Vegan Food in Rotterdam - The Ultimate Guide
After taking a trip to Holland’s second city I couldn’t wait to share what I found there with you. After the culinary highs in Krakow I was curious to see if I could be just as successful when looking for vegan food in Rotterdam. I wasn’t disappointed. Let’s have a look at the treats I found…
The Best Vegan Food In Rotterdam
Rotown
The full name for this place is: Rotown De Vegan Snackbar. Now, my Dutch isn’t great but I think I get the gist of what they’re saying! So, not only is Rowton possibly the coolest bar in the whole city, they also have a 100% vegan menu. It’s a menu that offers pretty much every type of bar snack you could want. Add to that amazing burgers, sushi and European classics like schnitzels and you can be confident that you will find something to satisfy your hunger and probably more that you didn’t need, but you couldn’t not order it!
You can pretty much spend your whole day at Rotown, I know my partner can! Chilled afternoon beers, followed by amazing food and then head inside to watch a live music gig. Rotown are pretty much a one stop shop for beer and music loving vegans.
Vegan junk food bar Rotterdam
Once again the clues in the name. Expect nothing more than the dirtiest of dirty fries and burgers that pile as high as you can dare them to go! Vegan Junk Food Bar really is a heaven for those who love their food saucey and calorific. Luckily this isn’t one of the menus that share the amount of calories and fat for each dish. Some things are best not known.
Once you’ve made peace with your healthy conscience, the toughest part is choosing what to order. There are six different types of dirty fries, eight burgers and a whole world of side orders to choose from. We had a burger each and one dirty fries which was plenty for us but who am I to tell you when to stop. Why not order the Super Size Sumo Platter to start, you know, just to get the juices flowing before you try to take on the burgers and fries. Oh, and don’t forget to leave room for dessert, yes, they have them too!!
Vegan Street Food In Rotterdam
No trip to Rotterdam is complete without a trip to the insane Markthal. That’s ‘Market Hall’ to you and me. Set inside what is potentially Rotterdam’s coolest building, that is one tough contest to win in this super-cool city, you’ll find tons of food stalls offering as wide a variety of cuisine as is possible in one building. Unfortunately most of it is meat-based but at least it’s not in your face and hanging off the corner of the stands like the pig’s legs draped all over most Spanish markets.
There are a few hidden gems for those looking for vegan food in Rotterdam dotted around the hall. My favourite three are…
Offering the vegan classics of avocado and cucumber maki rolls, they also sell an incredible veggie temaki. Just be sure to make it clear that you don’t want any mayo. As with so many sushi places they love to add mayo even when there’s no mention of it on the menu.
If you’re looking for good vegan food to grab and go this could be the best option for you. It’s a pure veggie stall but they offer a clear range of vegan dishes too. We tried the samosas and vada pavs. Vada pavs are basically a samosa sandwich, but the pastry is a bit thinner and its smothered in an amazing tangy-spicy sauce. Perfect for eating on the go!
It’s not only the savory things on offer in Markthal, there’s a hidden sweet delight right in the middle too. It can be tough for vegans strolling through Dutch cities because they really know how to do sweet. The cheap cakes available in local supermarkets look like the kind of things you’d find in a fancy cake shop here in the UK, so when they really try to show off their efforts are pretty spectacular. But fear not everything is loaded with butter and cream. Sniff our Goudstroop and ask them for a pack of their vegan stroopwafels. They are something really special.
Breakfast vegan food in Rotterdam
Backyard
Here’s a great option for those searching for breakfast or brunch vegan food in Rotterdam. Backyard offers a fully veggie menu with the vast majority of it plant-based. They offer classics like avocado toast, granola and banana bread. All perfect accompaniments to the’re huge range of coffee and plant-based milks.
If you’re after a chilled-out morning after a busy night head to Backyard and recharge yourself for another day of adventuring.
Bagels and Beans
Here’s another one with the clue in the name. Bagels and coffee aren’t the only things they do, there are some wraps, sandwiches and salads too, but when you have a choice of bagels and a great choice of vegan fillings too it’s hard not to go for one.
The service is friendly and super-fast, so if you’re in a rush to get something bready into your belly and some caffeine into your brain, get yourself to Bagels and Beans.
Vietnamese vegan food in Rotterdam
The next and final three places I’m telling you about are all grouped together because they’re all Vietnamese restaurants in Rotterdam. Unfortunately none of them are fully vegan or even veggie, but they do at least offer some great options.
Pho - Vietnamese restaurant & Noodle bar
Located close to the Central Station, Pho is a modern restaurant offering all you’d hope for in such an establishment. Pho, spring rolls, papaya salad and a few specials too.
Pho Hanoi
Similar to Pho but with a more traditional feel. Meaning it’s small and the service is occasionally all over the place. But, on a good day the food is amazing!
Boguette
This place is all about bánh mì. The delicious Vietnamese sandwich! They only have one vegan option which has tofu and lemongrass in it. Again though, make sure you make it clear that you don’t want any mayo, otherwise you’ll find it to be coated in the stuff!
So there you have it, my choice of some of the best vegan food in Rotterdam. I wish I had more time to try a few other places but my stomach is probably pleased that I had to stop eating and go home. Be sure to check the food section of my blog to find vegan food guides for other cities around Europe. Now I’m off to eat my last stroopwafel.