This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Rotterdam and my personal favorite. The atmosphere…read moreis relaxed, the food ex keener and the service impeccable. A great place to come.

I was here for a date with my boyfriend last weekend and we had been looking forward to a nice…read moreevening. If I were just evaluating the food and ambient, I would give it a full 5 stars no questions asked. However, the service was terrible despite the fact that everyone (especially the barkeeper) was very friendly. We had made reservations for 8:30pm. By 10 to 9, there was still no table available to us and a second couple came in and also waited at the bar for a table. Then, 5 minutes later, they were given a table, despite the fact that we had been waiting for nearly 30 minutes (with a reservation!) and they had just come in. Maybe it was because we are "just" students? Even though the waiters realized that they had treated us unfairly, they didnt apologize. We were kept waiting a nearly 1.5 HOURS until we were finally seated and able to order. It was past 10 when we got our food. During our wait, we weren't offered any food, so by this time we were practically starving I understand that it is difficult to time reservations in a small restaurant. An apology and fair treatment would have gone a long way. We wouldn't even have minded letting the older couple get a seat first, but I do think one should ask first....

Very Italian Pizza is in a good location, it is close to Cube House and Rotterdam Blaak Station,…read morelocated at Blaak 31, after hearing good things about their gluten-free options, I decided to give them a try. I later found out Very Italian Pizza (VIP) is a small chain, with a couple of restaurants around the Netherlands. They've tried to make this place authentic, when I first heard the name "Very Italian Pizza", it seemed a little off-putting as it felt like they were trying too hard. The restaurant area is pretty large, and there is an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs cook your food. The service was fast and friendly, my server explained the gluten-free options, she advised me to order pasta rather than the pizza, she mentioned they use the same plates and the same oven so could not guarantee it would be gluten-free, she also explained this in very good English, to the table next to me, who coincidentally also had a gluten-free diner. I was a bit annoyed as they advertise having gluten-free pizza, and even have "Pizza" in their name, and I had to opt for pasta when I came in wanting pizza, but being too tired to find anywhere else, after a long day exploring the wonderful city of Rotterdam, I decided to try out the pasta anyway. I ordered the Bolognese which was made with gluten-free pasta, my guest also ordered a regular version of the Bolognese, my dish was clearly gluten-free due to gluten-free penne being used, compared to her Tagliatelle, and a different bowl was also used. The pasta was actually pretty good for gluten-free, which was the best I had during my time in Rotterdam, where I ended up eating pasta pretty much every night, I did find the sauce to be a little boring/band which was a shame, as the beef in the Bolognese was good, but the sauce its-self was just a bit lacking, and the dish sort of fell apart. Typical chain Italian, nothing too exciting but the food is OK, the staff are friendly, they also show live sports and were showing the World Cup during my visit, so if you're not gluten-free and want pizza and football, this may be the place to go. 3*

This restaurant right by Markthal has a large selection of pizza and pasta. You can choose to sit…read moreoutside or inside. There's ample space, so finding a table outside shouldn't be much of a hassle if you'd like. I ordered the spaghetti carbonara. The overall flavour was okay - it was a little bland and definitely needed more salt and pepper. The pasta was cooked decently and the portion size was perfect for the price. Similar to other reviews, it was very average with nothing to write home about. The service was fast and the staff was friendly. You can order tap water, and yes, it is free. Just ask.

I ate at the Schouwburgplein branch. The food was ok - nothing spectacular but well prepared…read more Indoors, however, this place is struggling with a massive fruit fly problem. Since I did not immediately down my glass of red wine after it was served, when I was ready to take a sip, several dead flies were floating in my glass already. The waiter did not even comment when I pointed it out and just brought me a new glass (that immediatelty attracted a swarm of new flies). I did not drink it, but asked for the check and got ready to get out, my wine was not taken off the bill, nor was I offered any excuse beyond "thanks for your understanding".

White tablecloth Italian dining with a changing special menu on one side. Nice wine selection…read moreReservations recommended. 3-4 course price fix menu available. Wood fired pizza with a short app and entree list on the other side. There is a line and waiting in the bar most days during normal busy dining times for the pizza side. Very good pizza with the traditional list of favorites. Service can be a little spotty when it's busy or the waitress decides doesn't like you, but still worth it.

This is an adorable and authentic Italian restaurant in the heart of Rotterdam. Though I was not…read moreexactly welcome with open arms when I first came in, the hostess begrudgingly allowed me to sit at an empty seat at the bar and have dinner. It was quite obvious that the clientele was mostly local, where everyone knew each other, and I was the stranger who popped in for a bite to eat unexpectedly and without a reservation. Once it was agreed that I would be served, the service was quite good. I received recommendations of how specialties and possibilities for what to pair with the meals. I selected the House Spaghetti Bolognese, and it was fantastic! It paired nicely w an Italian Rapisso. Toward the end of my meal, the owner/manager, bartender, and hostess were all quite accommodating and kind. I guess it took a little warming up to a stranger who just popped in. I would definitely go back there again if I'm in the area, And likely make a reservation this time. ;-) .

Ristorante Napoli is located close to Stadhuis in Rotterdam, I visited here after being recommended…read moreby Hilton Rotterdam, the hotel where I stayed during my recent trip to the city. As suggested by the name, they offer Italian cuisine, with gluten-free pasta offered. I was able to get a table despite it being very busy as my hotel had made a reservation the restaurant area is quite compact, with lots of tables, close to each other, and it can get pretty noisy, which meant I struggled to have a conversation with the other member of my party, sound levels were between 80 and 90 DB on this occasion. I did originally want to go for some pizza, but I decided to go for pasta instead as this was the only gluten-free option they had, I opted for a gluten-free Carbonara, while my friend had the Margherita Pizza. The food was served very, very quickly and was very hot, the food looked really good as well. The quality of my gluten-free Carbonara was just OK, and it looked so much better than it actually tasted, you could obviously taste that the pasta was gluten-free, but the sauce was fine, and the meat was cooked well. My guest also mentioned that she was impressed with her pizza, although she felt there was a little too much cheese on there, she was also happy to be served straight away in a busy restaurant. It is a little pricey here, but to save money if you're not as hungry, you can order any pasta or risotto dish as a "starter" portion, which works out to around 3-4 euros cheaper. The staff were friendly and the service was good overall. I was annoyed to have been charged for tap water, It was just put on my bill with no further explanation, the charge was €1.5. After speaking to a staff member when paying my bill, they told me that they charge from tap water and donate it to charity, a nice idea but I hate being forced to donate to a charity, especially one that I have never heard of, and I didn't notice any mention of this charge or about the charity, other than the name "DaDa". 3* - Not too bad, it wouldn't be my first choice to return again, but it's a decent Italian in the centre of Rotterdam that does appear to be popular with locals and has some plus points for sure.

First time in Rotterdam and I was searching for a place to eat. Found this place through a few…read moreblogs and I'm so glad I did. It's quaint and doesn't look like much from the outside , but the food was phenomenal. Not typical Italian, but if you love the snacky street food in Italy, this is a great spot to try

This is a franchise operation. For 15.50 we got a few marinated vegetables out of a jar. This was…read morethe large portion but was l what I would expect fir one. The bread we ordered cost extra but it was day old bread, toasted with some oil. Service was fine but this place is overpriced for packaged franchise food.

I was in town on a business trip. Stopped here for dinner on a Friday night. Place was busy but…read morethey fetched a glass of wine for me while I eaited at a table outside. Server was kind and food was excellent. Specifically I had the brunette and the gorgonzola pizza. Both delicious!

Wow.. Okay I cant say whether this is authentic Italian food or not, I just know it tastes…read moreAMAZING!! I think the pizza here might have been the best I've ever had, and trust me I've had quite a few. I was told the appetizers here are really good too so we shared 4 appetizers and 2 large pizza's and 1 dessert between 4 people and we had some pizza left. The stewed octopus (polpo something) is a MUST get, it was really unbelievably good. It was super tender, with the perfect amount of chewiness. The sauce was a little strong but tasted amazing. They give you free bread (which is really good too, the super crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside kind of bread) so its perfect to dip it in. We also got the vongole in white wine sauce, which is really delicious as well. Again, perfect to dip your bread in. Very pungent garlic flavor but who doesnt love garlic?? I never thought I'd say this but, the fennel salad was totally worth the money too. I usually find salads a waste of money but this was to die for. The quail was slightly disappointing, not a lot of flavor, I would get something else next time :) Then the pizzas, we got one with spicy sausage and one with guanciale and walnuts. Ok so the pizza is like the perfect combination of crispy and bready dough (if you know what I mean), its pretty thin but it holds everything very well and doesnt get soggy. Especially the one with guanciale was really good. Lastly we got a tiramisu to share. I think the ladyfingers could have soaked up some more espresso, they were slightly too firm for me but still really good. Also the service was really good too!! I can't wait to come back here!!!

I read the reviews and I really thought this place was going to be awesome. I was horribly…read moredisappointed with the service of this establishment. The waiters at this place are rude and short sighted. No personal touch whatsoever. Some people are meant to be teachers, doctors, etc., and some people are meant to be servers. Not the people here. We ordered the appetizer and while we ordered the appetizer, I was asked to order the main dish like this: "If you know what you want tell me now, so I can put it in". It took over an hour to get a plate of spaghetti and.a lasagna. Not even a, enjoy your meal, sorry it took so long., nothing. The servers are overwhelmed, the dishes are overpriced and the service is terrible. When I asked to speak to a manager about it, I was told " i am the manager, you can talk to me". Well, the server lied. The truth is that there was no manager and the staff does not care. The atmosphere is chaotic and once again, the service is slow. I will not return and I will not recommend. The one star is for the flavor of the food. It was not bad, but it was not good enough to put up with the disappointing and mediocre service.

amazing food and service. No set menu which I like. Cook what's in season so fresh food tasty food…read more Highly recommend.

Excellent Italian Trattoria! What a wonderful place. We stopped in without a reservation on a…read morecold autumn evening, and grabbed two seats at the bar. This is a family affair, with grandma cooking in the tiny kitchen, and son and daughter-in-law, preparing food, while guest relax in the spacious dining area with windows looking out at the square in front of the railroad station. The host brought us a blackboard with the menu chalked upon it. We shared an appetizer of grilled shrimp, delicious garlic, peppery olive oil with crusty bread to sop up the last drizzles of oil. Then one of us had linguine with tomatoes and sausage, which was excellent. I had grilled lamb chops in a creamy mushroom sauce, sprinkled with rosemary, and topped with a bit of crispy, pancetta. I also had a side of salad drizzled with oil and vinegar and another side of spaghetti cooked perfectly al dente drizzled in olive oil sprinkled with parsley. The meal was excellent. The host was very friendly and chatted with us. We had a wonderful time.

Wow wow wow is all I can say. If I could give more stars I would! From the food to service to the…read morefamily like charm and atmosphere, this was one of our best meals in the Netherlands. The pasta was so authentic I felt like I was straight in Italy and the pasta and salad that comes with the meal was incredible. It was hard to get a reservation here and now I know why -I cannot wait to go back again thank you!

Guliano is the perfect place to escape bustling Rotterdam and imagine yourself in Italy's 1960's,…read moreLa Vita Bella. With its Art Deco hanging lamps on every square meter of the ceiling, and a simple, yet elegant interior, you're invited to relax and let go of your worries over a perfect sandwich with a nice glass of wine. By focussing on what they're truly good at (sandwiches), and not serving dinner, this makes for one of the best lunchrooms in town. And this also affects their popularity: if you plan on visiting during peak hours, you'll probably have to wait up to 20 minutes before you can get seated. But without a doubt, I can say it is worth the wait. As a personal recommendation: try the truffle burger with a glass of Montepulciano. Finish with an espresso

This place is great! The food is good, the menu is diverse (so much choice and it all looks great)…read moreand the staff is friendly. Best breakfast/lunch place ive been in Rotterdam.