The best coffee bars in Rotterdam

The best coffee bars in Rotterdam

Inside Rotterdam selected the best bars with the finest coffee, whatever your fix might be, flat white, soy latte, slow filter brew… There’s certainly no shortage of cool cafés in Rotterdam to sit and savour a cup of your favourite brew.

Lebkov & Sons

Lebkov & Sons is on the ground floor of the Groothandelsgebouw, just a stone’s throw away from Rotterdam’s Central Station, so it is perfectly situated for early birds and train commuters in need of a shot of caffeine. Rotterdammers and visitors pop in to this busy establishment to grab a sandwich to go, meet up, or sit down and catch up on some work. Lebkov & Sons’ delivers its used coffee grounds to RotterZwam, an urban mushroom farm that uses it to grow fungi.

Stationsplein 50

Mon to Fri 6am-8pm
Sat 7am-7pm
Sun 8am-7pm

City centre

Hopper

Coffee connoisseurs should definitely pop in to Hopper. Located down a side street off Witte de Withstraat, Hopper serves a perfect Americano and slow filter coffee in its hip, industrial coffee bar, made with beans roasted on the premises. It is also an artisan bakery, another good reason to call in. We recommend you try a Hoppertje with your coffee, a bigger version of the Portuguese custard pie, pastéis de nata. Hopper has another coffee bar in the Zwaanshals area called Hopper Noord.

Schiedamse Vest 146

Mon to Fri 8.45am-6pm
Sat to Sun 10am-6pm

City centre

UEB West

Urban Espresso Bar West, like the flat white, comes to Rotterdam all the way from Australia (although some contend the flat white was invented in New Zealand). Australian artist Jo McCambridge’s modern, sleek café is a popular meeting place, conveniently located on the busy Nieuwe Binnenweg. Order your favourite coffee or try the UEB Blend, the café’s own coffee blend. Great with a slice of homemade walnut or (gluten-free) chocolate cake.

Nieuwe Binnenweg 263

Mon to Sat 9am-6pm
Zo 10am-6pm

City centre

Nine Bar

Nine Bar is a cosy bar with tiny terraces at both entrances. Strategically located just around the corner from Rotterdam’s main marketplace and the Markthal, this intimate coffee bar offers a full suite of coffee options, including a special baby cappuccino for the little ones. It also serves delicious homemade cakes and brownies. Coffee lovers know that a good espresso is brewed using high pressure, usually at about 9 bar units, hence the café’s name.

Botersloot 44a

Tues to Sat 9am-5.30pm
Sun to Mon 10am-5.30pm

City centre

Caffè Booon

A neighbourhood favourite located behind Rotterdam’s Central Station (on the northern side). Caffè Booon (yes, three Os) is a charming corner establishment with wonderful, large windows. The espresso packs a punch, the cappuccino is prepared using the latte art method (whereby an artwork is created in the foam when the milk is poured), and the macchiato is just as it should be, served with a little dollop of foamed milk. Caffè Booon’s tartlets, sandwiches and baristas are all bellissimo.

Proveniersstraat 31

Mon to Fri 7.30am-6pm
Sat 9am-7pm

Rotterdam-North

Coppi

Coffee and bikes are a double act at Coppi, a bike repair business under the Hofbogen where cyclists can also get a coffee. Named for the legendary cyclist, Fausto Coppi, its business model is based on similar bike shops around the world that function as a meeting place for cycling enthusiasts. Bikeless customers are also very welcome.

Bergweg 316

Tue to Sun 8.30am-5.30pm

Rotterdam-North

Het Hoofdkantoor

At Het Hoofdkantoor, customers can savour a cup of slow or fast Man met Bril coffee. Man met Bril (Man with Glasses) was the nickname given to owner Paul Sharo when he wore glasses. The glasses are gone but the nickname lives on as the name of Rotterdam’s best-known coffee roastery. Customers can follow the whole coffee-making process from beginning to end in Het Hoofdkantoor’s clean, minimalistic space under the Hofbogen. Man met Bril’s people travel to the coffee plantations that supply their beans, have a direct relationship with the coffee farmers, and do all the roasting themselves — something you can see, smell and taste for yourself in the café.

Vijverhofstraat 70

Mon to Fri 8am-5pm
Sat to Sun 9am-6pm

Rotterdam-North

Lokaal Espresso

Lokaal Espresso is another establishment under the arches (Hofbogen) of the former Hofplein Station offering first-class coffee in a pleasant space featuring nice clean lines and warm wooden elements. Everything is sourced locally for this café. The beer is brewed in Rotterdam, the cakes are made on the premises, and the coffee is brewed using beans from the Rotterdam-based company Giraffe Coffee Roasters.

Raampoortstraat 34b

Mon to Fri 9am-6pm
Sat 10am-5pm
Sun 11am-5pm

Rotterdam-North

Lof der Zoetheid

Lof der Zoetheid is a recent winner of the Rotterdam Ketelbinkie Trophy, awarded by a panel of 20 journalists annually to the establishment making the best coffee in Rotterdam. It is owned by mother and daughter Anastasia and Elena de Ruyter, who serve Lot Sixty One coffee roasted by two New Yorkers now based in the Netherlands. Try their special Lof der Zoetheid blend. The interior of the café is inspired by a 1970s biology lab, and the women are also famous for their afternoon teas and mouth-watering pastries.

Noordplein 1

Mon to Fri 10am-5pm
Sat to Sun 10am-5.30pm

Rotterdam-North

Kopie Soesoe

The Kaap’s living room is what people call this café in Katendrecht because of its location and its comfy, welcoming interior. Kopie Soesoe’s coffee is roasted by Rotterdam’s coolest roaster, Aloha Coffee. The speciality here is Kopie Soeso (translated literally as coffee with milk), an Indonesian coffee made with condensed milk and cardamom. On Fridays and Saturdays, the La Marzocco is still pumping out coffees well after midnight. We recommend you get there earlier if you want to try its New York-style cheesecake, a taste sensation you will honestly never forget.

Sumatraweg 15 (Deliplein)

Wed to Thu 10am-5pm
Fri 10am-1am
Sat 9am-1am
Sun 9am-6pm

Rotterdam-South

Stielman Koffiebranders

Stielman Koffiebranders is not really a café but is more of a shop within a shop. It is located in the highly popular Fenix Food Factory complex, a consortium of local producers selling their wares in an old warehouse in Katendrecht. Stielman (old-Dutch for craftsman) uses freshly roasted coffee to make Chemex, Aeropress and all manner of other hip coffee varieties. It is a great spot to sit down and enjoy a lekker bakkie (nice cup of coffee) in the middle of this vibrant market.