Hi Going Expat people,
It really took me for ever to put together this article. I thought it would have been easier to come up with a list of restaurants in Rotterdam, but believe me, it is not!
As per the article about Where to eat in Amsterdam ,I might add some other places based on new experience or your suggestions. But in the menatime let´s start with…
My list of good places where to eat in Rotterdam.
Do not forget that it is always better to book before going, and also, Rotterdam keeps a more Dutch timetable so in a lot of places the kitchen is closed after 9p.m. You can still have a good drink in a lot of them, though.
Tosca I am not the kind of Italian person who must go to Italian places, but this one is really good. Nope, you won´t find the classic Italian dishes, it is more a Mediterranean cousine.
Destino feeling like tapas? Then this is the place for you. And in summer time you can also eat next to the river Rotte (the city is named after it!)
Brasserie Tines I know this place more for the ¨borrel¨ which is the Dutch aperitive, but it is a good alternative for a nice lunch.
Supermercado Cocktail bar and Latin American/Mexican food. It is good, happy and vibrant. There is always music and some times it can be loud. Make sure you are in the festive mood and not going there for a quite chat or a romantic dinner.
Little V It is a Vietnamese restaurant and I like everything of it. The location (just in the city center), how it is decorated and the food that is not only tasty but it comes in big portions.
Tasca Plein Oost kind of Portuguese restaurant, but I would say it got a good mix. The idea of going there is to have more fishes to share.
De Pijp It is one of the oldest Dutch restaurants in Rotterdam. Its history starts in 1898 as a beer trade center. The menu is only available on a blackboard, there is an open kitchen and long wooden tables where to sit, very likely, next to people you don’t know.
Bertmans from breakfast to dinner, you got everything here. It is a simple but cozy restaurant where you can walk in even for just a coffee or a drink.
Hotel New York If you follow me on Instagram you have heard this name so many times. The location is the former place where the cruises from and to American where quarantined. It kept a lot of the structure becoming a cozy place with 2 restaurants. The regular one at the main entracne, where you can also just go for a drink, a coffee etc… and the Basement which is more classy.
Old Scuola I cannot write this article without suggesting at least 1 pizzeria.
It is as tasty as expensive and the service is not always the best, but the pizza´s are really good. So while eating you´d probably forget the slow service and just enjoy the tasty pizza.
Most recent add to this article and last new place I have tried recently. Bistrot By Ami, again a place where the concept is to share. But the dishes ar good enough for one if you are not in that mood or have different taste/dietary with the other people who sit with you at the table.
Meat, fish and veggies for any taste in a colorfull and instagramable location. We are on the other side of the Erasmus bridge, it means you can see the water and also sit outside in the terrace when the weather allows it.
Are you in the mood for brunch? I recommend De Brunch Club, on the banks of the river Rotte (during the summer), which gives the name to the city. Delicious alternatives, rich dishes and the staff will listen to all your food needs. It’s right next to the Destino restaurant, which I told you about earlier.
If you want to stay closer to the city center, opt for Bij Teds. We are very close to the central station and on the 7th floor (the elevator arrives to the 6th and it is very small, to get to the last floor you need to go up on foot) and from here you will have a view of the buildings of the city center. In summer you can sit outside, the terrace is practically the roof of the building, where there is also their vegetable garden. Be aware that in more recent times they have opened one more place in the city center, Lijban area, you are going to miss the view, but the place is way bigger so you might just walk in.
Another suggestion for fish-lovers, a new concept in Rotterdam: Pesca. This restaurant is inside an hold bank and it is organised like you are really in a market.
You go first to the fish counter to choose what to eat (everything to share) and then to the wine area to choose the wine (or anything else). You will be accompanied in the choice by very kind waiters.
What about some Middle-East vibes? You find them at the a perfect spot for lunch. We are in the Markthal, the indoor market of the city, and exactly at Obba’s Foodbar.
Feeling like a warm cappuccino (or coffee or tea) and a bite of a handmade cake?
I have the right place for you: Zus en Kees and while there I am sure you would appreciate the shop full of a lot of home decorations and not only.
We are in the rea of Rotterdam Noord, so it is never too crowd. However it is a small place, therefore you might have to wait a bit to get your seat.
Do not forget though, that the best apple pie (Apple Taart) ever is at Dudok (in both locations, on the Meent and at Het Park). You can also go there for lunch or for an high tea.
And since this article is about how to eat as a local, I cannot forget to mention a visit to the most common shop of the Netherlands: Hema.
Besides anything else, the Hema shops n the whole country have a kind of restaurant and a corner for hot-dogs, like the one in the picture. Well, folks, let me tell you it is super tasty!
The perfect break if you are spending the day shopping and you don’t feel to have a long lunch.
I’ve shared something about this places in a reel on Instagram. Go have a look! And in general I tend to share what are the places that I like to go and have a bite in the city.
All these places have vegetarian and vegan options.
Have you ever been in one of these places? Which one intrigues you the most?
If you want to suggest a restaurant, café etc… please contact me and I will add it at the list
Enjoy
Rossella
