The best restaurants near Ahoy Rotterdam

Last updated: November 11, 2025.

Everyone goes to a concert from time to time, some even several times a year. Whether it’s at AFAS Live, GelreDome, Amsterdam Arena, Ziggo Dome or Ahoy Rotterdam. Enjoy an evening out and enjoy your favorite music. And with a nice concert coming up, it might be nice to eat somewhere beforehand. In this blog we give you some tips about nice restaurants near Ahoy Rotterdam!

You want to be in time

More and more concerts take place on a weekday nowadays. To get to your seat on time, you have to brave the busy evening rush hour in Rotterdam. This often causes stress, especially because you also have to look for a parking space. Do you want to arrive at Ahoy stress-free? Make sure you leave on time and make your concert visit complete by eating something beforehand.

Leave on time and have a bite to eat first

When we used to go to a concert in Ahoy, we would grab a quick burger and some fries at the Mc Donalds on Zuidplein. But if you look around a little further, you find out that there are great and cozy restaurants less than a 10-minute drive away from Ahoy.

I have already tried quite a few of them. In my opinion you get the best restaurants near Ahoy Rotterdam. I have made this review based on atmosphere, the quality of the food and the travel distance from the restaurant to Ahoy.

The list

Giacobbe Aperitivo e Cucina

Looking for an atmospheric place with real Italian flair? Then Giacobbe Aperitivo e Cucina is the place for you. As soon as you step inside, you feel like you’re in Italy, with warm colours, stylish décor and a relaxed atmosphere.

Chef Andrea Malavasi and his team cook with love and fresh ingredients from all over Italy. The menu features classics such as focaccia, pasta, pizza and tiramisu. Perfect for a leisurely lunch or a cosy dinner after a day in the city or an evening at Ahoy. Giacobbe is also highly recommended if you just want a drink. At the bar, you can enjoy a delicious spritz, a good glass of wine or a cocktail with small snacks. From bruschetta to bitterballen – here you will find something tasty for every moment.

Perfect to combine with an event in Ahoy: Giacobbe is located opposite Ahoy, just a 2-minute walk away and about a ten-minute walk from Zuidplein metro station. Parking is available at the hotel for €20 per day. Lunch: 12:00-15:00 |Dinner: 17:00-22:00

Lisa Kitchen Bar

Lisa Kitchen Bar can be found just 800 meters from Ahoy, so in less than two minutes you can be at Ahoy. You can also choose to walk that bit in 5 minutes. Lisa Kitchen Bar is a cozy eatery, where you can get delicious burgers, satay, fish and steaks in a nicely decorated establishment. Modern industrial, but also warm and cozy. And to make it even easier for you, they serve a modified menu on days when there are concerts at Ahoy. That way you don’t have to watch the time and you are on time!

Bistrot du Bac

Bistrot du Bac is ranked 4th best restaurant in Rotterdam! Maartje and Joost van de Braak like to surprise their guests with their changing menu full of traditional French dishes prepared the traditional way. This cozy bistro is a 9-minute drive from Ahoy. Perfect for making your evening out complete. They offer an early dinner especially for visitors to Ahoy so you will always arrive in time for your concert or event. All you have to do is indicate it in your reservation.

The Sailor and the Girl

The Sailor and the Girl is a trendy Rotterdam restaurant on Katendrecht. No nonsense, because you eat with the pot. You only have to indicate how many courses you want to eat (3, 4, 5 or 6) and the chefs do the rest. This is definitely a restaurant worth visiting. And when you do so on a concert night, you park your car in the Ahoy parking lot with only 7 minutes travel time.

CEO the Boss of Meat

Like De Matroos,CEO the Boss of Meat is located on the Deliplein on Katendracht. So also from here you can be at Ahoy Rotterdam in 7 minutes. CEO the Boss of Meat is highly recommended if you are a meat lover. Whether it’s a tasty carpaccio or a pata negra to lick your fingers as a starter, or a Boeuf, Ribeye, Beef tenderloin or sirloin steak. Book now

La Petite Soeur

Also just a 9-minute drive from Ahoy is La Petite Soeur: the little sister of Bistrot du Bac. La Petite Soeur is the place for the most delicious small dishes and good wines. A good start to your evening out! This cozy restaurant with the cozy and exclusive ambiance as you will find in Paris, is located at the Cape: in the heart of Rotterdam. At La Petite Soeur you can dine on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 16:00 and on Saturday and Sunday you can even join us from 13:00! Great food without a rush: ideal! Book your table here.

Loetje

Loetje has been a household name in and around Amsterdam for years. And more than once I have combined a concert visit to the Ziggo Dome with a delicious meal at Loetje on the Amstel. But this is also possible in Rotterdam! You can find Loetje Rotterdam at the Wilheminaboulevard on the Antoine Platekade and with only 7 minutes travel time it is perfectly combinable with an evening in Ahoy.

More restaurants near Ahoy

De Engel Brasserie & Restaurant sits on Gooilandsingel and serves delicious European and Central European food and is just steps away from Ahoy. They also serve an event menu when there is a concert, so be sure to ask about that as well. It is wise to reserve a table in advance because it is often crowded, but that goes for all these locations. Book directly

Meme is a Vietnamese restaurant where all the food is made the way the owner’s mom (= Meme) would make it. If you’re in a big hurry, you can also pick up some goodies here. Small and cozy and above all very tasty!

A relatively new restaurant on Wilheminaboulevard is Mood. We know this location as Herman den Blijker’s Las Palmas, which changed hands in 2018. At Restaurant Mood Rotterdam, the tables are graced with oysters, fruits de mer, bouillabaisse, sushi, sashimi, meat, game and poultry. All of this preceded by a nice gin tonic or a delicious cocktail and accompanied by fine wines and ended with the most diverse fatty cheeses or a grandiose dessert.

Ganii is a restaurant with a Turkish touch with dishes that will make your mouth water. You can find Ganii on the Zuidplein, so nice and close to Ahoy. Besides being a bistro, this restaurant is also a delicious patisserie, so be sure to save room for dessert!

Don’t forget to make a reservation

Whichever of these restaurants you prefer, especially if you combine it with a concert in Ahoy, it is a good idea to make a reservation in advance. Let us know right away that you will be going to Ahoy after dinner and that you have to leave at a certain time. The kitchen can then take this into account and make sure that you lack nothing. This way you can leave for Ahoy on time and with a satisfied feeling.

Parking near Ahoy Rotterdam

Ahoy Rotterdam has its own parking lot, where about 2000 cars can park. You pay between € 13.50 and € 17.50 but you are parked right in front of the door. If the parking lot is full, you can always use the Zuidplein Rotterdam parking lot across the street. If you can find a spot in the neighborhood, you can of course do that as well, but please note that it is also paid parking here. Want to park for free? Then it’s best to park at the metro stations Slinge, Kralingse Zoom or Capelsebrug.

Credits photos: Ganii, Bistrot du Bac, La Petite Soeur, Giacobbe, OpstapmetLisa and Canva.com