TeppieTravels

Tip: Looking for a place in Rotterdam to have a drink? Then read my previously published blog about The 8 best places for drinks in Rotterdam.

1. Le Nord

Le Nord is a bistrot (dinner and lunch), beer and wine bar. This bistrot near Rotterdam Central Station is one of my favourites because of the good French menu (with a twist). For example, put together your own cheese or charcuterie board from the wide choice. For those people who find it difficult to choose, there is the Menu du Chef (3 or 4 courses) with or without wine pairing. What I really appreciate is that a matching wine is recommended with every dish on the menu. Le Nord has a nice interior and consists of a pub area, a loft and a restaurant in the back. With good weather there are also a number of tables outside.

Tip: Next door you will find her “sister” Wijnwinkel Le Nord.

Location: Le Nord, Proveniersstraat 33a, 3033 CA Rotterdam, website

2. OX

OX is a new kid in town (since November 2021). The restaurant is located in the centre of Rotterdam, but you will only be told where it is exactly when you have made a reservation. This speakeasy element in itself makes it a special restaurant experience and this only gets more fun when you’ve found the entrance. I was here for lunch (COVID times), but because of the dark interior and no windows, you soon have no idea of the time.

The menu is inspired by Malaysian-Chinese cuisine. The chef’s menu was delicious! Beautiful, different dishes from the menu, including a fantastic Singaporean chilli crab, ceviche and delicious dim sum. The hospitable service could help us well with the choice of wine; we will definitely come back to try the cocktails!

Location: Surprise! So book quickly via the website

NB. Looking for a place to have a drink? Then read my previously published blog about the 8 best places for a drink in Rotterdam.

3. Héroine

At Héroine you know for sure that you have a pleasant evening. The food is good, the wine goes well with it and the atmosphere is relaxed. Try the chefs menu (5 or 7 courses) with the wine pairing and you only have to enjoy. The dishes are modern and inspired by cuisines from all over the world. That’s the way I like it!

You will find Héroine in the centre of Rotterdam, but it is fairly hidden in the Industriegebouw. The restaurant feels spacious due to the very high ceiling in the historic monument. The colours and artworks make it unique. You are also welcome here for a cocktail at the bar.

Tip: No time for dinner, go for a 4- or 5-course lunch on the weekend.

Location: Héroine, Kipstraat 12, 3011 RT Rotterdam, website

4. Bar Pulpo

If you’re a seafood lover, you’ve come to the right place! I had a delicious meal in this cosy restaurant. In the front you can enjoy a drink at the trendy bar and in the back you can take a seat at a table. The salmon with homemade XO sauce is addictive and the seafood family bucket was delicious!! Let yourself be advised for a matching wine or cocktail by the friendly and helpful service.

The art on the walls and the implemented sea(food) theme complete the atmosphere. Highly recommended for seafood!

Location: Bar Pulpo, Scheepstimmermanslaan 15a, 3016 AC Rotterdam, website

5. Louise Petit Restaurant

At Louise Petit Restaurant you really feel like you are in France. The menu is an ode to the French classics and – to top it off – the female waiters wear French black&white aprons.

We had the oysters, then steak tartare and as a main course the lamb chops with delicious side dishes. To end the dinner we also took “Le rêve de Louise” (an espresso with cream and vanilla liqueur). Delicious food, good atmosphere, nice service; need to say more?

Tip: For a delicious French breakfast or lunch you can also go here. You can’t make a reservation for this, so if you’re lucky there’s still room on the terrace with fantastic views of the old ships in the ferry port and behind them the iconic buildings of Rotterdam and the Erasmus Bridge. Magnifique!

Location: Louise Petit Restaurant, Veerhaven 12-13b, 3016 CJ Rotterdam, website

6. Putaine

Also a newcomer in Rotterdam since 2021 is Putaine. Putaine is from the same owners as Heroine and is located on a brand new floating island in the middle of the Rijnhaven. Due to the COVID-19 measures, I ordered the great party box here at Christmas 2021 and therefore did not eat on location that time. Delicious dishes such as oysters, beef tartare, duck liver, lobster salad and cheese. And of course a cocktail to kick off the Christmas festivities. The Fleur cocktail is highly recommended!

Recently I visited Putaine at the cool location on the water for a delicious lunch. The decoration is tough with black and pink; and there is a large terrace on the water. Again, we enjoyed delicious dishes to share and nice wines to go with it.

Location: Putaine, Antoine Platekade 996, 3072 ME Rotterdam (at Floating Offices Rotterdam), website

7. Restaurant Bitter

And yet another brand new addition to Rotterdam: Bitter. Bitter is located in a former brothel in the old district of Rotterdam (and with a view of the Praxis). Club BIT started in 2021 as a 24/7 club, but due to COVID and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions, the club is now really in the start-up phase (since April 2022). For club BIT you will find the restaurant section: Bitter. The restaurant has also only recently opened, and after reading a very good review in the NRC, we had to taste it ourselves.

As Bitter herself writes on her website: this is confusion, which is why they call their kitchen “Confusion Kitchen”. You understand that we went for the chef’s surprise menu – with matching wine pairing – and that is definitely recommended! The wines are surprising, but go well with the interesting dishes. Bitter: Expect the unexpected when visiting our restaurant and be ready for a mind boggling extravaganza of taste, smell and overall goodness. Definitely worth a visit if you want to be surprised and are open to a new taste sensation. And after dinner: feet off the floor in club BIT!

Location: Bitter, Keileweg 10A, 3029 BS Rotterdam, website

In addition to the above hotspots, the following restaurants should certainly not be missing on this list. The restaurants below both have a Michelin star, so this is where you should go for a more special night out. 

8. Zeezout (1 Michelin ster)

At Zeezout you eat fish, but then next-level. When we were here in 2019, we were already amazed by the delicious refined fish dishes and we already said to each other that Zeezout was Michelin star worthy. And two years later it happened: Zeezout has had a Michelin star since 2021. The dishes look simple on the menu, but it’s a party on your plate (and in your mouth).

Even though the food was so good, the restaurant is certainly not pretentious (I hope it stayed that way after they received the star). The service is nice and relaxed and they love jokes. But the relaxed attitude certainly does not detract from the quality, in fact, it only makes the experience more fun! In the kitchen they clearly work according to the Rotterdam credo “don’t talk, just do it”.

Let yourself be surprised by the chef with a 4-5 or 6-course menu. The prices are also very reasonable for a restaurant with a star (the prices for the surprise menus are respectively € 65, € 75 and € 85 and a la carte main courses around € 30).

Location: Zeezout, Westerkade 11, 3016 CL Rotterdam, website

9. FG Food Labs (1 Michelin ster)

FG Food Labs is the most expensive restaurant on this list, but it’s also well worth the money. What a great atmosphere and great food!! The location under De Hofbogen is also great: FG Food Labs has done justice to the old railway tunnel and has implemented the theme well in the interior.

We sat at the bar and could watch – between the Josélito’s (the best ham in the world) – how the drinks were prepared and have a chat with the bartender. Of course we (again) chose the surprise menu (choice of 6 or 8 courses), with some adjustments by the kitchen because of my pregnancy. The wine pairing was excellent, but also the alcohol-free options were very tasty. Here you have to go for a very relaxed fine-dining experience!

Location: FG Food Labs, Katshoek 41, 3032 AE Rotterdam, website

Aan De Zweth

Okay, restaurant Aan De Zweth is not formally located in Rotterdam, but it is so close that I still include the restaurant in this Rotterdam list. I was here in January 2023 for a wonderful lunch to celebrate love. Chef Joris Peters and his team provided beautiful dishes and delicious wines. The restaurant is beautifully situated in a peaceful little town and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

We ordered the Menu Saisonnier with matching wines. We enjoyed the “Dutch” amuse-bouche including a surprising dish of chowder and smoked sausage flavour. The scallops with parmesan and vinaigrette of black truffle and halibut were delicious and we wanted even more from the roe deer in combination with the stewed pears and Époisses jelly. The blood orange dessert was so beautiful on the plate and the chocolate filled with Thai curry (one of the sweets served with the coffee) was a nice final treat. Definitely a restaurant to put on your list for when you have something to celebrate!

Location: Aan De Zweth, Rotterdamseweg 480, 2636 KB, website

Hopefully I can add some other restaurants to this list soon. Among others, “De Matroos en het Meisje” and “Bar Berta” have been on my list to eat for a while, but unfortunately it has not happened yet. When I have been there (and I like them), then of course they will also be added on this blog.

Do you have a tip for a restaurant where I really have to go? Let me know in the comments or via a post on Instagram. I’m always looking for new hotspots 🙂

Will a visit to Rotterdam be on the program for you soon? Then read my previously published blog about the 8 best places for a drink in Rotterdam. For tips on where to be in Breda, read my blog Breda, the best city centre in the Netherlands or try my walking or cycling route in The Hague that I have mapped out for you.

Looking for a distant holiday destination where you can eat well? Perhaps my list of my favourite restaurants in Singapore or delicious lunch restaurants in Singapore will be the deciding factor for a culinary trip to South-East Asia.

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