Rotterdam Restaurants and Dining

(Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands)

Dutch cuisine is just a small part of the dining scene in Rotterdam, with the rest being made up with international eateries, fast-food restaurants, cheap pizzerias and of course, seemingly endless coffee shops. The Dutch have become extremely well known for their cheeses, such as Edam, Gouda and Leyden, and Rotterdam is no exception to this.

When dining out in Rotterdam, you can expect many restaurants to provide freshly baked Dutch bread, which is mainly wholegrain or made with rye, and often sprinkled with pumpkin seeds or similar. Traditional Dutch eateries can be expected to serve a variety of soup, sausages, potatoes, meat, gravy and even rice-based dishes with a strong Indonesian influence.

Where to Eat

Some of the most lively selections of restaurants in Rotterdam are to be found around the Eendrachtsplein and on the Nieuwe Binnenweg area, along with a huge selection of cafes, bars and pubs. Food and drink is often accompanied by live jazz music at a number of these dining venues, and of course plenty of quality Dutch beer.

Further dining opportunities in Rotterdam present themselves nearby, on the Westersingel and all around the Old Harbour area, known locally in Dutch as the Oude Haven and close to the Blaak metro station. Many restaurants, cafes and similar music bars are concentrated on the Aelbrechtskolk, Geldersekade, Gravendijkwal and also the Mauritsstraat, where many eateries specialise in foreign dishes, literally catering to demand.

The huge wealth of coffee shops in Rotterdam provide a range of tasty snacks and are a cheap alternative to restaurants. There are actually more coffee shops and hash cafes here than anywhere else in the Netherlands, bar the capital of Amsterdam.