Vlot Grand Café

A nice little café with great canal views in the centre of town. We were there for a Sunday lunch and it was bustling with lazy brunchers and families.
We ordered the smoked salmon and crab salad and the mushroom vegetable bake with brie, rocket and cashews; for good measure, we also threw in a side of wedges and a few Belgian beers. The portions were generous and the food was fresh and tasty. We really enjoyed our relaxed meal and the bright sunlit interior.
My only gripe was the service really wasn’t pulled together. All the staff looked really young, and had a «first day on the job» hesitancy and clumsiness. There was some confusion/​commotion about which table to deliver food to… and at the end of our meal, we ordered mint teas. They charged us for it, brought us the bill, then after we paid the bill, they came back to say they had run out of mint and would we like to wait while they ran out to buy some? Um, not really? They were genuinely earnest, we got our money refunded and it really wasn’t a big deal, but those poor kids in there definitely need some adult supervision.

I went to Leiden today, which is a cute university city about twenty five minutes outside of Amsterdam by train. I think there are actually two main universities there. I went to Pettersson Grand Café which is a café on a boat (on the water), and you can actually feel it rocking a bit while your enjoying your treats. They have indoor and outdoor seating, the outdoor seating options are both on and off the actual boat, and it was cool to just sit out and watch other boats pass by. I had a latte and a tosti with salami and aged cheese, and they also make sandwiches and other treats, plus they have alcoholic drinks as well. I went during the day, but I did see turn tables set up inside, so I imagine they play music there in the evening, maybe even live music. The staff are nice, the scenery is great, and it’s a quick walk from Leiden Centraal Station. If you happen to be in Leiden check it out.