Vancouver Restaurant Offers Play Time and Pannekoeks

When I heard that De Dutch Pannekoek House on West 2nd had put in a children’s play area, I had to go check it out. Now that my little guy is really mobile and requires serious distraction to sit still for more than five minutes, a play area sounded like a good idea. I brought along my son, a friend and her toddler as well, to thoroughly test out the Vancouver Restaurant. Just as we walked in the door, to the left we could see a section of the restaurant that’s separated from the rest of the place, with a play zone in the corner. It features colourful foam mats, buckets of Duplo, little Playmobil figurines, dolls, stuffed animals, books and a little play kitchen. The boys saw it and instantly started clamouring for the toys before we could even get them out of stroller and carrier.

Toddlers now entertained, we could concentrate on the vast menu. We had come to this Vancouver restaurant for the pannekoek, so we narrowed it down to that section. If you haven’t had a Dutch pannekoek before, it’s somewhere between a crepe and the fluffier pancakes that are typical in Canada. They’re large, plate-sized concoctions, with just about any possible topping you’d like: fruit, whipped cream, syrup, ham, eggs, cheese and more. The meat, cheese or fruit can be either baked in or on top. The traditional way to eat pannekoek is to roll the toppings up inside and slice it, eating with a knife and fork.

The Verdict on this Vancouver Restaurant

The service was friendly and attentive: we were never lacking for coffee refills or waiting to ask for ketchup. My ham, mushroom and edam pannekoek also arrived with thick tomato slices and whipped butter. Yummy! The little guys shared a kid-sized apple and whipped cream pannekoek from the children’s menu (which comes on a sheet with word puzzles and pictures to colour for the older kids).

Family-friendly events in February in Metro Vancouver

I would definitely go back. It’s not a place for a romantic date night, but it is a relaxing place for a family brunch. Just a block from the Canada Line Station and close to the shopping on Cambie Street, De Dutch is a nice reliable Vancouver restaurant to visit for a meal and a play break on a day of errands, or a destination to hang out and catch up with friends while the little ones meet some new friends in the play area. They’re only open for breakfast and lunch, though, so go before 3:00pm or you’ll miss out!