Boat, brunch, booze — if you’re not sold on that alone, here are a few more reasons why G’s Brunch Boat in Amsterdam is one of the best things you for can do for yourself this weekend.
The bottomless brunch boat — as someone who loves both brunch and boats, I was immediately intrigued when I heard of this brilliant amalgamation. So when my Saturday morning reservation rolled around, I was about as excited as a Dutchie with a kortingscode.
It’s 10 AM on a sunny Saturday when my friend and I meet the boat at its pick-up location in front of the Anne Frank house. Being the refined 30-something-year-old woman that I am, I wouldn’t normally be hopping on a booze cruise while the sun is still on the rise, but this is brunch, and brunch without booze is just breakfast. So when our server asks what I’ll have to drink, the words ‘Bloody Mary’ slip out of my mouth as easily as the smile that’s crept onto it.
The boat’s general vibe seems inspired by hip-hop culture, and the music and decor offer an air of unpretentious charm. The food and drinks follow suit, equally and deliciously on-point.
So what’s on the menu, you ask?
Hopefully, the hardest part of your day is choosing between the enticing menu options — it was for me. You’ll have your pick of various tantalizing benedicts and waffles, or you can even opt for something along the lines of a BLT, yoghurt, or salad. My friend and I each had a variety of the eggs Benedict, and although scantily clad in Hollandaise (for a girl who could drink the stuff), they were thoroughly enjoyed. We were quite pleased with the impeccably poached eggs and generous servings of salmon and bacon.
The drink selection includes all of your morning staples, like mimosas and bloody Marys, plus a few creative cocktails like the ‘Bloody Mezcal’ and the refreshing ‘Manmosa,’ with prosecco, vodka, and grapefruit juice. The Bloody Mary is flavourful, fresh, and packs all the heat you’d expect from a drink in the Netherlands — that is, none — so if you’re looking for spicy, this isn’t the one for you, but otherwise, it’s going to hit the spot. The simple mimosa is jazzed up with a mysteriously perfect pairing of gummy candy, and the ‘Manmosa’ is crisp, refreshing, and goes down easier than most drinks should before noon.
‘This is nice.’
‘This is SO nice.’
For most of the ride, the conversation between my friend and I consists of back and forth praises of what a nice time we’re having and how much we love boats and brunch (real deep stuff), peppered with enthusiastic reviews of whatever that next thing is that we’re putting in our mouths.
We cruise around the grachtengordel, and every once in awhile remember to look out the window. But mostly, our attention is on the brunch and we don’t particularly care where we are, as long as we remain afloat with food and drinks. And we do, for the glorious but fleeting hour+ until we arrive back at the dock at 11:15. By then, it’s all a blur of mimosas and magic — just as brunch should be.
Here’s everything else you need to know (and maybe a few things you didn’t):
What’s this “bottomless” option?
If you’re anything like me, the first question that comes to mind when you hear bottomless brunch is: does this mean endless drinks or optional pants? (Either way, I’m in, but I like to be prepared.)
The short answer: it refers to the drinks, not food or pants (which means there’s still an open market for any pantsless entrepreneurs out there).
The long answer: there are two options when booking your brunch cruise: the €42.50 option that includes one adult beverage, or the bottomless option for €59.50. Some fast maths with tell you that’s a €17 difference, so it’s up to you to decide if you can make it worth it. Additional drinks are available at a good price (€5 or a mimosa, €4 for wine, or €3 for beer), so in this case, considering one drink is already included, you’d have to have a total of 5 mimosas to come out on top…or 7 beers…in less than an hour-and-a-half (cocktails are excluded). Should you accept this challenge, sit close to the bar.
Is G’s Brunch Boat worth it?
This thing isn’t as cheap as my usual brood met hagelslag, so is it worth it? Let’s break it down. Your €42.50 option includes:
- 1 hour and 35 minutes of sailing (though ours was a bit shorter)
- Brunch
- 1 alcoholic drink
- 1 non-alcoholic drink
- Coffee/tea + a small dessert
The average cost of a 1-hour-ish boat cruise in Amsterdam, drinks excluded, is €16-20. A typical brunch at G’s restaurant, including all the same, is going to set you back around €30.
So the price is certainly fair! Now, I’m no mathematician (all previous impressive calculations aside), but I’d estimate the value of experiencing both brunching and boating at the same time equals something to the effect of = priceless.
Sold! The deets, please.
- The boat boards in front of the Anne Frank house twice every Saturday and Sunday, at 10 AM and noon.
- It has a retractable roof, heaters, and sails rain or shine.
- Booking is easy through their website and reservations are recommended.
G’s restaurants (one in de Pijp and the other in Jordaan) have a reputation for serving up some of the best brunch in the city, and their brunch boat is no exception. You can relax into the weekend with smooth sailing, attentive service, good food and drinks, and the comfort that at that particular moment there’s no better place you could be. The only let-down is that it doesn’t last longer, but good things tend to feel that way.
Special thanks to G’s for hosting us on a wonderful cruise!
Would you take a brunch boat? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: Brin Andrews