Rotterdam cafes & restaurants

One of 66 Rotterdam Cafe & Restaurant reviews.

Good for: food - pizza, but not good service

I only got to eat in the cafe-bar section of this big Italian restaurant the first time I went, because the posher restaurant bit was fully booked. This place is definitely popular, and has great pizza. Since then, we have been back and eaten in the 'restaurant' bit, where the food is much posher. The wonderful atmosphere and the good food made up for the slightly chaotic service, making our later repeat visit inevitable.

Although many previous visits have been spoiled by bad service, our last visit benefitted from prompt and friendly treatment from all of the serveral staff who served us. This many explain the current popularity: on our last Monday-evening visit, both sides of the restaurant were packed.

The pizza is very good, at a similar level to Angelo Betti, Gusto and La Pizza, and there is a good selection of interesting combinations. We especially enjoyed the two excellent tomato-free options: Casa Bianca - raw ham with mozarrella and rucola, and Pancetta - bacon, ricotta and spinach.

The decor in O ‘Pazzo’ is pretty special, and going to the toilet is a very calming experience, with the candle-lit wine cellar and classical music. The best way to appreciate the atmosphere, then is to pop in for drinks with friends, order on your way past the bar, get a bottle of wine or two so you can serve yourself when you run out, and pay at the bar on the way out to avoid trying to get an actual bill.

Peculiarity: fantastic sculptures.