Now that you’ve read our suggestions on what to see on Rotterdam in One Day what else do you need to know? Well, you need some Rotterdam Tips on where to eat and where to stay!
Look no further, we’ve got you.
Nieuw Rotterdam Cafe
Located on Witte de Withstraat street, this is the restaurant-that-turns-night club, that I was talking about. I knew I was going to love it when I walked in and there was a pink neon sign on the wall that said, “Did you say exercise? Or extra fries?”.
We were actually very lucky to even get a seat here because they were closing the kitchen in 15 minutes and there was only one seat left (ridiculously busy). The hostess was great and snuck us in so we could have some dinner.
Now time for dinner…
We both sat down and ordered the Black Angus Burger. It was delicious; a black Angus burger with tomato, gherkin, cabbage lettuce, fried onion, scamorza cheese and chipotle mayonnaise (and I got it on a gluten-free bun!). It wasn’t cheap at €18,50 but we had a look at a few of the other menus in the windows all the way down the street and the prices were all very similar. We also couldn’t get into any of the other restaurants (did I say it was a busy street? Hah) so we were just happy to be there.
It was a vibrant and energetic restaurant, and much larger on the inside than it looked from the street. There were large groups of people celebrating moments in their lives, and romantic couples speaking sweet love whispers to each other all over the room. It was electric! Oh ya, and the nightclub at the back of the building? Amazing, complete with a disco ball.
Baker & Moore Rotterdam
I’m sure you’ve picked up by now that I love breakfast. It’s my favourite meal for so many reasons (maybe I’ll do a separate blog on why later), so finding a good breakfast place is always essential on our travels.
Here are our Rotterdam Tips for breakfast!
We chose Baker & Moore based on location but the reviews were good and they have a pretty cool website (the salmon and egg toast on the main page – drool!). It’s an 11-minute walk from the train station and it was only a 4-minute walk in the direction of the train station from our hostel. We sat outside on their patio since it was a beautiful sunny day.
We enjoyed a cappuccino (mine with my oat milk) and ordered our breakfast. I made my own, which is a pretty cool option in my opinion; a gluten-free bun, crispy bacon, avocado, boiled egg, spinach and truffle mayonnaise. It ended up being €9,00 which I thought was very reasonable for the quality of food and with my being able to choose exactly what I wanted. Trevor ordered the Brunch Platter. It was €11,90 and came with spelt toast, avocado mash, sriracha mayo, egg, yogurt, homemade granola, seasonal fruits, a fresh croissant, jam & butter (wow that was a mouthful!). I can’t remember if he added any meat to it, but he most likely did.
It was also a busy spot, and a couple of people got turned away during our visit. So be mindful that wherever you go in Rotterdam, it will be busy.
City Hub Rotterdam
Rotterdam Tips on where to stay!
City Hub is an 18-minute walk from Rotterdam Central and where we stayed on our quick 19-hour trip to Rotterdam. It’s a relatively easy walk, flat, and a straight shot down the road. The Hostel is on Wit de Withstraat, which you now know is a super busy street with some pretty great restaurants, clubs, coffee shops and galleries. It’s a buzzing street and also only an 8-minute walk from the Maritime District, so, very conveniently located.
It was Trevor’s first stay at a hostel.
I had stayed at one before, a long time ago, but it was a shared room experience. At City Hub, we had our own “pod”. We weren’t too sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised upon arrival. The hostel was modern and the check-in process was easy. Check-in was done at a self-serve station but there was a staff member there to help in case you aren’t “tech savvy”. Access to the building, and our room, was through a wristband. Even if staff weren’t around, we could get in and not have to worry about our safety inside the hostel.
When I say the room is a “pod” I mean it.
It felt like we were almost in a luxury seat of an airplane. The rooms were stacked upon each other like bunk beds. It had a huge bed (king size) but the standing room was limited. Anyone who is claustrophobic would not have a good stay. We were only there for one night, so it was fine by us. The room was spotless. The lights in the pod were controllable by an app on our phone, and it had all the outlets to charge our devices. The washrooms were shared but were very clean and spacious. Quite cute and classy too.
One thing of note in the washroom, the lights weren’t very bright. I tried to find a light switch but wasn’t successful (and I did have a pretty good look). It was a bit hard to see, so I used the flashlight on the phone for my makeup.
I would definitely stay here again for a night or two. Very impressed with this hostel.
Rotterdam Quick Tips
Here are a couple of quick Rotterdam Tips we picked up and learned on our trip. They may be helpful to you!
- There is a Maritime Museum down in the Maritime District if you want to learn more about the city’s history. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to check it out, but it’s there if you do have the time! Their hours are; Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm, Sundays and public holidays: 11 am – 5 pm.
- Rotterdam has been given two nicknames, 1. The Gateway to Europe and 2. The Gateway to the World. These names were given due to the impressive number of railway options, roads, and waterways, to and from the city!
- As I said at the beginning, don’t expect too many old buildings, or for Rotterdam to have the same vibe as some other cities in the Netherlands (like Utrecht for example). It’s unique in its own ways, however, and everyone we spoke to who lives there, just LOVES their city.
- Most restaurants close their kitchens at 9 pm or 10 pm. So if you’re a late-night eater, just keep that in mind. You may have to stop for street food instead of a sit-down meal.