Man Met Bril Koffie Hotel

Man Met Bril Koffie Hotel is located in Kralingen-Crooswijk in Rotterdam, on the Linker Rottekade. The project is a logical expansion of a Rotterdam roastery and café founded by Paul Sharo. The location opened in early 2025 and combines hospitality and coffee education in one place, intended as both a community anchor and a workspace for industry professionals.

The origins lie with Man Met Bril, where Paul Sharo remains the face and driving force. The hotel grew out of earlier plans and translates the specialty coffee mission into a broader context. The formula brings production, service, and learning together, allowing both visitors and professionals to experience, taste, and discuss coffee within one consistent concept.

At its core is a working residency concept, designed to stimulate knowledge sharing and experimentation. The building serves as a community hub for regulars and a professional stage where new ideas are put to the test. This combination makes the hotel both accessible and intellectually rigorous, providing space for both deep study and practical application.

The roastery behind the hotel is Man Met Bril itself. The assortment includes single-origins and blends such as “Hotel Blend” and “Pink Perlitas”, complemented by seasonal selections. Coffee is roasted on-site to ensure that roast profiles align perfectly with freshness and flavor goals. Guests can choose between single-origin or blend, depending on their preferred style and brewing method.

The bar features a dedicated brew bar for hand-poured filter coffees, alongside a specialty espresso setup. The showstopper is a custom-built multi-group espresso machine, “Frankenstein“ or “Frank“ for short, developed with input from Kees van der Westen. The machine serves as a laboratory to research various infusion and extraction techniques side-by-side.

The Residency Programme invites baristas, roasters, chefs, and other hospitality creators to live and work on-site for several months. Participants exchange knowledge and organize pop-ups, demonstrations, and collaborative events. This setup encourages cross-pollination between coffee, cuisine, and service, with tangible results visible on the floor.

Man Met Bril emphasizes direct relationships with producers and a low-waste packaging philosophy. The preference is for simple, minimal packaging and direct sourcing, aimed at reducing unnecessary plastic and intermediaries in the supply chain. Farm visits and direct contact are explicit components of their procurement process.

Guests are encouraged to use reusable cups, with a clear discount for bringing their own. This approach links practical incentives to sustainable routines, ensuring that service and responsibility go hand in hand at the bar and in the shop.

The brand and its locations have previously received accolades and nominations in Dutch coffee reviews and lifestyle press. The Hofbogen location was highlighted in early reports as one of the most striking new coffee bars in the Netherlands. Since the opening of the coffee hotel, the project has garnered international interest from trade and coffee media as an ambitious hospitality concept.

For the Dutch coffee sector, the hotel serves as a concrete example of the integration of roasting, service, and education. The model provides café owners, baristas, and roasters with a practical environment to refine menus, brewing methods, and the guest experience. By linking local roots with professional depth, it demonstrates how a specialty brand can build value both within the neighborhood and within the industry.