Tonight We’re Eating at a Hotel
More and more hotels are realizing that sending guests around the corner to a bistro for a bite or a drink is a missed opportunity, and are focusing on their own restaurant and bar instead. They also welcome day-trippers and passers-by. Which hotel restaurants in Rotterdam are worth visiting? Here’s a small selection of what’s on offer.
Restaurant Roots (The Hilton)
With Restaurant Roots, the Hilton in Rotterdam is fully focused on the experience and hopes to entice people who aren’t hotel guests to visit as well. Not only does the menu change with the seasons, but so do the colors, décor, music, and atmosphere. Last week, chef Paul Dingjan introduced the autumn menu, themed: red. Dishes include fried skate wing with parsnip, hazelnut butter, capers, and lemon, and roasted duck breast with chanterelles, potato, and green cabbage. Every Friday afternoon, they serve gin and tonics with orange wedges and cloves, specially selected for the autumn season.
The Park (Bilderberg Parkhotel)
Restaurant The Park at the Bilderberg Hotel also doesn’t focus exclusively on hotel guests, but instead targets ordinary Rotterdammers and lovers of good food. Patron cuisinier Erik van Loo of Michelin-starred restaurant Parkheuvel developed a warm, convivial, and accessible concept that appeals to a broad audience. For a business lunch, an affordable dinner (three-course dinner for €37), or simply a good glass of wine. The restaurant won the Gouden Pollepel award for this concept.
NY Basement (Hotel New York)
Hotel New York has been a household name in Rotterdam for years, thanks to its accessible atmosphere, distinctive ambiance, and views over the Maas. As an ordinary mortal, you can easily drop in for coffee and cake, but also for an affordable lunch, simple dinner, or a drink. Casual dining, in other words. Want to go all out? Beneath the regular restaurant you’ll find the more luxurious NY Basement. Here, chef Edward de Ridder prepares classics on a charcoal grill, while the bartenders mix the best cocktails for you.
Nhow Bar and Restaurant (Nhow Hotel)
While the Nhow bar on the 7th floor has already been named ‘Best Hotel Bar in Rotterdam’ because of its ultimate Manhattan-on-the-Maas feeling, the restaurant in this hotel is also highly regarded. Under the direction of chef Jeffrey Stolp, a distinctive menu has been developed with vegetables taking center stage and meat or fish as an optional side dish. Think grilled little gem lettuce with mushrooms, almonds, Parmesan cheese, and carrot foam, or kohlrabi with shiitakes, mascarpone, cashew nut curry, and poppy seeds.
On the Rocks Cocktail Bar (Mainport Hotel)
When it comes to excellent hotel bars, the On the Rocks cocktail bar at the Mainport Hotel (which also served as the filming location for the TV show Girls ‘n Cocktails) naturally cannot be left out. Everything in this hotel bar exudes design, and even the fresh cocktails are served in distinctive glasses. Although they also have their own restaurant (Down Under), they collaborate with the FG restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Francois Geurds to pamper their luxury guests. When you book the ‘Best of Rotterdam Special’, you’ll enjoy the finest hotel room in the Mainport Hotel and a seven-course dinner at FG** near the Hofbogen.
Image: Root Restaurant, Hilton Hotel
