The Magic That is the Hans & Grietje Pancake House!

Imagine this, you’re sitting at a restaurant eating your food when all of a sudden the table starts to rise on one side! Everyone reaches for their plates and cups, hoping nothing spills! Pretty wild, right? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll get when you go to the Hans & Grietje Pancake Huis in Zeewolde, Holland. It’s about an hour from Amsterdam.

Not to worry though, if you’re reading this and think to yourself, there’s no way I would go there if there’s a possibility my food will spontaneously try to escape from me. They have “non-moving” tables as well. You can set your preference when making your reservation, and you definitely want to make a reservation if you plan to come here.

This place is actually quite worth it if you’re in the area. We drove 45 minutes out of our way, and it did not disappoint.

One of my closest and long time friend of mine and her daughter joined myself and my son on a little “Mommy and Me” getaway to the Amsterdam area.

I’m focusing just on the Pancake House here, so make sure you subscribe to get notified when I share about our other Amsterdam adventures!

When making a reservation, I absolutely suggest getting the earliest time available. Not only will you have the rest of the day to explore the area, but you will have a less crowded playground.

The playground on site is as whimsical as you can imagine when it comes to a fairytale themed restaurant, and even then, you’ll be surprised when you find another fun nook and cranny with a hidden surprise!

Once you’ve made your reservation, you are allowed to enjoy the playground for up to an hour before your table time. This is why I said the earliest as possible. Otherwise, the playground is filled, especially during the warm months.

You can sit inside or outside and also specify this on your reservation. Outside is great if your children prefer the fun over the food!

Your table time slot is for two hours max, and I’m honestly not sure if there were any rules on playing at the playground after your two hour slot.

The playground seems to go on forever! As you walk around, there seems to be more and more to it. A house that looks like a fairytale house is actually a slide, big bubbles to jump on, a story book tunnel and a scary witch’s house that you better beware or bring a change of clothes because you might get wet from hidden water spouts! Speaking of getting wet, be careful where you stand inside the restaurant, or at least trust the ones you’re standing next to… you might just get a shower if someone pulls the rope!

The menu is pretty straightforward… it’s pancakes! Pancakes of all kinds from savory to sweet! I opted for a Stroopwaffel Pancake because “when in Holland…” and it did not disappoint! I was expecting overly sweet, but it was actually quite delicious without tasting like an overload of sugar! There’s a few non Pancake items on the menu, but I would definitely recommend getting some sort of pancake. They are not the thick and fluffy ones like you get in the USA. They are thin and crepe like so you don’t have to worry about eating too much either!

Even inside the restaurant, every direction you look, there is something unique to be seen! If you’re worried at all about your young ones visiting because of the Grimm Fairytales theme, I wouldn’t worry too much. While it is true to the Grimm Fairytales portrayal and they are known for a darker telling of the story, everything is fairly subtle in terms of “creepiness.”
My son, three years old, and friends daughter, 6 years old, were not bothered by anything.

On the contrary, they were quite amazed and amused by everything there was to discover, like slides that take you downstairs to the restrooms!

Of course, the restaurant is also equipped with an ice cream and dessert stand, and if you really explore the playground, you can find the tiniest candy shop! Okay, I’ll give it away… it’s inside the castle right by the entrance! It’s really easy to miss, but now you know where it is! Across from there is also a small gift shop where we decided on a Hekse (witch) stuffie to bring back home with us.  She’s the mascot of the restaurant, and we even saw her walk around, but my son didn’t want to get a photo with her.

I would absolutely 10/10 recommend this place if you are traveling with kids, are with a car, and within an hour away. Young and old, you will all enjoy yourself in the magical atmosphere of the fairytale themed Hans & Grietje Pancake Huis.

Have you been or do you plan to go? I’d love to read about your experiences, tell me all about it!