For a century, the Hofplein line ran between Scheveningen and Rotterdam Centrum. The route has not been used since 2010, but the old Hofplein terminal has undergone a huge transformation in recent years. There are good restaurants, a well-known jazz stage and of course nice boutiques.
One of those boutiques is North Sea Design. Here you will find a nice selection of Scandinavian, Rotterdam and vintage design. At Clone Records you can get records of mainly electronic music, which you will not find anywhere else in the world. Fancy a cup of coffee? 1e Klas Koffie and Esto Food & Drinks has you covered.
Even on the roof of the station it is often pleasant. For example, there is the open-air cinema Roffa Mon Amour, city festival Motel Mozaïque always organizes a party and above all you can board the Luchtsingel. Thanks to this yellow wooden walking bridge from the ZUS architectural office, a walking route runs from Central Station to Hofplein Station, right through the Schieblock, a building that serves as a breeding ground for young entrepreneurs and creative people.
On the roof of the building (with the lift) you will find the DakAkker, the largest rooftop farm in Europe, and Bistro Op het Dak. There you can have breakfast and lunch outside the winter season with fresh products from the garden, with a beautiful view over the center of Rotterdam. Behind the Schieblock is the Biergarten: a small piece of Bavaria in the middle of Rotterdam. The recipe is simple: good beer, barbecue, DJs and big screens when Orange has to play. So in terms of fun you are in the right place.
The Luchtsingel, with Hofplein Station on the left and the Schieblock and the Biergarten on the right. Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
Is it evening and are you not done with it yet? Then get ready for the taste sensation of your life at FG Foodlabs, on the east side of Station Hofplein. This star restaurant by chef François Geurds aims to give you a taste of things you never thought possible. Are you feeling fishy? Then book a table at restaurant Opporto. You can also attend a concert or performance in the Bird stage, which has a fairly varied program - always with a link to jazz culture. The coolest club in Rotterdam can be found on the ground floor of the Schieblock: BAR. Here you can dance to live electronic acts and DJs, and marvel at the visitors who shamelessly relive the 90s with their shirts in jeans.
FG Foodlabs
The Hofbogen is officially the tallest building in Rotterdam? The Hofplein line viaduct is 20 kilometers long from Hofplein Station to the A1,9. Since the train and metro no longer use the route, all kinds of companies and initiatives have established themselves in the arches under the rails. You will find coffee shops, studios, furniture shops, bicycle repair shops and even a renowned knife sharpening shop. It's really chock-full of fun stuff - we could devote a book to it. The editors of Must See often work in coffee / bicycle shop Coppi, enjoy a drink in Eurotrash United and collect sweets from the Urban Bakery on Voorburgstraat. It always smells and tastes delicious.
If you decide to follow the Hofbogen for a bit from Hofplein, you will come across Man Met Bril Koffie on Vijverhofstraat. They roast the coffee you get here, so you can follow the process well. And not unimportantly: the coffee is perhaps the best in the city, and is delivered to various Rotterdam catering establishments. Not so fond of coffee, but you love beer? Then grab a table at Eurotrash on Vijverhofstraat. In the new Rotterdam café-brewery you will find raw Rotterdam cosiness, packaged in a modern jacket.
The pre-war Hofplein with Hofplein Station on the left
