24 Hours in Rotterdam: Restaurants, Bars and Markets, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Like many Amsterdammers, I rarely leave the capital except to go to the airport. But two years ago I promised my other half that I’d take him to Rotterdam and we’d eat and drink our way around the Netherlands’ second city. At the time, we’d just moved house and he was traveling every other week for work, so it got postponed. But finally last weekend, I made good on my promise and we spent a day doing an impromptu food tour of Rotterdam’s restaurants, bars and markets. Rotterdam is not a large city, but it is a little spread out. So if you’re only taking a day trip from Amsterdam (or even a weekend trip), I’d suggest hiring a bike so you can cover more ground more easily. If you live in the Netherlands, you probably own an OV Card, in which case I’d highly recommend signing up for the OV Fiets service. The ubiquitous blue and yellow bikes are available from all the main train stations (and other handy locations), checking out a bike takes literally 30 seconds, and a day’s bike hire is a ridiculously cheap €3.35 (per 24 hours). Plus, you get the added bonus of working off a few calories while you hop between restaurants in Rotterdam!

If you’re in Rotterdam for the day, you’re going to want to start with breakfast. Our wonderful tour guide (not actually a professional guide but my friend and hula hoop teacher Robin) introduced us to Bertmans, a vegetarian brunch café on the north side of the city. The interior is the very definition of gezellig, and they have a tasty range of sweet and savoury brunch options. I tried the quinoa, spinach and pumpkin patties, served lightly fried with a poached egg, chutney, avocado and a green salad. If you like to try a little of everything, order the brunch platter (pictured below); the polenta fries are a good bet, too. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).