Where to Eat and Drink in Rotterdam: Four Years of Actual Favorites

We lived in Rotterdam for four years, which means this list isn't built from a couple of trips, it's built from four years of deciding where to eat on a random Tuesday. Everything below is a place we actually went back to. Markthal, Foodhallen and the food hall stands at Station Bergweg get their own dedicated post since they're less “restaurant” and more “grazing,” so we're not repeating them here. One spot on this list we haven't actually tried yet, and we've said so plainly.

Quick Picks

Best for a splurge: Aqua Asia, right on the river
Best pizza: Old Scuola
Best for a group that can't agree: Gangnam KBBQ
Best for guests: Bazar on Witte de Withstraat
Best drinks: Gastrobar Elvy, rooftop over the river
Best Chinese: Tai Wu

Where We Actually Ate

Korean BBQ

Seoul Sista

multiple locations, including Weena 296 · Website

Seoul Sista is an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ chain, the place we turned to whenever we needed to feed a big group without much planning. You grill everything yourself at the table, bulgogi, pork belly, kimchi and the full spread of banchan sides, at whatever pace your table wants. It's not the spot for a quiet date night, but for a birthday or a going-away dinner with ten people, it's close to foolproof. We used the Weena location most, though there are several around the city if that one's booked up.

Gangnam KBBQ

Groenendaal 45F · Website

Gangnam KBBQ was our actual default for Korean barbecue, the place we went before trying anywhere new. We took visiting friends and family here constantly, and it became our go-to spot for birthdays and any excuse to celebrate. The grill-your-own format means no one's stuck waiting on a kitchen to keep up with a full table, and the banchan spread is generous enough that you're never just eating meat. If you only try one Korean BBQ place on this list, make it this one.

Sushi, Hot Pot and Asian

Shabu Shabu

Westblaak 82 · Website

Shabu Shabu was our regular sushi spot for years, the kind of place you go on a random Tuesday because you don't want to think too hard about dinner. It's all-you-can-eat, so no one at the table has to negotiate over ordering, and the quality stayed consistent every time we went. It's not fancy, no special-occasion energy, just a reliable room with good rolls and fast service. That reliability is exactly why we kept going back.

Sumo

Mauritsweg 6 · Website

Sumo was our other sushi go-to, the place we'd switch to when we wanted a change of scenery from Shabu Shabu without giving up the all-you-can-eat format. It sits right on Mauritsweg, an easy walk from the center, and the menu covers enough ground, sushi and hot dishes both, that pickier eaters in your group have options. We never had a bad meal there in four years. It's a solid backup on any night Shabu Shabu is full.

Hot & Hot

Goudsesingel 340A · Website

Hot & Hot is Sichuan hotpot, and it became Dylan's favorite meal after ramen, full stop. Everyone cooks their own ingredients tableside in a shared simmering broth, which makes it a fun group meal every time rather than just dinner. Ask for the spicy broth if you can handle heat, it's the real thing, not a watered-down tourist version. Go with at least three or four people so you can order enough variety to make the pot worth it.

Aqua Asia

Holland Amerikakade 106 · Website

Aqua Asia is our splurge pick, right on the river with skyline views that make the price tag easier to justify. The menu leans pan-Asian with a strong seafood focus, and we always order the king crab when it's available, the kind of dish worth planning a meal around. This isn't a weeknight spot, it's priced for an occasion, but we've never regretted saving it for one. Book ahead if you want a table by the window, that view is the whole point.

Chinese

China Town Dim Sum

Westersingel 1A · Website

China Town Dim Sum is solid, straightforward dim sum a short walk from Centraal Station, which makes it an easy stop if you're arriving by train or killing time before a departure. The cart service and steamer baskets keep coming as long as you're hungry, and it's a good introduction if you haven't done a proper dim sum meal before. It's not the destination we'd plan a special trip around, but as a convenient, satisfying lunch near the station, it delivers every time.

Tai Wu

Mauritsweg 24-26 · Website

We only found Tai Wu about a week before we moved away, which still stings. It's Cantonese, and it was the best Chinese food we had in four years living here, better than anywhere else on this list by a real margin. The Peking duck is the dish to order, it's what we'd go back for first if we ever make that return trip we keep talking about. Reservations are a must.

International Flavors

What's Up India

Eendrachtsweg 27 · Website

What's Up India was the first place Dylan and I ate in Rotterdam, back when we were only in town to tour a school and had no idea we'd end up living here for four years. He loved it immediately, and it stayed a favorite the entire time we lived in the city. The flavors are well balanced rather than dumbed down for a Dutch audience, and portions are generous enough to share. It's a small, sentimental one for us, but it earns its spot on the list on food alone.

Restaurant De Smaak van Afrika

Goudsesingel 342A · Website

Restaurant De Smaak van Afrika is a fun, approachable way to try African food if you haven't before, without the intimidation factor some destination restaurants have. The menu draws from multiple African culinary traditions rather than sticking to one region, so you can order a spread and sample widely. The cocktails are better than we expected walking in, worth ordering alongside dinner rather than skipping. It's an easy recommendation for anyone looking to try something different in the city.

Panzerò

Botersloot 50A · Website

Panzerò sits just a few minutes from Markthal and is built around exactly one thing, Puglian panzerotti, fried or baked pockets stuffed with fillings like mozzarella and tomato. It doesn't try to be more than that, and the focus shows, it's ranked among the top restaurants in Rotterdam on TripAdvisor, and we understand why every time we go. It's quick, casual and inexpensive, more of an easy lunch stop between sightseeing than a sit-down dinner destination. If you've never had panzerotti, this is the place to start.

Silbar

Bergweg 94A · Website

Silbar is Mexican food that opened right next door to our first house in Rotterdam, so it has a soft spot in our story beyond just the menu. It's not the best Mexican food we've ever had, but it's good, and the micheladas are the real reason to go, spiced, savory and worth the trip on their own. It's a casual neighborhood spot rather than a destination restaurant, the kind of place you duck into on a whim. We went back often enough that it earned a permanent spot on this list.

Bazar

Witte de Withstraat 16 · Website

Bazar sits on Witte de Withstraat, Rotterdam's main bar and restaurant street, and serves Middle Eastern and North African food, think hummus, calamari and slow-cooked lamb, in a colorful, lively dining room. This is the place we always brought guests when we wanted to impress without overthinking the reservation, and it never once let us down. The portions are generous and built for sharing, so it works well for groups who want to order widely across the menu. If you only eat at one place on Witte de Withstraat, make it this one.

Breakfast and All-Day

Teds

multiple locations, including Schiekade 189 · Website

Teds is a reliable all-day breakfast spot with multiple locations around the city, easy to recommend to anyone who wants more than a coffee-and-pastry stop before a day of sightseeing. The menu covers the full range from eggs and avocado toast to heartier plates, so it works whether you're easing into the day or fueling up for a long one. It's casual and unfussy, the kind of place that's good every time rather than occasionally great. Any location works, we never had a bad experience at any of them.

By Jarmusch

multiple locations, including Goudsesingel · Website

By Jarmusch runs an American diner-style menu, and the pancakes are the headline, the size of your head, and they've been recognized as some of the best pancakes in the Netherlands. It's a great weekend brunch option if you want something indulgent rather than light, and the diner atmosphere leans into that Americana feel without tipping into gimmick. Portions are large enough to share if you want to sample more than one dish. Any of the locations around the city will do, the pancakes are consistent across all of them.

Wine Bars and Drinks

De Avonden

Kleiweg 48b, Hillegersberg · Website

De Avonden was our local wine bar in the Kleiwegkwartier, a few minutes from the house we lived in in Hillegersberg, and it became our default for Friday and Saturday night aperitifs. The menu changes monthly, so there's always something new to try even if you're a regular, and the neighborhood feel is worlds away from the tourist center. It's a real local's spot, not somewhere you'd stumble into without knowing the area, which is exactly what made it feel like ours. If you're staying in Hillegersberg or just want to see a quieter side of the city, it's worth the trip out.

Gastrobar Elvy

nhow Rotterdam, Wilhelminakade 137 · Website)

Gastrobar Elvy sits on the seventh floor of the nhow hotel, and it's the best drinks spot in the city as far as we're concerned. The menu pulls from street food traditions around the world, so you can order a global spread of small plates to go with the view, and the river panorama from up there makes even a regular Tuesday drink feel like an occasion. It's not cheap, but the setting justifies it, especially at sunset. We'd send anyone visiting Rotterdam here at least once, even if just for a drink.

Pizza

Old Scuola

Achterklooster 1 · Website

Old Scuola makes the best pizza in Rotterdam, full stop, and we don't say that lightly after four years of trying most of the competition. It's Neapolitan style, wood fired, with the blistered crust and simple, high-quality toppings that style demands, and it's earned the reputation it has around the city. It's popular enough that reservations matter on weekends, we learned that the hard way more than once. Go simple with a Margherita first, then branch out once you know what the crust can do. It is the closest to the pizza we love from living in Italy for years.

Outside the Center

Brasserie Woodz

Kralingse Plas · Website

Brasserie Woodz sits right on Kralingse Plas, the lake in Kralingen, and has been a fixture out there since 2015. It's a nice, easy spot for a slower lunch outside the center, the kind of meal where you can sit outside and watch people sail or run the lake path while you eat. The menu is straightforward brasserie fare rather than anything experimental, which suits the relaxed setting. It's worth the trip out of the center if you want to see a different, quieter side of Rotterdam. This is where I would have lunch with moms from Dylan's school.

Still on Our List

Folie Crabe

Oost-Wijnstraat 8-16, Oude Haven · Website

Folie Crabe, formerly known as Wow Crab, is a seafood boil spot right on the Old Harbor, the kind of place where a bag of shellfish gets dumped straight onto your table and you dig in with your hands. We always meant to try it and just never made it in before we moved, so this one comes with an honest asterisk, we can't personally vouch for the food. Given the location and concept, though, it's exactly the kind of casual, hands-on meal that fits a harbor-side afternoon. If you make it there before we get back to try it ourselves, we'd love to hear how it was.

Practical Tips for Eating in Rotterdam

How many days do you need? Two or three days gets you through a real cross-section: Korean BBQ, one sit-down dinner, a wine bar night. Longer if you want to work through the sushi and Chinese options too.

Is Rotterdam expensive to eat in? Most of this list is genuinely affordable, especially the neighborhood spots. Aqua Asia and Gastrobar Elvy are the exceptions, both worth it, both priced like a splurge.

Do you need reservations? For Old Scuola and Tai Wu on weekends, yes. The Korean BBQ and sushi spots are more walk-in friendly.

What should you actually order? Peking duck at Tai Wu, micheladas at Silbar, and authentic Italian pizza at Old Scuolo.

For where to base yourself for easy access to most of this list, see our Where to Stay in Rotterdam guide.