In the centre of Edenvale’s busy Van Riebeeck Avenue is De Backery, an East Rand institution opened in 1963 by the Verhoogt family. This traditional Dutch bakery is famed for its confectioneries, pastries, and breads, as well as its authentic Dutch décor and imported Dutch food products.

In the 1990s the Verhoogt family opened a pancake house above the shop catering for their many faithful clients who travel from across the city to visit the bakery. Atop the new restaurant they also erected a massive Dutch windmill (“molen” in Dutch) – a three-quarter-sized replica of the Zeldenrust Molen in Groningen, Holland – which ironically is now one Edenvale’s most iconic structures.

The pancake house serves traditional Dutch pancakes, both savoury and sweet, along with a full breakfast and lunch menu. Try the bacon and Dutch apple pancake topped with maple syrup or the Uitsmijter breakfast special: eggs, bread, ham, cheese and fried croquettes. Don’t leave without a stop at the bakery downstairs and be sure to arrive early – the baked goods sell out fast on weekend mornings.