Tucked away in a street between the Van Oldenbarneveldstraat and the Binnenweg there is a small restaurant called Open. Here you can get some good salads and sandwiches. My favorite is the sandwich with smoked chicken with basil dressing, but there is much more to choose from.

The place is small but brightly decorated, something that they change every now and then. The staff isn’t the quickest, but their friendliness makes up for that.

I have had dinner here once, a couple of years ago, but generally come here for lunch.

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Open | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Mediterranean ) | Bread roll salmon € 7.50
Jacobusstraat 215 | Center | +31102136257
Sun – Thu 12:00 – 21:30, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 22:00

The last corner of the Meent and the marktplaats now finally has some potential. Van Zanten has opened her doors last summer and I like it. It’s a nice little cafe/lunch place during the day and turns into a restaurant/bar at night.

Their food is good and not as predictable as in most places (so not just your standard steak and fries). Van Zanten has lots of salads to choose from and asparagus (white) when they’re in season. They also have a lot of sandwiches to choose from, which makes it a great place for lunch.

Van Zanten is getting quite the attention now. It attracts a different crowd than Café Pol (check out the article) or the other two pubs on the corners. A lot more down to earth people.

This bar is turning into a great success!

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Van Zanten | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (European)
Meent 44 | Center | +31108435012
Sun – Thu 10:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 02:00

I have always had a fascination with tea, dare to say that I’m more from the tea team than the coffee one, so when I discovered bubble tea a while ago, I fell completely in love. Bubble tea is tea in an array of flavors mixed with either fruit, milk or yoghurt, can be drank either hot or cold and with little tapioca balls. The tapioca balls feel like a gelatin in your mouth taking the experience of drinking tea to the next level!

So, one day while walking through the city I discovered YoYo!, and was instantly glad that finally bubble tea had arrived in Rotterdam. Their menu is pretty extensive and the combinations that you can make are almost endless. You can choose to take your tea either hot or cold, with milk, yoghurt, fruit, powdered coconut, taro root, etc. Also, you can choose the type of tea you wish, from jasmine to oolong, they have it all! After choosing your liquid base, comes the fun part of choosing the toppings; from the traditional tapioca balls, popping (stuffed jelly balls with fruit juice or yoghurt), nata de coco (coconut flesh), jelly and much more. But don’t distress if you don’t know what to choose, the owner, Mr. Wing Li and his friendly staff are always more than willing to guide you through their selection and giving you a fabulous experience.

This is a place worth visiting! My favorite: strawberry milk tea with tapioca and jellies. Yum!

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YoYo! | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Medium drink € 3.00
Karel Doormanstraat 34 | Center
Mon – Thu & Sat 11:00 – 20:00, Fri 11:00 – 22:00, Sun 12:00 – 20:00

Nostra’s back!! After they had to move because of construction work they were gone for a while. But now they have reopened and I’m happy about it.

The place is completely new, but hasn’t lost it’s cosy feeling. And the menu is still great as well. The Van Oldenbarneveld street has some very nice shops where they sell beautiful stuff. Like SHPPR which sells the dresses of Wendy Troost. Therefor Nostra is great for a shopping break. And on your way back, pick up some delicious cupcakes from Alice in Cakeland (check the article), she’s only a couple of doors down.

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Nostra | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Lunch) | Pastrami bread roll € 7.50
Van Oldenbarneveltstraat 127A | Center
Thu – Mon 10:00 – 21:00, closed on Tue – Wed night

My boyfriend and I were on our way to my spots to take some new pictures. We passed ‘Pol’ and decided to have a quick drink, as we do more often. I hadn’t even gotten to the bar yet when we ran into a couple of friends of mine. This was at about half past five and at 9ish we left the place. Whoops… no new photo’s of old spots, but hey what a great way to spend the Sunday.

That’s what ‘Pol’ is about. One time you jump in for a quick cup of coffee to have a little rest after shopping at the market right next to it. And the other day you go in with the same idea, but you leave a bit more drunk and full from the ‘bittergarnituur’.

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Café Pol | Bars, Coffee & tea | Beer € 2.00
Meent 46-48 | Center | +31104112335
Sun – Mon & Wed – Thu 11:00 – 01:00, Tue 10:00 – 01:00, Fri 11:00 – 02:00, Sat 10:00 – 02:00

The Netherlands Architecture Institute just reopened after a year of renovations. The museum has great new permanent exhibitions: ‘Dutchville’ where you can experience every side of the city and ’Treasury’ shows about 100 masterpieces from the NAI collection.

From April 20th two exhibitions (Making City and Smart Cities) of the 5th International Architecture Biennalle Rotterdam (IABR) are on show at The NAI, of which one (Making City) is the main exhibition of the IABR.

The NAI expanded with a new cafe, where you can get lunch, a good coffee or stay for something stronger. There’s a big sunny terrace which is great to relax. Coming with kids? They can play, build and create at a space above the Cafe called the ‘Hands-on Deck,’ while you enjoy your beer/wine .

Oh and don’t forget to visit the bookshop!

On the 19th of April the International Architecture Biennalle Rotterdam (IABR) opens at the NAI. From that date on  you can see the exhibitions ‘Making City’ and ‘Smart Cities’.

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NAI | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Adults € 8.00
Museumpark 25 | Center | +31104401200
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 17:00

Another great place in the Meent Area. This street is becoming more and more attractive and popular. Vlaamsch Broodhuys is a bakery and lunch place in one.

They have the nicest so called yeast (or leaven, I’m not sure how to call it) bread in the shop and on the menu. I’m a big fan of the marinated salmon. Come here to have a great lunch of high tea with friends or buy your bread and other yummy stuff in the shop inside.

And now that the sun’s coming out more and more, we’ll be able to eat it all outside on their terrace soon.

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Vlaamsch Broodhuys | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Bread) | Salmon on bread € 7.50
Meent, 8a | Center | +31102810024
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 18:30, Sat 08:30 – 18:00, Sun 09:30 – 18:00

Hopper Rotterdam opened last year and already won the prize for best coffee bar in the Netherlands.

During weekdays there’s a big chance you will find me at Hopper, a coffee bar at Schiedamse Vest 146 for a great breakfast – home-baked sourdough bread with Stolwijk cheese and a large cappuccino:-) for example.

But I also like to meet up here with friends and colleagues for a working lunch as they have a nice and quiet area upstairs with tables with a great view below. There’s also a special corner with toys and books for (young) children.

In a typical post-war building with tons of light, high ceilings and spacious set-up, owner Karel created a nice no-nonsense ambiance. With terrace out front.

It’s all about serving good and honest food, home-bakes and delicious cakes, croque-monsieurs, sandwiches, soup and good salads. Also try their excellent wines – I like the white one .

A nice detail is the tap to get your own glass of water. They have a large reading table, small side tables and an open kitchen. In the future there will be art exhibitions upstairs.

This is the first place where I heard of ‘slow coffee’ and trust me when I say that coffee is serious business here! If you are interested in learning more about coffee, just ask the barista or you can always join a ‘cupping session’ or workshops that they organize here (with or without cooperation of Specialty Coffee) on a regular basis.

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Hopper Rotterdam | Coffee & tea, Snacks
Schiedamse Vest 146 | Center | +31104130638
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 18:00, Sat 10:30 – 18:00

Italian ice-maker Giovanni Olivo and his lovely family are back from Italy to offer you old fashioned ice cream. I love having one on the terrace in front of the shop or buy one when passing by at the open window.

I have known Venezia for more than twenty years and appreciate the kitschy interior that never changes. The ice cream shop overlooks the Oude Binnenweg and the nice Eendrachtsplein, with Paul McCarthy’s sculpture ‘Santa Claus’, the weekly Tuesday farmers market and a flower stall. It’s lively in this Down Town shopping area which makes it nice to sit here while eating your ice cream.

When I sit indoors, my favorite choice is the small sorbet coupe with a cappuccino on the side. You’ll find the traditional selection of ice creams (including sugar free) here and Italian specialties such as Cassata, Spagetti ice and Tiramisu.

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Venezia Ice Cream | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Per scoop € 1.00
Oude Binnenweg 125b | Center
Mid March – Mid Oct: Mon – Sat 10:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

‘Buiten’ offers really good coffee, lunch and delicious local products:). This little gem can be found opposite Zigt, Koekela (check the Koekela article) and close to some nice clothes shops, Odile Hemmen winestore and the Wittetandenwinkel.

(Alles komt van) Buiten, meaning ‘Everything comes from outside’, has all sorts of delicious dishes and products made with love and care. Don’t kill me but those who know the Groene Passage might understand when I say it’s like a little mixture of Gimsel and Spirit but definetely in a MODERN STYLE! 

The shop is nice, open with a brightly designed interior and has very friendly staff. Buiten uses only organically grown products for their freshly homemade dishes, salads, pasta’s, soups, juices and more. They also offer a wide range of best cheeses, oils, coffee and other specialities like chutneys, (sweet) mayonnaise, bionades, hottie sambal, jams, regional season vegetables, pestos, bread and more. Fairtrade products can also be found like Tony Chocolonely chocolate and goods from Oxfam. And one day my famous Tiramisu will be on sale here (I’ll keep you posted:))

Go here to taste regional products, to do eco-friendly food shopping if you don’t feel like cooking or just for a good tea or a coffee to go. In the back you will find a large table where they let you read and eat in.

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Buiten | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Nieuwe Binnenweg 100 | West | +314360042
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 19:00