Ballentent is a dutch restaurant in Kralingen, Rotterdam.
A legendary Rotterdam harbourside restaurant in Kralingen Park since 1929, known for its terrace on the Kralingse Plas lake and classic Dutch dishes like uitsmijter.
Must order: Bitterballen and the traditional Dutch meatballs.
Tip: Ask for the daily stamppot when it is on; it sells out by early evening.
Address: Parkkade 1, 3016 AD Rotterdam
A long-running Indonesian rijsttafel address in Hillegersberg, open since 1995, with a garden terrace and a kitchen that balances classic Javanese stews and sambals with lighter contemporary dishes. The reference rice table dinner in the north of the city.
Order: The full Javanese rijsttafel with extra sate ajam.
Tip: Book a terrace table on a summer evening and pre-order the rijsttafel so the dishes land in the right order.
Rotterdam's most acclaimed craft burger bar on Witte de Withstraat, using dry-aged Dutch beef and house-baked buns. The best burger in the city by consistent.
Order: The signature smash burger with Asian-inspired toppings.
Tip: The shoestring fries with truffle mayo are shareable and worth ordering alongside the burger.
A Vietnamese restaurant on Witte de Withstraat with pho, bun bo, and banh mi made from long-simmered house broths. The most-praised Vietnamese kitchen in central Rotterdam.
Order: Pho bo and the banh xeo pancake.
Tip: The lunch set before 15:00 is better value than dinner; the kitchen uses the same produce.
An Afghan restaurant near Rijnhaven serving ashak dumplings, lamb qorma, and bolani flatbread in a relaxed dining room. One of the few dedicated Afghan kitchens in Rotterdam.
Order: Ashaak dumplings and the lamb qorma.
Tip: Call ahead: the kitchen sometimes closes early when produce runs out, especially the ashak.
An authentic Thai family restaurant on Nieuwe Binnenweg with laab, som tam, and massaman curry at prices below their quality level. One of the city's more honest Thai kitchens.
Order: Green curry and the pad see ew.
Tip: Order the green mango salad as a starter; it cuts through the richness of the curry.
A Neapolitan pizza and trattoria on the Meent using San Marzano tomatoes and 00 flour in a wood-fired oven. The city's most serious Neapolitan-style pizza.
Order: Pizza Margherita and the spaghetti alle vongole.
Tip: The tiramisu is homemade and better than it looks; order it early as it runs out.
