A colorful, highly popular Groningen pancake café with creative, oversized sweet and savory stacks, friendly service overall, and queues and occasional consistency issues to plan around.
Blue Bananas Pancake Café delivers solid food quality with generous, satisfying portions that earn consistent praise, but inconsistent execution during peak times prevents a stronger grade. The cozy, quirky setting with its signature pink bathrooms and central Groningen location creates genuine appeal, though service attentiveness wavers between friendly and inattentive depending on the visit.
Blue Bananas is a cheerful, colorful pancake café on Nieuwe Markt, with a cozy interior, playful details, and an appealing central-square setting. Diners often describe the atmosphere as bright and welcoming, while the queue is part of the bargain: some guests wait happily, others end up outside in poor weather or wait far longer than expected. The cooking is unapologetically creative rather than classic: red velvet, tiramisu, cinnamon-roll, kimchi-chicken, gochujang chicken, cacao-salmon, stroopwafel, and elaborate fruit stacks make this a destination for people who enjoy pancakes as a full brunch canvas. Most reviewers praise fluffy, fresh, generous portions and attractive presentation, though several reports of dry, bland, undercooked, or under-topped stacks show that busy service can affect consistency. The café is best for diners who want novelty and indulgence, not a restrained breakfast. Families are well served by the big portions, shareable stacks, child-friendly staff, and reported crayons; one adult can plausibly split a pancake with two small children. The menu includes familiar options such as The Real Deal, fruit pancakes, and sweet cream-topped stacks, but many dishes are rich and visually busy, and vegan or gluten-free execution has drawn mixed feedback. Picky eaters should choose carefully and ask about the simplest preparation.
Area vibe: Historic university city centre known for student life, shopping and cafés.
Safety: Generally safe, busy with pedestrians and well-lit at night though nightlife can be lively and noisy.
What's nearby: Adjacent to Grote Markt, near the Martinikerk, shopping streets, university buildings and frequent tram/bus stops.
The menu ranges from tiramisu and Oreo stacks to kimchi chicken and silky salmon, with The Real Deal as a simpler option.
Plan for creative, rich pancakes and potentially long waits, because busy service and dietary customizations can come with trade-offs.
The café pairs a playful square-facing setting with family-friendly warmth, but busy periods can take the ease out of the visit.