The best terraces by the water
If possible, we head to a pleasant terrace after six. To make it all a bit more appetizing, we want a view of the water, because then you almost feel like you're on vacation. A bit of proper service, a good glass of wine, and a tasty charcuterie board, and we're happy.
Where you need to be, according to our trusted sources? I'll let you in on it. We're not the worst.
Slangevegt – Breukelen
You might run the risk of bumping into me, with a glass of Chardonnay from California in hand and a nice charcuterie board on the table. It's not a whole loaf, by the way, but a brioche with eel, a small cup of bisque, a prawn, and (can I get a round of applause for that?) the homemade cheese stick. Sounds just as delicious as it is, yes.
L’Osteria – Amsterdam
Italian. In Amsterdam. By the water. Wow, that trifecta. It exists in the form of L’Osteria. They serve ‘pizza e pasta’, with pizzas so large that your plate is no longer visible. Or fill the table with pizza bread, antipasti, and a nice caprese while looking over the Amstel.
Aloha – Rotterdam
My favorite in Rotterdam. It doesn't get more Rotterdam than this, if you ask me, except for Hotel New York, of course. The terrace is the old outdoor pool of the former Tropicana (where I used to do a thousand laps in the wild water ride) and looks right out at Erasmus, while on the left you have a view of the Willemsbrug, both beautifully adorning the Maas. On the menu, you'll find mushroom bitterballen grown in-house and a ton of other goodies.
Bodon – Amsterdam
Where the Boerenwetering and the Amstel meet, in good company of the Apollo Amsterdam-Zuid, you'll find La Grande Brasserie. Sounds nice, right? It is. At Bodon, you're going to have a good time. The water buzzes, the terrace is lovely, and Bodon's kitchen is phenomenal. Cheers.
De Firma – Nijmegen
On the Waalkade with a view over the Waal (indeed) and the Railway Bridge sits De Firma. You can enjoy a variety of international street food, and the homemade iced tea is said to be delicious.
With your feet in the sand at the Vinkeveense Plas, it’s possible. The Harbour Club in Vinkeveen opened VinkiBeach in early June, where you can lounge on a beach bed and place your order with one of the beach boys. I'm heading home for the evening.
Another nice beach-sand-terrace in the Randstad. Not that you necessarily have to queue for the North Sea, though. In Utrecht, you’ll find Key West at the Haarrijnse Plas. If you ask our Annabelle, it’s the hotspot to lounge in the evening sun. And in the meantime, you can order ‘Nachos at The Keys’ or ‘Bloody Harry’. You’ll want to have that name on the table.
Girassol – Amsterdam
The secret of our Viv, right in Amsterdam. At Girassol, you fill the table with Portuguese delicacies and sip another glass. Particularly nice: at Girassol, they follow the drop-in principle, the place where you can get a spot in the sun without a reservation.
Vista – Willemstad
In the category ‘bring that wallet, but you won't regret it’: Vista in Willemstad. Not even that exorbitantly priced, by the way, if you consider they have a star. You look out over the Haringvliet, where boats dock for a night in the harbor or continue towards the lock. At the food bar, you'll find tasty sashimi or good prawns to go with your glass of Bernardus.
There you go, you can move forward. Cheers.
