Poffertjes Cafe: Delicious and Affordable Dutch Pancake Brunch

January 19, 2018 Taipei Expat

Tucked away in the quiet alley connecting Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan MRT, there’s a small breakfast restaurant specializing in mini Dutch pancakes. But that’s not the only reason worth going: Poffertjes Cafe is a great option for brunch thanks to its flavourful menu and relatively cheap prices.

The cozy cafe is usually busy in the mornings, so space can be a little tight. We visited on a Saturday for brunch and decided to sit outside because there was a wait. Even though it was January, the weather was pleasant!

Though the cafe is famous for its pancakes, there are a lot of other great brunch options on the menu. In fact, our favourite dish was a scramble! Check out what we ate:

The Tomato Basil Chicken Savoury Pancake (NT$240) was served with sour cream, fries, and black coffee. It was a solid choice, drizzled with cheese and tomato sauce, but didn’t have quite as much flavour as some of the other dishes.

The Fresh Shrimps Scrambled Eggs Brunch (NT$310) came with fried potato and pumpkin, salad, and a choice of bread, pancakes, or french toast, as well as black tea or coffee. The scrambled eggs were flavoured with garlic, basil, and a healthy amount of chili flakes, giving it some spice. Everything tasted great – we especially enjoyed the side of fried potatoes and pumpkin.

The Smoked Duck Scrambled Eggs Brunch (NT$280) was the most delicious thing we ate that day. Served with the same tasty sides as the other scramble (and the option of tea or coffee), these eggs were mixed with peppers, spinach puree, taco seasoning, and mozzarella cheese. The ingredients seemed somewhat offbeat, especially when paired with the smoked duck breast, but we were glad we chose it — the combination of strong flavours was incredible. We highly recommend ordering this dish.

The Caramelized Cinnamon Strawberry Pancakes (NT$165) were served with strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. They were sweet and enjoyable.

The Lemon Cream Pancakes (NT$160) were the better of the two pancake flavours we ordered. Served with vanilla ice cream and coated in powdered sugar and lemon cream, they were perfectly balanced and made a satisfying breakfast dessert.

What’s the vibe?

Humble and cozy cafe that’s always busy during brunch hours. It’s got a great breakfast menu with English translations.

Worth it?

Yes.

The flavours were incredible and stayed kind to our wallets.

Would you go back?

Yes.

We’ve already been back multiple times since discovering this hidden gem – it’s one of our favourite brunch spots in the city!

Visited: January 2017

Poffertjes Cafe

Chinese Name: 荷蘭小鬆餅

Hours: 10:30 am - 9:30pm