Manuela Goncalves Tavares runs Het Nieuwe Café

Restaurant Coco takes over Het Nieuwe Café

Het Nieuwe Café is the open for all restaurant and bar with a beautiful terrace in Het Nieuwe Instituut. Het Nieuwe Café has a new chef. Manuela Goncalves Tavares (already known for Coco) runs the restaurant now. Together with her team, she serves colourful, mostly plant-based and seasonal dishes. 

Manuela Goncalves Tavares is well known in Rotterdam for her restaurant Coco in the Hoogstraat as well as previous ventures such as Toko 94 and Toko Trash. She regards heart and soul as essential ingredients in the kitchen. According to her a restaurant is not a constantly changing concept, but as building on tradition by adding something new.

Her own creations are based on an approach that she defines as ‘tokological’. It’s based on the hidden treasures, flavours and cultures that you find in the different toko’s (food shops and small eateries) in the city. A real Rotterdam mix of Afro-Caribbean, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines.

The menu of Het Nieuwe Café will feature colourful, often seasonal, vegetarian and vegan dishes, including, for example, a purple sweet potato soup with coconut milk, lime and plantain, and mushrooms with bok choy, coloured noodles and seaweed flakes.

Manuela Goncalves Tavares: “I’m enormously proud that the New Institute has asked us to design the New Café. I’m also personally very enthusiastic about putting more vegetarian dishes on the menu, something I’m very keen on from my own mission. In addition, it’s a very nice and special place in Rotterdam to continue my catering adventure.”

Het Nieuwe Café is currently operating on a limited basis. It will be fully operational by 1 November.

Coverphoto: Elvan Ünlü

Share this post

Related posts

Diergaarde Blijdorp welcomes an orange baby

Last week, a François’ langur was born at Diergaarde Blijdorp. The arrival of a new male in November

Read more

Step aboard history: Nao Victoria visits Rotterdam for the first time

This August, Rotterdam will welcome an extraordinary visitor to the Veerhaven: the Nao Victoria, a faithful replica of

Read more

Kick-off World Port Days: “Showing why the port of Rotterdam has a right to exist”

Last week, the annual kick-off of the World Port Days took place in the Van Ghentkazerne in Rotterdam.

Read more

Aboutaleb receives the 50th Rotterdam Promotion Award

In a packed council chamber at Rotterdam City Hall, former mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb received the Rotterdam Promotion Award

Read more

Inside Rotterdam

The leading city-guide for tourists, business people, expats and locals. 150.000+ readers.

Download our free city app and start exploring!