Bars

You’ve probably noticed it by now – Rotterdam has a skyline. This makes it rather unique among the Dutch cities. The uniqueness, however, comes with a price. As new high-rise buildings are continuously being added to the urban landscape, at the ground level, cafe’s with sidewalk places in the sun are becoming scarcer.

Luckily for you (and me) – there’s the occasional cheater among sidewalk cafe’s as well. I’m talking about DikT – the cafe situated adjacent to the Central Library. On ground level it’s just another coffee place/lunch room, albeit with monthly Jazz sessions and weekly science talks. But take the stairs up and it’s a full-fledged sidewalk cafe, only without the sidewalk. And with the best view in town, plus an uninhibited sunshine (at least, as long as the Dutch sun shines).

My favourite time here is, of course, on Saturdays, when the market is buzzing on the street below. But I’m not very picky – in Holland, any day the sun shines is a good day. Especially with such a view.

While walking through the Van Oldenbarneveltstraat I decided to go for a coffee at Nostra. Inside I went for a seat at the bar as the tables were all full with people enjoying their lunch. I wasn’t feeling very hungry but on the menu there was a cake with nuts, banana or blueberry at least that is how I read it. Coffee was served together with the cake and the waitress said “Enjoy!”. Well, it was more like a whirlwind of joy! What a brilliant combination of nuts, banana and blueberry in a cake.

Hungry for more I tried a specialty, bread with mozzarella plus a glass of white wine, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Piersanti. It tasted very good and the wine was perfect. Nostra is now my place, actually our place.

Located in the Van Oldenbarneveltstraat, Nostra lunch and winebar stands out from the other beautiful shops in the street. The terrace may fool you but inside it is a modern interior with the right balance of wines presented and perfect lunch.

Don’t forget to try the cake!

Hotel New York is a landmark in Rotterdam, a place not to be missed whenever you visit the city, however, it is also a place where the locals like to eat and hang out from Winter to Summer and every season in between. This is also a special place for both my husband and I because this is where we had our first date and also were we got married, it is more than special I must say, it is memorable.

The restaurant should not be missed, specially their fantastic seafood platters and their weekend breakfast. Their menu changes every few months and always features the best from each season.

Also, both the interior and exterior of the building have amazing history and people have been converging here for decades.The reason why they come back, you might ask, is the food and of course the fabulous atmosphere. In summer, this is ‘the’ terrace to sit and drink a glass of wine while enjoying the view of the Maas and the most amazing sunset.

If you ever find yourself walking through the Pannekoekstraat (pancake street in Dutch) you’ll be at the right place, because here is where the fabulous brasserie Pierre is located. This is a place to see and be seen, sipping a glass of wine and enjoying some French nibbles and watch the people pass by or better yet, read a nice book. Inside, the décor features art deco styles that go from a checkered floor to antiqued mirrors that instantly transport you to the Paris of the 20′s.

Pierre is a place that you can visit at any time of the day, whether you want to have breakfast French style with croissants, assorted breads, jams and jellies or if you wish to enjoy the weather with some friends outside having a salad Niçoise (which is my favorite salad on the menu) or some homemade marinated olives (another favorite!), you can certainly have a good time at Pierre.

The concept is similar to tapas because of the size but in the shape of a complete main course, this is the definition of ‘klein maar fijn‘ (in Dutch ‘small but great’) at its culinary best, which gives you the opportunity to savor more than one dish at a time. My favorite dish has to be grilled scallops, always cooked to perfection and served with finesse. This place must not be missed!

I am not afraid of heights. And I was not new to abseiling. But as I was dangling from the Euromast 100 meters above the ground, looking down gave me goosebumps. Perhaps it’s because normally, as you abseil, there’s a mountain blocking half of your view. Or because the cars and people way down looked like they belonged in Lego Land, putting a new meaning into the word “perspective”.

One thing I know for certain – abseiling from the Euromast is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, the highest viewing point in the Netherlands also offers less challenging ways of enjoying the view – the restaurant, the viewing platform and the rotating elevator all put a solid floor under your feet. Built for the 1960 Floriade, the Euromast is a complete entertainment system, selling all possible ticket combinations, including the fast way down – zip-line to the ground in just 15 seconds! And if you really like the view and happen to be in a big-spender mood, you can book the suite – what’s € 385 if you’ve got the best view in town, right?