Stefan van Popering’s favorites #2

Sommeliers, butchers and bar owners, as well as owners of cookware shops, bartenders and chefs share where they like to eat and drink in their own city.

Stefan van Popering has been working as the manager of Café van Zanten in Rotterdam since April 2016. For years, the pub was the place to go for a drink, and Van Popering is making sure the place remains packed in the years to come. That’s quite a challenge, because competition in the port city has increased considerably lately. Rotterdam’s hospitality scene is booming, then.

Where do you go for breakfast outside the house?

With my working hours, it’s difficult to have breakfast out very often. That’s why lunch is usually my breakfast. When I have a day off, I like going to Bertmans in Noord. That part of Rotterdam has become nice too. Nine times out of ten, I go for sourdough bread with avocado and a poached egg. You can sit by the water when the weather is nice, and the service is friendly.

What is your favorite bakery?

I get my bread from Vlaams Broodhuys, but I also think the sourdough they sell at Marqt is excellent.

And your favorite butcher?

Slagerij Schell is on the Kruiskade and is something of an institution in Rotterdam. They started in 1796 and are known as Rotterdam’s oldest butchers’ family. There’s also a Turkish bakery and a fishmonger on that street. You hardly see businesses like that anymore, but you do there.

Do you have a favorite shop?

Not really, but I believe there are a few places on the Kruiskade where you can go, such as Toko Kade.

Where do you get the best burger in town?

At NRC they have a black Angus burger on brioche with brie, green asparagus, pancetta, mayonnaise and red onion compote. I like it so much that we also put it on the menu at Van Zanten, but with 100 percent Waardse beef.

It’s a celebration—what restaurant do you celebrate at?

Matroos en het Meisje is located in Katendrecht by Deliplein. We love coming there, because they have an amazing fish tasting menu. I’m also a big fan of FG Food Labs by François Geurds.

Where do you drink the best cocktails?

I go to Level on the Pannekoekstraat. That place is truly an institution in Rotterdam when it comes to cocktails.

Where do you go for a beer after work?

I like going to Sijf on the Oude Binnenweg, a relaxed, unpretentious place. They have lots of specialty beers. It used to be a pharmacy, and you can clearly see that reflected in the current interior. The crowd is diverse; it’s not about seeing and being seen at all. I also often stop by my mate Jan’s place, Opa on the Witte de Withstraat, a consummate host. You can enjoy watching people from the terrace.

Where do you get your late-night snack?

My favorite is the spicy chicken curry sandwich from Warung Mini at Witte de Withstraat 47.

Text: Nora van den Heuvel
Images: Sijf, Bertam, Matroos en het meisje, Café van Zanten, Nora van den Heuvel