1900 aan zee

For days now, Rihanna Gaga has said she's looking forward to seeing some snow. I'm not quite sure whether she remembers last year's snow, when we were in the Netherlands for a short winter holiday, so I don't really know if snow is something real to her, other than the snow she's read about in her books. Last night, it snowed, but there's little left of it and what is there is quickly melting away. It's early Saturday morning, and we're having breakfast out today because I'm working this Monday. The good thing about that is that my girlfriend can join us today, much to Rihanan Gaga's delight since she loves it when we're doing things with the three of us.

1900 aan zee (1900 at the sea) is a new place, that opened store just a few days ago. It's right across the church of Scheveningen where, on Sunday, you can still see people go to church in traditional clothing. The name suits the location: most buildings around here are from the 19th century, although the church is from the fifteenth century.  It is pretty similar to the place that used to be here in terms of what it serves - breakfast, lunch, coffee - but the tone is very different: stylishly evoking the belle époque and yet very contemporary, where its predecessor, Bysso, was much more colourful and modern. One downside: it's closed on Monday and Tuesday.

1900 aan zee is littered with funny decorative finds from bric à bracs, mirrors, chandeliers, old utilities, that are spread around this small place. One wall is covered in a beautiful flower patterned wallpaper and the furniture is tasteful and wooden. Fittingly, the Tindersticks - a moody British band whose singer sounds like a thoroughly depressed crooner, and whose bariton vocals are laid to slumber on a beautiful bed of strings - are playing when we arrive and the rest of the playlist continues in the same vein.

There's one other man when Rihanna Gaga and me arrive - my girlfriend is coming later - and we order apple juice and a croissant for Rihanna Gaga, a latte macchiato (€2,75) and bacon and eggs (€6,50) for me, and - when she arrives - a latte macchiato and a hummus sandwich for my girlfriend. Rihanna Gaga enjoys the place very much, spending most of her time running around and looking outside, pointing out every little spot of melting snow that can still be seen. The friendly waitress is continuously busy behind the counter, making the breads, baking the eggs. All the food is fresh and tasty. After finishing her croissant, Rihanna Gaga wants eggs as well, so we order another bacon and eggs which of which she finishes a large part, leaving the rest for me. My girlfriend and I have a mint tea (€3,-), of which Rihanna Gaga enjoys eating the mint leaves - she always does, it's one of her favourite snacks.

When she's finished eating, Rihanan Gaga starts running around again, in between taking care of her bear which she feeds and puts to bed. She talks to us about her imaginary friend, who has her birthday today - they always do, we have birthday parties on an almost daily basis at home, with Rihanna Gaga serving imaginary tea and cake and singing songs - and wants to send a text message to my mother: she enjoys typing in smiley faces and other pictures that I then have to send to her grandmother. Then, she starts singing the French children songs that she learned at her Tunisian daycare, much to the amusement of the waitress. It's time to go. We pay and leave, Rihanna Gaga on her kick scooter, me walking and my girlfriend on her bike.