choices, I ain’t here for breakfast, please.

Finally, we decided on the Pastrami Waffle and Cilbir.

The pastrami waffle was a nice change from the fried chicken waffles that you usually see. It’s also lighter, which means you can either:

• drink more
• go for dessert
• keep your six-pack or whatever

The veggies and Hollandaise sauce on the side were a nice touch to make the meal smoother, but the pastrami was definitely the star of the show. A safe and very tasty choice that would probably appeal to most.

Now, let’s talk cilbir. If you’re wondering “let’s talk what?”, yeah, I thought the same thing. Cilbir is a Turkish dish, based on poached eggs and yogurt. It comes with a nice and crunchy flatbread on the side, and you can add sucuk sausage.

You should definitely add the sausage. This adds plenty of flavor to the dish, together with the aleppo chilli butter, another amazing addition. They both get balanced out by the yogurt. Absolutely loved the combination – goes in my brunch favorites. Keep in mind that it’s pretty spicy. Also keep in mind that everything tastes spicier when you’re hungover. Not that I’d know anything about it.

Little Collins is a highly recommended place by both locals and expats when it comes to brunch, and for a good reason. Their menu changes constantly (currently not updated on their website), so plenty of reasons to return and have a whole new thing. Service is also on point, makes you feel like you’re out of Europe for a bit there. Ah, and free tap water – that I didn’t have to ask for.

Loved our experience here and will return for more brunch adventures – quality food, interesting recipes, all in a nice place. Give it a go if you haven’t already – and don’t forget there’s a spot in De Pijp too!

Value for money: 8

Food Quality: 9

Location: 8 (Bilderdijkstraat 140, Eerste Sweelinkstraat 19F)

Service: 9

Website: http://www.littlecollins.nl/

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