Rotterdam and its novelties. Because beyond its revolutionary architectural scene and its historic port profile, the city can boast of having an important catalog of restaurants, hotels and projects that carry the word avant-garde by flag.
We take a look at what's new , with which of all do you stay?
Her groundbreaking condition was earned by hand from the very moment in which, After being reduced to ashes on a fateful May 14, 1940, the garden of games was self-proclaimed —or the experimental laboratory, let's call it what we want— of the most prestigious architects of the world.
A blank canvas on which to project buildings in impossible shapes with which to drive extravagant lovers crazy. Because yes: the essence of Rotterdam is precisely that does not understand prejudice . Here everything goes.
A canal in Rotterdam.
But it turns out that this revolution lived for 60 years in its streets, has been moving to other areas of life for some time. And that is reflected in the constant opening of restaurants and stores , of hotels and bars full of soul and authenticity.
Because the rules are there to break them, and that in Rotterdam they know very, very well.
WHEN SLEEP IS AN ART
On the bedside table in the rooms of the Supernova Hotel there is a little book that is a art catalog : the one that decorates the corners, not only of the common rooms, but also of its 38 rooms.
Works by local artists spanning from painting to collage , sculpture or photography, and that all guests can acquire.
Room with balcony.
You can also take home – and we bet you will – some of the objects that are exposed on the shelves of the small concept-store located next to the reception.
Products of artisans and city designers , some gastronomic craving and perfectly arranged coffee-table books entice you to pass your card while enjoying the proposals of its café-bar, where they prepare some yummy scrambled eggs for breakfast, that fashionable cocktail before going to sleep.
In this charming boutique hotel in a 1905 building in the modern neighborhood of Kruiskade , bet on the minimalist design but with personality , embodied in the delicate pastel tones of its walls or in the tiles of its bathrooms, in its parquet floors, its fluted glass doors or its amenities.
Always, in each and every one of the rooms and suites, there is an element that differentiates them from the rest, whether it is an original armchair, a balcony with views of the garden or a record player.
Minimalism rules.
But of openings brimming with that unique essence that is sometimes so elusive, Rotterdam has more than enough: not too far, two steps from the busy Withstraat, another little postcard hotel opened its doors in the summer of 2021.
Hotel âme, full of light and soul, is the project of Angel Kwok, co-owner with her husband and a couple of friends of this kind of temple with a marked minimalist design resulting from fusion between japanese and scandinavian.
Of an exquisite delicacy, the 14 rooms del âme are spread over the five floors of a building from 1867 with a neoclassical façade, in whose rehabilitation details such as the ornamentation of style art nouveau of their roofs , the chimneys or the handrails of its steep stairs.
On the first floor there is a cafeteria open to the public where the à la carte breakfasts bet on the specialty coffee —from a local roaster—, and the organic product.
Specialty coffee and organic products await you in your cafeteria.
Also a cute craft shop in which Angel herself exhibits her pottery: in her previous life, she was a potter.
The height of well-being, again, on the bedside table: most of her rooms - some larger, some smaller - not only have designer bathtubs and top-quality bedding, they also offer audio links with guided meditations that lead to embrace the true physical and emotional Eden. Because luxury is also this.
THE REVOLUTION SITTS AT THE TABLE
You will have to dedicate several days to visiting Rotterdam if you plan to control its gastronomic scene at least: the constant opening of new places, in addition to those that have been talking for a long time, will make you want to try them all. Though, if we start with the most groundbreaking, OX is our site.
A half-hidden Chinese character next to the door of a building, let's say, not too careful, is the key. It is the detail that identifies that we are in the right place, for which they will have given us the coordinates only after making the reservation : the mystery is part of the experience.
After going down some dark and rickety stairs to what could seem like the end of the world, we finally arrived at the Chef Alexander Wong's speakeasy.
An elegant space decorated with dim lights in which our gastronomic guide works between the stoves and in view of the diners, preparing a proposal inspired by the Chinese food flavors with Malay influences.
At the table, the feast is one to remember, especially if it is paired with the cocktails designed for the other leg of this table: the Italian Jacopo Domenico makes magic behind the bar adding flavour, spark and some alcohol to the signs of the eastern horoscope.
Just a 7-minute walk away is DoDo, eclectic and casual restaurant where they exist, in which ingenuity has been put to the service, not only of its menu, but also of its decoration.
7 themed rooms —the cocktail-bar, the Havana, the Smokers' or the one inspired by tattoos—, give the space the most diverse colors and symbols, and invite enjoyment between flavors of Middle East, Mediterranean or Asia.
If you prefer Mexican , yes, we will have to approach the Not Hotel , a curious accommodation whose surprising rooms have been designed by artists and whose strong point is its Jesús Malverde cocktail bar, where they serve the daisies most delicious in town . A casual meeting place for a different experience.
Red furniture for the Not Hotel cocktail bar.
But the rhythm does not stop: the proposal that they have been leading since 2017 is not far behind Eva Eekman and Michael Schook at Heroine, a contemporary restaurant that combines luxury and simplicity on the plate, betting on a kitchen of km. 0.
For a few months, moreover, its new gastronomic proposal has revolutionized the city: Putaine is at the Floating Office Rotterdam , the world's largest floating office complex, designed by Powerhouse Company and RED Company and located in the trendy Kop van Zuid neighborhood, offering quality cuisine from an alternative perspective.
So alternative that, deep down, and through its glazed walls , what is enjoyed is a canvas of gigantic buildings that represent the most faithful image of the Rotterdam skyline.
Inside, an interior design as transgressive as it is harmonious that invites you to delight in every bite that comes out of its open kitchen, where the proposals change with each season.
harvesting recipes and as, a great cocktail menu, biodynamic wines and the opportunity to take a dip in the outdoor pool which, open during the summer months, is the icing on the cake of a Rotterdam full of novelties.
More informal —and quite a classic— is Kaapse Maria, where own production craft beer she is the real queen. Of course: its chefs give everything to, with a creative touch in their dishes, offer recipes that will make you suck your fingers.
Almost opposite, another original proposal: the building that once housed a police station is today Heilige Boontjes, a coffee shop whose workers are young people with a criminal past who are given a second chance.
In a most pleasant atmosphere, you can opt for a cup of delicious roasted and ground coffee on site , some pastries to accompany, or even cheer us up with a lunch or dinner.
In addition, in the highest part of the building, what were the dungeons have been transformed into a handful of rooms themed with photographs of ex-convicts available to rent.
A roof terrace in Rotterdam converted into an urban garden.
FROM ROTTERDAM TO HEAVEN
Leon van Geest has become a reference name in the world of culture, design and sustainability in Rotterdam. The reason? He is the director of the Rotterdam Rooftops Days, an innovative and fascinating project that highlights the immense space dedicated a rooftops in the whole city to give them real utility.
A total of 18 square kilometers for which a plan has been devised that transform them into public spaces for the enjoyment of citizens, gardens and green areas that help combat the heat or places to install solar panels, among many other ideas.
And precisely now that this project is making so much noise, the tourism company Inside Rotterdam, led by Ariane Nooteboom, proposes Guided visits to some well-positioned rooftops to discover the heart of the city from another point of view.
The Timmerhuis is the perfect contrast between tradition and innovation.
One of them? the mythical one Witte Huis, which became the tallest skyscraper in Europe, offers an unparalleled view of the Cube Houses, the historic center and the New Meuse.
But also the rooftops have space for what we like: gastronomy. Because, what better setting to fill the crop than the heights of the city? For example, at the Rooftop Fontaine, a restaurant on the tenth floor from whose terrace you can contemplate the most beautiful sunsets.
Choosing what to eat will be easy: everything will be in the hands of the chef, who proposes two different menus of five passes —one carnivorous, the other vegetarian— with which to delight.
In Rotterdam the novelties do not stop. Also in the most enigmatic building erected in recent times in the city, the roof has a leading role.
Jim de Jong, chef at Renilde, at Depot Boijmans, Rotterdam.
The chef Jim de Jong captains the stoves of Renilde, the restaurant of new Depot Boijmans, the first art warehouse of a museum open to the public in the world, betting on informal and light proposals at noon, and for a tasting menu from the chef himself, based on 3, 4 or 5 dishes, at nightfall.
A gastro tribute to demonstrate, once again, that Rotterdam is not just any revolution. And that it will continue giving what to talk about for a long time.