Pancake Beachhouse Cocomo

The weather is still extraordinarily warm for the time of the year and I'm taking the kids to the beach - Billie Stormzy, his big sister Rihanan Gaga, and her best friend, our neighbour who has already featured in some of our earlier reports. In fact, she is with us so often, that I suspect Billie Stormzy pretty much sees her as another member of our family, responding to her with the same kind of satisfied smiles that he gives us when he sees us after not having seen us for a while. Those smiles that say "you're here, life is a little more complete now" and that make coming home one of those small joys in which true happiness can be found. 

Blending in perfectly with the sunny weather this Sunday morning is the dream pop coming from the soundsystem of Beach Club Cocomo, where we are having our breakfast today. Songs with wistful singers and lots of reverb that make you think of palm trees waving softly in a warm breeze. We sit down on a high couch that is more like a bed - the girls love it, as does Billie Stormzy and for a while they're content fooling around while I study the menu. I discover Cocomo calls itself a "Pancake Beachhouse" these days. This is news, as it didn't do that last time we were here (which, admittedly, could be as long ago as 2014), but the girls receive this fact with a cheer. They both opt for a regular pancake (€7 each), while I choose the most breakfasty thing on the menu: the "Granola Blast", which promises me American pancakes with kiwi, strawberry, blueberry, crunchy granola, bio yogurt, cinnamon and maple syrup (12,90). I also take a tea, while the girls have water. 

Our order is taken by a waiter who combines an adhd-like hyperactivity with a very service-minded approach and a tendency to continuously think aloud. It's the kind of smooth-talking, witty and high energy waiting that can definitively rub people the wrong way (with more than a whiff of second-hand car salesmanship), but there is also an earnestness to him that makes me quite like him nonetheless. He's also just good at his job, knowing for instance where to place things so that Billie Stormzy can't knock them over, being cheerful with the girls and in general very mindful of his guests' needs.

Right when we arrived, the girls wanted to go to the beach, but I told them to wait until our orders were taken. Now, there's no stopping them. They take Billie Stormzy and are off to the sand. A little later I see Billie Stormzy riding his big sisters back while her friend holds him steady. They're clearly having fun. 

The music has changed to uptempo, yet chilled acid jazz and a pleasant, garlicky smell that makes my mouth water lingers over Cocomo's terrace. The one thing that always strikes me when I pass this beach club is its daring colour screen: bright yellow furniture with purple, orange and red pillows. It has been like this forever, so it certainly is a conscious choice. And it does make the place stand out among its more subdued neighbours with their white and wooden designs. I lean back on the couch and gaze out over the sand, and behind that, the sea and a couple of cruise ships that ended up here after Covid-19 put them out of business. And speaking of the pandemic: unlike the last two beach clubs, Cocomo is taking some clear measures. The waiter asks me to fill in a form and next to our couch there is a sign asking customers to keep 1,5 meters distance from each other.

The girls are returning with Billie Stormzy, each holding one of his hands so that he can walk. He's surrounded with heartwarming love and care, but, not knowing anything else, treats it casually, as if it's  the most normal thing in the world - as, indeed, it is for him. Then, the girls decide enough is enough and leave him with me to go and play on the beach without him for a while. 

Breakfast is brought. Rihanna Gaga carefully rolls up her pancake and cuts it into pieces. We've had some clashes over this, because normally she prefers to cover her pancake in powdered sugar, roll it up, take it with both hands and stuff it in her mouth in large chunks. Now, however, she uses her cutlerly with precision, asking me how to do it and carefully following my instructions. She's clearly inspired by her friend, who's cutting up her pancake expertly. My breakfast is really nice as well. I feed Billie Stormzy some yoghurt and some of the fruits that come with it, as well as bits of pancake from the girls, since mine are covered in ahorn syrup. He's not that interested, though. Instead, he's very eager to get down from the high couch and crawl around on the floor. I walk around with him for a while as the girls finish their pancakes. Then, I finish mine and after that it's time to go again. Billie Stormzy is getting too restless.

Also on Breakfast at the Beach: Jump back in time to when Rihanna Gaga and I visited this place in 2014