Rotterdam cafes & restaurants

One of 66 Rotterdam Cafe & Restaurant reviews.

Last night we left the centre of Rotterdam for the bleak out-of-town wastelands of Prinsenland. Among the many cuboid structures is this rather large restaurant, which contains a Chinese restaurant downstairs and a Japanese restaurant upstairs. The style is very modern in an uncertain kind of way, as though different designers were given different corners; the end result sits somewhere between cool-trendy and eighties-tacky. I wasn't sure whether to be glad that there was no pianist on this quiet Monday night - I can't guess what he'd play on the big grand piano in the middle of the room.

The main event was naturally the food: three of us had the Beijing menu (€27.50), which was several absolutely gorgeous courses that, naturally enough, we couldn't finish. The highlight for me is always the crispy duck in pancakes at the start, but the subsequent duck soup and the fish, prawns and meat main courses were just as good.

The only thing better than the food was the service, which probably reflects the price more than some freak occurrence. A welcome change from the norm, nonetheless, and it's that and the food that make a place like this worth it once in a while.

Verdict: good value for money if you want better Chinese food, and probably a good choice for a business dinner if you work in the area. Top tip: come here for take-away once a week!