At Bistrot-Bar Frère in Rotterdam, you can really enjoy delicious French food
If you love La Cuisine Française, there are plenty of lovely places where you can enjoy French classics such as boeuf bourguignon or crème brûlée. One of those places is Bar Bistro Frère (or, in French, Bistrot-Bar Frère) in Rotterdam. So it’s time to head to the port city and take a seat at one of the tables.
Bistrot-Bar Frère
Opened its doors at the end of August on the corner of Statenweg in Rotterdam’s Blijdorp district. You won’t find many restaurants and cafés in this neighborhood yet, which makes this restaurant—with the slogan ‘simple et honnête‘—a real asset to the area. In summer, you’ll find a sunny and spacious terrace here; in winter, you enter alongside the flickering lantern light at the entrance.
Team Frère
If you love French cuisine, Frère’s menu is one to feast on. Dishes such as gratinated onion soup, poussin (chicken), and gratin dauphinoise are all featured on the menu. Everything can be ordered as “petite faim” and “grande faim” (small appetite, big appetite). So you can choose to create your own menu (for those who dislike shared dining) or share dishes so you can sample a bit of everything. The kitchen is run by chefs Kim and Rik, while the frères Mats and Guillaume work front of house.
On the menu
We start with Île tudy n3 cruese oysters (delicious with pear cider!), collected every week in western Brittany, and steak tartare in two versions: classic and vegan. Both are flavorful and deliciously spicy from the Tabasco, and both come with an egg yolk—including the vegan steak tartare, where it looks remarkably real. How it is made is a chef’s secret, but we can reveal that it is based on yellow tomato. A nice detail: the dishes are served on antique plates and saucers.
Then the sea bass arrives at the table. A dish that also includes cockles, seaweed, and apple-cider beurre blanc. Also served: roasted Hokkaido pumpkin with chanterelles and chestnut crémeux. Of course, we couldn’t resist trying the wild duck, one of the specials. The wild-shot duck is cooked rosé with confit legs. Perfectly cooked, juicy, and tender—exactly as it should be. And ohhh, that sauce served with the sea bass… keep that spoon at the ready, because you’ll want to slurp it up to the very last drop. Irresistible!
Best chocolate mousse ever
The French cheeses and chocolate mousse are also damn delicious—the one made by Kim comes with orange. We’re not exaggerating when we say it’s the best we’ve ever tasted. Incidentally, it is scooped generously, just like that, straight from the French pot onto your plate. Complete your dinner by drinking not only French vin blanc and rouge; be sure to let the frères surprise you with a Spanish or German glass as well.
In short: at Bistrot-Bar Frère, you’ll certainly find the taste and feel of a French bistro. The food and drinks are delicious, and the changing menu means there is always something new to try whenever you return. You can make a reservation here. Bon appetit!
Also read:
- 6 reasons why I love the French supermarket so much
- French scientist mistaken: distant star turns out to be a slice of chorizo
- Why French cuisine is the best in the world, period
