De Ballentent

A Truly Outstanding Bar Experience Stepping into this bar immediately sets a fantastic tone. The venue is genuinely spacious and well-laid out, ensuring you never feel cramped, even during peak hours. Beyond the physical space, the atmosphere is superb—it’s lively and sophisticated without being overwhelmingly loud, creating the perfect backdrop for conversation and relaxation. We were particularly impressed by the food. While it operates as a bar, the quality of the cuisine rivals that of a proper restaurant. Every dish we tried was delicious, fresh, and well-executed. Combined with the excellent drink selection and friendly staff, this place is a must-visit. Highly recommended!

De Ballentent is a charming and down-to-earth place right by the water in Rotterdam. One of the highlights is definitely the outdoor seating area — it's spacious, has a great view of the river, and is perfect for enjoying a relaxed meal on a sunny day. Food is simple but good, I recommend the meatballs. The prices are fair and the staff is friendly I recommend.

A real icon of the Rotterdam culinair world. They serve meatballs which are delicious. A no nonsense restaurant on the shores of the maas river. The staff is friendly and helpful. The serve drinks snacks and food . The atmossphere is really great

Apparently, you need to book about three months in advance, even in that low winter season. I was looking for a single seat on Dec 28 and was bruskly told they had nothing until the end of February. Something to keep in mind if your heart is set on eating here. Since I could not get in for months after I left Rotterdam, I could only review based on the guy's brusk attitude.

I don’t want to be unfair to this place (perhaps they were short-staffed that day or dealing with other challenges) but the overall experience felt quite rushed. It had a “get in, get out” vibe that made it hard to relax. Having worked in hospitality in both the UK and Portugal, I fully understand the importance of table turnover, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of making guests feel hurried. That said, the view of the marina is lovely, the staff were courteous, and the decor is tasteful. I give it 4 stars but its not a place I would return to.

A cozy and inviting spot for lunch. Reservations are recommended during peak hours. The service was friendly, and the Christmas decorations added a lovely festive touch. The food was delicious, with portions surprisingly large compared to the prices. Definitely worth a visit!

A nice spot near het park with a great view of the river. The indoor space is small and cozy, but there's plenty of outdoor seating that's perfect for enjoying the nice weather. Here many people grab a bite or a drink after work, and the atmosphere is fun. We tried the meatballs, and they were absolutely delicious!

So I went to have "the" meatball. I had it: it's a meatball. Is it good? No. It's literally dry meat with pepper and salt. No frills, no surprises. The fries were ok and the peanut sauce quite nice. HOWEVER, the service is kind, fast and efficient. The place is clean and charming with a lovely view over the river. You're surrounded by locals in good spirits. The atmosphere is positive and you can tell the place has history. I won't have the meatball ever again, but I would definitely go back for drinks or maybe to try something else from the menu.

Extremely unfriendly towards foreigners. As they noticed we weren't native dutch speakers they started to making fun about us behind our back (unfortunately I speak Dutch and noticed). It took over an hour to place an order - only after other guests demanding the waiter to also pick up our order. He was mocking us with bad English even though I kept speaking dutch with him. The food (bacon pancake) was OK, though. WIFI didn't work.

The food was okay, but the staff and owner were very unfriendly and staring at us. When we left we noticed that we were ripped off. Check and double check your bill as they randomly add extra cups of coffee to the total bill. Never again.

This place is the worst. Service and food were awful and they were not accommodating of children.

i thought the waiters were deaf or blind when we were ushered to a corner table and waited for a long while before they came. the food was mediocre:the meatball was salty and rough, the pancake was nothing. then when we intended to have the bill, the waiters seemed like they became alive--fast and shoot to our money, so efficient, maybe they have the best waiters in the waiting field!