Belly Pepper — Restaurant in Amsterdam

I don’t just love brunch. I live brunch. If brunch were a religion, I’d be its most devoted disciple. If brunch were a person, I’d propose on the spot. In the five years I lived in Amsterdam, I made it my mission to try every single brunch place worth knowing. I thought I had found them all. Then I left. And when I came back, my friend dared, DARED, to suggest a new place. A new place? Shouldn’t we stick to the tried and true? The golden oldies? The classics we know are perfect? I was SO. WRONG.

Belly Pepper is not just the best brunch I had in Amsterdam. It might just be the best brunch of my entire existence.

I ordered the Spinach & Cheese Börek with Poached Eggs, and let me tell you: if taste buds could cry, mine would have sobbed uncontrollably. It was everything I never knew I needed in a brunch dish. The perfect balance of crispy, cheesy, melty, eggy perfection.

And just when I thought my life had peaked, I made the audacious decision to order dessert. Pistachio Cheesecake. I don’t know what kind of sorcery went into making this, but if I had to choose between true love and another bite of that cheesecake…well, let’s just say I’d be writing my wedding vows to a slice of cake right now. It was like getting a hug from a pistachio-loving angel. A cloud of nutty, creamy, buttery euphoria.

The Turkish tea was chef’s kiss, the service was impeccable, and the place itself? Cute, cozy, and the kind of spot you wish you could teleport to on a rainy Sunday morning.

Honestly? Forget visiting my friends. Next time I’m in Amsterdam, I’m going straight to Belly Pepper. Actually, I am considering moving back to the city just for Belly Pepper. And you should too. Run, don’t walk.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/10, would brunch again and...

We visited Belly Pepper for a weekday brunch. Knowing the Chef and owner Esra, we knew we were in good hands already and Belly Pepper did not disappoint! We ordered the cilbir and spinach borek. The borek is handrolled, the layers were moist and tight. The cilbir was also really well made, and in both our dishes the poached egg was cooked exactly right. Both dishes come with chili oil drizzled on top, but Esra was kind enough to quickly prepare one without the spicy oil for me.

They serve proper Turkish tea on their menu, and it's the best one I've had in Amsterdam so far. Fragrant but not too overpowering and freshly brewed. For me, the dessert of our meal was the simit, which was just like the street simit you can find in Istanbul: soft and fluffy on the inside but crunchy and crisp on the outside. As a sweeter option, you can also have some of their decadent looking desserts but unfortunately we didn't have much space left in our tummies. That means we'll be back soon for a second round.

Overall, Belly Pepper is a much needed addition to the Amsterdam food scene, serving Turkish breakfast all day long with their own twist on some of the dishes. The staff is super kind and helpful, and the service is fast....

Unfortunately I would not recommend this place for several reasons.

First, the portion sizes were way too small relative to the price. We had a Turkish breakfast shared between two people, and were very surprised by how little food you get. Per person, you get one egg, a small piece of sausage, two small pieces of cheese, a few olives, and some tiny plates with yoghurt and jam. They also bring some bread, which is basically there to fill you up and didn’t offer any value.

On top of that, you only have 1,5 hours to eat during your reservation. And finally, we were sat at the table that is right by the door. During our entire brunch, the door would open nonstop with people coming and going and, every time this happened, the cold breeze from outside would hit us.

So, overall, we paid 60 euros to spend about 1 hour eating some small bites of food in the freezing cold. During autumn/winter, that corner of the small restaurant should really not have a table there. But I guess they’re trying to squeeze in as many customers as possible at the same time, even if some of those customers end up being very uncomfortable...