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Rotterdam Restaurants and Cafés

Appeltaart at Cafe Dudok

ABOVE: Appeltaart (right) at the Grand Café Dudok is a Rotterdam culinary institution.

Where to eat in Rotterdam

Rotterdam isn't Lyon, and South Holland isn't Tuscany, but you can eat decently in the city--or even well, when you dine at top restaurants like Amarone.

Dutch dog in Oude Haven If--like us--you don't charge meals to a corporate expense account, you may be happier (as the Dutch sheepdog at right was) with the 60+ midpriced eateries that are reviewed at Peter Hilton's Rotterdam Cafés and Restaurants guide.

Cafe Rotterdam Rotterdam Tourist Information's Drinks & Dining in Rotterdam page is also useful: It has listings in various categories (including "burger restaurants" and "streetfood") and gives suggestions on food markets, shops, and events.

Oude Haven - Old Harbour Grand Cafe Dudok Rotterdam Downtown, the Grand Café Dudok is an institution with Rotterdam citizens of all ages, and its appeltaart or appelgebak (see photo at top of page) is so popular that other restaurants in town serve it. Stop in for breakfast, an afternoon pastry and coffee, a drink, or a full meal.

Eetcafe Opa The Witte de Withstraat, just west of the Harbor Museum and downtown, is the center of a trendy area with a number of popular bars and eetcafés--including Opa (the name means "Grandpa"), where we had an excellent sidewalk dinner with a neighborhood cat playing at our feet.

A bit farther west--and a lot higher up--the Euromast's restaurant offers brunch, lunch, dinner, "high tea," and "high wine" at an elevation of 100 meters (328 feet).

With Rotterdam being Europe's busiest port and the world's second-busiest port after Shanghai, it makes sense to dine on the water when you can. The city has several floating restaurants, including the pleasantly old-fashioned De Pannenkoekenboot ("The Pancake Boat"), which offers an all-you-can eat pancake meal with a sightseeing cruise at an affordable price.

Doner Kebab shop For outdoor eating at a rockbottom price, try one of the Doner Kebab take-outs that have outdoor tables where you can eat Turkish fast food or local spinoffs such as kapsalon (French fries beneath layers of kebab meat and melted cheese).

Bram Ladage Rotterdam In the downtown shopping district, Bram Ladage snack bars on Binnenwegplein and Hoogstraat serve French fries, hot dogs, and other grab-and-eat items. Warning: The Hoogstraat branch of Bram Ladage is next to a canal, so be ready to share a few of your fries with panhandling seagulls.