Unfortunately, this year Christmas in Rotterdam is different than what we’re used to. No putting on your fancy heels to go out to dinner, but putting on your slippers and sweatpants to sit on the couch at home.
Or not?! Fortunately, you can now also eat at home as if you were in a Rotterdam Michelin star restaurant. In this article I give you a few tips where you can get a Christmas dinner in Rotterdam. They are ready to eat or you have to cook it yourself, but that only makes it even more festive! Enough reason to dust off your glittery dress and tie, I think.
Westerkaatje
I know Westerkaatje because I once had a delicious dinner there, so a Christmas menu sounds like music to my ears. The nice thing about this Christmas menu is that there is plenty of choice. You can put together your own menu, so you have something for everyone. My eye fell on the rouleau of pumpkin with a duxelle of wild mushrooms and parsley with parsnip cream. Or how about a lobster ravioli?
You can of course also leave the curation to the experts and pick up a multi-course Christmas menu. If you don’t want a whole Christmas menu, the borrelbox is also a wonderful option. Don’t forget to also look at the wine suggestions, so your dinner will taste even better.
Address
Benthuizerstraat 60-D, 3036 CK Rotterdam
Lusthofstraat 51B, 3061 WK Rotterdam
Joelia
Who doesn’t know Joelia (my namesake) on the Coolsingel?! This restaurant by star chef Mario de Ridder cooks delicious modern French meals. When you dine here, you feel like a star. Fortunately, you can now also do this at home with a takeout menu.
The menu includes: poached turbot, langoustine or veal tenderloin. The menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and Boxing Day differ slightly, so see which one you like best. And fear not: Mario explains in a video how to give the dishes the finishing touch. That way you have a bit of a real chef at home.
Address
Coolsingel 5, 3012 AA Rotterdam
Héroine
Foto door Sophia van den Hoek van @un_fold_ed.
At Héroine you can be sure that all your senses will be stimulated. Each dish consists of different parts that together form a beautiful whole. For example, something soft with something crunchy, something sour with something sweet.
At Christmas you get a 5-course menu, vegetarian or with meat and fish. The Asian bisque with kohlrabi, Thai basil, crayfish, tandoori and Osietra caviar sounds very tasty to me. The vegetarian menu includes for example the beetroot in a salt crust with yuzu mayonnaise, blueberries, parsnips and seaweed beurre blanc. So it’s hard to choose which one looks better to me.
Be quick to decide, because Christmas Day is already sold out.
Address
Kipstraat 12, 3011 RT Rotterdam
Le Nord
Foto door Vivianne Sanderse.
I know Le Nord mainly because I have often sat there during cold winter evenings with a good glass of red wine. But the smells coming from the kitchen certainly didn’t leave me untouched. You can now assemble the menu from Le Nord at home with the DIY menu for the holidays.
Choose from a 3, 4 or 5-course menu with or without wine pairing. Of course you can also put together your own wine menu by going to the wine shop next door. By the way, I would go for the 4 or 5-course dinner, because who doesn’t want a cheese platter.
Do you also know these wine bars in Rotterdam?
Adres
Proveniersstraat 33A, 3033 CH Rotterdam
Restaurant Fred
With the menu of Restaurant Fred you will undoubtedly blow everyone at your table away. What’s extra nice is that, before you can cook sublimely, you follow an online masterclass from the man himself. This way you can put a very chic Christmas menu on the table in a few simple steps.
If you want to spoil yourself even more, choose one of the extras from the menu, such as the caviar or the cheese platter.
Address
Honingerdijk 263, 3063 AM Rotterdam
O’Pazzo
I’ve mentioned many French restaurants so far, but let’s not forget the Italian ones. At O’Pazzo you can pick up a 3 or 4-course menu to enjoy at home. You put it together yourself from the menu and create your own ideal Christmas dinner.
You have fish, meat or vegetarian dishes. For example, choose the Kingfish with salad of seaweed, cockles, fennel, algae cream and orange passion fruit dressing or the risotto fontina al salto with savoy cabbage, smoked carrot, fig and rosemary sauce. Also choose a matching wine menu to complement your food.
Be sure to also check out these Italian restaurants in Rotterdam.
Address
Mariniersweg 90, 3011 NV Rotterdam
Restaurant Dertien
Restaurant Dertien mainly uses seasonal products from its Dutch soil. The chef of Dertien has put together a 5 or 6-course menu, so you can enjoy a long meal.
The menu includes hare pepper with a cream of pumpkin, beet sauce and smoked almond and lemon sole fillet with a mousseline of epoisse and kale. You also have a vegetarian menu with, for example, a lasagna of celeriac, mushroom gravy and truffle. As before, I would like to recommend the 6-course dinner, which includes a cheese platter.
Address
Schiedamse Vest 30, 3011 BA Rotterdam
De Matroos en het Meisje
It’s a shame that you can’t dine at the cozy and delicious De Matroos en het Meisje, but luckily you can bring the restaurant to your own home. Choose a meat, fish or vegetarian 5-course menu for Christmas.
You start with an appetizer of fennel jelly, compote of fennel with cucumber, yogurt and puffed rice and finish with dark chocolate fudge, impregnated apple with cinnamon, crumble of cèpes and a meringue of green apple. There are too many tasty dishes to mention.
Of course it is recommended to order a wine arrangement for the total experience.
Address
Delistraat 52, 3072 ZL Rotterdam
Gastrobar Ster
At the Kralingse Gastrobar Ster you order the GastroChristmasKit with which you can put a 4-course meal on the table yourself. The menu is composed by the chef himself and includes a starter of crab, avacado, sambai and beurre blanc and a main course of deer back, persillade, salsify and red Port. Do you also want to put your children to work? For them you order the kids Christmas kit with which they prepare their own menu.
Address
Jericholaan 82B, 3061 HH Rotterdam
Oliva & Gusto
Oliva and Gusto are of course 2 restaurants, but together they offer one Christmas menu. All you have to do is heat it up at home in the oven or pan and you’re done. The menu can be ordered per 2 people in a meat/fish or vegetarian variant. Do you want more? You can supplement the menu with all kinds of goodies such as home-smoked salmon or a cold meat dish.
Address
Witte de Withstraat 15A, 3012 BK Rotterdam
Schiedamse Vest 40, 3011 BA Rotterdam
I’m getting hungry already when I read all these delicious Christmas menus. Time to dust off my beautiful tableware and polish my wine glasses. Do you know more delicious places where you can pick up food or have it delivered? Tip them!
Be sure to read our article about Christmas markets and fun activities during the Christmas holiday in Rotterdam to get even more in the holiday spirit!
