We stayed here in June for 4 nights based on the great reviews listed below. As we travelled by train we considered taking a taxi with our luggage from Central Station but found the price quoted was ridiculous so we opted for the tram. This took a bit of finding but after asking a tourist info bod we found the correct tram stop and within minutes Tram 9 arrived and we hopped on. We bought an hour's pass which was very reasonable and it was very easy to figure out which stop we needed. We hopped off at 'Plantage' and I'd already Google-mapped the walk from Plantage stop to the B&B which helped matters. There is a cash ATM on this road near the tram stop - this is the closest to the B&B - it took maybe 6 or 7 minutes' walk to reach the Flying Pancake just 2 streets away.
We were met by Claudia and shown to our room in the Cook's Suite which we'd opted for as we liked the idea of a bedroom away from the living space for quietness. I wasn't sure what to expect with the previous reviews regarding the stairs as I do have a knee injury. However, the stairs weren't too bad - there were a couple of ordinary flights of stairs then the final stairs were very narrow. The stairs twist in a curve until the steps become very thin indeed so you find yourself having to walk sideways in a sense but there are good bannisters and we mastered the clambering easily, even with luggage.
The room is larger than appears in the photos and very well equipped with comfy chairs and hi-fi, TV with a pile of mainstream DVDs, a good sized dining table and chairs, a little side table with complementary spirits and a collection of books and magazines.
In the centre of the room runs the staircase up to the attic bedroom. This is quite steep too but again quite managable with the bannisters either side so not an issue. The bedroom has just the bed in it and a window which opens and a lamp - it was perfectly comfortable.
The kitchen area is great - the coffee machine is easy to use after a lesson from Claudia, the dishwasher is handy, there are all kinds of different flavoured teas available and a kettle and microwave. The fridge was full of beer and cold drinks which were reasonably priced and there were some complimentary items such as peanuts and nibbles and milk.
The bathroom opens on to the kitchen area without a door but it does have a little corridor a few feet long. We brought the folding screen up the stairs which stands by the apartment door and used this to close off the bathroom which was fine and afforded us some privacy. The bathroom is a good size with 2 large sinks and a large counter running the length of the back window which overlooks the back gardens of the street. Behind one wall in the bathroom is a clothes rack which is used as a wardrobe and a chest of drawers and sufficient space to store suitcases etc. The steamroom was easy to use and just lovely - I couldn't stay out of it!
There is some damage to the floorboards in the kitchen area which Claudia advised was due to a previous leak - as the apartment was floored with very good wood it was going to take a while to replace. It was quite easy to trip over the wood as it was raised up in a little hill so I needed to leave a scarf on the floor to remind myself not to trip!
Breakfast was wonderful - we are very late risers so it was great just to pick the basket up from outside the apartment door whenever we felt like it. The juice was freshly squeezed, the eggs were soft or hard depending on what we ordered and we chose from yogurt and rolls and cheeses and cereal - it was filling and fresh and very good accompanied with the freshly brewed coffee from the machine on the wall.
The apartment can become quite hot in the sun but there are little windows either side of the eaves which can be opened fully and do make a difference.
The location is excellent. Well within walking distance of the city centre but it's well worth exploring Nieuwe Kerkstraat itself which is where the Pancake is nestled. If you continue to walk up the street, walk under the ugly office buildings there is a good sized supermarket on the left down the busy road. If you cross the crossroads to the next bit of Nieuwe Kerkstraat you will reach a Spar corner shop which is handy for beer, bread, cigarettes, snacks, ready meals, drinks etc and isn't too pricey. Slightly further up and across the road is a little shop with fruit and veg outside - this has a huge array of fresh and frozen vegetarian products and health food,fresh wholmeal bread and an interesting selection of very different foods at very reasonable prices. Continue walking down and you will come to the famous Magere Brug or "skinny bridge". Cross the bridge and the road becomes Kerkstraat - if you continue up here you will reach a crossroads again with a cash ATM and a thriving little area of interesting shops and bars away from the city centre, significantly cheaper and very friendly.
We can heartily recommend a good 40 minute walk from the FP well away from the city centre to a great Indonesian restaurant called Dèsa (Ceintuurbaan 103, 1072 EX Amsterdam). We had the vegetarian rice table here and it was just lovely - 20 different dishes and very, very reasonable for such a warm, friendly little family-run restaurant.
We loved the Flying Pancake and will definitely stay here again when we return to the Dam.