20 hip Rotterdam cafes and other foodie hot spots

I've visited the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands several times already and each time I discover new cool Rotterdam cafes, coffee places, restaurants and other foodie hot spots.

The following list contains all the places I've already tried and tested. I'll add to it each time I visit Rotterdam and try a new hot spot, so make sure to check back once in a while! And if you've found the best coffee in Rotterdam, let me know where you had it and I'll be sure to check it out.

 

Rotterdam Cafes and other foodie hot spots

1. Restaurant Bazar

Bazar is both a hotel and a restaurant in Rotterdam's famous Witte de Withstraat, the nightlife street of Rotterdam with plenty of bars, restaurants, and fast food joints. The restaurant is big, seating people on three different floors, and yet it feels cozy because of its oriental interior with wooden elements and colorful lamps.

Aside from its indoor seating, Bazar also has a big sidewalk terrace which makes it a great place to have a summer meal. You might want to make a reservation, though, as the place is regularly full – both outside and inside. It's definitely one of the more popular restaurants in Rotterdam.

The cuisine is Mediterranean and Middle Eastern, the food is very reasonably priced and you can get fed any time of the day at Bazar as they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wondering what I mean with “reasonably priced”? The dish-of-the-day only costs €8.5 and believe me, the portions at Bazar are big – but not so big we couldn't finish them!

I was in the company of three others when I had dinner at Bazar so we decided to order different small dishes to share. It was delicious!

 

2. Op het dak

Op het dak is Dutch for “On the roof”, which says exactly what “Op het dak” is: a rooftop restaurant. That's pretty cool in itself, but it's even more than that. “Op het dak” has its own rooftop garden where it grows all the herbs, vegetables and fruits that go into the dishes the restaurant serves. When you visit, you can walk on the paths between the edible flowers and the salad.

When I visited, I had tastings of four of their dishes:

• homemade confit of wild goose with cucumber and zucchini spaghetti and a sweet-and-sour dressing
• grilled seasonal veggies with chopped rooftop herbs, lettuce, edible flowers and saffron mayonnaise
• frittata with a salad
• banana and caramel cake

Everything tasted so fresh and natural, it was wonderful. And in case you're wondering: “Op het dak” doesn't keep geese on the roof, but they do work together with a local hunter who delivers the meat to them and so they always have a dish with goose meat on the menu.

 

3. Supermercado

Supermercado is a new Mexican place in Rotterdam located on a corner of the Schiedamse Vest, right where it crosses the popular Witte de Withstraat. I'd walked past it already as it was located close to my hotel and decided to have dinner there my second night in the city.

I didn't go without hesitation, though, as the most recent reviews on Google weren't all that positive. However, a local from Rotterdam told me they'd gone and loved it, so I took my chances.

And I'm glad I did! I chose to sit outside on the terrace – it's summer, after all! – and quickly received a menu. Once I'd made my decision, food followed swiftly. I'd chosen a chicken taco and a pork taco which were both delicious. They tasted fresh and there was actually enough meat in both of them – something that isn't always the case with tacos.

I still had some room left after those two tacos, so I ordered a third, this time with lentils. It came quickly and was tasty as well.

I'm happy to say I can recommend Supermercado as their spacious terrace offers a more relaxing alternative to the busy sidewalk terraces in the Witte de Withstraat. Most of the negative reviews I'd read had to do with personnel, but both the guy and the girl who served me were friendly and quick. I'd definitely go back.

 

4. Baker & Moore

Baker & Moore is a coffee, tea and food place with a cool industrial-wooden-ish interior and a cute little terrace. While it's located on the busy Westblaak, the terrace is separated from the road by a cycling path and a wide stretch of sidewalk, so the cars don't bother you at all.

On the menu, you can find freshly prepared sandwiches and salads, (high) tea and coffee, slow juices, breakfast and cakes. By the way: Baker & Moore also has quite the selection of gluten-free, lactose-free and sugar-free pastries. I tried one with coconut and chocolate just because it looked so good and it was terribly good!

While personnel was really friendly, the girl who served the people sitting on the terrace was rather slow. Even when we had asked her whether she could take our order, she walked in and out a couple more times to clean tables, but not to take our order. So after a while, we went inside to order at the counter, where we were told someone would come and take our order. Eventually, a friendly guy who was working behind the counter came out especially for us. I think it's a case of just one girl who wasn't able to keep up.

 

5. Poffertjessalon Seth

“Poffertjes” are a typical Dutch sweet, like chocolate and waffles are typical for Belgium. They're like tiny pancakes, but different, served with melted butter and powder sugar. Oh my, just thinking of them makes me drool a little.

Poffertjessalon Seth is the place to go to in Rotterdam for poffertjes. Located right outside the famous Markthal, its large terrace allows for some good people watching and gives you a great view on its neighbor. You can get poffertjes with all kinds of toppings, but the basic ones are my favorite.

 

6. Ter Marsch & Co

Ter Marsch & Co was a must-visit because they won the “Best Burger of the Netherlands” award in 2015. While I'm not a huge burger fan, one can't skip a famous place like that, right? On top of that, Ter Marsch & Co has a cute little sidewalk terrace in the popular Witte de Withstraat so it's perfect for getting your summer dose of meat.

While I'd planned to go with their winning Burgeresse burger, I opted for the Kip Grill (chicken burger) instead. I love me some chicken!

While the burger was fine, it was the sauce I ordered with the fries that really impressed me. No mayonnaise or ketchup, but lemon and rosemary. So good! Honestly, even if you don't like burgers, you need to go to Ter Marsch & Co just to order some fries and that sauce.

 

7. Fenix Food Factory

I love love love indoor market halls like this. The industrial vibe of the old warehouse, the different food stands… Also loved the fact that it's definitely not all fast food you can get here. On the contrary, there's quality cheese, salami, quiche, Moroccan mezze, sandwiches…

I had a quiche from Rechtstreex which was really good and came with some salad and cherry tomatoes. I also bought one of their apple juices, which was both refreshing and deliciously sweet.

While it was cozy inside with all the different tables, chairs and couches (and a man playing the piano!), my friends and I preferred sitting outside as the weather was nice and it was a bit less loud there. Plus: you can eat with a view of the water!

 

8. DÂK

I'm so sorry to say I didn't make it to DÂK. This temporary summer rooftop park, bar and barbecue spot only opens in the afternoon and the evenings and because of the busy schedule I had when I was in Rotterdam, I didn't manage to, fit it in. I do want to mention it here, though, because the photos and description on the site look like good fun and I had a local recommend this place to me as well.

What is DÂK? It's a rooftop park with barbecues where you can grill your own meat, with a bar, a dj stage and some chairs and tables. They have events all throughout the week like parties, movie nights and afterwork drinks. You have to pay an entrance, fee which ranges from €2 to €10 depending on the event of that day.

 

9. Lof der Zoetheid

I visited Lof der Zoetheid on my previous trip to Rotterdam but I think it deserves a mention as it's one of the few places that's really dedicated to tea and sweets and has a sidewalk terrace. When it's crowded inside, the place can get a little loud, but that won't bother you when you're sitting outside.

Lof der Zoetheid does a spectacular Afternoon Tea and also has a wide range of other sweets and snacks to choose from, as well as a selection of loose teas.

What's fun is that they bring the different teas to the table so you can have a look (and smell them!) before you fill up your tea bag.

 

10. Urban 9

Urban 9 doesn't have one, but two terraces! One out front on the sidewalk of Boterstraat and one on the other side of the building at the car-free Nieuwemarkt. I sat in the back to enjoy a morning smoothie which was freshly prepared for me, but you can also get coffee, tea, breakfast and small bites at this Rotterdam Cafe.

It's a tiny cozy place and fun for a quick stop.

 

11. The Tea Lab

Okay, so The Tea Lab doesn't have a terrace, but I need to mention this place as… well, it's The Tea Lab! It's entirely dedicated to tea, so how could this tea lover not mention it?

On the menu, you'll find a large selection of loose teas, both the classics and some original flavor combinations. I got a lovely Moroccan Mint which was green tea with peppermint, lemongrass and verbena.

The teas on the menu are categorized per kind of flavor (f.e. sweet vs fruity) and it's indicated whether they're based on green tea, black tea or white tea and whether they're, for example, organic or caffeine-free.

 

12. Visser & Ko

I discovered Visser & Ko as it was located right by where I was staying on one of my trips to Rotterdam and would love to go back sometime as it was hard to choose between all the yummy things on their menu.

I choose a smoothie, but they seemed to have some great light bites as well and are proud to serve the Italian Drago Mocambo coffee. High tea is also an option.

 

13. De Koffiebar

De Koffiebar is located right in the center of Rotterdam and offers a wide range of not only the typical coffees but also dessert coffees with all kinds of flavors. You can grab a bite here as well, or a smoothie if you're craving some fruit.

Their terrace is a great place for some people watching while having a delicious coffee in Rotterdam.

 

14. Kopie Soesoe

Kopie Soesoe is located in Katendrecht, a bit of a more residential area in the south of Rotterdam. It's a tiny coffee bar with a few seats out front as well. Unfortunately, it was raining the day I visited so I opted for a seat inside and ordered a nut pie together with my coffee for a bit of comfort.

 

15. Restaurant De Kade

Despite its very Dutch name, De Kade is an Asian-Surinamese fusion “fast food” restaurant. I use ” ” because the food is prepared quickly and you can order out, but this is just as much a place where you can come to have lunch or dinner with friends.

When I came here, I'd actually planned to go somewhere else but I was so tired that I wanted something quick and easy. As it was still pretty early (around 5.30 p.m. when I arrived), I enjoyed a quick and quiet meal before heading back to my hotel.

I even ordered some baked banana for dessert :-)

 

16. Parqiet

Parqiet is an adorable little drinks, breakfast, and lunch place in Het Park (“The Park”) of Rotterdam. I enjoyed a grilled sandwich there but had to sit inside as the little terrace with views of the park was understandibly full.

 

17. Café @Home

Café @Home lies a bit outside of the commercial center of Rotterdam. It only had one little table outside when I was there, but inside, there's plenty of seating. Locals love to come here to work, study or have meetings thanks to the many plugs and free WiFi.

 

18. Bertmans

I was introduced to Bertmans by my friend Anne and absolutely loved it. This cafe in Rotterdam Noord has lots of healthy and deliciously sounding (and tasting!) dishes on its menu. You can come here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner or something yummy in between.

When the weather's nice, they have a large terrace out which is partially right in front of the building and partially by the water.

 

19. De Tuin van de Vier Windstreken

De Tuin van de Vier Windstreken or “Garden of the Four Cardinal Directions” is a bistro with a large terrace right by the Kralingse Lake. Read more about it here.

 

20. Alfredo's Taquería

Alfredo's Taquería was fairly new when my friend Anne took me there. It has both an inner seating area and a pretty large courtyard. We sat outside and ordered nachos with guacamole to start and tacos for after.

Unfortunately, we had to wait quite a while for our food which was good, but not wow.

Anne had been there before and assured me that the service had been great then. The reviews are also positive, so perhaps I just had bad luck?

 

Where to stay in Rotterdam

I stayed at the Inntel Hotels Rotterdam and had a room with a lovely view over the water, free wi-fi and breakfast included. It's located right in front of a metro entrance and just a ten-minute walk from the famous Witte de Withstraat.

Check availability, prices and reviews.
 

How to get to Rotterdam

If you're coming from abroad, you can fly into Amsterdam Schiphol and take a direct train to Rotterdam. Alternatively, you can also travel by train directly to Rotterdam. Thalys offers the fastest option, especially from Belgium.

Click here for train options and prices.
 

Don't forget travel insurance

No matter how well you plan your trip to Rotterdam, something unexpected can always happen. A reservation gets lost, you get sick or your camera falls to pieces. In all of these cases, good travel insurance has you covered.

I've had ongoing travel insurance ever since I started traveling to make sure I'm covered for every trip I go on but if you travel just a few times a year, you can get insured for each trip separately too.

Don't have travel insurance yet? Check out SafetyWing. They offer super flexible plans that you can even sign up for while you're already on your trip. On top of that, they were the first travel insurance to cover COVID, and when I got COVID, they reimbursed all of my expenses without making a fuss. Their customer support team is great and I can personally recommend them.
 

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I was invited to Rotterdam by the Rotterdam Tourism Board to experience the city in summer so I could tell you guys all about it. As always, I write whatever I want on here.