Good news for those who missed the sun-drenched terrace of the former tropical swimming pool Tropicana! Rotterdam is getting back one of its most iconic spots on the river Maas. On Friday 19 April, the brand-new Bar Stroom will open its doors.
Here you will soon enjoy the best locally brewed beers, waste-free mocktails and an affordable plant-based menu featuring local vegetables and delicious products from food pioneers from BlueCity.
Creative, playful and against the grain: soon you will be welcome for lunch, drinks and dinner every Thursday to Sunday at one of Rotterdam's most unique locations. Located in the old Tropicana building and in the present BlueCity, Bar Stroom works together with local farmers, innovative food entrepreneurs and Rotterdam culture makers to bring about change. On the plate, in the glass and on the stage.
Bar Stroom always casts a glance not only at the city and its flowing Maas, but also at the future. Circular, local, waste-free and plant-based food is the norm here. "With our menu, we want to show that everyone can contribute to today's big questions in a positive and accessible way: the climate, but also your own well-being. And that a sustainable choice can also be accessible, affordable and healthy," says Thibaud Ducoulombier, the manager of the new restaurant on the Maasboulevard.
This is reflected on the menu, which plantbased chef and ambassador of Het Nieuwe Nassen Pepijn Schmeink has put together. On it are tasty, healthy and seasonal dishes using local crops, soil improvers and as many products as possible from BlueCity entrepreneurs. Think falafel made from vegetable waste, pasta made from regenerative crops and vegetable köfte made from gluten. And yes, even Rotterzwam's iconic oyster mushrooms, grown on its own coffee grounds, appear on the table in the form of rendang or a bitterball!
The drinks menu seamlessly complements the food, including wine in reusable bottles from Retour de France, natural wine from Far Out Drinks, local teas from Wilderland, circular beers from in-house brewery Vet & Lazy and Rotterdam's best mocks and cocktails, thanks to Roze Bunker.
The fruit drinkers of the latter brand deliver a sustainable alternative to soft drinks with their fruit syrups. After all, why move water when it just comes from the tap? Adding water only at the last minute saves a lot of transport and unnecessary packaging material. "Moreover, they work with residual streams and local herbs, which increase biodiversity. Pink Bunker is a good example of a brand that dares to swim against the tide. This is the kind of supplier we want to work with."
We only have to wait a few more weeks. On 19 April, Bar Stroom will open! And this will be celebrated with a weekend programme from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April.
On Friday night there will be a free opening party with Operator DJs, delicious snacks and a ping-pong competition. On Saturday, chill all day on the large terrace and on the last day of the weekend, enjoy the ultimate Sunday here. In the morning, cyclists and runners gather at Bar Stroom to head into town. At the same time, yoga takes place in the Dome with a closing lunch, where all the athletes meet at the table. In the afternoon, a jazz concert is scheduled.
See you there!