I’m working on an article about (wait for it…) places in Amsterdam to eat with kids! Yes, I know, I know, this is not exactly my area of expertise… which is why I’m writing it in collaboration with Deepa Paul of Curry Strumpet fame. And, like any decent article, some research is required… cue: Dignita!
My parent-friends tell me that people with kids like having brunch. Or rather, they probably like having dinner too, but kids go to bed at 8 pm and babysitters are expensive. So brunch it is.
The service was quick, too: we’d ordered our brunch dishes and Bloody Marys within minutes, and despite how busy the place was, nothing took long to arrive. In the case of the Bloody Marys, this was probably because they were made with Big Tom and not a lot else – no horseradish, and no particular “signature” from the bartender that would mark Dignita’s Bloody Marys out from anyone else’s (although their garnishes were nice). A missed opportunity, but not a deal-breaker.
The food, however, was spot-on. Dignita’s “Salmon Royale” comprised hot-smoked salmon (I love hot-smoked salmon – I wonder why I don’t see it on restaurant menus more often?), perfectly poached eggs, and well-seasoned Hollandaise sauce. The only part I questioned was the potato rösti: it was stacked tall like a cake and cut into slices, rather than fried in a shallow pan like you’d see it in the Alps. That meant it was rather dry in the middle, and didn’t have all those charred, crispy edges that are the best bit…
Meanwhile, chickpea and courgette fritters were moist and delicious, and came served with fried halloumi (a beautifully salty vegetarian accompaniment), poached egg and avocado. Again, the egg was excellent – perfectly cooked. To balance the richness of the egg and avocado, a minty yoghurt dressing was served on the side, along with crunchy spicy dukkah. The verdict? I couldn’t fault this dish.
In fact, we ordered a side of bacon, which wasn’t needed and was a mistake on our part (not to mention an unnecessary expense – €3 for three skinny rashers? Save your euros). Ordering a slice of appeltaart and some coffees to follow up, however, was the opposite of a mistake. Heerlijk.
Brunch came to €55 for two, which sounds a little steep for that time of the day, but given all the drinks and extras we had was understandable. Plus, I now know where to recommend my friends with kids to go eat – win-win!