The Nieuwemarkt is such a strange square between shopping blocks that feels like a part of a city within another city. It is a world in itself, near the Binnenrotte, with all kinds of nice little shops and eateries. A favorite of the editors are Boguette's delicious Vietnamese baguettes. The Nieuwemarkt is also the place with one of the best-known and most pleasant terraces in Rotterdam: Bokaal.
The café has quite a bit of space in front of the terrace and takes the corona rules seriously. A disadvantage is that the cafe is popular, so it quickly becomes one big party. And then the question is… how safe can it all be kept? Assuming all those worries aren't necessary, you're in the right place here, in the heart of the city, with an excellent menu and a good selection of specialty beers.
Terrace: reasonably spacious, can sometimes become unsafe and cozy; partly heated and otherwise well protected from the wind
Service: young and hardworking
View: here you can mainly people watch, although the environment is not ugly at all
Did you know that you: After the bombing, two architects were allowed to show here how Rotterdam should be rebuilt. Stand with your back to the entrance of the cafe and look towards Erasmus University College. To the right of it you see two different architectural styles. With and without (Amsterdam) gables. The then municipal council opted for that right-hand variant without a gable. And so the reconstruction of Rotterdam went without gables.
Address: Bokaal Rotterdam, Nieuwemarkt 11, 3011 HP Rotterdam
(or click on the route symbol at the top right)
