Rotterdam Restaurants

Rotterdam is a good city for eating out, with a huge range of restaurants reflecting the city’s rich cultural diversity. Restaurants here range from traditional Dutch to Ethiopian and Surinam cuisine.

Local cuisine

Traditionally Dutch food is simple, filling and wholesome, with meats, potatoes and vegetables covered with gravy in the old-fashioned Dutch style. Modern Dutch food has adapted and taken on more international flavours.

Stamppot is something that fits in the traditional category, with mashed potatoes and a mixture of vegetables served with smoked sausage. Thick pea soup is another favourite and is cooked with vegetables and bacon, making it a meal in itself. Patat is effectively French fries, but the Dutch style is to eat them with mayonnaise or even sate sauce and raw onions. Meanwhile, polish off your meal with vla, a popular dessert, similar to English custard.

Haring is something of a delicacy, but certainly not for everyone, consisting of a raw herring eaten with raw onions. Dutch pancake houses are famous, and a great way to end an evening; the pancake boat provides all you can eat pancakes and a boat cruise on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with departures in the afternoon and evening.

Where to eat

Lijnbaan is a pedestrianised shopping street, but it also has a number of cafés and fast-food outlets where you can get a snack after a day spent shopping. In the area around Schouwburgplein, Westersingel and Westkruiskade, you will find some excellent Chinese restaurants and supermarkets. Westkruiskade is also the best place to go for Thai, Indonesian or Surinam-style cooking and the eateries here are usually good value.

For a real splurge, Parkheuvel is considered to be Rotterdam’s finest restaurant, with three Michelin stars and a beautiful setting on the river. In 2006, renowned Dutch chef Erik van Loo became the new head chef at Parkhuevel.