Rotterdam

Coffee runs through Rotterdam's veins. From dockside warehouses to hip espresso bars, the city breathes the aroma of roasted beans. This quick overview shows how history, hotspots, events, trends and sustainability together shape a lively coffee scene.

Coffee arrived in the Maas city as early as around 1650 and, even before 1750, surpassed beer in popularity. From the first coffee houses, Rotterdam evolved into a transit port for tropical beans. Traders, students and sailors shared their stories over a steaming mug.

The Van Nelle family added extra shine to this trading image. Their futuristic 1931 factory, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, processed coffee, tea and tobacco on five floors. Equally iconic is the 1903 Santos warehouse, once the tallest in the city and packed with Brazilian cargo.

After the post‑war reconstruction, the scene shifted from home filter coffee to espresso bars. Today the original coffee culture is revived: cosy meeting places where students, creatives and dockworkers once again share a table. The recipe remains recognisable, yet latte art and single‑origin beans give the classic café a fresh twist.

A new wave of flavour is driven by maverick entrepreneurs:

- Man Met Bril Koffie opened the world’s first coffee hotel in 2025, featuring 20 rooms, a roastery and a podcast studio.
– Manhattan Coffee Roasters uses an electric Typhoon roaster in a 1,000 m² hall and also supplies Onyx Coffee Lab.
– Heilige Boontjes trains former inmates in an old police station and serves fairly priced single‑origin coffee.
– Schot Coffee Roasters was already pioneering in 2011 and combines art, community, and small batches.
– Harvest Coffee Brewers, backed by two‑time Dutch Barista Champion Zjevaun Janga, serves award‑winning cappuccinos under the Ripsnorter label.

Rotterdam still lacks its own mega‑festival, but coffee calendars are packed. The Gastvrij Rotterdam trade show at Ahoy becomes the hotspot every September for brewers, roasters, and equipment. In 2024 Manhattan stole the show with a “Cocktails & Beans” bar.

Each spring, the Café Theater Festival turns fifteen cafés into mini stages where dance, music, and theatre unfold between the tables. In addition, roasters such as Spicekix and Giraffe host monthly public cuppings and latte‑art throwdowns.

A major Specialty Coffee Fest was planned in the Van Nelle Factory. Although the first edition was postponed in 2020, the ambition remains. Organisers are aiming for cupping competitions, slow‑brew zones, and talks on terroir. Once the doors open, Rotterdam will get the stage its coffee status deserves.

Rotterdam drinks several cups a day on average; only tap water is chosen more often. The cappuccino remains the most popular, closely followed by a black Americano. Yet decaf flat whites with oat milk and chilled nitro brews are appearing more and more.

Local humour lives in the word “bakkie pleur”, a simple filter coffee that once warmed dockers and still offers comfort today. The audience is critical yet loyal: good crema is rewarded with regulars, while mediocre shots lead to swiftly empty chairs.

Rotterdam has held the title of Fairtrade Municipality since 2014. City offices serve only certified coffee, and campaigns encourage cafés to choose fair‑ or direct‑trade beans. Private initiatives strengthen the policy, Manhattan cuts gas consumption, Heilige Boontjes pays farmers above the market price.

Start‑up RotterZwam collects up to 7,000 kg of coffee grounds each month and grows 1,300 kg of oyster mushrooms with them, adding up to more than 100 tonnes of reuse since 2013. Meanwhile, cafés charge a surcharge on disposable cups and encourage reusable mugs.

Designers are also exploring new pathways for coffee grounds. Trials are underway with bioplastic, scented candles and even bricks made from coffee ash. The iconic Euromast uses its own coffee waste as fertiliser in the surrounding park. Big or small, every initiative reduces the footprint of the favourite drink.

From a humble "bakkie pleur" to a gesha pour‑over, Rotterdam proves that history and innovation taste great together. Every sip tells a story, honest, headstrong and always moving.